toharvestfrom.Theconnectionbetween
gardenandtablecouldn’tbecloser.
AtnearbyHinterlandFeijoasI’m
remindedofhomebytheneatrowsof
fragrantfeijoatrees, 800 tobeprecise.
HostsPeterHeinegerandSallyHookey
serveenormous‘longlunches’forguests.- creamypotatobakeandslow-roasted
porkwasonthemenuthedaywevisited.
Sally’slayeredalmondmeringuecake
withhoney-limecurd,plumsanddark
chocolatestoletheshow.
FromtheSunshineCoastit’slessthan
a two-hourdrivetoBrisbaneandyou
can’tvisitQueenslandwithoutspending
timehere.Westayedinthecity’shottest
newarea,HowardSmithWharves,which
isheavingwithgreatbarsandeateries.
Touristoperatorswilltellyou,“It’s
Brisbane’stimeinthesun,”withhuge
amountsofmoneybeinginvestedinits
QueensWharfriversidedevelopment,
settobecompletedin2022.It’san
excitingtimetovisit.
Ventureintotheheartofthecityand
you’ll find a really enticing cafe scene.
Thehardertofind,thecoolertheyare,it
seems.Thinkalleywayslinedwithbins
andunassumingstreets– that’swherewe
foundcoffeehousesliketheIconicand
Bean.Thebaristasarepassionateandthe
locals,I imagine,wouldprefertokeep
theirwhereaboutssecret.
Ontheothersideoftownthereis
KingStreetBakery,inBowenHills,where
Lauckeflourisused;it’smuchkinderon
thedigestivesystemforthosesensitive
togluten.Thesciencebehindthebaking
methodsinthishigh-endFrench
boulangerieissoprecisethatthestreet
temperatureistakenbeforethebakers
entertheshopat3am,sotheyknowwhat
temperaturetosettheovensat.
Theownerandheadchef,Shannon
Kellam,hostedusfora dégustation
mealathisadjoiningrestaurant,
Montrachet,andweatelikekingsand
queens– thefirstcourseofsearedNorth
Queenslandvenisonfilletservedchilled
withanchoïadedressing,freshherbs
andwhippedDutch cream potato was
my favourite.Jewfish,a decidedlyunderrated
saltwaterfishdiscoveredmanymoons
agobytheAboriginalpeople,wasthestar
intheseasonalnigiri.Theentréewas
HumptyDoobarramundicuredin
GreenAntgin,fingerlime(anAustralian
bushstaple)andcoastalsucculents.The
maincourseconsistedofkangarooloin.
Allmouth-wateringlydelicious,but
theingredientthatenchantedwasthe
‘sugarbag’drizzledona tinymorselof
goose– thisdelicatelyacidichoneywas
farlesssweetinflavourthanthehoney
weareaccustomedto,andrunnier.
ProducedbytheAustraliannativebee,it
tookWasabithreeyearstocollectenough
touseovera two-monthperiod,because
thebeesaresotiny.
Wasabihasitsownfarm,butNoosa’s
surroundinghinterlandsarea richsource
offreshproduce,withmanythriving
farmsandmarketgardenswhichthelocal
chefsfrequenttosourcetheirproduce.
AtTheFallsFarm– whichgrows
organicheirloomproduce– chefsliterally
stake their claims on the trees they want
AllkindsofdeliciousThispage:Wasabi’sbarramundicuredinginwithfingerlimeandcoastalsucculents.A layeredalmondmeringue
cakeroundsoffa longlunchatHinterlandFeijoas.Oppositepage(clockwisefromtopleft):Masterchef’s MattSinclair;spannercrab
and cucumber toastie; Noosa River; heritage produce; Brisbane’s King Street Bakery and Bean cafe; the food van at Hinterland Feijoas.