'Boy Swallows Universe' self-guided tour of Brisbane
Friday (Day One)
Find your feet at Hotel Indigo Brisbane
It's not the city's most lavish hotel, but there is still lots to love about Hotel Indigo Brisbane, chief among them direct references to home-grown stories including Boy Swallows Universe. Check in here for a two-night stay and be prepared to be intrigued.
The sense of anticipation starts to build at the entrance, where two super-sized red doors greet ground-floor arrivals. Should you take the flight of steps here, you’ll reach the reception area, which in turn flows onto the speakeasy style 1603 Bar, and then downstairs to Izakaya Publico Japanese restaurant.
But stay on the ground floor, just for a moment, and look above the lifts. You'll find a mural featuring a blue wren, which brings to life the first seven words of Boy Swallows Universe: "Your end is a dead blue wren." Step outside. There's another giant blue wren positioned high on the hotel's exterior. And, in the magical realist style of the book itself, there are painted "portals" joining the pair.
Drop your luggage and freshen up in preparation for this afternoon's adventure.
Start at the Story Bridge
Though it's one of Brisbane's most recognizable landmarks, the Story Bridge isn't mentioned in the Boy Swallows Universe book. But dating back as far as 1935, it was most certainly in place when Trent Dalton was growing up - and it makes a brief appearance in the Netflix series. The 'Story' in its name has no connection to story-telling. This bridge was named after Brisbane's longest serving public servant – John Douglas Story.
Take a guided afternoon or twilight climb of the bridge with Story Bridge Adventure Climb. It's a steep ascent and your thighs will be burning, but the reward is an unparalleled 360 degree view of the city. Be sure to book ahead: the twilight climb is the most popular option. Time it right, and you'll be sailing up the steel steps just as the LED lights come on.
Dinner at Que Huong
After catching your breath, it's time to head 40 minutes' west by road or train to Trent Dalton's childhood home of Darra. In the book, hero Eli Bell describes the suburb as “a dream, a stench, a spilt garbage bin, a cracked mirror, a paradise, a bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup filled with prawns, domes of plastic crabmeat, pig ears and pig knuckles and pig belly.” That's because it's flush with fabulous no-frills Vietnamese restaurants, including Que Huong. Dalton has described it as "the greatest restaurant in the universe".
Referred to 'Mama Pham's' in the book, Que Huong inspired a pivotal party scene, where Eli meets his nemesis. A replica of the restaurant's second-floor balcony was a set in the stage show, while some of the scenes in the Netflix series were shot in the restaurant itself. When it comes to the decor, there are no airs or graces. Que Huong has round dining tables bedecked with lazy Susans, vinyl tablecloths, sheer curtains and tanks of fish and mud crabs that, Eli says, "always seem so resigned to the fact they’ll form tonight’s signature dish".
After dinner, head back to Hotel Indigo for some well-deserved shut-eye before another energetic day tomorrow.
Saturday (Day Two)
Breakfast at Felix for Goodness
In another little flash of synchronicity, the actor who plays Eli Bell in the Netflix series is named Felix Cameron. Not to mention that this louche and light-filled cafe serves as a great spot for people-watching, which is something else the author Dalton loves to do.
Clock Tower tour at Brisbane City Hall
From Felix for Goodness, you're a three-minute walk from heritage-listed Brisbane City Hall. Opened in 1930, the grand old dame underwent a $215m restoration a decade ago. It’s in this building, amid the sandstone columns, marble staircases, soaring ceilings and glittering chandeliers, that Boy Swallows Universe reaches its shocking but satisfying denouement.
You'll be taking the Clock Tower tour which leaves from the Museum of Brisbane’s third floor. Climb into one of the city's last remaining cage lifts for the journey to the observation deck at the top of the 92m-high clock tower, which has been in operation since City Hall's opening.
The clock tower is where Eli first hears the advice from his mentor Slim Halliday, a convicted murderer and prison escapologist, "Do your time before it does you". Here, thanks to Slim’s nefarious connections, Eli gains admission to the engine room and a secret stairwell which will later prove crucial to the plot. Today’s visitors can’t poke about as Eli did, but your guide will pause the lift on the way back down. Through the metal grille, look for the old grandfather clock that keeps time for the tower’s four faces.
Head into the heart of Fortitude Valley
From Brisbane City Hall, catch a taxi or uber (10 minutes) or walk (35 minutes) to Fortitude Valley. You'll be spending the rest of the afternoon here, first amid the upmarket restaurants and boutique shops of James Street, before embarking upon a tour of its grittier, historic heart.
Lunch at Bianca
Located in the glamorous 'hood of The Calile Hotel on James Street, the Italian restaurant Bianca is about as far away from the world of Boy Swallows Universe as you can imagine. So why I am recommending it as part of this itinerary?
Trent Dalton has never revealed the relative proportions of fact versus fantasy in Boy Swallows Universe. But it's a matter of public record that Slim Halliday, who is a towering presence in the book, was a real person (and the very real babysitter of Dalton in his boyhood).
