Qld Guides | Scenic - Mar 2023

SCENIC

A Taste of

Nature’s Gold

Funny Honey: Mt Tamborine

WHAT'S ON MARCH

BEAUDESERT MARKETFEST

Sat 4th Mar, 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Dick Westerman Park, Enterprise Drive, Beaudesert

Come along and enjoy the live entertainment and bush poetry performances. For the children there are pony and donkey rides, jumping castle, face painting, free balloons and lollipops, plus lots of delicious food to taste. Then take an easy stroll through the spacious market stalls. There are 150 stalls loaded with everything, including chooks and other birds, country baked goods, skillfully made handcrafts, antiques, second-hand goods and plants and local produce, just to name a few.

For more information or to book a stall at the next Marketfest, contact Jenny Young on 5544 8200. Markets start at 7am and close at noon.

BOONAH COUNTRY MARKETS

Sat 11th Mar, 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Springleigh Park, Boonah

A beautiful country market,with over 50 stalls, held every 2nd & 4th Saturday, with lots of variety, from handmade craft, cooking, plants, jewellery, jams, chutneys , Bric a bac, coffee, Fresh fruit & Veges, and much more, there is something for everyone.

CANUNGRA VALLEY MARKETS

Sun 12th Mar, 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Monarch Drive, Canungra

Founded by a community of local producers, the Canungra Village Markets provide a showcase for the treats and talents of the region. On the second Sunday of the month, Moriarty Park hosts a long lineup of stalls peddling handmade and homemade goods.

BEECHMONT MARKETS

Sun 19th Mar, 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

2/1835 Beechmont Rd, Beechmont

There is something special about a country market. Everyone greets you with a smile and a cheery good morning. Then if you make a purchase you too can smile as you know you are supporting a small local business.

Breathtaking views, local produce, homemade goods, plants, OP shop, live music, BBQ, crafts & the Headmaster’s Cafe at The Old School. Beechmont Country Markets takes place on the 3rd Sunday of every month from 8am – 1pm at 1835 Beechmont Road, Beechmont.

Escape to the Royal Hotel Harrisville, a picturesque haven in the heart of Scenic Rim. Savour a delicious meal, raise a cold beer, or spend a peaceful night at our free camping ground. Immerse yourself in the rich history and vibrant culture of Harrisville.

*Camping is free, on the proviso that campers patron the hotel.

We are open Wed - Sun (closed Mon & Tues) -

every Sunday

Shop Local Discover the Best of Mt. Tamborine

You might recall us introducing the Koala Box project last month - well, this month we're taking it up a notch by showcasing the finest treasures from Mt. Tamborine. We're talking artisanal cheeses, premium wines, and hand-crafted goodies - all made with care and passion by local producers. Immerse yourself in the delightful range of products and explore the wonders of this stunning area.

Tamborine Cheese Shop

Located within the lush surroundings of beautiful Tamborine Mountain, Tamborine Cheese shop is a unique boutique with a large variety of cheese and cured meats, to enjoy on signature platters or to take away.

Special and locally made goods are also available in our shop, gift vouchers and hampers. Cheese tower wedding/birthday cakes and catering available on prior booking.

We are passionate about everything we do, and everything we do is done with love, using Australian products to support local farmers, businesses and communities

For more information about Tamborine Cheese Shop, call 0484 628 877 to speak to one of their lovely staff or visit them at 165/185 Long Rd, Tamborine Mountain.

Witches Falls Winery

Witches Falls Winery, situated on Tamborine Mountain in the Gold Coast Hinterland, is a humble yet exceptional winery that exudes understated sophistication. Their wines are a testament to their dedication to producing highquality and distinctive blends.

The winery offers three unique ranges of wines - Granite Belt, Wild Ferment, and Prophecy - each showcasing different styles and techniques in viticulture and winemaking. With this diverse selection, visitors can experience and appreciate the nuances of each range.

www.witchesfalls.com.au

(07) 5545 2609

Tamborine Lavender

Tamborine Lavender is a family-owned business situated in Tamborine in the Gold Coast hinterland.Established in 2019, Tamborine Lavender have crafted a selection of naturally chemical free, sustainable, lavender products coupled with ecofriendly packaging.

Lavender is known for its alluring fragrance and carries many natural medicinal properties. Lavender aids to calm, relax, reduce stress and anxiety, assist in the healing of bug bites, minor wounds, sunburn, deter moths from drawers and wardrobes and more with its antiseptic, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory attributes. Tamborine Lavender is proud to be Australian grown and made.

Tamborine Lavender is proud to be Australian grown and made. www.tamborinelavender.com.au or call Anna on 0439 188 696.

