THIS IS MY CITY | Samantha Hillman's Byron Bay

Samantha Hillman - the brains and beauty behind food blog Le Pirate - has just bid Australia farewell for a sunny European sojourn, and after that, New York, New York. But before she left our shores she lived in Byron Bay (and its surrounds) in northern New South Wales. Shamefully we have a limited knowledge of Byron, but seeing her many instagrams at various farmers markets, beachy enclaves and fantastic cafes inspired us to take a trip. Byron Bay really is one of those best-kept-secret Australian locations. This is Byron, by Sam.

 All images | lepirate instagram

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KITCHEN | Winter favourite: Banana Cake

Banana cake is an old faithful, and we love this faultless recipe by Adelaide-based food blogger Rachael of Polka Bakes. With a thick spread of cream cheese icing on top, this recipe is a true crowd pleaser.

Rachael says: This recipe is basically bulletproof! Do as you will with it. Serve it smothered with cream cheese icing or cut in half and sandwiched with whipped cream. Cover it with toasted walnuts or just enjoy it simply as it is, with a dusting of icing sugar over the top. I’ve decided to stick to tradition and serve it with vanilla buttercream and a sprinkle of desiccated coconut.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

125g butter, softened to room temperature
½ cup (100g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 overripe bananas (about 100g each), mashed
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 ½ cups (225g) self raising flour, sifted
½ cup (125ml) full cream milk

For the vanilla buttercream:

1 ½ cups (225g) soft icing sugar mixture
60g butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon full cream milk

Prep | Rachel Linke | Polka Bakes

Method:

Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin with greaseproof baking paper.

Using an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until fluffy and light in colour. Gradually add eggs, a little at a time, beating well between additions (the mixture will look a little curdled, but worry not- it will come back together with the addition of the flour!)

Add mashed bananas to the mixture and use a plastic spatula to fold through. 

Add baking soda to milk and stir to combine. Set aside.

Using the spatula, gently fold in in one third of the sifted flour, followed by one third of the milk. Repeat, alternating between milk and flour until the mixture is just combined.

Pour cake mixture into prepared cake tin. Bake in conventional oven at 170 degrees for approximately 50-55 minutes, depending on your oven. The cake should be golden in colour and spring back when lightly pressed on top (if unsure, test for 'doneness' by inserting a skewer slightly off centre- it should come out clean).

Leave cake to cool in tin 10-20 minutes before turning out, top side up, onto a wire rack, leaving the baking paper on the cake. Place a large upturned plastic container over the top of the cake and leave to cool completely (this helps the cake to stay super moist).

To make the icing, beat butter, sugar, milk and vanilla with electric beaters until smooth and fluffy.

Remove baking paper from cake. Transfer to serving plate. Spread vanilla buttercream over cake and serve.

The cake will keep stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Alternatively, cut into portions and freeze.

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THIS IS MY CITY | Katie Rackley's Gold Coast

There's something kind of great about The Gold Coast. Recently we've spent more and more time there and it's growing on us. There's a sunny, smiley nonchalance to it, the feeling of not caring that much about what other people think. It's also getting cooler, as families settle down along that golden, sandy stretch that goes right down to the New South Wales border, and with the families come cafes and restaurants and hangouts and food trucks. We asked Katie Rackley, the Canada-born founder of beauty website Walter Osborne and creative director of lingerie brand SJ Lingerie, to share some of her favourite spots on The Gold Coast. This is the Gold Coast, by Katie.

Gold Coast typography and signage | Images by Katie Rackley

one. Best thing about Gold Coast? It's so relaxed! The lifestyle here is pretty down to earth and we spend a lot of time outside, at the beach, riding our bikes and talking long coastal walks. I also live right behind the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary so my son and I go to feed the kangaroos and lorikeets by hand a few times a week. That's a big highlight for me. Also, I was driving the other day and thinking that one of my absolute favorite things about the coast is all the old hotels and motels from the 60 and 70's. The typography and Signage is so iconic. Just passing the "Pink Poodle" or the Miami Shore Motel on the Gold Coast Highway makes me smile.

two. Worst thing about the Gold Coast? So many people here don't wear shoes and public transport is atrocious.

three. Favourite secret spot? Currumbin rock pools, it's a bit of a drive but well worth it. Its stunning for a swim. My brother-in-law also just opened up a little cafe/grocer in Burleigh called Lakeview Cafe and General Store, they make incredible poached chicken and avocado on sourdough for breakfast and they also sell little packets of organic duck food so after we eat we all go down and feed the ducks and swans at the lake across the street. It's perfect.

