On Friday I put out a little challenge for people that enjoy photography over the weekend. At this stage, I am still unsure just how it went or if anyone even saw it and considered participating. But true to my work I took my camera out on Sunday and went for a walk along Oxford Street at Bulimba in Queensland.
For those who might have missed the post about the challenge, you can find it at Weekend Photo Writing Challenge. It was merely a challenge to encourage people to get out with their camera and subsequently share their journey. If you missed doing it over the weekend, don’t feel like you missed out. The idea is that you can head out anytime with a camera take some photos and share the story. Anyway, below is my little story from my visit to Bulimba over the weekend.
Bulimba
The suburb of Bulimba is located around 4km to the northeast of the Brisbane CBD. Located on the south bank and somewhat surround by the Brisbane River Bulimba is a very accessible suburb. However, it is also a trendy suburb with a growing population and plenty to attract visitors to the area.
For those that do not live in Bulimba, Oxford Street is the primary attraction. A one-kilometre strip lined with cafes, restaurants, shops, a movie theatre, a park and some houses. The suburb itself does have a few other highlights, but for my visit, I just wandered Oxford Street.
Brisbane River
The western end of Oxford Street ends right at the Brisbane River. It is here that there is a ferry terminal which is frequently serviced from around 5.20am through until midnight. If you want to find out the times for a specific ferry you can find them on the Bulimba Ferry Terminal page of the Translink Website.
The Bulimba Ferry Terminal itself is a historic site and forms part of a heritage trail which runs the length of Oxford Street. The terminal itself was built in the 1920’s and has been modernised and upgraded since.
If you would like to follow the heritage trail, there is a sign with details on the left as you exit the ferry terminal. In the above picture, you can see the sign just in front of the rubbish bin.
Oxford Street
You can arrive at Oxford Street from the east by road from some different streets. Alternatively, from the west, you can reach Bulimba on the Brisbane River by ferry. While there is parking on the street, this will likely be the most significant challenge if you drive, there is never enough.
It will entirely depend on the day of the week and time of day that you are here if you will find a park easily. During the week it is challenging with commuter parking and limited time zones. However, on weekends a good spot to look is Godwin Street, on the left about two thirds along Oxford Street.
Cafes
One of the biggest drawcards for me is the number of cafes along the street. While there are a number of the chain stores, you will recognise such as Coffee Club, Max Brenner and Shingle Inn. There are also numerous one of local spots that are great to visit as well such as Ambrosia & Co and Villa.
One of the spots I enjoy visiting is Urban Providore, at 210 Oxford Street. It is just off Riddell Street, and they serve a great range of food and drinks. I especially enjoy their coffee which comes from Open House Coffee Roasters. But I have experienced the wood-fired pizza here before as well and keep looking for a reason to try it again.
Speaking of coffee, there is a coffee roaster located on Oxford Street. Bellissimo Coffee has their roastery at 33 Oxford Street, and while it is away from the busy end of the street, it is worth the walk to try the coffee.
Bulimba Memorial Park
One of the main features of Oxford Street is one whole block that is a dedicated parkland. The park is known as Bulimba Memorial Park and contains some sports fields that are multi-purpose. With sports such as rugby, soccer and cricket being played from time to time. There is also a bandstand here and play equipment for the children.
The park is more commonly known as Bulimba Memorial Park. Although the memorial here names the park Bulimba Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Park and is dedicated to those who served in World War II.
There are three sides of the park that face the streets. The image above is the path along Oxford Street which borders the park and has some lovely large trees that shade the area. The other two sides have similar trees and make for some beautiful areas to sit and enjoy the parkland.
One of the interesting features I have been noticing around Brisbane of late is the painted power and signal boxes. I spotted one on the edge of Bulimba Memorial Park and decided to include a photo of that as well.
The box has been painted as part of the Artforce project operated by Urban Smart Projects. The name of the work on the box is “Shapes of Heritage” and was completed by the artist Debra Hood. You can visit the links to find out more about the specific work and the artist.
St John The Baptist Anglican Church
St John The Baptist Anglican Church has been a part of Bulimba for some 125+ years. The first service held in the completed church was on the 29 September 1888. Sometimes it is quite amazing to think about a building such as this standing in place for so long while so much has changed around it.
Oxford 152
One other little piece of artwork that caught my attention today was the painting along the bottom of a wall at Oxford 152. Located at 152 Oxford Street, Oxford 152 is the local pub for many locals and visitors alike. I have visited this spot a few times, both to eat and drink with friends, but it has been some time since I went inside.
Visit Bulimba
The few photos I have shared with you today only scratch the surface of what Bulimba has to offer. If you are in Brisbane, I would highly recommend taking the time to visit Bulimba and take a look for yourself. I think you will find there is food to meet just about any desire. Along with plenty of options for coffee and dessert, or even consider catching a movie.
