This tour of Brisbane in a vintage convertible is turning heads

Midway through a Queensland cruise, I'm taking a break from seafood and surf to spend the day in Brissie on a tour of the city's art deco buildings. I meet my host, Moe Akgun, outside the international cruise terminal in Brisbane.

It's not difficult to spot Moe, a man who's dressed like he's just stepped out of the 1930s. Standing beside a vintage, midnight-blue, 1937 Dodge convertible, he and the car attract plenty of attention from passers-by who stop for a photo and to admire the details.

"Nice car," I say, extending a hand to introduce myself.

"We don't call it a car, this beauty is an automobile," he says with a smile.

I hop in the backseat of "Clyde", one of two automobiles in Moe's fleet. The other, a 1936 vintage Chrysler airstream sedan, is known as "Bonnie". Moe, who caught the art deco bug after a visit to Napier in New Zealand, a city renowned as one of the art deco capitals of the world, has a cheeky sense of humour.

"You can book us for weddings, formals, art deco tours and the occasional bank robbery, but don't tell anyone," he says.

The Sunshine State isn't top of mind when thinking of prime examples of art deco architecture in Australia; we might list Sydney's Hayden Orpheum or perhaps the Capitol Theatre in Melbourne.

Yet the interwar decades of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s were prime creative years for the architects, builders and designers who were shaping the capital of Queensland. Though many examples of the original buildings have been demolished or significantly changed, many impressive examples remain. Today, we'll be driving across the Story Bridge and around the 1930s-era Woolstores buildings of Teneriffe. We'll visit inner-city Fortitude Valley, where two of the finest examples of deco aesthetics are found in the McWhirters and TC Beirne & Co former department stores. Moe has plenty more surprises planned.

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First, we head to a tree-lined street in upscale Ascot to admire Chateau Nous. Built from 1939 for a local dentist, the beautiful home is considered one of the most impressive remaining residential structures from the interwar period. Now painted white, it was once pastel blue. Moe says there's a bomb shelter under the house, not an uncommon feature from a time when Japanese air raids were anticipated. It's a fascinating insight into a period in Australia's history I'd like to know more about.

After posing for photos in front of the house, we continue our tour of Brisbane's lovely streets. It's a very drivable city, especially for the passenger (me) who gets to sit back and feel the wind in the hair as the views pass by. Even without the art deco element, this is a great city tour.

"You don't just see old buildings, you see Brisbane differently," Moe says.

What: Brisbane Art Deco Tour, Queensland

How much: $330 for just over two hours and up to four passengers in a vintage 1930s vehicle

Explore more: roaringtwenties.net.au

The writer was a guest of Tourism and Events Queensland.