four. Favourite everyone-knows-it-but-it's-still-good spot? Paddock Bakery is amazing, it only opened a few months ago but everybody knows about it already and it has become pretty hard (too hard) to get a parking spot. Maybe its time to ride my bike...

five. What was your newest discovery in the Gold Coast? Small Stall. It's a little shop in Palm Beach on the Gold Coast highway selling everything from the Tom Dixon Eclectic range, Petite Grand jewelry, tea towels, ceramics and some of the best kids clothing I've seen. It's great if you need a gift and are unsure what to buy.

six. Where is the best place for.... morning coffee/pick-me-up? meal with friends? romantic rendez-vous? late night drink? even later-night boogie? Morning coffee/pick-me-up? Good Day coffee, the owners are so friendly and its only a minute from home. Justin Lane is a fantastic pizza place to go with friends and drink copious amounts of wine there is also Bonita Bonita, a Mexican restaurant that opened up not long ago and it's one of the first Mexican digs I've seen that actually serve ceviche! Romantic rendez-vous? Ouff... Romance makes me cringe, but Cavalier Bar and Supper has dim lighting, good food and candles. Late night drink? I can usually be found on the floor in my living room with a glass of red in hand. Even later-night boogie? I haven't boogied since before I had my son. Well that's probably a lie, but my last boogie was in Sydney after amazing italian and copious amounts of wine, so I guess being in Sydney it doesn't count.

Good Day Coffee | Bean Hunter

seven. Where are the Gold Coast's style spots? Where is the best shopping? To be honest, the shopping I do on the GC is for food, flowers and wine. When it comes to clothes I save myself for the internet. In saying that though, Joy Hysteric in Broadbeach is great and always has phenomenal pieces.

eight. What is something you can get/read/experience/eat that you can only do in the Gold Coast?  Experience: Feeding the lorikeets at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. My family took me when I was very young and it is some of my best memories. It's incredible! There are feedings at 8am and 4pm. For a gold coin donation you are given a plate of lorikeet food and there are literally hundreds of them everywhere. If you are extra lucky they will come and perch on the top of your head! Eat: Blueberry and white chocolate scones from Sticky Buns in Tugun. They are hands down the best scones I've ever eaten, they are so lush don't need even a lick of cream!

nine. You can tell a lot about a city from their airport. Describe the Gold Coast's. You fly into the little airport directly over the ocean, seeing the wide stretch of white sand along the coastline is why people visit here. But to describe the airport in a sentence I would say it's a work in progress and that's how I feel about the Gold Coast. We are just beginning to develop our culture and who we are now.

ten. How would your describe the Gold Coast to someone who has never been there before? To be honest, the coast has changed so much in the last few years. When I left here for Sydney in 2007 I didn't ever plan on coming back, but now there's this really great energy and new great eateries and hubs popping up all the time. It's a really great moment to be here.

The Gold Coast | Holmes Institute

Read more in our This Is Our City series here.

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THIS IS MY CITY | Madeleine Mikhail's Sydney

Sydney is our home, and we love looking at it from fresh eyes. The last pair we had were our friend Dee's, and now we've called on Madeleine, behind cookie and muesli company Luke Avenue. You can find her treats in some of the best cafes around Sydney, and we knew that she would know all the best spots. This is Sydney, by Madeleine.

Best thing about Sydney? Are that the streets are full of swagger without the pompous attitudes. Get to any suburb and you'll instantly know how its people operate. Surry Hills for instance is full of laid back successful creatives with the luxury of taking there work to the park or cafe. Could be a good reason why we're so chilled. Also I love how you can go to a place like Marrickville and have six vietnamese restaurants next to each other that offer the same menu and all be pumping with people. This is a perfect example of why I never stress about business. my mum has always said “there's plenty of business for everyone”. Its true “look to the cookie” - Seinfeld

Worst thing about Sydney? Oxford Street Paddington. Its a shameful view into how unsupportive the big guys are. On weekdays you can fire a gun and not hit anyone. There are rules, don't piss in the wind, don't tug on super man's cap and don’t rent on oxford street.

Favourite secret spot? The Bar at the End of the Wharf. Gosh it’s beautiful in every way. Usually occupied by Cate Blanchett's talented crew this place is a great escape. Its a mix of Old Australia with the original industrial interiors and sweet ocean million dollar views. Both rain and shine complements the menu and easy going vibe.

