Scenic feast
With a plethora of food options, natural beauty spots and even camel riding, it’s no wonder the Scenic Rim stands out
Breakfast at an eco-cafe, a rainforest walk to a waterfall, a visit to an artist’s studio, lunch overlooking a national park and a night at a resort, enjoying gourmet food. It was a lot to fit into one day, but we managed it and a lot more, exploring the many attractions of the Scenic Rim over the following two days.
The region offers a variety of national park walks and World Heritage-listed rainforest, within an hour or so of Brisbane.
Once you delve into this diverse mountain-rimmed area it becomes clear why it’s the only Australian region in Lonely Planet’s Best In Travel 2022.
Picnic Real Food Bar at North Stores, an environmentally-sustainable precinct including a cafe and art and pottery studios at North Tamborine, was the perfect place to start our Scenic Rim weekend.
We sat on the deck, enjoying a breakfast platter at the cafe, checking out the bird life, including a kookaburra nestled in a nearby tree trunk. Then Lisa Groom, granddaughter of Binna Burra Lodge pioneer Arthur Groom, helped us walk it off with an easy 1.1km return stroll through the rainforest to the spectacular Curtis Falls at Tamborine National Park.
Having grown up in the area, Lisa is the perfect guide, sharing her knowledge and passion for the Scenic Rim, named by her grandfather, in one and five-day Parktours walks, including two different five-day tours in March. At Beechmont, Lisa’s brother, artist Dave Groom, has a studio on the edge of Lamington National Park, displaying paintings inspired by the mountains, rainforest, 2019’s devastating bushfires and the stunning regrowth.
For lunch, head to Binna Burra Lodge’s Tea House, on the edge of Lamington National Park, with its new outdoor deck and a beer garden opening in coming months. This year Binna Burra Lodge also plans to open Australia’s first via ferrata, a climbing route with fixed chains and ladders.
Scenic Rim Brewery at Mount Alford, with craft beer, German wurst and Dutch beef mini croquettes is also worth a stop for lunch as is Summer Land Camels at Harrisville. Its Homestead Cafe has meals featuring camel produce, including a tasty camel meatball fettuccine in tomato ragu. Summer Land, which has about 500 camels, also offers rides and farm tours.
We were treated to a night of luxury and fine food at new resort Hazelwood Estate, a privately-owned polo and Wagyu cattle farm on 75ha at Beechwood.
My luxury pavilion had a king-size bed, deep bath and walk-in shower, a lounge with a fireplace and a kitchenette leading to an outdoor deck. Before dinner, we were given a chef’s tour of the estate’s herb and vegetable garden, learning how The Paddock restaurant uses the produce in dishes we were to enjoy that night. And enjoy we did, with four of us opting to share 17 dishes with the Paddock Feast.
Standouts for me were the amazing watermelon roasted for 11 hours, frozen, defrosted then pan fried, with “eweghurt” and native berries, and a sensational Bombe Alaska, with raspberry sorbet and
macadamia ice cream inside. The spacious restaurant, which has a Scandinavian feel with its high ceiling, fireplace and leather lounges, has views up the hill to the polo field. Three courses are included but it’s worth the extra $20pp to enjoy the Feast.
Waking up at Hazelwood, I could lie in my comfy bed or soak in the bath, in total privacy, taking in uninterrupted views across green hills and a pond to the polo field. Time it right and you can watch a polo match this year, but I simply enjoyed strolling in the grounds, listening to the birds and spotting wallabies and hares.