the guide.the guide.

Bordered by the Great Barrier Reef and the Atherton Tablelands, Cairns makes the perfect base to explore this diverse region. Hit the road for a week of foodie highlights.

words sarah lewis PhotograPhy scott hawkins

cairnsroad trip

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the guide.

Cairns may be best known as the jumping-off point for the Great Barrier Reef, but there’s more to this tropical hotspot than island hopping, scuba tours and pub crawls. As the breathtaking view from the approaching plane illustrates, this is where the rainforest meets the reef, where vine-shrouded mountains charge headlong into the Coral Sea.

Above and beyond this lush range lies the Atherton Tableland. Here, fertile farmland is framed by waterfalls, volcanic craters have become cool freshwater lakes, and an emerald carpet of tea bushes seems to float above the rich, rust-coloured soil.

Locals have been making the most of this idyllic setting for some time now: tobacco crops have given way to coffee plantations;

dairy farmers have diversified into artisan cheese and yoghurts; and eco-retreats nestle snugly into the landscape.

With so much on offer, you could happily spend a week exploring this diverse region, using Cairns as a base for day trips (you’re never more than 90 minutes away), or taking a road trip through the hinterland.

cairnsJimmy Shu’s Hanuman restaurants have been favourites in the Top End for years (we’ve even heard of one regular chartering a plane to get his fix from afar!). Here at the chic Cairns outpost of Hanuman (Hilton Cairns Hotel, 34 Esplanade, (07) 4052 6786), Jimmy’s knack for Thai, Nonya and Indian classics endures, with a menu that skips

seamlessly from tom yum soup to Kashmiri chicken tikka. Standout dishes include the grilled tamarind pork salad and Hanuman prawns in an aromatic coconut and ginger curry. For dessert, it has to be an Asian twist on creme brulee – pandan-scented custard with a centre of black sticky rice.

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Clockwise from left: Salt House; Cairns seaplane; Salt House restaurant; Roy McPherson at Bang Espresso; Bang’s fresh muffins.

In fact, Asian flavours seem to be what Cairns does best. Another must is Tamarind (The Reef Hotel Casino, 35-41 Wharf St, (07) 4030 8897), a dimly lit aubergine den filled with rattan chairs, cane lamp shades and tiny pineapples that’d come off as kitsch anywhere but the tropical north. Share the tasting plate to start (but be warned, you may have to duel it out over the seared scallop with edamame, sesame and wakame seaweed), before creating your own banquet. Try Penang duck curry; crisp-fried whole barramundi with a sticky chilli and tamarind sauce; and Japanese-style beef tenderloin with miso butter and teriyaki sauce. And be sure to order your own serve of five-spice and cherry parfait with dark chocolate sauce – some things are too good to share.

You’ll never go thirsty in Cairns, but the pumping backpacker haunts, such as Shenanigans and Gilligan’s, may not be everyone’s flute of Moet. Instead, hightail it to Salt House (Marina Point, 6/2 Pierpoint Rd, (07) 4041 7733), a sprawling bar/restaurant at the tip of the marina, which draws the cool crowd for live music, cocktails and a killer view. Sydney design maestro Michael McCann has lent a lilting Balinese accent to the surroundings, with snaking ponds surrounding a central

outdoor bar, luxe day beds, lantern-lined walls, palm trees and fiery poincianas. This bustling gin palace is open from 9am to 2am, with breakfasts of hotcakes with blueberry compote and bar snacks such as beer-battered fish and chips (made with XXXX beer, naturally) to see you through.

Bá8 Lounge Bar (Shangri-La Hotel, The Marina, Pierpoint Rd, (07) 4052 7670) is another city-smart gem. Overlooking the bobbing yachts on Trinity Bay, the shaded deck is lined with low-slung leather couches that are just made for sinking into. Fans whir overhead, and equal measures of chillout tunes and girly giggles fill the air. Sip on a Jasper martini of gin, Campari, Cointreau and grapefruit juice, or, since we’re in rum country, go for the cardamom and caramel cobbler (albeit made with top-shelf 10 Cane Rum from Trinidad). Feeling peckish? Try panko-crusted chicken with wasabi mayo, or red spot prawns served with a simple squeeze of lemon.

