Recipefiesta

“No ego by name, no ego by nature.”

This is not only the mantra for one of our most unassuming coffee shops, but also its name: Noego Coffee.

Hidden away in an industrial area of Ormeau, Noego Coffee is a secret hideaway for some, a totally undiscovered secret to others.

With the Gold Coast’s café and dining focus fixed firmly on the southern end of the coast, it’s not surprising that the far north may be overlooked but, when discovered, Noego is far too good to pass over.

Owned by Dan and Beverley Salter, Noego Coffee has been a labour of love for the past seven years, its momentum building from Dan’s previous businesses Absolute Coffee in Highgate Hill, and Wooloowin’s The Coffee Guy, a brand Dan still owns.

It’s testament to Dan’s life philosophy that Noego has been built from a grass roots approach. In 2013, he began selling his roasted coffee from his 1977 VW Kombi van at the Miami Organic Markets, renting a warehouse to house his roastery and store the van soon after, expanding organically to the fully-fledged café we see today with over twelve staff employed, the van still parked behind the café.

“We’ve always placed our businesses in industrial areas and slightly out of the way locations,” Dan says, referring to Noego’s location just off the M1.

Despite no foot traffic, the café draws locals, as well as diners from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, their clientele’s enthusiastic support placing them second in a ‘Best Breakfast on the Gold Coast’ poll last year.

When we visit, the split-level warehouse café is packed with a mix of customers just as eclectic as the rustic furniture they’re seated on, some lounging with coffee while others enjoy a meal or snack.

“It’s a constant work in progress,” Dan tells us, “We have an ethos of upcycling and recycling that means that we’re growing organically to meet demand.”

An upside-down bed and mattress springs hang from the ceiling as a chandelier, there’s a 1960s buffet to one side, a piece in transition about to take pride of place as a mahogany bar, all part of an inviting multi-layered venue with points of interest everywhere you look.

Overseeing it all is Dan, the coffee guy and five times Golden Bean medallist, his history of roasting coffee stretching back 25 years. He praises his mentor, Ian Burston, founder of Sydney’s Belaroma Coffee (now Seven Miles Coffee Roasters) for his inspirational approach to coffee.

“What he taught me was to never accept the norms, but instead to find new things,” Dan says…the approach he has taken in his café roastery.

We embark on a coffee flight more extensive than any I’ve done previously: a cappuccino of Noego’s freshly ground ‘3-origin two roasts’ house blend Ananya, a nitro with rich and full mouth feel and an enviable crema, a cold pressed turmeric and ginger latte on coconut milk (the turmeric pressed by hand), a Noego deluxe hot chocolate with Peruvian cacao and coconut sugar and a ‘Freecaf’, Dan’s trademarked caffeine-free coffee, perfected over three years of research and development.

“Embrace the ritual and kick the habit,” Dan tells us, outlining how Freecaf is the perfect solution for people who have coffee intolerance or want to drink less coffee, its rich flavour profile achieved without chemical leaching.

“One of the favourites here is a cold brew coffee heated then with water added. ‘It’s hot and it’s cold’ hence the name Katy Perry,” says Dan. “There’s the smoothness of a cold brew with no sharpness, no dairy and even no caffeine if you have it Freecaf,” he adds.

With a seasonally changing menu, dishes are made from scratch using fresh local produce, organic where possible, rustic generous dishes of wholefood made to order.

There’s no moral high ground taken: “We live this life, the organic life, as much as we can, spray free, whole foods…” Dan tells us, “but everyone deserves good food. Running a café is all about the quality of service, making sure that people get what they want.”

My Snappy Nourish Salad of quinoa, green peas, asparagus, raw beets, radish, sautéed broccoli served with a side of grilled salmon is certainly what I want, its colours attesting to the nourishment in the bowl. But there are also Wagyu burgers and Bechamel Bennys, sweets and a cabinet of food to go. Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options clearly marked on almost every menu item.

There’s something for everyone on Noego’s all day menu, without a fuss and with some of the best coffee in town. No posturing, no pretense, all ‘homegrown’ at Noego Coffee.

Noego Coffee, 15/18 Blanck Street, Ormeau

Ph: 07 5549 3351 (or 0409 725 893)

Open: Mon – Fri 5.30am – 2pm (kitchen closes 1pm), Sat 6am – 12noon (takeaway only)

Sundays only 6am – 11:30am – Gold Coast Organic Market, 2205 Gold Coast Hwy Miami 4218

NOTE: Good Food Gold Coast dined as a guest of Noego Coffee.

