FEASTS AS STUNNING AS THE SCENERY

VENTURING off the tourist trail, it’s time to take the local lead.

The suburbs have no shortage of savoury secrets, starting with breakfast at Merrimac cafe and patisserie Counter Eatery.

Treat yourself to French toast with caramelised apple, preserved figs, organic maple syrup, crème fraiche and toasted almonds … and takeaway pastries.

With the big blue in our backyard, superb seafood is the star of many a Gold Coast menu.

What you may not expect is to find our fish and chip capital — Mudgeeraba — tucked 12km inland.

The tiny town with a rural flavour claimed three of the top five positions in our recent Best of the Gold Coast fish and chips poll.

Fresh Coral Seafood, Crisp Fish & Chips and Mudgeeraba Seafoods will hook you up.

“We’re not a tourist area so we really look after our locals the best we can,” says Crisp’s owner Tim Poeszus, who recommends enjoying his fresh fish in Japanese panko breadcrumbs with beerbattered chips and a homemade potato cake.

While you’re in Mudgeeraba, drop in for an ale at the Woodchoppers Inn. The old-school pub may boast the new BBQ Smoke & Grill restaurant, but it’s lost none of its country character, with some regulars still pulling up for a pint on horseback.

“The thing about Mudgeeraba is it’s probably the only place on the Gold Coast that’s retained part of its country heritage,” says Woodchoppers co-owner Stephen O’Brien.

“When you come into postcode 4213 you get that feel you’ve stepped out of the glitz and glamour and into the hinterland and into a different way of life.”

It’s also a springboard for Springbrook National Park, where you can discover the green behind the gold.

At more than 100m tall, Purling Brook Falls is nothing short of a scenic spectacle.

Access this natural beauty on the Purling Brook walking track, which will take you to multiple viewpoints, from purpose-built viewing platforms halfway up the fall to rocky tracks at the base.

The Department of National Parks says the walk is 4km at moderate difficulty — some parts have sheer rockfaces and steep hills — and to allow around two hours to complete the circuit.

Once upon a time, explorers could venture behind the curtain to look at the world through a watery filter, however, this has since