If you’re lucky, from here your bed for the night is just an elevator ride upstairs to The Shangri-La Hotel (The Marina, Pierpoint Rd, (07) 4031 1411, visit: shangri-la.com, from $270 per double per night). In this 255-room hotel, which runs the length of the pier, guest rooms are both relaxed and refined, with white walls,

wooden floors and neutral furnishings. A canvas print of vivid-green coral runs the length of one wall, the odd dragonfly pays a visit and there’s a bowl of dried mango on the table to remind you you’re in the heart of the tropics. Outside on your private deck, there are comfy sun loungers; inside there’s a low-slung couch and sleek soaking tub, all coaxing you to kick back, relax, and enjoy Cairns. If you do feel like leaving your room, there’s a stunning split-level pool, fitness centre, spa and sauna on-site.

Come morning, get your caffeine fix at Bang Espresso (Shop 8, The Bolands Centre, 14 Spence St, (07) 4051 7770), a funky little spot that wouldn’t look out of place in Surry Hills or Fitzroy, thanks to its cherry-red, charcoal and white colour scheme, graffiti-style murals, polished

Clockwise from top: a pan-Asian feel at Hanuman; Cairns; the Hanuman prawns; the restaurant’s chic white setting.

concrete floors, bentwood chairs and, most importantly, expertly made coffee. Order a smooth espresso, chill out with a latte on ice, or indulge in a silky European-style hot chocolate. There’s also an appealing range of muffins, bagels and panini.

For a virtuous start to the day, wander down to health-conscious Fusion Organics (Cnr Grafton and Aplin sts, (07) 4051 1388). There’s a slightly old-fashioned feel to the menu, which offers savoury mince on toast or bacon and eggs sandwiched between slices of multigrain bread. The real joy, however, lies in the allergy-free options, such as kamut and gluten-free breads, spelt pizzas, wheat-free teacakes and muesli slices. There are fab fruit and vegetable juices, and smoothies made with biodynamic milk, plus a selection of flours, grains and cake mixes to go.

If you’re in town from Friday to Sunday, pay a visit to the iconic Rusty’s Markets (57-89 Grafton St, (07) 4051 5100) to get a true taste of the tropics. Every weekend, more than 180 stallholders cram in to sell everything from cassava, custard apples and kaffir limes to freshly pressed sugarcane juice, persimmons and dragon fruit. If you’re not venturing to the

Tablelands, never fear – you’ll find fare from some of our favourite producers here, including Mungalli Creek, Gallo and Mareeba’s Coffee Works.

Feeling inspired by Jimmy Shu or the team at Tamarind? Call in to Asian Foods (101-105 Grafton St, (07) 4052 1510), to stock up on XO sauce and Szechuan pepper, miso paste and mochi rice cakes, sambal oelek and kecap manis, pickles, spices, noodles and more.

You’d be mad not to seek out Vannella Cheese Factory (18 Hollingsworth St, Bungalow, (07) 4035 1766) while you’re in town. This family-run business has come a long way since starting out in south-east Italy in 1985. An industrial estate on the outskirts of Cairns is now the unlikely, no-frills setting for award-winning Italian cheeses, which include some of Australia’s finest buffalo mozzarella (made using milk from herds in Millaa Millaa), out-of-this-world burrata with a silken centre of cream, fresh mascarpone, stracchino and feta. Your efforts will also be rewarded with imported parmesan, gorgonzola, prosciutto and coppa, plus pastas, dried porcini and takeaway tubs of Nonna’s homemade tiramisu.

kurandaFirst port of call out of Cairns is Kuranda. It’s a winding 30-kilometre drive up the mountain, but if you’re just heading here for the day you might opt for the Skyrail (from $42, visit: skyrail.com.au) or the Kuranda Scenic Railway (from $45, visit: ksr.com.au). There’s more than a hint of hippy harmony to this rainforest village, particularly around the Kuranda Original Rainforest Market area which, incidentally, is much more fun than the new market and main street!

