Things Brisbane people like to say and 20 (secret) places they like to go A light-hearted look at some of the familiar sayings that make Brisbane the greatest place on earth to live. Best mates Nicola Robertson and Loren McInnerney stop for a chat at Southbank. Picture: Jono Searle Source: CourierMail WHAT side of the river do you live on? Where did you go to school? How good is this weather? How bad is this coffee? Sound familiar? It should, because these are the things Brisbane people say. Feel like another laugh? Revisit You're not from Brisbane until.... Meanwhile, you know you're a local when you can work down this list and put a tick beside them all - 20 of southeast Queensland's best kept secrets. Asian food tours of Sunnybank Enter another world of sights, smells and tastes without leaving the comfort of suburb Brisbane. Experienced chef Tony Ching hosts monthly food tours of Sunnybank's mouth-watering restaurants and fresh food providores, offering tips on what to buy, what to look for and how to prepare it. Morning tours start at 10am and traipse through Asian grocers, butchers, supermarkets and specialty stores before finishing with a yum cha lunch. The evening tours begin at 3.30pm and resemble more of a progressive dinner, sampling authentic cuisine from a range of Asian restaurants. Walking tours depart Sunnybank Plaza and operate at a lesuirely pace. Chef-turned-tour guide Tony Ching leads foodies on a tour of Asian providores and restaurants through Sunnybank. Tree Top Walk This trail of suspension bridges weaving through Lamington National Park is the closest you'll come to walking on air. Built 25 years ago, the Tree Top Walk is 180 metres long and is made up of nine suspension bridges, most of which gently sway 15 metres off the ground. If you're not nursing a healthy fear of heights, burst through the rainforest canopy by climbing up to one of two observation decks along the way, the highest towering 30 metres above ground. The Tree Top Walk is at the end of Lamington National Park Rd at Canungra, about 90 minutes drive south of Brisbane. Follow the signs to O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat. Peter O'Reilly, second generation of the O'Reilley's Rainforest Retreat family, on the Tree Top Walk. City Hoppers Sure, the CityCats are sleek, fast and cover Brisbane's river route from Hamilton to St Lucia but if you've got time on your side and want to explore the inner-city at a leisurely pace, jump aboard a CityHopper. The free service uses reconditioned Brisbane City Council ferries and meanders along the river, stopping at North Quay, South Bank 3, Maritime Museum, Thornton Street, Eagle Street Pier, Holman Street, Dockside and Sydney Street terminals. The red-hued CityHoppers run every 30 minutes between 6am and midnight, seven days a week. A CityHopper ferry operated by Brisbane City Council. La Fonda Colombiana Meaty empanadas, crunchy fried plantains and hot tamales all served from a shed in the backyard of a family home in the semirural Brisbane suburb of Sheldon. Welcome to La Fonda Colombiana, a pop-up restaurant that only operates Sundays from about noon until 6pm. Keep an eye out for the big Colombian flag in the front yard which signals La Fonda is open for business. The cash-only restaurant also serves Colombian soft drinks and beer. La Fonda Colombiana is at 525 Mt Cotton Rd, Sheldon. Crunchy beef empanadas. Glamping on Moreton Island Like the idea of camping but perhaps not the harsh reality of gear-lugging, tent-pitching and latrine digging? Moreton Island launched its new "glamp" site this year; a collection of permanent two and four-person tents furnished with a queen size bed, private ensuite and veranda. Choose whether to "rough it" by cooking meals at the communal kitchen and barbecue area or glam it up by strolling to the on-site restaurant. Moreton Island Glamping is located on the grounds of Castaways Resort at Bulwer. One of the new glamping tents on Moreton Island. Rooftop Cinema This cinema has the best view in town. The rooftop bar of Fortitude Valley's Limes Hotel screens classic films and recent releases on Thursday nights at 7.30pm while moviegoers recline on pillows and couches or set themselves up at bar tables. The bar opens at 5pm, serving drinks and tapas, and stays open after the movie ends until midnight. Tickets are $10. Limes Hotel, 142 Constance St Fortitude Valley. The Rooftop Cinema at Limes Hotel, Fortitude Valley. Fresh seafood Buy prawns fresh from the trawler in Cabbage Tree Creek at Shorncliffe. The trawlers moor along the Sinbad St stretch of the inlet and ply their