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

Tangalooma Sunsets

We recently snatched a few days away and headed to Tangalooma Island Resort, which is situated on Moreton Island, just off the waterways of Brisbane.

If you're a lover of great sunsets then Moreton is a must do. Every day gave us a spectacular show of glimmering, gorgeous light.

The withering rusty old wrecks make a simply stunning backdrop with an equally beautiful sunset.

Ships abound through this stretch of water as it is a main thoroughfare for traveling to and from Brisbane.

All of us were inspired to pick up a camera, night after night as we sat and watched the sun setting. Yes, there may have a million midgies trying to eat us alive but still the views were mesmerising.

These photographs are our family collective, each and every one of us has a hand in taking these.

And with sunsets so stunning you are pretty much guaranteed to get some great shots.

Happy Travels,
Kylie

The Best Of All Lookout ~ Springbrook

We spent the recent long weekend exploring one of our beautiful national parks here on the Gold Coasts hinterland. Springbrook National Park and what a treasure it is.

Of course when exploring we are always keen to see the local lookouts and the Springbrook area has no shortage of them.

We actually only noticed the signage to The Best Of All Lookout whilst driving to Canyon Lookout so on our return we decided to take the brief side tour to check it out.

Considering we did scoff at the name, I mean seriously, who names a lookout the best of all? So of course we needed to know if it really did live up to its name.

It was very close to dark on our first visit and the area was receiving wind gusts of up to 30km so we made a quick mad dash to the lookout, whilst we froze our tooshies off. We had a quick look, took a couple of snaps and vowed to return the following day to inspect the stunning little walk more closely.

We did just that and whilst the wind had died down the next day, the weather was overcast and showery, so it was very cold and dark.

However, it gave the 700 metre return walk a true magical rainforest feel. Low lying cloud cover ensured that there was plenty of mist through the forest.

We were not prepared clothing wise and whilst we did linger a little longer it still wasn't enough to truly enjoy everything this stunning little walk has to offer.

I absolutely wish to return but next time it will be with my tripod and my tracksuit!! The low light simply makes it too difficult not have photo's with some amount of camera shake.

New fern growth was emerging everywhere. I am always in awe of these stunning plants and could sit and look at them for ages.

My daughter and I noticed these tiny little orange fungi growing on a log on our first walk through, it took us a bit of back tracking to find them again on the second visit. Seriously, they were only a few milimeteres in diameter, what a treasure.

This truly is a fabulous walk for families, there is a car park right at the entrance, the path is bitumen the entire way. Absolutely no trudging through any over grown rainforest walks here. However you still have the feel and the experience of a true rainforest walk.

If you haven't done this, put it on your list. It really is so close to the gold coast, just follow the signs down Repeater Station road, off Springbrook Road.

The prize at the end of the walk is of course "The Best of All Lookout". It is rather stunning I must say. On a clear day you can see as far as Coolangatta.

Why not do some mountain spotting with the kids. Here you will find Mt Warning, the twin peaks of the Cougals, with Springbrook National park all laid out before you. If you are really lucky you may even see as far south as Byron Bay.

You know I think they may have come pretty darn close when choosing the name for this lookout.

Happy Travels,
Kylie

Bestbrook ~ The Setting

We've been out exploring South East Queenslands, Granite Belt Country. During our time out that way we stayed at Bestbrook Mountain Resort.

A stunning country setting, with rustic cabins, camping grounds, bunk house style accommodation and a large main coach house area with a bar, cafe and games room.

The rustic style cabins are scattered throughout the large property. Some having direct creek access and others further away on small hill tops over looking the entire farm stay area.

This gives you a good idea as to just how spread out things are here at Bestbrook, which is fabulous for some beautiful peace and quiet. Not once did we hear any noise from surrounding cabins or campers.

However to check out anything on the farm is a pretty decent walk and in all honesty we drove pretty much everywhere. The kids all had their push bikes, thanks to the generosity of a friend transporting them out there for us. So they peddled everywhere, with sore and tired muscles on every inch of their body by the end of the week.

A view from the deck of one of the cabins that has direct creek access. You can also see how far away your closest cabin actually is. Just across the creek is the camp ground. I suppose in busy times you would probably get some noise coming from there.

Each cabin has a fire pit of some description. You did need to take your own wood or purchase from the coach house. There is absolutely no fossicking for wood allowed on the property.

Jump across the creek, or drive around on the gravel road and you find the camp ground. This area is quite isolated from the main coach house area of the farm stay. But perfect for those just wanting to get away from it all.

There isn't much in the way of facilities over in the camp ground, apart from port a loo's (showers are further back up the hill) and a rustic outdoor covered area.

However there is plenty of room, mostly flat ground and several trees to grab some shade over your structure.

Gap Creek itself, which runs directly through Bestbrook is quaintly picturesque. We were told that it was very low during our stay and some areas were completely dry, but in others there still seemed to be quite a bit of water....enough for a spot of yabby fishing anyway.

Butterflies and Dragonflies proliferate the edges of the creek banks. They are such busy little creatures, getting a shot of one was certainly very trying. No point chasing them, it's definitely a case of sit still and wait for them to come to you.

Bestbrook has several horses and a hand full of farm animals. From my understanding this is not a working farm, but purely a tourist destination so apart from riding horses, they only have a handful of other farm animals.

The owners are also keen collectors of farming implements and there are several of these scattered around the main coach house area.

The main coach house sits atop the hill at the entrance to Bestbrook, and looks out over the property below.

The verandah area is a lovely spot to sit for an afternoon beverage or to enjoy some Eggs Benedict from the cafe inside at breakfast.

You can just see the kids in the pool from here too!

The pool is a great addition I think, as inviting as the creek was, all the kids found it rather chilly.

Inside the coach house you will find a well stocked bar, again decorated with all manner of farm implements and antique bits and pieces.

The coach house is a series of rooms, with seating available in each of them. With the very far room tucked away as a games room area.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Bestbrook Mountain Resort. All of the staff were extremely friendly and welcoming to both adults and children alike.

Happy Travels,
Kylie