Great seafood restaurants will never go out of vogue. In fact, people will travel out of their way to visit, even crossing borders to dine on the best the ocean has to offer.

My first trip across the border post-lockdown was well spent with a visit to Gallura Italian. We had heard so much about this restaurant from friends that my expectations were set for high end Italian cuisine, a diverse range of dishes and an abundance of seafood.

Owners Maki and Mike Dackiw, who met in Milan, are experienced restaurateurs, owning and managing La Pesa in Milano for ten years before opening sister venue La Pesa Trattoria Darlinghurst, then moving north to Park Street Pasta Bar, Brunswick Heads, which they owned from 2013 to 2018.

In Gallura, they continue their journey, “…drawing inspiration from the Island of Sardinia and the Italian coastline, where respect for local produce has evolved into distinct culinary traditions, Head Chef Mike Dackiw heroes fresh local seafood, hand-made pasta and innovative Sardinian methods, sourcing produce from the shores of both the Tweed region and Italy.”

With health presently sitting first and foremost in the spotlight, it’s timely that their focus should be on Sardinia, an Italian island that is considered a ‘Blue Zone’ in the longevity stakes. Sardinian villagers are ten times more likely to reach the age of 100 than people born elsewhere in the world due to their communal way of life, active lifestyle, nutritious Sardinian food and locally produced Cannonau red wine, made from Grenache grapes that contain several times the antioxidants of other grapes.

Tucked away from major thoroughfares, Gallura’s location may seem discreet from the street, but once inside we enter a vibrant yet intimate seaside restaurant, its bright mural reflecting the colours of Mediterranean coastal life.

Like the venue, Gallura’s food too is fresh and bright, following the Sardinian mantra, ‘Food must be simple’. Freshly made pasta, tomato, basil, olive oil, goat’s cheese, beans and other fresh produce, and seafood are transformed into delicious dishes: Chargrilled local octopus with cannellini bean crema and pickled green tomatoes, Crispy artichoke hearts with Italian tartare and Tempura zucchini flowers packed with spanner crab, prawns and risotto served with salsa rosa, our serving of four instead of the usual three flowers so we can share this delicious dish as a starter.

We’ve chosen Majolini Franciacorta Brut from Lombardia to accompany the seafood.

For mains, we can’t go past Gallura’s handmade Linguine loaded with seafood, the origin of each one listed on the menu: local octopus, local king prawns, NZ vongole, TAS Spring Bay mussels and WA scampi. Garlic, chilli, cherry tomatoes and vermentino (a Sardinian white wine) finish off this stunning dish. We cannot rave enough.

Sharing is caring, so we also share Fregola with vongole (clams), mussels, SA cuttlefish and local softshell crab with zucchini and saffron. Similar in appearance to Israeli couscous, fregola is a Sardinian hand-rolled and toasted semolina pasta. To us, the fregola base is light and delicate with minimally seasoned flavours, the crisp fried softshell crab without doubt the overt star of the dish, adding both texture and flavour.

There are lots more choices, including the Sardinian specialty Pane Frattau, Brandy-flamed Tweed king prawns, Zuppa di mare ‘seafood feast’ featuring WA scampi as the star and, for those seeking something other than seafood, a Grain-fed eye fillet with chilli polenta cake & truffled Cavolo Nero.

We finish with classic Sicilian Cannoli, one with candied orange and lemon, the other with chocolate chip, ricotta and Frangelico.

We have only tried four dishes at Gallura, hardly enough to write a decent review, but enough to plan a return visit. Yes, there are other great Italian restaurants on the coast offering seafood, but Gallura did not disappoint with either its unique menu items, quality or service.

One thing our lunch experience did was to put Sardinia on our travel map, maybe not soon, but it’s there. We want to learn and absorb more of this unique island and its lifestyle.

As one Sardinian said: “To sit and enjoy your red wine, to breathe in the air, to touch the earth, to feel time pass, untethered to the digital fury of the world. These are the secrets to a long and happy life.”

‘Mangiamo’!

Gallura Italian, 1/20 Stuart St, Tweed Heads Ph: 07 5536 2011

Open: Wed – Thurs 5 – 9pm, Fri & Sat Lunch 12 – 2:30pm, 5 – 9pm, Sun 12-3:30pm

There are moments in time that are forever etched in memory. Often it’s minute details of where we were, or what we were doing that linger, such as when we heard the news of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the tragedy of 9/11, the Brisbane floods, the burning down of Binna Burra…

So it was in September 2019, as we prepared to take a car journey through drought-stricken NSW, that devastating bushfires close to home ripped through a section of the Lamington National Park destroying the heritage-listed Binna Burra Lodge and several houses.