ocean-fresh wares on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings. A fresh catch of Moreton Bay Prawns direct from the trawler. Games Night Bored with run-of-the-mill board games? Inject some supersized fun into your next game of Scrabble with a giant version of the classic word game. Games Night is held in King George Square on the last Thursday of each month from 5-9pm. Unleash your inner-Alice as you wander through a Wonderland of life-size chess pieces and playing cards. Giant versions of Jenga, Connect Four, dominoes, Chinese checkers and mahjong are also available as are a selection of regular board games. It's free to join in and players can also bring their own games. Checkmate with monthly Games Nights in Queen Street Mall. Tip shops Take the hard work out of scavenging with a visit to one of Brisbane City Council's two Tip Shops or Logan City Council's Recycling Market. The preloved outlets at Acacia Ridge and Geebung sell a selection of reclaimed and recycled items salvaged from Brisbane's four transfer stations. Items spruced up and on sale include household furnishings, collectables, books, toys and sporting equipment. Logan Recycling Market collects and sells items saved from the scraphead and donated by the community and corporate or business sponsors with the profits donated to charities. Tip Shops are run by Endeavour Foundation at 46 Colebard St West, Acacia Ridge and 27A Prosperity Place, Geebung while the Logan Recycling Market is at Browns Plains SmartTiP, 349 Browns Plains Rd, Heritage Park. Endeavour Foundation CEO David Barbagello at the Acacia Ridge Tip Shop. Edible Brisbane Is your lunch lacking punch? Spice it up with a selection of herbs growing along the riverfront at the northern end of South Bank. The free public garden beds sprout an array of edible greenery including basil, parsley, mint, rosemary, chives and oregano depending on the season and demand from passing fossickers. If you're further afield, there's still plenty to graze on with edible plants, fruit trees, vegetable patches and herb gardens growing on public land plotted on the Brisbane Public Harvest Google map. The map creator, who goes by the username Horst, has plotted dozens of spots where people can forage for avocados, mangoes, lillipilly, figs, guava, mulberries and tomatoes to name but a few ingredients in this exotic fruit bowl of a city. Fresh herbs. The Edge Catching up at a riverfront restaurant or cafe usually comes with a hefty price tag but not so The Edge at State Library of Queensland (SLQ). The digital hub of the library, The Edge actively courts young people with its winning combination of free wifi, great coffee and front row seats to one of the best river views in Brisbane. If you're keen to impress your classmates, you can book a window bay to ensure a picturesque study session. Former director of The Edge at the State Library of Queensland David Cranswick shows off the view from one of the window bays. Tipplers Tap Brisbane's craft beer and brewing scene is burgeoning so it seems almost unfair to single out just one venue. But life wasn't meant to be fair so single out we shall! Tippler's Tap at Newstead is the sort of place you could easily walk past without realising the cave of beery goodness beyond its nondescript facade. The Masters St watering hole has 11 taps in constant rotation as well as an ever-changing selection of bottled beer and a US-influenced bar menu featuring hot dogs, sliders, buffalo wings and chilli. Open from 11am-10pm every day except Monday. Tippler's Tap manager Carl Rhodes with a sample of the brews from the Newstead bar. Ghost Tours of Brisbane Murder, torture, crime, love and hate all make a great ghost story - especially when they're true. Local historian Jack Sims runs ghost and true crime tours throughout greater Brisbane, exposing the sunny city's dark underbelly. Ghoulish visitors can creep through cemetreties at Toowong, South Brisbane and Ipswich, rattle the bars at Boggo Road Gaol and skulk through the seedy side of Brisbane's CBD. Those with nerves of steel can organise a ghost hunt, using equipment to measure EMF readings, search for EVF (electronic voice phenomenon) or "talk" to someone on the other side. Who you gonna call? Jack Sims hosts ghost tours through the creepier places in Brisbane and Ipswich. Public art trails Brisbane is home to both an eclectic and fascinating collection of art and a sunny climate that almost demands an outdoor lifestyle. Combine the two by tackling one of the city's four public art walking trails. Art and the River covers more than 2km from South