The Mary Valley country is filled with lots of local produce, natural surroundings, historical places to visit & plenty of fantastic annual events. We have put together some suggestions below that might assist you when venturing out to explore our beautiful region:
- After breakfast – take a short 20 minute drive to Kenilworth enjoying fabulous galleries, cafes
- Visit the Kenilworth Dairies (formerly Kenilworth Cheese Factory). Enjoy the delicious ice-cream & cheese tastings! Check out their FB page for updates.
- Enjoy a light lunch at the cafes OR pack a picnic and take a drive through the Mary Valley (we can provide a special PICNIC HAMPER at an additional cost – please contact us for lunch options)
There are many scenic picnic spots in the area for a picnic. These include:
- Yabba Creek Parklands (Imbil main street)
- Amamoor State Forest (beautiful walking tracks & picnic areas)
- Borumba Dam
- Fig Tree Walk at Little Yabba Creek
See below for a few options of where to eat in our region & surrounding areas:
Melawondi Spring Retreat
Experience Fireside Dining (weather permitting & when available)
Self catering meals – See our current MENUS.
CAFES & RESTAURANTS
The following cafes & restaurants are in towns or surrounding areas up to approximately 30 minutes from Melawondi Spring Retreat:
Amamoor
- The Blue & White Teapot – Ph: 0448 102 140
Carter’s Ridge
- HUB at the Ridge – Ph: 5447 9326
Cooran
- Hinterland Restaurant – Restaurant / Cafe Ph: 5485 0221
Gympie
- Salty Kisses – Stunning Health Spa and Expresso Bar! Fantastic coffee and perfect place to relax and enjoy luxury health spa treatments. Check their FACEBOOK page for regular updates! Ph: 5482 3978
- Farmer & Sun Cafe (Southside) – approximately 25 mins drive. Ph: 5481 2055
- Kingston House – a la carte restaurant. Ph: 5483 6733
- Zesty Edibles – great meals & atmosphere. Ph: 5482 3107
- Charlies Hotel – delicious meals. Ph: 5482 1119
Imbil
- One2One on Yabba – Lovely atmosphere, great coffee & snacks! See their FACEBOOK for regular updates. Ph: 0408 881 256
Kandanga
- Kandanga Kitchen – See their FACEBOOK for regular updates & opening times. Ph: 0490 496 706
Pomona
- Trail 518 (FB page) Ph: 0475 756 815
- Spilldebeans – cute coffee shop Ph: 0417 475 069
PUBS
- Australian Hotel Ph: 5482 1070 (Gympie)
- Phoenix Hotel Ph: 5482 1283 (Gympie)
- Kandanga Hotel Ph: 5484 3162
- Imbil Railway Hotel Ph: 5484 5202
- Kenilworth Hotel Ph: 5484 3162
- Apollonian Hotel Ph: 5485 3100 (Boreen Point)
CRAFT BEER BREWERIES & VENUES
NOOSA (approx. 35 min drive)
-
- Land & Sea
- Boiling Pot Brewing Co (FB page)
- Heads of Noosa
Other areas:
- Copperhead Restaurant & Brewery – COOROY (approx. 25 min drive)
- Bonsai Brewhouse (FB page) – COORAN (approx. 20 min drive)
- Brouhaha Brewery – MALENY (approx. 50 min drive)
- Imperial Hotel Brewery (FB page) – EUMUNDI (approx. 40 min drive)
- Zesty Edibles – GYMPIE (approx. 25 min drive)
…or you could join a tour with Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Tours
WINERIES
- Dingo Creek Vineyard (FB page) – TRAVESTON (approx.15 mins drive)
MARKETS
- Hinterland Harvest Market – Woombye (every Saturday from 6am – 11am)
- Dagun Growers Markets (every Saturday from 3pm) Local produce from growers around the valley. You can still purchase fresh local produce online from Sunday to Tuesday on their WEBSITE.
- Imbil (Sunday 8am – 2pm) very small market!
- Gympie (Sunday 7am – 12pm)
- Yandina (Saturday 7am – 12pm)
The Gympie Museum Markets are held beside Gympie’s beautiful Lake Alford, which can be accessed from either the Bruce Hwy or Brisbane Rd. Enjoy live music whilst browsing through extensive markets with everything from bric-a-brac to fresh produce. 1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday of each month. On the 2nd and 4th Sunday they are held at Southside. Ph: 5482 3995.
- Noosa Farmers Markets (Sunday 8am – 12pm)
- Eumundi Markets (every Wednesday & Saturday)
- Kawana Farmers Markets (every Saturday 6am – 12pm)
ART GALLERIES
COOKING CLASSES
CRUISES
- Noosa River and Canal Cruises – fantastic and relaxing day cruising the Noosa River – highly recommended!
FARM GATES
EVENTS 2020
To keep up to date with current EVENTS please visit our website.
ACTIVITIES IN THE MARY VALLEY
There are an abundance of activities in the area including horse riding, kayaking & bike riding. Ask us for further details regarding these activities in the Mary Valley area.
- Take a leisurely drive to Borumba Dam (we can also provide a hand line to see if you can try and catch a fish)
- Amamoor State Forest (beautiful walking tracks & picnic areas)
- Sunshine Coast Walking tracks (we are very fortunate to have some fantastic walking tracks around the Sunshine Coast)
KAYAKING & BIKE RIDING
- Ride on Mary (Kayak and Bike Bush Adventures) – Ian Harling will organise that special day out for you!
HORSE RIDING
- Mary Valley Adventure Trails – Horse riding tours & rides
TOURS
Activities at Melawondi Spring Retreat include:
Bushwalking
There are a few different walking tracks at Melawondi Spring Retreat leading to different views out over the valley areas. We can organise champagne and canapés at sunset or a GOURMET PICNIC HAMPER or GOURMET GRAZING PLATTER (optional extra) to enjoy on the many special spots at the retreat. We can also assist in providing more challenging options to your bushwalking experience.
Local Wildlife
Enjoy an abundance of natural wildlife on the property, including wallabies, koala, platypus and a large variety of birds. A great time to enjoy this is relaxing on the huge verandah whilst enjoying sparkling wine and seasonal platter – pure relaxation!
Bird watching
Many species of birds are abundant here at Melawondi Spring Retreat. There are binoculars and a bird book located in the studio for your use during your stay.
Star gazing
On a clear night stars are a plenty & absolutely amazing!! There is a current monthly star chart located in the studio to assist you with locating stars and planets OR before you arrive download Night Sky app to your smartphone ready for your night show.
Wilderness Navigation
This workshop is an optional extra that can be tailored to suit your requirements where you can learn to navigate using map, compass and GPS.
Other towns to visit include:
- Pomona (approx 15 – 20 minute drive – on the way to Cooroy)
- Boreen Point (approx 15 minutes from Pomona)
- Feed the dolphins at Tin Can Bay (approx. 1 hour drive)
If you have any questions or require further information of types of activities in the area please don’t hesitate to let us know!
Thank you.
Tanya, Tony & Emma