Saturday, February 4, 2012

Gold Coast - Tamborine - Gallery Walk

For a special treat.   A short drive from the Gold Coast up to Tamborine has several pleasures.   Firstly the cooler air and roads lined with grassland which changes to rainforest as you get higher.   The country and mountain feel hits you early in the journey; you start to wind down soon after you leave the denseness of the Gold Coast coastal strip.   It is a amazing how quickly concrete city and dense population changes to lush verdant in so few kilometres.  For today's Sunday Drive we have chosen to take you to  'Gallery Walk' and the Mount Tamborine Brewery.


This Sunday Drive offers a huge mix of things to do: wine, beer and/or cheese tasting; hunting out weird wonderful souvenirs; a quiet coffee; dukkah tasting; browsing antique, jewelry, clothing and bric-a-brac stores; a long list for individual indulgences.  Scattered along the street are fairy, fudge, ice cream, book, and celtic stores; even places where you can get readings done.  There's just so much to see and do.


See the link on the right for directions.  Basically, you head north towards Brisbane and take exit 57 from the highway.  Directions are clearly posted.

When you arrive, you will be greeted by an avenue of treats. Shopfronts declaring all manner of tempting invitations to enter.  Parking is plentiful.  The hard part is knowing where to look first.


Scenery along the way
Gallery Walk

Architecture and goodies
Trees make a beautiful backdrop















As you wander through the scenery, you will find that several hours pass quickly.  Once inside you will be greeted by friendly local staff.  They are helpful, smiling and willing to stop and talk to you.  If you need information, just ask. You will be offered tastes, smells, instructions, history.  It all adds to the experience.  We asked one of the jewelry stores if we could photograph some of the items in the shop; all handmade with some spectacular settings and colors.


One of the fabulous diplays


Spectacular, hand-crafted  jewelry pieces




Champion dukkah sampler
Champion beer sampler

All that rummaging and foraging can make you hungry.  All tastes are catered for.  We walked to the end of the street to the Mount Tamborine Brewery which houses a cheese factory and a restaurant.  Lyn tried a bit of dukkah along the way.


Just a few of the tasty local cheeses

We had a feed and returned to the walk.  Just easy browsing.  What a fabulous way to spend a day.  A quick drive back down the mountain to the Gold Coast for a well-earned nanna nap.



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