Favourite everyone-knows-it-but-it's-still-good spot? Camperdown Oval on a sunny day. The dead end street allows for minimal traffic and just the happy noise of people gathering. You can lie in the grass and escape from the the craziness of the city with the sun in your face. Make an order at store espresso before you lay and they’ll bring it over to you while you siesta.

 Lobo Plantation | Source

Where is the best place for.... morning coffee/pick-me-up? meal with friends? romantic rendez-vous? late night drink? even later-night boogie? There is a constant influx of new cafes opening but unfortunately not always good coffee follows. My suggestion for guarantee good coffee fix is The Baron and Three Williams. They both know what you need to get you through the next two hours and pride themselves on doing just that. Not to mention their menus are outstanding. At Three Williams go for the beef Nannie or Kale salad with sweet potato and chicken, trust me. At the baron my gosh the breakfast egg and bacon roll is amazing!!!


Where are Sydney's style spots? Where is the best shopping? Redfern. Wouldn't think it but some of the best stylist and fashion houses have moved in recently in the last couple of years. People around here just don't care what you think when it comes to shopping around here and that's what gives them that street je ne sais quoi. Casual wear with nikes and your hair all done up beauty queen style? They were rolling like this circa 1990 Bondi.

Read more in our This Is My City series here.

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THIS IS MY CITY | Michelle's Perth

Perth is one of those cities that can instantly get stuck in your head, what with its fantastic weather, its sunny outlook and its vibrant, creative energy. And there was only one person we could turn to for a guide to this most coastal of Australian cities - Michelle. We love Michelle's understated, refined blog A Minute Away from Snowing and at Benah we are such fans of her elegant aesthetic. We knew that her tips for her home town would be perfect. Here is Perth, by Michelle.

Photos | Michelle Lau A Minute Away From Snowing | Featuring Benah Large Zip Pouch

one. Best thing about Perth? The endless summers, the bluest of blue skies, the fact that eternal stretches of unspoilt beaches can be as easy to find as a cup of good coffee in this city, and the way people are here for the downtime than the climb up the corporate ladder.

two. Worst thing about Perth? Our non-existent winters – peonies seem to be an endangered species in Perth, and my coats and boots invariably gather dust every year, because it just doesn't get cold enough! The isolation can also be frustrating - Europe is always two plane trips and a good 20 hours away. Once it took me nearly two days to get from Perth to New York City!

three. Favourite secret spot? Sitting by the window sill at Daily Planet watching the sun go down, and the world go by along Beaufort Street. Ordering the soy chai tea has become an essential part of my rare me-time.

  Soy Chai | Daily Planet

four. Favourite everyone-knows-it-but-it's-still-good spot? Moore and Moore in Fremantle. It's a kooky cafe by day and an arts space by night. Everyone who knows what's good for them will order the avocado on 7 grain toast and sit in the sun-drenched courtyard until the sun goes down. I was also so lucky to be married there, so dropping in for brunch or a coffee these days is my favourite, nostalgic thing to do in Freo.

five. What is your newest discovery in Perth? What about somewhere you've been going forever but can't quite give up? I recently stumbled across The Sweet Remedy - a new corner bakery- whilst wandering aimlessly on my lunch break in Leederville. They've just opened (you can still smell the fresh paint!) and the homemade Panniers are one of the greatest things I've ever eaten. The shopkeepers are also so impossibly lovely - happy to chat for hours if you stay long enough. I plan to return just for the strawberries & cream cupcakes. As for somewhere I've been forever and a day... Sparrow in Highgate. It's the best Indonesian in town and one of the cheapest meals you can get in Perth! The lovely owner there always rounds down your change if you're a regular. It's the little things.