Bank's Maritime Museum to the Kangaroo Point Cliffs while the Contemporary Art and Architecture trail highlights the contributions made by private developers and businesses to Brisbane's CBD. The Cultural Heritage Public Art Trail starts at King George Square and ends at St Stephen's Cathedral, covering a mix of historic, heritage-listed and contemporary artworks and monuments. Finally, the World Expo '88 public art trail takes in 11 of the 13 Brisbane-based artworks commissioned for the event. Maps and guides can be downloaded from Brisbane City Council's website. Hannah Beattie next to a sculpture near the CUA building on Queen St. Source: News Limited Cedar Creek Swimming Holes As southeast Queensland warms up, cool off in the quiet rock pools of Cedar Creek, located about 45 minutes drive north west of Brisbane. The rock pools are positioned directly below Mt Glorious, to its east, and are a tranquil, natural alternative to crowded beaches and swimming pools. To get there, drive north along Mt Samson Road, past Samford, then turn left into Cedar Creek Rd. Amanda Hurley with children Jasmin Giokas and Madison Lovell cool off in Cedar Creek. Simply Beans Stand anywhere in the inner-city, throw a stone and chances are you'll hit a place serving great coffee (note: don't throw actual stones, it was just an analogy). However, the further out you venture, the harder it becomes to grab a quality caffeine hit or bag of beans. Simply Beans at Underwood roasts its own beans and does a roaring trade supplying cafes and restaurants in southeast Queensland as well as suburban Java junkies. Chose from single origin, custom blends, Rainforest Alliance, fair trade, decaf and homegrown brews. Such is its new-found fame, Simply Beans is on the move from its teeny-tiny Logan Rd roastery and retail space to bigger premises at Southpark, Compton Rd at Underwood. Check the website for opening hours. Giuseppe Anopa from Simply Beans at Underwood is a master bean roaster and has won an international award for his beans. Workshop Co. Espresso Bar On the other end of the geographic spectrum, Workshop Co. Espresso Bar is a relatively new cafe tucked away off Redcliffe Parade and specialising in unbeatable coffee and fresh, delicious food. Those locals swayed by its charm swear by the pork belly taco and the corn fritter with salsa. The cash-only cafe is at 133 Redcliffe Parade and open Wednesday to Sunday from 7am-2pm. Vince Moefaauo at Workshop Co. Espresso Bar at Redcliffe. Adult ballet classes Never realised your childhood dream of being a ballerina? Never fear, Queensland Ballet hosts adult ballet classes for anyone aged 16 or older, regardless of *ahem* ability, at its studios in the Thomas Dixon Centre at West End. The teachers are current and former Queensland Ballet dancers with the odd special guest - including Queensland Ballet's acclaimed artistic director Li Cunxin - dropping by to hold court. The classes run on a casual, drop-in basis with no term or start dates and cater for beginner, intermediate and mature-aged dancers as well as offering contemporary dance and Pilates classes. Classes are on Monday and Tuesday evenings and Saturday afternoons. Queensland Ballet adult dance classes. Gone fishing While the Brisbane River is a freeway of ferries, rowboats, CityCats and party boats, you can still cast a line in some of southeast Queensland's less-busy estuaries. South of the border, try the fishing pontoon or boat ramp at Beenleigh's Logan River Parklands or try your luck from the pontoon or waterfront walk at Riverdale Park, Meadowbrook. Heading north, anglers swear by the old Hornibrook Bridge that once linked Redcliffe and Brisbane, now a fishing platform at the start of Hays Inlet. Don't forget to check bag, size and seasonal limits before baiting your hook. Jordan Harrison and James Halliday fish along the banks of the Logan River while Seth and Sophie Halliday scare the fish away. The Hideaway How better to round out a list of hidden gems than with a place called The Hideaway? This 100-person capacity nightspot hosts indie musicians, emerging comedians, local burlesque performers, cult films and even slammin' poets. Tucked away - as the name suggests - at 188 Brunswick St, the bar is an easy jaunt from Fortitude Valley train station. So, pull up a retro vinyl armchair, grab a craft beer, cider, wine or cocktail from the bar and check out the new next-big-thing. The Hideaway, 188 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley Source: Supplied So, what have we missed? Tell us what should have made our list of hidden gems in the comments field below.