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Clockwise: stay at Shangri-La Cairns; the Shangri-La’s pool; tropical

produce at Rusty’s Market.

Weave your way through the maze-like warren of stalls that make up the Original Market and you’ll find a host of off-beat foodie experiences. Follow the buzz of bees to Honey House (Therwine St, (07) 4093 7261), where you’re greeted by the sight of a couple of colonies busy at work. Sample pure honeys in varieties such as avocado, eucalypt or bloodwood, as well as versions infused with chilli, kaffir lime or ginger (which works a treat in stir-fries), then stock up on fresh honeycomb, beeswax candles and beauty products.

Next, head around the back to the Japanese Tea House. At this quaint hole-in-the-wall, a yukata-clad waiter

pours steaming pots of sencha and genmai cha, and serves the ultimate Japanese snack: onigiri rice balls filled with umeboshi (salted plum), seaweed or grilled salmon.

On the other side of the path you’ll find the joyously named Icy Cold Pure Fruit Delights, where the friendly vendor purees frozen organic watermelon, strawberry, mango, banana and pineapple into a smooth, luscious treat. Chances are you’ll be offered a few health tips, too.

One of the market’s best-known providores can be found in the dinky red caravan out front. At Kuranda Homemade Tropical Fruit Ice Cream (0419 644 933), Cliff and Betty Timmins use local milk, fruit

and nuts to create all-natural ice cream in flavours such as ginger, Bundy rum and raisin or coffee and walnut.

A stack of eateries line the tourist-heavy Coondoo Street, but our pick is Frogs (11 Coondoo St, (07) 4093 7405 – look for the sign spruiking wild barra). Nab a spot on the breezy verandah out back, where a huge palm tree emerges through the wooden slats and up through the tin roof. The barramundi, simply grilled and served with a caperberry mayo, or spice-dusted and tossed through a salad, is flaky and fresh-tasting, reminding us how good this fish can be. The giant burgers, made with Tablelands beef, look pretty good, too.

After lunch, pop in to Sugarworks (Kuranda Village Centre, 1-3 Coondoo St, 1300 885 120), where mother-and-daughter team Sheila and Hope Pulis create wicked sweets. Try peanut butter or maple walnut fudge, cherry ripe ice cream, or fresh-baked ginger and macadamia scones.

Next, shop for opals and souvenirs, or seek out Kuranda Candy Kitchen (Kuranda Village Centre, (07) 4093 9363) – if the time is right, you’ll get to see them make rock candy from scratch (and sample some, too).

the guide.

Clockwise: Skybury Plantation; the Kuranda Skyrail; beans at The Coffee Works in Mareeba; their handcrafted chocolates.

the guide.

mareebaOnce that sugar rush wears off, you might find yourself hankering for a coffee. Thank heavens, then, for Tichum Creek Coffee Farm (3576 Kennedy Hwy, (07) 4093 3092), the perfect pitstop enroute to Mareeba. Mario Sorbello made the switch from tobacco farming to coffee in the 1990s. Now he roasts first-rate beans onsite (our pick is the full-bodied Mario’s Blend) and pulls a mean espresso.

Nearby, Emerald Creek Ice Creamery (3950 Kennedy Hwy, (07) 4093 3373) does gelato and sorbet in more than 50 flavours, from apple pie to wattleseed.

For a coffee and chocolate experience that’d do Willy Wonka proud, take the self-guided tour at The Coffee Works (136 Mason St, (07) 4092 4101). For $20, you can taste 21 coffees, four teas, three liqueurs and 19 chocolates that span fragrant lemon myrtle and the slow burn of chilli. The cafe turns out hot chocolates, gelato and cakes, while the museum houses a staggering collection of paraphernalia, from the world’s first espresso machine, made in 1838, to retro stovetop pots and plungers.