 By the river | East Perth

six. Where is the best place for.... morning coffee/pick-me-up? meal with friends? romantic rendez-vous? late night drink? even later-night boogie? I live across the road from Bossman, so grabbing a morning coffee to wake me up on a lazy Saturday is often the best - and essential - part of my day. For brunch with friends, I can't go past the boiled eggs and buttered soldiers down the road at Mary Street Bakery. There's something really nostalgic about dipping toast soldiers into runny eggs. Date nights with my husband are best spent at this cute, blink-and-you'll-miss-it spaghetti bar called Francoforte. After spending some time in Italy a few months ago, we were delighted to find a place that made us feel like we were dining at a cosy friend's place, devouring the ultimate in comfort food. The guy - Julian - who runs the tiny kitchen isn't a trained chef or anything like that; he was simply taught by his mum at home. I love knowing things like that. As for the rest of the evening, I'm usually in bed by 10pm. I'm such a homebody at heart!

seven. Where are Perth's style spots? Where is the best shopping? I've kept this a secret for so long! But... Adam Heath has my sartorial heart forever. It looks like some sort of intimidating place where lavish ladies who like to lunch shop but it's so unpretentious and beautifully merchandised - I love it equally for window shopping and bargain hunting. I always scour the sales racks first, as it's always laden with Carven, Dries, 3.1 Phillip Lim on any given day. My most recent purchase was a pair of Frame Denim jeans and a Nina Ricci skirt at 70% off.

eight. What is something you can get/read/experience/eat that you can only do in Perth? The Secret Cake Club is something that has always intrigued me. The wait lists are always a mile long but I hope to attend one day! The rules are simple: turn up to a secret location every 4-6 weeks bearing your freshly baked goods, before spending the next two glorious hours swapping baking tips and making new friends. It's kind of like a book club, except that you're swapping books with cake. It's probably the only place in the world where you can have your cake - and be able to eat it too.

nine. You can tell a lot about a city from their airport. Describe Perth's. The past few years have seen more change for our airports than the past thirty, put together. Although it's still very much a work in progress, it's undeniable that real and exciting things are happening and that change - a good change - is coming. There's such an energy in Perth at the moment.

ten. How would your describe Perth to someone who has never been there before? Like a breath of fresh air - quite literally. Here, the days are dreamy and nights are filled with the brightest stars. All you have to do is look a little closer. The one thing living in Perth all my life has taught me is gratitude in finding beauty in ordinary things.

You can read all of our travel guides here.

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THIS IS MY CITY | Adriana's Melbourne

We love the guide that Adriana Giuffrida, the creative brains behind jewellery label Poms, put together for Melbourne. When we asked her to do one she admitted that sometimes she misses living in Sydney... Adriana, sometimes we dream of moving to Melbourne! Korean BBQ, watermelon granita and the best art in Australia. What more could you possibly want? This is Melbourne, by Adriana.

Melbourne CBD

one. Best thing about Melbourne? I think the best thing about Melbourne is being able to head into the CBD and wander around aimlessly and be able to eat amazing food, check out some wonderful galleries, and shop to your hearts content.

two. Worst thing about Melbourne? Battling the ever changing weather conditions when trying to do the above!

three. Favourite secret spot? My new favourite secret spot is Kobo in the CBD in Hardware Lane. Its an amazing KBBQ (Korean BBQ place) that has Korean BBQ tacos! Sounds crazy, tastes amazing! 

Cookie

four. Favourite everyone-knows-it-but-it's-still-good spot? COOKIE! In Curtain House on Swanston Street. It is a Melbourne Institution, and it never fails. Best food, best drinks, best building. Its just the best.

five. What is your newest discovery in Melbourne? Supernormal Canteen on Flinders Lane.

Emporium

six. Where is the best place for.... morning coffee? meal with friends? romantic rendez-vous? late night drink? even later-night boogie? For a morning coffee, I keep it local and head to Oli & Ari in Brighton, or Pantry. Don’t judge, but I think the best new meal spot is the food court at Emporium. The European at the top of Spring Street is also amazing, and then you can get a mouth watering ice cream from the Grocer next door for a sweet treat. Cumulus is also great, and Supernormal which has just opened on Flinders Lane, for some more Andrew McConnell amazingness. Also Pelligrinis for a watermelon granita on a hot day, or Cellar Bar for a killer cotoletta and tiramisu! For a late night drink, you can’t beat Toff in Town's bubble cup cocktails.

Pellegrini's Bar

seven. Where are Melbourne's style spots? Where is the best shopping? Curtain House on Swanston street houses my two fave spots, Pet Shop Girls and Someday. These guys have the best in local and international fashion going on and its not your run of the mill stuff. Marais is also good for your higher end wares. I also love going to Savers on Sydney road, which is an amazing supermarket sized op shop. Also Camberwell Market on a Sunday morning is great, get there early though, cause the bargains get snapped up, its not as secret as it used to be.

eight. What is something you can get/read/experience/eat that you can only do in your Melbourne? Heide Museum of Modern Art Gallery in Heidelberg is really quite special. John and Sunday Reed purchased the block in 1935, and opened their home to like minded individuals such a Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker and Joy Hester among others, and the Heide Circle was born. Now the old homestead houses exhibitions of incredible modern art, and the gardens and grounds are also spectacular, and they also have a Cafe Vue, for a yummy mid gallery feast.

