Food on the Road: Finding Our Way around Gold Coast through Local Food and Nature

 

Once upon a time, we discovered that the best way to connect with people when we found ourselves in a new place is through food and learning about the local geography. Since then, we've made our way through city after city getting familiar with the local cuisine and the nature paths. Our wanderlust led us to where we are settled today: Gold Coast. 

The region is dubbed the holiday capital of Australia and it’s easy to see why. It has 40 km of stunning beaches and plenty of apartments and hotel stays to choose from. But after climbing the tallest building in the area and seeing the green behind the gold, our old backpacking spirits couldn’t resist going off the beaten path. We decided to discover the soul of the Gold Coast region through nature and, of course, food.

After doing a little research, we made a list of places to visit and planned our days with nothing but food and fun. Here’s how our Gold Coast adventure unfolded.

 We Tried Fishing for the First Time

We began our adventure at sea, on a deep-sea fishing charter trip that showed us the beautiful Gold Coast waters. The boat travelled 30 miles off the coast, which is the best zone to catch a variety of fish. We’ve never tried fishing before, so we were admittedly clueless about it. Thankfully, the charter crew was happy to give us plenty of tips and show us a couple of tricks that would help us catch a big one. 

There were other people on the boat with us and some of them were hobbyists. They were kind enough to help us with putting the bait on the hook and showed us how to throw the line into the water. 

We sat there for what seemed like the most relaxing time we’ve had in a while. When our bait finally moved, it was all hands on deck as we reeled in our catch as carefully but quickly as we could. We didn’t anything record-breaking, but what we caught was pretty decent!

We ended the first half of our day tour with a buffet lunch on board. While we didn’t make a meal out of our fresh catch, we enjoyed a wide selection of food made with fresh ingredients and of course, fresh seafood. After a couple of trips to the buffet table, we decided that we were ready to spend the rest of the afternoon perfecting the basic fishing skills we learned in the morning. It’s the perfect way to spend time in the water, get some sun, and enjoy nature. Who knew fishing was such an exciting and rewarding activity?

We Went to the Hinterland

The following day, we went to the greener side of the coast and spent a day in the Gold Coast Hinterland. It was a well-curated tour that showcased the beauty of the suburban side of the metro: local food, great-tasting coffee, and local craft beer all in one place! Nature trips had never been this fun!

We started the day with a cup of coffee that was made at the local coffee roaster on site. The roasters shared a bit about the country’s coffee culture with us. They were also kind enough to give a quick intro to the roasting process that they use. It was the perfect start of the tour. 

We headed further up the Hinterland and stopped by a farm that grows seasonal and annual produce. We were able to taste a variety of freshly grown vegetables and edible flowers. The farm supplies fresh produce to high-end restaurants in the area; the experience can’t get any more local than this. 

The tour ended at a brewery that served food made with locally sourced ingredients. But the best part was enjoying the meals that were paired with beers that were made using different brew styles. Each beer had a distinct flavor of its own. Craft beer is a big thing at Gold Coast, so a trip to a boutique brewery is the best part of our afternoon.

 We Decided to Go On the Fly

We decided to cap off our second day in the Hinterland and the final leg of our 3-day adventure with a self-guided tour in Mt. Tamborine, and we checked out some wineries along the granite belt. Just like the old days, we wanted to explore the area at our own pace and take as much time as we wanted sampling the best wines in the region. We also enjoyed a lovely 2-course gourmet meal in one of the finest restaurants on the mountain. 

The most exciting part of going on a self-guided tour was finding our way around by solving puzzles and riddles that we saw along the way. It was a beautiful way to complete our adventure circuit and was a great way to unwind and just take in the natural scenery.  

After seeing all these places, we can say that the best way to enjoy Gold Coast is away from the crowd, exploring the outdoors. While we enjoyed the bustling life of the city and how it came alive at night, the best moments of this trip were spent in nature, sampling scrumptious local fare and craft beer, and wandering in a vineyard where we had the best wines in the country. Our 3-day nature trip, despite being on the mild side, showed us a side of the holiday capital that’s calm, peaceful, and extremely relaxing.