If you’re already feeling a bit too buzzed, you might want to save this next coffee stop for the morning. Skybury Plantation (136 Ivicevic Rd, Paddy’s Green, (07) 4093 2190) produces stellar coffee, red papaya, limes, longans and bananas, and the cafe dishes up great plates of food. The spectacular Jon Nott-built space (see Rose Gums) feels like an adults’ treehouse, with its sturdy timber poles, wooden floors, soaring ceiling and Tableland views. Breakfast on herbed baked ricotta with mushrooms and spinach, or come at lunch for bush-spiced prawns with lemon couscous. Finish with a Skybury coffee and a platter of just-picked papaya.

Mt Uncle Distillery (1819 Chewko Rd, Walkamin, (07) 4086 8008) is one of the most exciting enterprises in the area. Here, head distiller Mark Watkins has shifted the focus from fruit liqueurs to world-class spirits. While it may be a year or two until we can try his aged whisky and dark rum, his pure-tasting Anjea vodka (made with honey mash) and Platinum white rum (created from cane sugar) are already hitting all the right marks. They’re not cheap, coming in at around $70 a bottle, but are worth every cent. His intriguing pink marshmallow liqueur, Sexycat, is proving popular with the ladies.

Clockwise from left: Eden House chef Jason Chuck; his vanilla creme; Millaa

Millaa Falls; Eden House.

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Clockwise from left: Mt Uncle vodka; distiller Mark Watkins;

a Rose Gums treehouse.

Fancy a wild night? Stay at Jabiru Safari Lodge (Pickford Rd, Biboohra, 1800 788 755, jabirusafarilodge.com.au, from $198, including a breakfast pack) in the Mareeba Wetlands, a 2000-hectare space that is home to myriad bird species, wallabies and emus. To experience this unique setting at its best, arrive by 3pm for Chook’s sunset lagoon tour. The comfortable safari cabins (fixed tents to you and me) offer net-swathed beds, cool open-air ensuites and decks with barbies. Cook dinner at your cabin, or dine in the lodge on indigenous fare – perhaps kangaroo with a wattleseed sauce – from local training organisation Murri’s Delight.

atherton & surroundsSpend the day exploring the charming towns of Tolga, Atherton and Yungaburra, their historic pubs, the Hou Wang temple in Atherton, and various farmers’ markets (visit: yungaburramarkets.com for details on markets in each town). Stop off at The Peanut Place (Kennedy Hwy, Tolga, (07) 4095 5333) for peanuts of every persuasion: roasted and spiked with wasabi, chilli or caramel; in peanut butter or crunchy brittle; or as bags of hot nuts to go.

This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town is also home to Tolga Woodworks Gallery & Cafe (Kennedy Hwy, (07) 4095 4488). Browse the gallery’s carved wooden bowls, ceramics (including covetable tagines), jewellery and scarves, then take a seat on the enclosed verandah for well-executed cafe fare. Try the spinach and pine nut soup, or a generous wedge of focaccia with ham and cheddar. The housemade chai, served in handcrafted ceramic cups, is a must.

Pull into The Humpy (1 Kennedy Hwy, Tolga, (07) 4095 4102) for fresh fruit and veg, roasted Wondaree macadamia nuts, classic lollies, plus dried mushies and tomatoes. There’s a neat range of gluten-free pastas, flours and sauces, too.

From here, it’s a pretty drive through a tunnel of rainforest to the dairy farms of Atherton. Hightail it to Gallo Dairyland (Malanda Rd, Atherton, (07) 4095 2388) to sample locally produced cheeses and hand-painted, jewel-like chocolates. The Gallo family has been working this land for 70 years, and today turns out excellent haloumi, aged Heritage cheddar, a piquant gorgonzola-style blue, and lactose-free brie and washed rind, to name just a few.

Enroute to Yungaburra, you’ll see signs for the Curtain Fig Tree (Gillies Hwy). This grand strangler fig is hidden from view, so pull over and stroll along the boardwalk to discover this natural wonder.

