Paradise found

A long-lunch restaurant and wonderful accommodation make Eumundi a terrific destination

Next time you are travelling up the Bruce Highway on your way to Noosa’s Hastings St do yourself a favour and hit the brakes at Eumundi – you won’t be disappointed. The vibrant hinterland town, while holding on to its historic roots, has transformed into a modern wonderland of artisan treasures and food providores.

It’s a lush, tropical destination making a name for itself as a foodie paradise but without the fast paced, in-and-out dining experiences that have become the norm in high-traffic coastal settings.

Remember the long lunch, when you weren’t pressured to vacate your table within a couple of hours and you could sit back and enjoy good conversation, great food and wine? Well, it still exists and it’s glorious.

We sampled the Saturday Long Lunch at Bask restaurant in the centre of Eumundi on a sunny day. The space is sophisticated and sits high off the street. Swathes of elegant fabric create waves that cocoon diners into an intimate setting which has a European feel. There are couples, families and a big party of birthday revellers. The vibe is colourful but relaxed.

But it’s the food and the service that are the standout. The wait staff are unobtrusive. They know how to let the diner take the lead. The next course will arrive only when the diner is ready. We spent hours there and we needed it. There was no shortage of food and each course was more delicious than the one before.

We began with Tempt, house-baked country loaf with roast fennel, whipped almond cream and truffle, followed by Taste, peas with whipped feta en croute, then chargrilled octopus, limoncello, fennel and pepper followed by peaches and bitter leaf salad with hazelnut and macadamia salsa, honey, mustard and mozzarella.

Chef Jack Madden keeps it simple with sublime local produce, beautifully presented. He and his partner Jess Coolican own Bask. They met at Bistro C on Noosa’s Hastings St before Madden went on to work in Melbourne. He then returned to Sails restaurant. Perhaps the couple could bring in more money by booking diner after diner but it’s evident they have a passion for the food and the experience.

The Savour course then arrived, which was delicious, tender roast chicken crowned with Eastwell Farm mushroom and pancetta sauce, steamed leafy greens with horseradish cream and chat potatoes with smoked paprika.

We almost had to surrender in the middle of this course as we felt too full but that is the luxury of time. We sat back and sipped our wine until we got a second wind. What a joy.

Finally the Linger course was ginger and date pudding butterscotch sauce and whipped cream – a perfect finishing touch to the best Saturday afternoon I can remember.

But Bask’s amazing lunch was almost outdone by our accommodation. We stayed in a little patch of paradise on a former dairy farm a stone’s throw from Eumundi’s main street. Rangeview Cottage was lovingly restored by an impressive couple Sue and Justin O’Hagan. Sue previously worked in nursing and Justin in IT yet they managed to turn an early 20th-century Queenslander worker’s cottage into a charming two-bedroom retreat set in lush green surroundings with views of Mount Cooroy and surrounding hills and ranges.

There are fire places, French doors and wraparound verandas boosted with clever and bold interior design. The home is immaculate. There is no better place to retreat after a day exploring the Eumundi markets and all the nooks the hinterland has to offer. The hosts provide breakfast supplies and it is a joy to cook in the farmhouse kitchen and eat on the tranquil veranda with birdsong the only noise.

If you can drag yourself away from Rangeview Cottage you could pack a picnic and watch the sunset at nearby Ball Lookout, zip out to Noosa and enjoy the surf beach or take a dip in the crystal clear Fairy Pools in the national park or visit Mothar Mountain rock pools, surrounded by subtropical rainforest in Woondum National Park, closer to Gympie.

Each course was more delicious than the one before