While Halliday was under investigation for the murder of a Gold Coast taxi driver, his beloved dog, Peter, died. The dog was buried in the backyard of the home then occupied by Halliday's mother-in-law. Peter was central to the prosecution's case, because several witnesses had seen the dog with Halliday around the time and location of the crime. For that reason, police exhumed the dog's body and sent it to a taxidermist to be mounted as an exhibit at Halliday's trial.
Peter was buried in James Street, less than five minutes' walk from Bianca, down the very same street. I haven't included the street number, because it's still a private residential property. But you can read more about the bizarre-but-true case in my Narratively feature.
Moonlight State Fortitude Valley Crime Tour
Boggo Road Gaol, from which Halliday escaped twice, still stands in Brisbane. It used to be possible to explore the 19th Century prison, which had a particularly brutal reputation. However, construction works nearby have put long-running tours on hold.
Instead, book yourself a spot on the Moonlight State Fortitude Valley Crime Tour, named after the 1987 ABC investigative story by Chris Masters that exposed police corruption in the so-called Sunshine State. The tour shines a light on the dark corners of Brisbane in the 1980s, when Dalton was growing up. “No escaping the light and no escaping the shade,” Halliday would say.
During a two-hour stroll through the still-colorful inner-city suburb, you'll visit cold case crime scenes and sites where illegal casinos and brothels flourished.
Dinner at Stanley
At the conclusion of the tour, head down to Howard Smith Wharves, which stood derelict for decades, before being relaunched in 2018 as a dining and entertainment precinct. You've reserved a corner booth at Stanley, one of Dalton’s favorite restaurants. Enjoy drinks and dinner before heading back to your hotel.
Sunday (Day Three)
Onward to Brisbane's bayside suburbs
Enjoy a well-deserved sleep-in, then prepare to hit the road for the 40-minute journey north to Brisbane’s beachside suburbs. If you've walked or used taxis/ubers thus far, it's recommended you collect a hire car as public transport isn't as frequent or reliable outside Brisbane's CBD.
In Boy Swallows Universe, Eli Bell and his brother go to live with their volatile father in Bracken Ridge, but you're pushing on just a little further to the seaside suburb of Redcliffe, home to delicious Moreton Bay bugs, timber boardwalks that overlook golden sands, and Sunday markets that stretch for miles. Dalton spent a lot of time here as a teenager. In one interview, he says the carefree lifestyle here helped to spark his creativity.
Breakfast at Sunny's Margate Beach
Fuel up for the day at Sunny's Margate Beach, tucked away inside the hotel where you'll be staying the night.
Redcliffe Farmers and Artisan Markets
Spend some time strolling the seaside markets. Open every Sunday morning, they're a true feast for the senses.
Bee Gees Way
Wander through Bee Gees Way, a 70m street tribute to the famous Gibb brothers. Along with Dalton, they are some of Redcliffe's favorite sons. Embodying the 1970s disco era, the Bee Gees played their first gig at the Redcliffe speedway. Robin Gibbs' advice to "dream big, work hard, stay focused, and never give up on your aspirations" seems to be a motto Dalton has taken to heart.
Fun Time Hire
It's time to take make tracks north for lunch. While Eli’s preferred mode of transport is a “rickety Malvern Star”, you're going to hire electric bikes to get about. Breathe in the briny air, and ride along the seafront promenade from Redcliffe to sparkling Scarborough Harbour. Even at a slow to moderate stop-start pace, the journey shouldn't take you much more than half an hour. Not a rider? Not a problem. You could walk part of the way along the seafront and then call for a taxi or uber.
Lunch at Scarborough Harbour Brewing Co.
Check into the Sebel Margate Beach
Ride back to Redcliffe and return your bikes. It's time to hop back in the car and head to your hotel for the final night of your Boy Swallows Universe self-guided tour.
You're checking in at The Sebel Brisbane Margate Beach. The property contains 56 rooms, but if your budget permits, request the junior suite. (There's only one in the property and it's pretty special.)
This is a getaway that Eli could only have dreamed about, with a cloud-soft king bed, lounge and dining space, a well-equipped kitchenette, private balcony and panoramic views of the ocean through Norfolk and hoop pines. If time permits, you could even kick back at the rooftop bar before it's time to freshen up for dinner.
Dinner at Tempest restaurant
The foreshore here is lined with restaurants serving locally-caught seafood, but for the ultimate trawler-to-table experience, head to Tempest Seafood Restaurant. It's located not far from today's lunch venue. Request a table overlooking the water and tuck into some succulent seafood as the sun goes down.
With a belly full of seafood, retire to your room at The Sebel Margate Beach. Tomorrow you'll be returning to 'real life' or making other onward travel plans.
For now though, reflect on everything you've explored in the world of Boy Swallows Universe. Fall into a blissful sleep to the sound of breaking waves.
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