I clearly remember the sense of dread we felt as we heard the news, hoping that no one was hurt, feeling the loss of local heritage, the grief of those who had given their lives to this amazing place.

One year later, we stand with CEO Jonathan Fisher on the site where the lodge had once stood, the only reminder of its history being the memorial and campsite dedicated to Binna Burra’s early pioneers, its recent history referenced in the Bushfire Gallery.

In the early 1930s, Arthur Groom and Romeo Lahey had purchased this 34-hectare site, the last freehold land on the boundary of Lamington National Park, forming a public company to fund the establishment of what was to become Binna Burra Mountain Lodge. In 1933, their first camp was held, their vision being that if people experienced this unique rainforest through guided walks and education, there would be a better chance of preserving this natural wilderness for future generations.

Groom and Lahey’s grand vision bore fruit. Bushwalkers, campers, conservationists, and scientists were some of the visitors who enjoyed the resort’s unique eco-tourism experience.

It was a difficult journey in the early days, an 8-hour bus trip from Queen Street, Brisbane, luggage hauled up by hand from the end of the road, the final leg of the journey a steep 90-minute walk.

By comparison, when the road reopened in September 2020, the beauty of the drive is immediately apparent. Its long sweeping curves give breathtaking panoramic views across the beautiful Numinbah Valley to the Gold Coast and Brisbane beyond, from one of the best drives in Australia, Jonathan Fisher notes.

We’re staying in one of the stunning Sky Lodges, a luxury two-bedroom self-contained apartment that is perched on a north-east facing cliff face, up with the birds. We linger with a glass of wine, soaking up the breathtaking view from the balcony across Numinbah Valley. The main bedroom’s large picture window also frames magnificent views of rolling hills, the Gold Coast a mere glimmer on the horizon.

It’s not the only choice of accommodation, Binna Burra campground also offering compact or family safari tents, van and tent camp sites, welcoming guests to a more communal experience close to facilities and walks.

The Tea House Café at the entrance to Lamington National Park, and Groom’s Cottage, which was once an educational facility, have both opened to the public, offering meals and drinks to visitors.

As we sit in front of Groom’s Cottage enjoying a coffee to unwind, taking in the view, we strike up a conversation with fellow travellers, discussing walking trails in the local area and recounting stories of journeys and discoveries elsewhere.

Years ago, if Arthur Groom were there, he would have been welcoming guests, introducing people to each other. The communal fireplace nearby is still the place to gather, sit and chat each evening, just as it was so many years ago.

“Binna Burra Lodge was famous as the place where you would arrive as strangers but leave as friends,” Jonathan Fisher tells us. It still is.

In this spectacular place, the main attraction has always been the national park, the incredible views, uniquely diverse flora, fauna and landscapes traversed by 180km of walking tracks that give us the chance to reconnect with nature.

Here, also, we find the perfect escape from the stresses of technology and everyday life. Whether we visit for a week or a day, it gives us the chance to take time out, rediscover romance, have a picnic with one of the best views of the hinterland, ‘rewild’ our children, and experience the freedom and sense of peace that embodies the spirit of Binna Burra.

They’re the moments we want to embed in our memory, Binna Burra reborn.

Binna Burra Lodge, 1040 Binna Burra Rd, Beechmont Ph: 07 5533 3622

NOTE: Good Food Gold Coast visited Binna Burra Lodge as a guest of Binna Burra Lodge and Destination Gold Coast.

Nothing shows us love more than a great Italian meal. It’s not just the food, it’s also the atmosphere and the service. They’re parts of a story that together adds up to more than the sum of its parts. Follow the smell of pizza from down the street, the sound of music and laughter lilting on the airwaves and you will find your happy place. That’s how we feel when we dine at Pepe Italia Deli in Palm Beach.

Owned by Andrea Fabrizio and his fiancée Alexa Damianopoulos, Andrea tells us that coming to the Gold Coast was a lifestyle choice of beach and weather over a fast-paced city life. None of us will argue with that!

The couple first opened Pepe Italia in Burleigh in 2016, a restaurant serving classic Italian with a twist of innovation.

Opened only a year ago, their second venue, Pepe Italia Deli, took the prime spot in the new Pavilions Plaza, establishing its place in the Palm Beach dining scene with its casual vibe and good food.

