Brisbane shopping.

Brisbane shopping offers a wonderful range of shops for the dedicated shopper to browse around.

With over 2000 shops to wander through you’ll certainly never run out of places to spend your money.

There are plenty of good restaurants and cafes, cinemas, a casino and great accommodation in Brisbane so getting a good feed or a hotel room will never be a problem either.

At the heart of the Brisbane shopping experience is the Queen Street Mall situated in, (you’ve guessed it), Queen Street in the CBD which has around 500 stores.

Fronting the mall at 171-209 Queen St., under the Hilton hotel, is the three-level Wintergarden shopping complex (tel. 07/3229 9755;) housing upmarket jewellers and Australian fashion designers.

Further up the mall at 91 Queen Street, on the corner of Albert Street is the Myer Centre (tel. 07/3223 6900), which has Brisbane shopping's biggest department store and five levels of moderately priced stores, mostly fashion.

The Myer Centre also has an extensive array of eateries in the International Food Court including King of Kings Yum Cha as well as supermarkets and cinemas.

The Brisbane Arcade, 160 Queen St. Mall (tel. 07/3221 5977), abounds with the boutiques of local Queensland designers and just down the mall from it is the Broadway on the Mall arcade (tel. 07/3229 5233), which stocks affordable fashion, gifts, and accessories on two levels.

Across from the Edward Street end of the mall is a smart new Brisbane shopping fashion and lifestyle precinct, MacArthur Central (tel. 07/3007 2300), right next door to the GPO on the block between Queen and Elizabeth streets.

This is where you'll find top-name designer labels, Swiss watches, galleries, and accessory shops.

Brisbane shopping hours are Mon-Thu 9.00am-5.30pm, Fri 9.00am-9.00pm, Sat 9.00am-5.00pm Sun 10am-5.00pm.

Friday night is late night shopping in Brisbane and Fortitude Valley and most stores are open until 9pm.

Just across the river from the CBD is Southbank.

A short walk across the Victoria bridge and you’ll find The South Bank Art and Craft Markets, a great spot for picking up all sorts of goodies.

Featuring local crafts and fresh produce, clothing and unique artworks the Southbank Markets have great a range of cafes and eateries onsite.

Friday night is a fun time to visit the South Bank Markets, when fairy lights add a touch of the unexpected to a great market experience.

The markets are held every Friday from 5.00pm - 10pm, Saturday: 11.00am – 5.00pm and Sunday: 9.00am – 5.00pm.

Just a couple of miles from the city by cab (or take the no. 144 bus to Bardon) is the trendy suburb of Paddington.

This is the place for antiques, books, art, crafts, one-of-a-kind clothing designs, and unusual gifts.

The shops, generally inside colorfully painted Queenslander cottages, line the main street, Given Terrace, which becomes Latrobe Terrace a little further down.

When you get to the end of the shops keep walking, there’s more just around the corner...

If the Aboriginal art you see in the usual tourist outlets doesn't turn you on, what you'll see at Brisbane's Fire-Works Gallery will.

Upstairs in an old printery at 11 Stratton St., Newstead, The Fire-Works Gallery.(tel. 07/3216 1250) shows art by established and emerging artists from all over Australia.

You may go cold at some of the prices, but the stockroom at the back of the gallery may have something a little more suitable, just ask.

The staff will even get your new acquisition shipped home for you.

The Fire-Works Gallery is open Tuesday to Friday 11.00am to 5.00pm, Saturday 11.00am to 4.00pm, or by appointment.

You’ll also find over 1200 shops including a good selection of funky boutiques and jewellery stores in the Brunswick Street mall, in Fortitude Valley, just a short bus ride from the Brisbane CBD and you’ll also find authentic retro '50s and '60s fashion, offbeat stuff like old LPs, secondhand crafts, fashion by up-and-coming young designers, and all kinds of junk and treasure are for sale at Brisbane's only alternative market, Valley Markets, Brunswick Street and Chinatown malls, Fortitude Valley (tel. 07 3854 0860).

Hang around in one of the many coffee shops and listen to live music.

Brisbane locals like trawling the Riverside Markets at the Riverside Centre, 123 Eagle Street and the adjacent Eagle Street Pier Art and Craft Markets for housewares, colorful pottery, wooden blanket chests, handmade toys, painted flowerpots, and other stylish wares.

They both open on Sunday from around 8.00am to 3.00pm.

If you’re after an authentic taste of Queensland's best produce, the Farmers Markets (tel. 0439 999 009) operate on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, from 7.00am to noon, in the grounds of the Brisbane Powerhouse, Lamington Street, New Farm.

Here you'll find much to tempt your palate, brought into the city by farmers from around the southeast part of the state.

There are about 100 stalls, selling everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to homemade chutneys, quail, fresh seafood, free-range eggs, and pâtés; gastronomes will be in heaven.

Yes if you’re a dedicated shopaholic you can indulge yourself in retail bliss and explore all manner of goodies, in Brisbane you’ll be in shoppers heaven, ...............enjoy.

John.

PS: Here’s a list of the more notable Brisbane shopping centres in the city and the surrounding suburbs..........enjoy.

Brisbane CBD:

• Anzac Square Arcade, Brisbane CBD

• Brisbane Arcade, Brisbane CBD

• Broadway on the Mall, Brisbane CBD

• MacArthur Central, Brisbane CBD

• The Myer Centre, Brisbane CBD

• QueensPlaza, Brisbane CBD

• Wintergarden, Brisbane CBD

• Queen Street Mall, Brisbane CBD

Fortitude Valley:

• Homemaker City, Fortitude Valley

• McWhirters, Fortitude Valley

• Homemaker City North, Fortitude Valley

Brisbane suburbs:

• Brookside Shopping Centre, Mitchelton

• Calamvale Shopping Centre (opening late 2007)

• Cannon Hill Shopping Plaza, Cannon Hill

• Centro Buranda Shopping Centre, Buranda

• Centro Toombul (formerly Westfield Toombul), Toombul

• Centro Taigum, Taigum

• Centro Monier, Darra

• DFO Jindalee, Jindalee

• DFO Brisbane, Brisbane Airport

• East Brisbane Shopping Centre, East Brisbane

• Forest Lake Village Shopping Centre, Forest Lake

• Greenslopes Mall, Greenslopes.

• Homemaker City, Aspley

• Homemaker City, Cannon Hill

• Homemaker City, Jindalee

• Homemaker City, Mount Gravatt

• Homemaker City, Windsor

• Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, Indooroopilly

• Indooroopilly Junction, Indooroopilly

• Kenmore Village Shopping Centre, Kenmore

• Centro Lutwyche, Lutwyche

• Mount Gravatt Plaza, Mount Gravatt

• Mount Ommaney Shopping Centre, Mount Ommaney

• Paddington Complex, Paddington

• Paddington Central Shopping Centre, Paddington

• Stafford City Shopping Centre, Stafford

• Stockland Cleveland Shopping, Cleveland

• Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown, Sunnybank Hills

• Sunnybank Plaza, Sunnybank

• Sunny Park Shopping Centre, Sunnybank

• Toowong Village, Toowong

• Westfield Carindale, Carindale

• Westfield Chermside, Chermside

• Westfield North Lakes, North Lakes

• Westfield Strathpine, Strathpine

• Westfield Garden City, Upper Mount Gravatt

• Wynnum Plaza, Wynnum

PLEASE NOTE: If you don't know what an RSS feed is just click this link.