A Mary Valley Treasure

During our recent leisurely drive through the picturesque Mary Valley we stopped off at a little town called Amamoor. The local Gympie region tourist brochures advised to head straight for the lookout for a view of the surrounding valley.

Which of course we did, although there are no such signs for any lookout. In the end we figured we needed to head uphill and google led us onto the correct path. Whilst the 'lookout' certainly gave us a view of the valley it wasn't really what we had in mind. In fact the centre piece of the lookout were the huge electricity towers streaming down the mountainside. We didn't even bother to get out of the car.

Well that was disappointing!

We'd taken the time to head off the main thoroughfare though into the town of Amamoor and so it deserved at least a look around.

Thank goodness we chose to do that or we would never have stumbled across this delightful gem!

The Blue and White Teapot as it is so aptly named has been a part of the Amamoor community for a little over two years.

It has been lovingly cared for and decorated with everything blue and white. How could you not with a name like that!

As soon as we saw the blue glittering at us as we drove down Thomas St we new we would need to stop. It was most definitely past morning tea and a tad too early for lunch but we stopped none the less.

Not only were we greeted with the wash of colour from the building itself and the gorgeous gardens but their lovely dog was also there to say hi and of course the kids thought that was just the best.

Inside the quaint little cottage I didn't know where to look first. There is so much to see in such a small space. Delicious cakes and slices.

A tiny corner that sells jewellery, tea drinking accessories and local books.

A quiet place to enjoy tea for one and spend some time reflecting.

And of course tea, many varieties of tea to take home if you please.

We placed our order and were all set to choose a lovely little table out the front amongst the flowers when one of the lovely ladies behind the counter says, "Just wait until you see out the back!"

Well that was that, the kids were off and we couldn't believe our eyes.

A lush tropical paradise filled the entire backyard space.

There are larger more open areas for bigger groups to meet and mingle and then there are many smaller, quieter more intimate spots, delicately chosen and slightly hidden within the lush grounds.

We spent quite some time oohhing and ahhing over it all, every where we looked there was something new to see.

Finally we settled on a table to wait for our brunch.

Now this is what should be in the local tourist booklet as a destination.

And what a yummy brunch this was. There's nothing quite like a delightful scone, but with so many other yummy looking treats it was hard for me to choose this option. Boy I was so glad that I did though. Warm, fluffy and fresh. Yum!

This is one place that we will definitely return to. What a shame it is a good couple of hours drive from us or we'd be there much more regularly.

The Blue and White Teapot is situated on the corner of Thomas and Busby St Amamoor Qld, although you can't miss it when driving down the main street.

It is open Thursday's through to Sunday's.

Check out their facebook page at The Blue and White Teapot.

Find out more about the Mary Valley region by visiting the Mary Valley Country website.

Happy Travels,
Kylie

The Berry Patch ~ Chambers Flat

It's berry season! You gotta love a good strawberry, especially one picked straight from the patch. Tart, but sweet, juicy, large and utterly delicious!

We went Strawberry picking this past week with a few of our homeschool buddies.

We did well in our day of choice, a beautiful blue sky, perfect for some time down at the patch.

The Berry Patch is in easy reach, situated at Chambers Flat, so quite close to Logan central and those in the far north Gold Coast district.

Whilst the patch that the public has access to isn't overly massive there were more than enough berries for those of us that were there.

In fact the kids had filled their punnets within minutes.

They were eager to head off to the small store and cafe to grab a strawberry ice cream!

They certainly pack in a variety of lovely looking, relatively local gourmet food products.  We grabbed a bottle of honey to take home and try.

But we could've chosen anything from jams, to macaroons, juice or even soaps. And I'm sure there were several other little items that we didn't notice on the shelves too.

On the other side of the store a chilled cabinet holds a small range of dairy items, sandwiches and cold drinks. Coffee and hot drinks are also available for purchase.

All of our mouths were ajar after spotting the choc dipped strawberries. Seriously they must scour the patch for the biggest juiciest berries. These were absolutely ginormous.

But of course it was the strawberry ice cream that we had entered the store for. Ice cream is what is it all about. They use frozen strawberries mixed in with a vanilla ice cream, to produce these babies. They were a pretty decent size but at $5 a pop I would hope there were going to be large.

The kids loved them, for me I felt they didn't contain enough actual strawberries, so they didn't pack that real strawberry flavoured punch that I was hoping for. Maybe a couple of fresh strawberries on top or in the bottom of the cup would've been a nice added surprise!

Whilst you don't need a great deal of time here, there's nothing quite like eating fruit that you have picked yourself and I must say that they certainly were some of the tastiest strawberries we've had this season.

Check out The Berry Patch on facebook.

The Paddock Bakery ~ Burleigh

So the hubs and I had a few hours sans kids this weekend.

What does one do when you are without kids and its lunch time?

Head out to eat of course!

We decided to take a drive down the coast to Burleigh and have a bite or two at The Paddock Bakery.

Situated just a street back from the Gold Coast Highway in a little old weatherboard home, amongst a myriad of various factories is the very popular Paddock Bakery.

So the line to order was literally out the door and all the glorious looking pastries and cakes were simply staring back at us, willing us to eat them.

Service was swift though and we had ordered in no time at all.

I figured since I knew I would definitely be having one of the tasty looking treats that I had better pay homage to my body and ordered this delish Detox Salad, as they called it.

A delightful, yet simple salad, filled with broccoli, cauliflower, parsley, carrots, seeds and cranberries, with slight drizzle in lemon juice and olive oil. I have to say that I can see this one being whipped up here in my thermy at home during the coming summer months.

I must say that the green cold pressed juice which they prepare on site was divine. So often cold pressed juices are full of bits blergh! But this was smooth, light and delectable.

Hubby chose a bacon and egg roll but before I thought to snap a shot he had almost devoured it, stating that it was pretty good!

Of course there is no visit to the Paddock without some bakery goodness. Hubby decided on a flat white and a piece of baked cheesecake.

The consistency of this was really lovely but overall the taste was somewhat bland. We both agreed that it needed way more in the way of the caramel sauce.

The bee sting was the first pastry to grab my eye as we entered and I watched them being sold one by one as we stood waiting in the line. Finally at our turn all that was left was this little baby.

It held so much promise, looked so delightfully good, but alas it did not deliver on that promise. I felt so let down I do have to say. The toasted almond top was scrummy but the cake was far too hard for me. Are they meant to be that way? Maybe! It felt like it was stale though and I simply didn't enjoy it.

Would I return to The Paddock?

Most definitely yes. The atmosphere was funky and casual and there are so many other things on the menu I would like to try.

Have you visited? I'd love to hear from you if you have.