We dine beneath a mural of Tropea in Calabria, the stunning Byzantine city of Andrea’s family origin, in the casual rustic restaurant enjoying attentive service from Lupo, the manager. Even more than the mural, though, the food brings us tastes of Andrea’s home.

Using the recipes handed down from his grandmother, Andrea’s food pays homage to the traditional food of Italy. It’s food that we simply recognize as ‘Italian’. To Italians, however, each dish has regional origins, such as Spaghetti Carbonara and Amatriciana which hail from Rome, Tagliatelle Bolognese from Bologna and Calzone from Sicily.

First we share antipasto so delicious that we really could make a meal of it: Tagliere salumi and formaggi: Australian Wagyu bresaola, Salumi Australia’s salami, shaved parmigiano reggiano, Italian prosciutto di parma and mozzarella, truffle and chilli pecorino, dried figs, walnuts and olives; it’s all magnificent, enjoyed with the best focaccia we’ve had in ages. Perfectly salted, there’s a different taste to this focaccia that makes you want to keep eating it, loading it up with sliced tomato, fresh basil, oregano and extra-virgin olive oil. Bread isn’t just bread, as we well know, and this one is superb thanks to the fresh yeast and imported Sicilian salt! Oh my!

Just as delicious is Pepe’s pizza, traditionally made from the same dough and proven for 72 hours before cooking in the imported Tuscan Valoriani woodfired oven. Laden with seafood, it’s a treat.

Being huge burrata fans (who isn’t), we also enjoy an excellent burrata from Byron Bay Mozzarella Company with a side of tomatoes and homemade gluten-free bruschetta. It’s as good as Italian burrata, Andrea tells us, and that’s a big call.

We’ve already eaten enough, but who says no to handmade pasta! Not us, especially when it’s made daily.

So, we tuck into Squid Ink Spaghetti laden with whole seafood as they would make it in Positano, and Gnocchi Sorrentini with a delicious melt of Byron Bay buffalo mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano topping the soft passata-sauced pillows of gnocchi. There’s even room to share a Cannoli Siciliana filled with ricotta cheese and pistachio.

Love your meals? Then you can buy the ingredients from the takeaway deli counter to take home. They’re also available for pickup and delivery via the website (conditions apply). It’s the place to find Italian staples such as wheels of cheese, olives, smallgoods, homemade pasta in packs, lasagna, spinach and ricotta agnolotti with sage and parmesan, meatballs, tiramisu, tinned tomatoes and oil to make your own Italian meals at home.

The team at Pepe Italia Deli have experienced some major changes during the year that they have been open. Now, they can welcome us back to their special themed weeknights: ‘Metre Pizza Tuesdays’ with huge pizzas featuring up to three different toppings which provide a feast for pre-booked tables of five to seven people, and Wednesday’s ‘Pasta and Cheese Wheel’ evenings. This very ‘60s tradition sees a specially imported 40kg wheel of Parma cheese become a flame-melted bowl to create cheese-coated pasta with your choice of additions. If you love cheese, then try the Quattro Formaggio or Four Cheese pasta. Other choices are funghi (mushroom) with the possible addition of truffle oil, or pancetta. Delicious!

Pre-lockdown, Pepe Italia also had Apperitivo from 3pm – 5pm every Sunday, an offering of antipasto to enjoy with drinks, which Andrea says will continue once restrictions are fully eased. It’s as cultural a practice for Italians as a Sunday session is for Aussies, he says. Personally, I’m keen to try a glass of the Astoria Prosecco he personally recommends and, as I’ve already said, the antipasto at Pepe Italia Deli is the best of the best. Winners all round. Here’s cheers to that!

Pepe Italia Deli Ph: 07 5559 5671 Pavilions, 1102 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach

Open: 3pm – 9pm Tues – Sun

NOTE: Photo of Andrea with metre-long pizza supplied. Good Food Gold Coast dined as a guest of Pepe Italia Deli.

Where can you find the Queen and her corgis, pork pie made by the Queen’s baker and the Tardis, all in the one place?

In the foothills of Mt Tamborine, just a 20-minute drive from the Gold Coast and 45 minutes from Brisbane, lies a piece of Mother England, Australia’s only authentic English pub, the Fox and Hounds Country Inn. It’s a haven of all things British.

In 2007 the old Sussex Arms in Tunbridge Wells. which dated from the 18^th century, was dismantled, shipped over from England and reconstructed in Wongawallan.