Heide Museum of Art

nine. You can tell a lot about a city from their airport. Describe yours. Hmm… I can’t say our airport speaks as highly as it could of our incredible city, but enjoying a lil treat from another Cafe Vue situated at the International gate is pretty good!

ten. How would you describe Melbourne to someone who has never been there before? yum yum!

You can read our previous this is my city guides here.

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BENAH LOVES | Ken and Julia Yonetani

Collaborative sculptural artists, Ken (Japan) and Julia (Australia) Yonetani’s work often discuss the current state of our environment, and in light of Art Month (which the pair are indeed a part of) we sought to learn more about their practice. They have shown all over the world, most notably at the Venice Biennale and also at our own Art Gallery of New South Wales, and now we share one of their beautifully poignant installations with you.

Still Life: The Food Bowl, 2011, is a collection of objects molded out of groundwater salt from the Murray-Darling Basin, known as ‘Australia’s food bowl’. The work touches on the artistic tradition of Still Life that emerged out of the rising European bourgeois class from centuries ago. In an attempt to bring to their audience’s attention the environmental issue of salinity, the artists reenact the contemporary human condition of consumption and mortality as direct influences on the current state of our environment. Through the juxtaposition of salt as both preservative of food and destroyer of ecosystems, the pair presents a complex metaphor of the rise and fall of civilizations and the problem of climate change that faces us on a global scale today.

To see more of their work, visit their website. 

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IN RESIDENCE | Penelope Seidler

In 1967, Penelope Seidler and her husband, the legendary late Harry Seidler, moved into the house they had collaboratively designed. The Killara House, where Penelope has lived for over forty years, is situated on what is now called the Harry Seidler Reserve. The house is a monument to Seidler’s revolutionary architectural style, and a testament to the pair’s renowned artistic taste.

The house is built on what Penelope calls an ‘architect’s block’; it’s “steeply sloping, surrounded by trees, a creek at one end, a bush reserve at another and no immediate neighbours” being exactly what they wanted. It has a split plan over four half-levels while the machined palette remains quite visceral and expresses the fundamental structure of the house.

The house remains virtually unchanged since the 1960s with wet-look quartzite stone floors and Tasmanian oak ceilings. Also untouched is the vast collection of art that the pair shared, on display throughout the massive house. Today, the house is on the NSW State Heritage Register and is becoming a pop culture icon in itself, just as its namesake Harry Seidler indeed is!

Interestingly though, Penelope had this to say: “Funnily enough I find people like the house a lot better now than they did when it was first built. They thought it was all too stark and found the concrete too confronting. I think it’s beautiful. There’s a medieval quality to the masonry walls, and the texture of timber all around, it’s like my castle. Harry liked things tough; he always said this house was indestructible, and he’s absolutely right.”

Photographs by Max Dupain and plans via the State Library of NSW. 

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THE ICON

The Sydney Opera House | Images by Tom Blachford

The Sydney Opera House is one of the great architectural works of the 20th century, and at the time marked a radically new approach to construction. Designed in 1957 by Danish architect Jørn Utzon; construction started the following year but due to the controversy that surrounded its completion The Opera House didn't formally open for another 15 years.

"Utzon made a building well ahead of its time, far ahead of available technology, and he persevered through extraordinarily malicious publicity and negative criticism to build a building that changed the image of an entire country." - Frank Gehry

Utzon's design was selected out of 233 submissions from 32 countries, with the actual construction techniques having to be 'worked out' along the way, as the structure was completely unique to anything attempted before. After escalating costs, rebuilds, delays and a change in government, Utzons talent and abilities were being questioned. The final straw for the architect came in 1966, when his request to use a particular supplier for the roof structure was refused. Unable to bear anymore, Utzon resigned from the job and vowed never to return to Australia.

Seven years later in 1973 The Opera House was finally completed, but Utzon was not invited to the ceremony, nor was his name mentioned in any of the speeches. Thankfully he was recognised later when asked back to design updates to the interior and in 2003 was awarded the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize. 