Witchscents Organics

Located on the beautiful Tamborine Mountain, Witchscents Organics is a charming and authentic store filled with handmade items. At Witchscents, their focus is on creating a sustainable range of products that nurture your body and soul – proudly using ethically sourced ingredients that are cruelty free and eco-friendly.

Their selection ranges from pure essential oil blends, handcrafted soaps and aromatherapy soy candles, beautiful giftwares and a great selection of natural body care products. Come and entice your senses and find something beautiful.

For more information about Witchscents Organics and their range of products, visit their website, www.witchscentsorganics.com or call 0407 788 588 to speak to one of their lovely staff.

Ritual Bath Co

The team at Ritual Bath Co take inspiration from ancient civilisations and modern cultures to tap into the history and ritual of bathing. Delivering the most decadent handmade bathing products and accessories to elevate your bath experience, and to help you cleanse your space, body and soul.

Sourcing only the highest quality ingredients and products, Ritual Bath Co have curated a great collection of handmade products including decadent bath soaks, candles, shower steamers and more, to create an amazing bathing experience.

For more information, visit www.ritualbathco.com.au or call 0416 006 100.

A Taste of Nature’s Gold

Funny Honey: Matthew Henderson’s Journey to Honey-Making Success

Get ready for a buzz-worthy interview with Matthew Henderson, the owner and mastermind behind the honey haven that is Funny Honey. Join us as we explore the fascinating story of how this sweet destination in the heart of The Gallery Walk came to be. And don’t miss out on Matthew’s insights into the amazing health benefits of honey! So grab a spoonful of your favourite honey, sit back, and let’s dive into this sweet Q&A session.

Matthew, we're always curious about the people behind the honey. Can you share with us what inspired you to get into beekeeping and how you started your store in Mt. Tamborine?

I used to do drainage, putting pipes in the ground for new houses and on civil construction sites. I also installed most of the underground plumbing pipes for the new light rail stations on the Gold Coast.

About 10 years ago, I had a very unpleasant stomach problem and the Manuka honey seemed to help with it. I was eating so much of it, I ended up buying some beehives and Manuka plants and thought I'd harvest it myself. Unfortunately, you need many acres of the right type of trees and suitable soils and climate, etc.

So, there is a lot to learn. At the same time as I was getting into beekeeping and Manuka, the University of The Sunshine Coast was doing research on Australian Manuka and testing all leptospermum varieties in Australia. I obtained a test kit and assisted with sampling. This taught me a lot about Manuka plants and what makes them special.

Can you take us through a typical day on the job for you?

A typical day starts with organizing stock for the shop and getting beehive gear together to go out to various beehive sites I have located in several locations on and around the mountain. Checking the beehives for honey and also maintenance. Then returning to the extraction room and usually spinning honey until all hours of the night. Up until 2 am regularly just to get it all done. I work the beehives on my own for now but will be employing someone soon that is hard-working to help with the beehives to give me more time at the shop and with my family. At the moment, I have a friend that's a local Dwayne working for me in the shop just for a few days a week while I catch up on the beehives. I'm in the shop every weekend and most holidays.

Can you tell us about some of the biggest hurdles you’ve faced in running Funny Honey and how you’ve overcome them?

We took a huge chance and used all our savings plus sold everything to make the shop a reality and within a couple of months after opening on

November 2019 the pandemic hit forcing all the tourists away and forcing people to stay at home. So I knew I had a huge battle ahead with what was going on but I was very determined not to let that beat me or destroy our dream to have a honey shop on the mountain. So since then until now I haven’t stopped or hardly slept. I decided to go back to doing my drainage trade on a shovel all day and putting pipes in the ground for most of the first year of 2020 to compensate for the huge loss of income we had incurred as well as doing the beehives continuously by myself. On the weekends I would open the shop for whoever could come to the shop. I also expanded my beehives to get a lot more honey flowing as another way to compensate for the damage the lockdowns and travel restrictions had done.

Slowly as things are returning to normal we are getting much busier. Getting a reputation for high quality honey and very rare Manuka. Now we have many loyal customers that swear by the benefits this honey has given them and our customer numbers are growing every day.

Your store has an amazing variety of honey and honey-based products. Could you give us a sneak peek into what customers can expect when they visit your store?

We have fresh raw cold-filtered local honey from Tamborine and Guanaba, The Rainforest honey harvested from beehives on Tamborine Mountain. The Macadamia Honey is from a Byron Bay Macadamia farm.

On occasion, I get very rare and special honey from fruit farms, and we have Apple and also Orange blossom from Stanthorpe. We just about finished selling a small batch of mango blossom honey from a Qld mango Plantation. Now I also have a fresh batch of Meadow Blossom Honey from small flowers over hundreds of acres of green fields. From only a couple of hours away in Qld.

And our range of high-quality Australian Manuka Honey grades available as described in the next answer.