The Fox and Hounds is a must for royalty lovers, football fans and Dr Who followers. From the red telephone box and London bus parked outside to an interior filled with an eclectic (and some would say bizarre) mix of antiques and paraphernalia, there’s something to catch the eye at every turn.

Dr Who hasn’t arrived yet, although the Tardis has plonked itself down near the front door. Still, there is plenty of evidence that we’re on a Dr Who set, including an Ood who watches over the bar. ‘Curiouser and curiouser!’

The pub has four themed rooms: British and Irish (with its own resident leprechaun) on either side of the front door, as well as Tudor and Scottish. Three of the rooms have their own bars, making group bookings easy. We are there for lunch, however we note that the pub often hosts special events such as Murder Mystery dinners, dancing, and special British celebrations on other occasions.

We dine in the British room, seated under the watchful eye of Queen Victoria, who gazes imperiously around the room. There is a stuffed stoat on the fireplace mantelpiece, palace guards making sure our behaviour is civil, and football scarves hanging from the ceiling, most of which have been donated to the pub, we are told.

It’s quite an extensive menu of British favourites, including cold standbys such as a Ploughman’s Platter for two, and a Pork Pie served cold with accompaniments of cheese, English mustard, pickled onions, gherkins and piccalilli. The pork pies are the real thing, made by Tony Wensley, former Bakery Manager of one of the oldest and most prestigious bakeries in Melton Mowbray, England, the renowned ‘Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe’, which regularly serves royalty, including the Queen.

Other traditional fare on the menu includes Toad in the Hole, Pig in a Blanket, Bangers and Mash, Lamb’s Fry, weekend roasts and Giant Yorkshire Pudding on Sunday afternoons.

Choosing safe, we order two ‘crowd favourite’ dishes from the menu: Beef and Guinness Pie and Pork Ribs with chips.

The home-cooked food more than meets our expectations. The hugely generous Beef and Guinness Pie is served in a charming ‘Simple Simon’ pie dish, the crestfallen face of the child visible in the crockery dish.

“Oh no, she stole my hat,” you can imagine him saying.

Of course, I did! I whip the pastry off, as crispy as it is, taking only a bite because the pie filling is steaming and scrumptious, made rich by the Guinness, the slow-cooked cubes of beef tender and juicy with a tasty sauce that I mop up with forkfuls of mash.

Likewise, the ribs are smothered in sauce and packed with flavour. They fall off the bone at the touch of the fork. It’s a hearty meal, the rack of ribs accompanied by excellent beer-battered chips and coleslaw.

Any doubt about British food is long gone. This is ‘fine fayre’ indeed!

No room left for the Sticky Date Pudding, though. That will have to wait for a return visit.

With an extensive range of British and Irish beers and ciders available on tap or by the bottle, The Fox and Hounds brings us bucketloads of nostalgia, all only a short drive away from home. Pop in for a Greene King IPA, an Old Speckled Hen or a London Pride at the British bar, a Kilkenny or Guinness from the Irish bar. This cosy pub will soon become your British home away from home.

As the sign on the front door says,

“May your troubles be less, your blessings be more,

and nothing but happiness come through your door.”

It certainly feels this way at the Fox and Hounds.

Fox & Hounds, 7 Elevation Dr, Wongawallan Ph: 07 5665 7582

Kitchen open Mon-Thurs: 11am – 3pm; 5pm – 9pm, Fri-Sun: 11am – 9pm

NOTE: Good Food Gold Coast dined as a guest of Destination Gold Coast.

Aussies love a great night out. We also love Mediterranean food.

Where better to have dinner than at a Greek taverna, which carries the connotations of good times, great food and plenty of liquid refreshment.

But there are too few tavernas on the Gold Coast, a culinary gap that needed to be filled.

One of Broadbeach’s most successful restaurateurs, Asem Othman, former owner of Rocks on Broadbeach and Bistro Blanc, returned to Broadbeach in 2018 to open ‘On Fire’ in Albert Avenue.

“I wanted to do something from my own background,” he tells us, adding that he’s come out of retirement to add a different flavour to Broadbeach.

Open for lunch and dinner, On Fire takes its culinary inspiration from the Mediterranean, Asem’s homeland.  It offers Greek-inspired small and large share plates brimming with seafood and meat, smoky and succulent, fresh from the flame grill.

The graffiti ‘wall of fire’ by artist Nate Stanbridge references both fire and the spices present in food from the Mediterranean archipelago, its cuisine offering a range of contrasting flavours, colours and textures that add new dimensions to current local offerings.

