Meet the man behind the brain teasers at Yamanto

If you’ve driven down Ash Street at Yamanto and had a brain teaser stuck on your mind for the rest of the day, it’s Geoff Giles’ fault.

Geoff is Ipswich’s very own Riddler – without the super villain part – although some of the victims of his more challenging questions may tell a different story.

For the past three years, Geoff has been entertaining passers-by with a different brain teaser each week on a blackboard outside his work, Realway Property Consultants Ipswich.

“This is quite a busy road with thousands of cars going past each day, so I put forward the idea of a weekly quiz and the boss let me do it,” he said.

“My daughter goes to Amberley District State School and while she doesn’t catch the bus a lot of her friends do, and often they will be stopped out the front at the red light, so I thought it would be fun to put a question up for them to try and solve. That’s how it started.”

Since then, the riddles have become a hit, gaining a following not just from passing motorists but also on Facebook where he shares them via the Deebing Heights Residents group and Realway’s own page.

As much as he loves a good riddle, the real joy for Geoff comes from interacting with the community and watching as people tie themselves in knots trying to find the answer.

“I like reading their answers (on Facebook) and trying to figure out how they came up with them, sometimes people go off on tangents and I have a chuckle at that,” he said.

It’s not unheard of for people to sit in their cars across the road trying to work out a riddle, with some even calling the Realway office to share their answer.

Geoff said much of the inspiration for his questions came from his daughter’s year 6 homework, although he often changed details to make them a little trickier.

Occasionally he will use his daughter Tyla and her friends’ names in a question because it “gives them a little boost as they go past and see their name on the board”.

Geoff is born and bred in Ipswich and has been selling real estate for 19 years. He said the city had plenty to be proud of and a bright future ahead.

“Everywhere you look there is growth. Multinationals don’t open up unless it’s feasible,” he said.

“I’ve always been a believer in Ipswich. Years ago Ipswich was stagnant but it’s really rolled on to a point now where things are going ahead.”

Geoff’s riddles are not the only community-focused activities happening at Realway Property Consultants Ipswich.

The agency is a strong supporter of the Alison Baden Clay Foundation and also sponsors the Queensland Police Football Association, the rural fire brigade and Swifts Junior Rugby League Football Club.

Answers to Geoff’s riddles are posted on the Realway Property Consultants Ipswich Facebook page.