Can you share with us what sets manuka honey apart from other types of honey and the specific properties that make it so special?

As always, Our Ausmanuka range, pure raw Australian Manuka Honey tested and unprocessed from 300+mgo up to 1700+mgo. Extremely rare high strength Manuka. Usually, the higher grade Manuka over 900+mgo is used by our customers for stomach problems and ulcers of the mouth and stomach. Over 900+mgo is for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, but 300+mgo minimum for antiviral effects. So 300+-600+mgo is usually for daily use, immune support, and digestive health, however, can be used to help fight cold and flu and sore throats, etc.

There seem to be a lot of misconceptions about honey, what are some of the common myths that you would like to dispel?

The most common myth is grainy or crystallized honey. A lot of people think there is something wrong with the honey when it becomes cloudy then grainy the solid. This is what pure raw honey does over time so if they don't like that happening and that texture they can simply put the jar into a bowl or sink of very warm water and it will gradually return to a liquid state.

Also many think the Apple, Mango, Macadamia and Orange blossom etc is infused or flavours added however this is not the case. The honey is from beehives situated on these farms to

help pollinate the flowers to increase crop yields. Fortunately for us on most fruit and vege flowers there's nectar for the bees and the flavour is concentrated as there's not really any other nectar source on these farms other than the fruit, vege or nut that they are growing there. I tell my customers when they look at me in disbelief after tasting it that it's not the fruit you're tasting, it's the tree or plant. The trees and plants are responsible for the fruit they make as well, so it's the tree you're tasting. Just like how Manuka honey comes from the beehives being situated around huge patches of Manuka plants in flower, its nectar is full of antiseptic and anti-inflammatory.

Finally, have you ever had any "sticky" situations with the bees? Can you share with us a funny story or two about your experiences as a beekeeper?

Once a couple of years ago while I was moving a beehive the beehive base board fell off and almost the whole colony came out very angry and attacking, I also had forgotten to zip up my hood on my beehive suit and they all came in stinging me dozens of times all around the face, neck and head. I had to hold the hood shut to prevent any more coming in while I quickly walked to the pool and submerged myself to stop the attack.

Visit Matthew at Tamborine Mountains Gallery Walk, open 7 days a week, or check out Funny Honey’s website at funnyhoney.com.au for more information.

MT TAMBORINE

Discover the Charm of Mount Tamborine: A Close-Knit Community with a Rich History and Vibrant Local Businesses

Nestled in the breathtaking Scenic Rim region of the Gold Coast Hinterland, lies the delightful town of Mount Tamborine. This tranquil township boasts a fascinating history that is inextricably linked to the land and the diverse cultures that have called it home for countless generations.

The area was originally inhabited by the Wangerriburra people, who were custodians of the land for generations before the arrival of European settlers. The Wangerriburra had a deep connection to the land and its natural resources, using the rainforest for food, medicine, and spiritual practices.

In the 1860s, the first European settlers arrived in the area and began to establish industries such as timber, farming, and mining. The logging industry was a significant contributor to the local economy, with the forested slopes of

Mount Tamborine providing an abundant source of timber for building and other purposes. The first sawmill was established in 1875, and the industry grew rapidly, leading to the establishment of several other mills in the area.

As the logging industry grew, so did concerns about the impact on the rainforest and the environment. In the early 1900s, a conservation movement emerged to protect the forest, and logging was gradually phased out. The region's natural beauty and unique flora and fauna became a drawcard for tourists, and the town began to shift towards a tourism-based economy.

Today, Mount Tamborine is a vibrant and closeknit community with a deep appreciation for its history and natural surroundings. The town's unique character is evident in its quaint shops, galleries, and cafes that line the main street, as

well as the numerous parks and walking trails that wind through the surrounding rainforest. Visitors to the area can experience the region's rich history through a range of activities, including visiting the Gallery Walk, Tamborine Mountain Historical Museum, Club Tamborine, the Cedar Creek Lodges and Thunderbird Park.

Despite recent challenges, such as the bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic, the community remains resilient and optimistic. Local businesses have adapted to changing circumstances, offering online services and contactless options to keep visitors safe. The town continues to be a popular destination for tourists, who come to enjoy the stunning scenery, charming hospitality, and vibrant arts and culture scene. The community's strong sense of pride and connection to the land make Mount Tamborine a special place that will continue to thrive for generations to come.

Here is a selection of iconic local business that make up the Tamborine community.

Club Tamborine

Since opening, Club Tamborine has been a hub for the local community and a venue of choice for all residents of Tamborine Mountain. The facility has been providing a family-friendly environment for the community to enjoy throughout the years.