On Fire’s lunch and dinner menu features food made to share as a feast: a trio of dips: Taramasalata, skordalia and hummus, all made in house, served with pita bread; the most delicious fava bean falafel we’ve tasted, served with a pungent garlic sauce longing to be mopped up; sizzling saganaki with honey and oregano, a single chargrilled octopus tentacle or king prawns standing to attention with a dash of chilli.

Larger share platters include a succulent slow-cooked lamb shoulder with lemon potatoes, Greek salad and pita, souvlaki, or a chargrilled meat or seafood feast for two.

On Fire would be an easy vegetarian or gluten-free dining choice as well, with menu options clearly marked and lots of dining choice. There’s even a kids’ menu including their own souvlaki plate.

Weeknight specials, such as Wild Wednesdays, when mains are priced at $20 each, entice locals to visit.

Accompany your meal with a glass of the citrusy Domaine Zafeirakis Chardonnay Assyrtiko, a Mythos beer, an Aperol spritz or a cocktail, such as the ‘Greek martini’. Sweet tooths can finish their meal with a flaky baklava and an espresso martini.

“The mural is also about our ‘whole of heart’ policy,” Asem says, “creating an environment that supports its customers and staff alike.”

On Fire takes up that challenge, meeting the market on every front with quality food, price point and service. Its menu is full of interesting dishes to suit a range of diners, all made in house, at affordable prices.

Most of all, though, On Fire is all about having a fun night out. We’ll settle for that…at least until we can get back to Santorini!

On Fire Broadbeach, 12/17 Albert Ave Broadbeach Ph: 07 5539 0467

Open: Mon – Sun 11.30am – 3pm; 5pm – 9.30pm

Noosa is probably the most famous settlement on the Sunshine Coast. Seen as a blissful summer holiday destination, a lot of the focus centres on Hastings Street, a leafy boulevard where the rich and famous wine, dine and shop.

Hastings Street, however, has other significance. It’s symbolic that the street leads to the Noosa National Park on one end and Noosa Spit Recreation Reserve on the other, parkland that guards the mouth of the Noosa River.

As we explore further on a long weekend, we discover another Noosa off the beaten track, a land of untouched beauty, country villages, farmland and artisan producers.

Woombye

Woombye, the oldest settlement on the Sunshine Coast, formed the halfway stopover on the way to Gympie’s goldfields. We make our own stopover at Cavu Distilling, where co-founder Michael Conrad (formerly of Newstead Brewery) gives us a tour. In this industrial working distillery, it’s all about the quality of the product, the infrastructure being a work in progress.

“We’re inspired by the great Jamaican rums which are rich and aromatic,” Michael tells us. “Our vision is to make it Australia’s finest rum. Flavour is the goal, organic is the philosophy. In line with that philosophy, we’re using the only organic molasses in Queensland,” he adds, telling us that their first rum will be available in February 2022.

In the meantime, the distillery is using their gleaming 6000 and 2500 litre pot stills to produce Sunshine & Sons gin and vodka. They are both excellent spirits. Distilled over volcanic rocks collected from Sunshine Coast headlands, waterfalls and beaches from Pomona to King’s Beach, the vodka is soft textured and minerally, best sipped straight from the bottle. Sunshine & Sons gin uses nine botanicals including orris seed, the alchemist that brings out the best qualities in everything else. Serve it with a good tonic and a cube of ice.

Sunshine & Sons gin and vodka is available online and at major liquor outlets.

Sunshine & Sons, 104 Nambour Connection Rd., Woombye Ph: 0414 885 775

Cooroy

Settled in the 1880s as a timber town, the remnants of Cooroy’s history are clearly visible in the town. The Cooroy Mill Place Precinct spanning one side of the main street houses workshop facilities, sculptures and The Butter Factory Arts Centre where you can see local and national artists’ work on display.

The Shed, on the outskirts of town, is a coffee shop come vintage wares shop with a lovely garden area while nearby Copperhead Brewery is a great place to enjoy a meal and local brew.

In a building of rustic timber and exposed brick, winter sun washes over diners through floor to ceiling glass. It’s the smallest brewery on the Sunshine Coast. Situated at one end of the restaurant, Copperhead brews a selection of seven brews in small batches of 200 – 300 litres per batch to be drunk in house or to take away as tallies or growlers. Try a tasting paddle of five of their most popular beers with your meal: American Pale Ale, Irish Red, Pilsener, IPA and a Strawberry and lime sour as you dine on quality eye fillet with hops jus and broccolini or King Prawn Linguini with cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, lemon and EVOO.

