"Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints." The words are carved into a weathered wooden sign, and make me pause before stepping through the shady rainforest archway into Kondalilla National Park. Looking past the poetic admonition towards the first in a series of rushing waterfalls that will greet me on my morning walk, it's hard to believe that, just over an hour ago, the wheels of my plane were skidding onto the runway at Brisbane Airport.
Visiting Queensland's Sunshine Coast for just a few short days, we’re keen to make the most of our time and, having checked in to our accommodation, it's with huge pleasure I learn that this historic national park, home to elusive platypus and exotic frogs, is my back garden for the day. Indeed, the entrance to the park is just a few minutes' walk from the front door of my tree house-style cabin at the suitably named Treehouses of Montville resort, where a balcony wraps itself around the stilts of our hut, and casts views across the Kondalilla canopy.
Elevated about 450 metres above sea level, the Sunshine Coast's Hinterland offers not only a cooler climate to the sweeping beaches the area is more renowned for, but also breathtaking views that make you stop in your tracks. But it's not just the views we're here to soak up. The Sunshine Coast promises some of the best in Australian seafood, and the cuisine is high on our list of priorities as we look ahead to the annual Noosa Food and Wine Festival we'll join the next day.
Ask anyone where to eat on the Sunshine Coast and the Reserve Restaurant and Cellar seems to be a cut above the rest; even our taxi driver regales us with the number of times he drives visitors to the restaurant. "I've never heard a bad word about it," he says, raising our expectations. “Although I’ve never eaten there, myself,” he qualifies.
The restaurant’s snug dining room has an intimate, romantic feel, exacerbated by the delicate glass of sparkling Taltarni wine that initiates our five-course degustation meal. Featuring ingredients such as Hervey Bay scallops and Moreton Bay bug, it's a fitting meal to introduce us to the best of Queensland's cuisine, with each course paired with a matching wine, thanks to sommelier and restaurateur, Steve Heffernan.
It's with a hint of regret that we leave the Hinterlands and head downhill towards Noosa the next morning. We're visiting the eighth annual Noosa Food and Wine Festival, which is considered the premier food and wine event in Australia, and frequented by some of the most influential chefs, wine makers and general foodies from Australia and beyond.
We spend the afternoon walking between beds of vibrant chilli plants and kaffir lime trees bearing plentiful knobbly fruit at nearby Garnisha Spice Farm as part of the festival’s Asian Food Trail. As owner Tim Warren pulls fragrant turmeric from the ground, we’re given some idea of the abundance and variety of foods this area can sustain. But the afternoon heat, and stream of fruity cocktails take their toll, and we’re soon seeking respite under the awnings of Warren’s beautiful barn as we tuck in to papaya salad, fish curry and sticky sweet tapioca cooked by Martin Boetz, Mark Jensen and Luke Dale-Roberts.
The beach-side setting for the festival is magical, and with the weekend ahead of us, there’s time to explore all that Noosa has to offer. Having failed to spot a platypus, we’re committed to finding one of the few remaining wild koalas living in Noosa National Park and, five minutes into our quest, we’re not disappointed, stumbling across a mother and its young snoozing in the treetops. Although we’ve been walking with our eyes skyward, it’s hard to miss the idyllic coastal scenery, as pockets of desert-island-style beaches are revealed at every turn.
With our fleeting run-ins with wildlife and culinary adventures behind us, all that remains is to enjoy an afternoon of indulgence at our home for the weekend, Noosa Springs. And whilst my partner frustrates himself with his ailing golf swing, I’m left to while away the afternoon in the expansive thermal suite, with nothing but the freezing-cold blitz shower to nudge me back to reality.
NOOSA FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL
Held in May each year, the Noosa Food and Wine Festival showcases the very best of Australian cuisine, bringing together the most influential chefs, restaurateurs and critics in the food and wine industry. Set against the backdrop of Noosa, the festival combines exciting culinary experiences with live cooking demonstrations and mouth-watering market-stalls. More information and tickets for the 2012 event can be found online at noosafoodandwine.com.au
WHERE TO STAY
Treehouses of Montville
Kondalilla Falls Rd
Montville
Queensland, Australia
+61 7 5445 7650
treehouses.com.au
Noosa Springs
Links Drive
Noosa Heads
Queensland, Australia
+61 7 5440 3333
noosasprings.com.au
Rumba Resort
The Esplanade
Caloundra
Queensland, Australia
+61 7 5492 0555
rumbaresort.com.au
