Brisbane's Weekend Trash'n'treasure Trail
Updated: Aug 14, 2026
Remember the big childhood weekend adventure of visiting the tip? The old days of scrambling over giant piles of furniture, car tyres and household junk may be long gone, but you can still relive that voyage of discovery by following Brisbane's Weekend Trash'n'Treasure Trail.
These days, residents no longer offload their household junk onto a sprawling outdoor disposal site and instead take their unwanted items to one of Brisbane's four resource recovery centres (still affectionately called the 'tips' by many).
Open every weekend, the tip shops, now known as 'treasure troves' are every collector, renovator and fossicker's dream destination and should be visited by every Brisbane resident at least once in their life. With one at Geebung and one at Acacia Ridge, both sides of the river are covered.
Want to visit both in one day? Then take the Trash'n'Treasure Trail, which starts and ends at a treasure trove (tip shop) and takes in some of Brisbane's indie junk and retro havens along the way, with some recommended cafes for breakfast, lunch or refreshments and even a microbrewery in the mix.
This north side Aladdin's cave of retro and recycled treasures is the hot spot to find everything from household furnishings and unique collectables to toys, sports equipment and books...more
Take a detour to Virginia, where you'll find the biggest op shop on the northside, with an incredible collection of fashion, homewares, furnture, toys, books and so much more under one roof.. more
In the middle of a bustling commercial precinct in Stafford is where you’ll find this bargain hunter's delight, with everything from fashion and accessories to homewares and furniture under one roof...more
Located on a main road through Windsor, this mega barn is a kind of secondhand wonderland packed to the rafters with bargain basement used goods, from furniture to tableware, books to fashion...more
A mega warehouse-style store in a local Oxley shopping centre is the suburb's go-to for all manner of vintage clothes, vinyl, home wares, luggage, trinkets and bric-a-brac...more
Side by side in an industrial precinct are the mega Lifeline Superstore for second hand furniture and homewares and the Salvos Superstore for clothing, accessories, personal effects etc...more
An absolute must visit is this mammoth shed where you'll find everything from boats and bicycles spas to bathtubs, furniture to fashion, homewares to toys and books, DVDs and videos...more
And if you're looking for a decent coffee, bite to eat or even a beer whilst on the treasure trail, here are some refuelling suggestions:
Fox Coffee - Grab a top notch coffee and snack from this Geebung boutique coffee roaster, open from 6am- 2pm Saturdays & Sundays.
Vend Cafe - A retro-cool, child- and dog-friendly cafe in Vend Market Place, Virginia; open 7am -3pm Saturdays and Sundays
Natura Cafe - A cool chic Mediterranean-style cafe with a Greek-flavoured menu, open Saturday and Sunday 7am-1pm
Reload Espresso Bar - a funky cafe located in an old munitions factory, open Saturday and Sunday 7am-1pm
Hiker Brewing Co - Take time out in Salisbury to sample a craft beer brewed an old warehouse turned microbrewery, open from 12pm on weekends ... more