Noosaville

Noosaville is a relaxed holiday destination spread out along the meandering Noosa River. We book into Rimini, one of the affordable holiday complexes in walking distance from the river, boutiques and dining establishments.

It’s common to see couples and families walking along the riverbank at sunset, soaking up the tranquility. We buy grilled coral trout and sweet potato chips from Red Emperor Fish & Chips and settle at a picnic table on the riverbank to watch the changing colours as the sun slips slowly below the skyline.

Restaurants and cafes are scattered along the foreshore, with plenty of great dining choices. In the past, we’ve enjoyed many meals at Maisie’s. With a 100-year old history, the restaurant was named after one of the matriarchs of the area, Maisie Massoud whose fish and chip shop fed the troops for free during World War II.

Noosa Boathouse, with its unrivalled views up the river, is a romantic place to dine, especially at sunset. In the floating restaurant, tied up here on the riverbank since the 2000 Olympics, Executive Chef Shane Bailey sources from sustainable local produce. His generous meals are based on sustainable produce from local farmers, Gympie beef and locally caught fish. It’s hard to go past the seafood specials that change daily according to the local catch.

On another evening we dine at Whisky Boy where Chef Geoffroy Marcq (ex-Berardo’s) cooks simple meals very well. Nothing rivals a great chargrilled steak, either served plainly with chips, salad or with smoked garlic and potato purée, corn and manchego fritters and salsa verde. It’s your choice of luscious!

If you are travelling through or in self-catering accommodation, Noosa Farmers’ Market needs to be on your list of ‘foodie finds’. Local producers gather every Sunday beneath the gum tress fringing the AFL field selling an assortment of seasonal organic fruit and vegetables, dairy products and freshly baked bread, dips and spreads, meat, gourmet oils and rubs, fresh juices and made to order meals for market-goers to enjoy. We brunch on Embassy XO’s famous duck buns and pork belly bao, a feast on the run.

Recent additions to Noosaville’s hospitality scene include Boiling Pot Brewing Co. and Land & Sea Brewery, housed under the same roof as Noosa Distillery, the area’s first distillery.

A stop for lunch at Land & Sea Brewery keeps everyone happy. Our meals, including Salmon and Asian noodle salad, are delicious, with diners spoiled for choice with drinks from either the brewery (beer) or the distillery (gin or vodka), the two businesses housed under the same roof.

Producing white cane (unaged rum) and white malt (unaged whisky), gin and vodka, we try a tasting paddle of the three gins, each one very different.

We can wholeheartedly recommend pairing the Asian-influenced meals with their Fortune Pho Gin, made in collaboration with the team from Sum Yung Guys, using Asian botanicals and fish sauce. Serve it with Long Rays tonic and a slice of dried porcini mushroom. Totally cool!

Belmondo’s Organic Market is foodie heaven and a delight for the eyes. Located within Noosaville’s industrial precinct, this indoor market is a thriving hub of organic food, produce, coffee and wellness products businesses. Clandestino Roasters in Belmondos provides everything coffee: coffee prepared by a variety of methods, sample a Sparrow flight tasting board of a piccolo, espresso and batch filter coffee, or take a barista course. You can visit Belmondo’s for a great meal and coffee, leave with a bag of organic produce under your arm, or be inspired in the creation of your next meal. It’s an unmissable foodie experience.

A Sunset Cruise in one of Brisbane’s old cross-river ferry gives us a chance to enjoy Noosa’s ecology in peace. Travelling down the river from Noosaville to Noosa, we see some of the 50,000-strong bird population who migrate to the area annually.

Further north, Boreen Point is the gateway to a wilderness experience for adventurers. We’ve enjoyed many holidays canoeing across Lake Cootharaba from Boreen Point and up one of the estuaries to Harry’s Hut for a camping adventure. The Noosa Everglades are among the sixty distinct ecosystems in the greater Noosa area. With 44% of all Australian birdlife species found in this area, it’s little wonder that this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is a favourite with birdwatchers, nature lovers and adventurers. There’s so much to explore.

Kin Kin

If you take the scenic route north from Tewantin to Gympie, you will pass through Kin Kin, where fifth-generation chef and farmer Jodie Williams has put the Kin Kin General Store and café restaurant on the culinary map. It’s the ‘little store that has it all’, a thriving licensed café and function centre, a catering business housed beside a farm shop of local organic produce and pantry items, the business also fulfilling the role of Kin Kin Post Office!

