Cultural survival in the river-looped city relies on respecting some vital local lore.
In the words of one local paper, “You’re not from Brisbane until you …”
Get undressed
This is the first lesson foreigners learn on visiting Brisbane, wedged along an eastern coastline lined with impressive beaches.
Getting rid of unnecessary clothes is a question of survival.
Too hot to bother with full and formal attire, dress code boils down to beachwear, skimpy dresses, shorts and thongs. Short-sleeved shirts will generally be more than accepted for business folk.
Friendly reminder: In all of the country the ‘thong’ isn’t a sexy strip of underwear, but the cherished Aussie term for flip-flops.
Only Brisbanites, jibes the local Courier Mail newspaper, will reach for a cardy (a cardigan) if the thermometer falls below 22C (72 F) — which it rarely does.
The dream climate has sucked in sun worshipers from all over the world — one quarter of the population are foreigners.
MORE: Brisbane: A guide to one of the world’s most livable cities
Start using “Brissie” and “togs“
Brisbane has its own lingo.
A swimming costume is no longer a “cozzy,” as for other Aussies.
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The 26-point City Centre Heritage Trail shows you the colonial anachronisms among the flourishing skyscrapers.
Church spires and Edwardian-Baroque facades from the 1800s mingle with neon casino lights and bar upon bar.
Brisbane’s love of blingy buildings and nightlife spawned its endearing tag, BrisVegas.
Down a lager
Brisbane pub culture is perched somewhere between traditional drinking holes and sleek modern emporiums.
Once grabbing a pint of XXXX (pronounced “four-ex”) beer while singing along with locals as they croon “Love you Brisbane” is a good way to get involved.
Nowadays the drinking scene — like the city — is a lot more sophisticated, with a wide range of Australian brews (large and micro-breweries) available pretty much everywhere. Not to mention the rising crop of cocktail and wine-focused bars.
Know your wildlife
Australians love their nature and wild beasts.
Be warned — in Brisbane “local wildlife” may refer to two-meter-long pythons, dwelling in people’s backyards.
Not to a raucous night out on the town.
MORE: CNNGo in Brisbane: Beaches, art and lots of sunshine
Tasmanian-born Tamara Thiessen is a freelance writer who has written guidebooks to Australia, France, Italy and Malaysia, and cultural histories of Sydney and Rome.