It's hard to imagine Sydney without The Opera House. There is nothing quite like it and it still captures the hearts of both locals and tourist alike. It may have taken 15 years and $102 million dollars (which seems like peanuts now) but it was well worth the wait and in 2007 The Sydney Opera House became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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THIS IS MY CITY | Bianca's Brisbane

Brisbane is Australia's sunshine city, a place of bronzed girls and summer sun. And one of our favourite bloggers who hails from Brisbane is Bianca from Sargasso Sea, winner of last year's Pedestrian blogger award and a member of Vogue's prestigious Spy Style blogging network. We got her to send through her insider's guide to Brisbane and we love her tales of the local creative scene, it makes us want to book a ticket asap! This is Brisbane, by Bianca.

All photos by Bianca Blades

 A weekend escape to the Sunshine Coast

one. Best thing about Brisbane? The proximity to tropical beaches and islands is always nice but the best part of Brisbane is the local creative scene - seeing bands, visiting art shows and meeting designers. 

two. Worst thing about Brisbane? I won't get political so I'll stick to a shallow answer - we always miss out on good sample sales. I guess designers don't really want to ship their dead stock up to Queensland when they can have a quick sell in Sydney or Melbourne. 

  Bianca relaxing at the Mt Coot-tha botanic gardens

three. Favourite secret spot? Sunday afternoon yoga and meditation class in West End, before a walk through the community garden and down to my favourite spot by the river. I also love escaping to the Mt Coot-tha botanic gardens and planetarium whenever I'm feeling stressed with study, the Japanese gardens always have a great sense of calm. 

four. Favourite everyone-knows-it-but-it's-still-good spot? Cedar Creek Falls at Mount Tambourine. It's a bit of a winding drive, but the shady swimming spot and rope swing make up for it. 

 Watching over Cedar Creek Falls

five. What is your newest discovery in Brisbane? Rogue Rennard in Paddington for coffee, sweet pastries and a mean toasted cheese sandwich. What about somewhere you've been going forever but can't quite give up? The antique shops at Paddington and Woolloongabba. I like buying antique presents for loved ones and I've managed to find some amazing treasures in really good condition. 

six. Where is the best place for.... morning coffee/pick-me-up? Healthy and delicious breakfast snacks at Sourced Grocer. meal with friends? Marinara restaurant for hilarious waiters, wine, cheese and authentic Italian food. romantic rendez-vous? Porkbelly and spatchcock at Crosstown Eating House. late night drink? Flaming kava cocktails, tiki bar tunes and hawaiian leis at Alfred and Constance. even later-night boogie? Jazz, soul or disco at Black Bear Lodge. 

 Precious jewellery on display at Gail Sorronda's flagship store

seven. Where are Brisbane's style spots? Where is the best shopping? Blonde Venus is our most charming fashion destination, run by local fashion luminary Thea Basiliou since 1990. She genuinely cares about designers and runs her business with such integrity. Gail Sorronda just opened her flagship store nearby in James Street, where Ksubi also has a fun art collaboration with the Institute of Modern Art called k.O.M.A (Kontemporary or Modern Art). Apart from shopping at the Valley, I like looking for vintage jewels and fabric at my suburb in Paddington. 

eight. What is something you can get/read/experience/eat that you can only do in Brisbane? The Stitchery Collective is a really special artist-run initiative that presents fashion as a social tool. Housed in a historic building in Fortitude Valley, the collective holds open studio workshops each month to preserve handmade skills and provoke discussion on ethics and sustainability. 

 The Stitchery Collective

nine. You can tell a lot about a city from their airport. Describe Brisbane's. Like most places in Brisbane, the airport is nestled in bushland where the river meets the port. The best part of coming home is driving back into the city through the leafy river suburbs. 

ten. How would your describe Brisbane to someone who has never been there before? A warm and relaxed city where you can work by the river and escape to the beach at every opportunity. 

  

The cultural centre at Southbank where you can see plays, work in the library and visit the art gallery

Benah's This Is My City guides:

Elise's Paris

Estelle's Melbourne

Hannah-Rose's Hong Kong
Katerina's Mexico 

Dee's New York

Tiffany's Berlin 

Dee's Sydney 

Talisa and Rohan's Tokyo 

Jessica's London

Georgia's Paris

Sherie's Auckland

Krystle's Richmond 

Jamie's Adelaide 

Giselle's Miami

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