We eat brunch at Jodie’s Black Ant Gourmet Café, a French omelette with bacon lardons from Jodie’s pasture-raised pork, spinach, grilled mushrooms, tasty cheese and tomato relish, and fluffy Buttermilk pancakes with strawberry lavender compote and vanilla cream.

Open daily for breakfast and lunch, on Friday evenings woodfired pizzas are on offer, as well as seasonal specials. Don’t miss the Kin Kin Depot gift shop opposite, either. It’s full of hand-sourced treasures.

Pomona

Beneath the statuesque Mt Cooroora, Pomona was once the original hub of the shire. Named after the Roman goddess of fruit trees, orchards and gardens, this rich, fertile area is now a hinterland town with vintage and craft shops, art galleries and cafés. The renowned Majestic Theatre where we hung out on holidays, watching movies from their canvas seating, held the Australian premiere of the movie ‘Australia’.

The quirky Pomona Community Markets are held on Saturday mornings twice a month selling fruit and vegetables, plant seedlings and handicrafts, while the famous Pomona King of the Mountain Festival challenging runners with a race up the mountain is held annually.

On the way back from Kin Kin we pop into the Amrita Park Meadery, where Andy and Nicola give us a tasting of their mead. Mead is an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water, sometimes combining it with various fruits, spices, grains, or hops. Amrita Park Mead falls is between 13% and 16% alcohol by volume. Sourcing honey from local beekeepers, Andy and Nicola produce at least seven different meads; a flavour to suit a variety of tastes.

Pomona Distilling Co.

Behind the huge wooden doors in the middle of Pomona, Robin Yates and his sons have brought the spirit of country into the village, providing a gorgeous space where locals socialize and tourists love to visit.

An industrial chemist and business owner, Yates has had a lifelong passion for distilling, which he carries out on the family farm a few kilometres away, bringing the bottled spirits to town.

Converting a 100-year-old bakery just off the main street of Pomona into a distillery, the team have used original brickwork and reclaimed timber beams from the Kin Kin bridge to create a beautifully rustic garden arbour, a stillhouse with sparkling stills, a gallery of nature photography and artworks and the handmade bar and bistro.

Making a vodka and three hand crafted gins, the Signature Dry Gin, Pomona Pink Gin and lavender and coriander seed-scented Butterfly Pea Flower Gin are available as a tasting paddle.

The bistro’s Asian-influenced lunch is best enjoyed in the informal garden pavilion, where you can share plates of delicious bao, duck pancakes, wings, curries and salads, washed down with your choice of drinks. We lunch on Dukkah duck leg with blackberries, roasted root vegetable salad with orange and sesame dressing and Chiang Mai chicken, a chicken Maryland in a mild coconut curry with egg noodles.

Taking the time to chill at Pomona Distilling Co. I can’t help but think that we’re in a photoshoot location straight out of ‘Country Style’.

In a community of riverside and hinterland villages there is so much to see, do, eat and enjoy if you take the time to seek out a Noosa experience off the beaten track.

NOTE: Good Food Gold Coast visited Noosa as a guest of Noosa Tourism.

Rimini Holiday Apartments, 7 – 15 Edward St Noosaville Ph: 54730000

Cavu Distilling /Sunshine & Sons Gin, 104 Nambour Connection Road, Woombye Ph: 0414 885 775

Copperhead Brewery, 52 Kauri St, Cooroy Ph: 07 5442 6975

Noosa Boathouse, 194 Gympie Tce., Noosaville Ph: 07 5440 5070

Whisky Boy, 10/203 Gympie Terrace, Noosaville Ph 0403 600 406

Noosa Farmers Market, 155 Weyba Rd Noosaville 6am – 12noon Sundays Ph: 0418 769 374

Land & Sea Brewery/Noosa Heads Distillery, 19 Venture Dr, Noosaville Ph: 07 5455 6128

Belmondo’s Organic Market, 59 Rene St, Noosaville Ph: 07 5474 4404

Noosa Sunset cruise, Noosa Ferry, Operates daily, times vary Ph: 07 5449 8442

Kin Kin General Store/ Black Ant Gourmet, 56 Main St, Kin Kin Ph: 07 5485 4177

Amrita Park Meadery, 417 Pomona Kin Kin Rd, Pinbarren Ph: 0420 284 289

Pomona Distilling Co., 18 Reserve St, Pomona Ph:1300 904 633