Continue on to Eden House (20 Gillies Hwy, Yungaburra, (07) 4089 7000, edenhouse.com.au, from $180 per night, with breakfast). This historic homestead has been restored to glory by Gordon and Susan Chuck, who, with their children Jason and Tiffany, run this boutique hotel, day spa and restaurant. The spa villas make a perfect retreat – secluded behind lilly pillys, with king beds, cool natural tones, a private courtyard and huge sunken spas. The dining room, helmed by Jason, uses regional produce in dishes such as kumara gnocchi with red claw (a native yabby), or duck and mushroom pie. Desserts shine, whether it’s honeycomb cheesecake with macadamia toffee, or a delicate creme made with Broken Nose vanilla. The breakfast is a cut-above, too – think granola with plum compote, or a pumpkin and feta omelette.

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map keyAsian Foods ....................................................1Bá8 Lounge Bar .............................................1Bang Espresso ...............................................1Eden House .................................................. 11Emerald Creek Ice Creamery ........................4Frogs ..............................................................2Fusion Organics .............................................1Gallo Dairyland ............................................ 10Hanuman .......................................................1Jabiru Safari Lodge .......................................5Kuranda Candy Kitchen .................................2Kuranda Original Rainforest Markets ...........2Lake Barrine Teahouse ............................... 12Mamu Rainforest Walkway .......................... 18Mt Uncle Distillery .........................................8Mungalli Creek Dairy ................................... 17

Nerada Tea ................................................... 14Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat .................. 13Rusty’s Markets .............................................1Salt House ......................................................1Shangri-La Hotel ...........................................1Skybury Plantation ........................................6Sugarworks ...................................................2Tamarind ........................................................1Tarzali Lakes Smokehouse ......................... 15The Coffee Works ..........................................7The Humpy .....................................................9 The Peanut Place ...........................................9Tichum Creek Coffee Farm ...........................3Tolga Woodworks Gallery & Cafe ..................9Vannella Cheese Factory ...............................1Waterfall Circuit ........................................... 16 IL

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the guide.

malanda to millaa millaaIt’s quite a trek, but there’s no finer way to start the day than the Mamu Rainforest Canopy Walkway (Palmerston Hwy, Innisfail, (07) 4064 5294, $20), in the Wooroonooran National Park. Take the 2.5km walk over paths and cantilever bridges that jut over the North Johnstone River gorge. And whether it’s from the climb or the view, ascending the observation tower will take your breath away.

Recharge with morning tea or lunch at Mungalli Creek Dairy (Brooks Rd, Millaa Millaa, (07) 4097 2232), a pristine farm that’s been biodynamic since 1987 and delivers milk, yoghurts, farmhouse cheeses (quark, feta and ricotta), and a killer Sicilian cheesecake. Lunch options include lasagne and a three-cheese pie, and the deli’s stocked with Rainforest Bounty’s sauces and chutneys made using native fruits.

North of here, the Waterfall Circuit takes in the Millaa Millaa, Zillie and Ellinjaa Falls – stop for a photo, or a dip if you’re keen.

Inside the slightly ramshackle Tarzali Lakes Smokehouse (Lot 3 Millaa Malanda Rd, (07) 4097 2713), find smoked eel, speck and chorizo; catch barra or red claw on the lake; or order a classic fish burger.

If you’re a tea fiend (like the team at delicious.), Nerada Tea (933 Glen Allyn Rd, Malanda, (07) 4096 8328) is a must. Pick up boxes of your favourite brew – from delicate white to black chai – at a bargain price. At old-fashioned Lake Barrine Teahouse (Gillies Hwy, Yungaburra, (07) 4095 3847) try the award-winning scones (there’s a cute little certificate to support the claim).

For your last night in the region, it has to be Rose Gums Wilderness Retreat (Land Rd, Lake Eacham, (07) 4096 8360, visit: rosegums.com.au, from $286 per night, including a breakfast hamper). Jon and Peta Nott’s serene treehouses, perched among the forest, boast canopy beds, a spa, full kitchen and log fires. If you manage to drag yourself away from these cosy abodes, you’ll be treated to a top-notch dinner at the restaurant from chef Dwayne Homan.Thanks to Tourism Queensland for assistance. For more info, visit: queenslandholidays.com.au or athertontablelands.com.au.