Open 7 days a week from 10:00am, the club has something for everyone to enjoy. From Lawn Bowls to Croquet to enjoying a game of pool, there are a variety of activities and events to keep the whole family entertained. Events and themed days are run throughout the year, so ensure you follow Club Tamborine on social media to keep up to date with all the latest news.

The restaurant provides a great range of meals for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday. Lunch starts from 11:30am - 2:00pm and reopens for dinner from 5:30pm – 8:00pm.

For more information about the club and its services, visit their website, www. clubtamborine.com.au or call (07) 5545 1308 to speak to one of their lovely staff.

Cedar Creek Lodges

Cedar Creek Lodges is truly a retreat for all seasons! Offering a range of stylish accommodation options including selfcontained lodges and holiday cabins with modern country chic décor, spas and log fires. The leading specialists in conferences and weddings with everything you need, all located on one magnificent mountain property. Indulge in premium dining at the Rainforest Restaurant & Lounge Bar or enjoy light snacks and tasty meals at the casual Terrace Kiosk. The perfect getaway experience to reconnect with nature! Located on Tamborine Mountain in the Scenic Rim, your perfect getaway is less than an hour away from Gold Coast and Brisbane.

Thunderbird Park

Visit Australia's largest adventure playground, located between Brisbane and the Gold Coast in Tamborine Mountain. The vast range of onsite adventure attractions make Thunderbird Park an exciting experience for every age group. Activities include fossicking for ancient thundereggs and crystal panning, the Tree Top Challenge Adventure Park and Canyon Flyer Zipline Guided Tour, Laser Skirmish in a rainforest battlefield and adventure mini-golf. Come for the day or stay and play - Thunderbird Park has a range of accommodation, including bush camping, family lodges and new Woodlands Glamping Tents – some with spa baths and one with a private plunge pool!

Cauldron Gin

Since Cauldron Estate and Distillery is the newest and most exciting destination on Tamborine Mountain. Located in the Hartley Road Winery Precinct, Cauldron Estate is an 18-acre property with beautiful established vineyards and lush green meadows perfect for picnics, lawn games or kicking back for an afternoon of R&R. Their kitchen is open from Friday to Sunday.

They produce and serve unique Queensland inspired beverages including their award winning Five to Five Gin range. Enjoy a day in their picturesque vineyard, sample one of their drinks from the bar or participate in one of their locally inspired memorable experiences like their Gin Making Classes.

For more information about Cauldron Distillery, their products and services, visit their website, www.cauldrondistillery.com.au or call (07) 5545 0156 to speak to one of their lovely staff.

UNWIND IN STYLE

Discovering the Luxury of Spicers Peak Lodge in Scenic Rim

Perched atop a mountain peak in Queensland's Scenic Rim, Spicers Peak Lodge is a luxury retreat that offers unparalleled views and a truly unforgettable experience. From its stunning natural surroundings to its world-class amenities, here's why a visit to Spicers Peak Lodge should be at the top of your travel bucket list.

First and foremost, the location of Spicers Peak Lodge is simply breathtaking. Situated on an 8,000-acre nature reserve, the lodge offers sweeping views of the Scenic Rim and the surrounding valleys. From your private balcony, you can watch the sun rise over the mountains or soak in a hot tub under the stars.

But it's not just the views that make Spicers Peak Lodge special. The lodge itself is a masterpiece of design and comfort, with luxurious rooms and suites that feature cosy fireplaces, plush bedding, and all the amenities you need for a truly relaxing stay.

The food at Spicers Peak Lodge is also not to be missed. The lodge's award-winning restaurant offers a menu of gourmet dishes made from locally-sourced ingredients, paired with an extensive wine list that showcases some of the best vintages from Australia and beyond.

There are also a range of activities on offer at Spicers Peak Lodge, from guided hikes through

the surrounding bushland to helicopter rides that offer a bird's-eye view of the Scenic Rim. Or, if you prefer, you can simply relax by the pool or indulge in a spa treatment.

One of the standout experiences at Spicers Peak Lodge is the sunset drinks and canapés on the lodge's helipad, which offers 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. It's the perfect way to cap off a day of adventure or simply relax and soak in the natural beauty of the Scenic Rim.

Overall, a stay at Spicers Peak Lodge is a truly unforgettable experience that combines luxury, natural beauty, and world-class amenities. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or simply looking for a relaxing escape, this hidden gem in the Scenic Rim is not to be missed.

In short, a visit to Spicers Peak Lodge is an unforgettable experience that combines luxury, stunning scenery, and world-class amenities. Whether you're seeking romance, family fun, or relaxation, this is the perfect destination for a unique and memorable trip. So, why not pack your bags and head to Spicers Peak Lodge for an adventure-filled getaway? It's a hidden gem in the Scenic Rim that should definitely be at the top of your travel bucket list.