I can’t believe this is going to be my very first Australia post! A post about a local food and wine tour through the Atherton Tablelands from Cairns (the fifth place we’ve been in Oz) but here we go. I had such an amazing time on this tour, I felt I should dedicate a whole post to it so I can really encourage you guys to check this one out when you’re here. It’s just that good. Now I am a big food and wine person as well as someone who loves learning about local culture. Maybe this is why Brett’s Outback Tasting is my new favorite tour ever. If you are looking for the best tour of the Atherton Tablelands, read on.
We plan to stick around here for a few months, soak up the sun and explore all the local towns, rainforests, natural phenomenons and of course, the Great Barrier Reef. There are SO MANY tours in this town. Partly because there are so many tourists and Australians who come here on holiday, but also because there is so much richness to the area. With so many things to see and do, it can be overwhelming to plan it out for yourself, not to mention, these tours come with perks you couldn’t get on your own.
Now, let me say, I am not a big “tour” person typically. I am really bad at walking tours and paying attention while someone talks for an extended period of time, unless im super interested if course, but you get the idea. I would prefer to learn about things slowly and over time, but hey, thats just me. BUT the tours in Australia are not just tours, they are EPIC adventures and I plan to go on plenty while I’m here. I do have to say, it’s going to be hard to beat my first Cairns tour- Brett’s Outback Tasting.
So let’s get started, Brett and his now ex-wife (still friend and business partner), started this tour by running a different type of tour and had a customer ask about wine in the region. This region being the Atherton Tablelands. Brett did his research and saw the opportunity to showcase an amazing side of this area- local farms, food and wine. Brett knows EVERYTHING about this area, seriously everything. It is clear he has a true passion for the people, wildlife, and overall culture of the Tablelands and is so excited to share it with everyone.
The Atherton Tablelands is a region, near Cairns, with a very diverse landscape, from rainforests to rich farmland, full of unique wildlife and fruits you won’t find anywhere else. There are many tours that take you to see the waterfalls and other landscapes but DO NOT pass this one up. Brett’s tour will take you through all the different landscapes- rainforest, wetlands, farmlands and you will make stops to try the food and talk to the producers. Not to mention, the tour is a maximum of 12 people so it’s super personal. There are 7 stops on your tour, note this is always open to change depending on weather and other extenuating circumstances, but rest assured, Brett has some awesome back up plans.
Sunset Ridge Farm
The tour starts with a windy ride up the mountainside, where you will see some EPIC views. You get breakfast at your first stop so I don’t recommend eating a huge meal beforehand, plus you continue to eat all day (yay!). BUT if you get carsick, I would also recommend you eat something small and take some motion sickness medicine because the road is a bit windy. Once the road starts to straighten out you will begin to see some farmland and pull up on Sunset Ridge Farm. It was still a little cloudy when we arrived here, but the views were still BEAUTIFUL.
Ken and Sue Pyke own and run this stunning farm, producing two of the most magical fruits I have ever had in my life, fingerling limes and Davidson plums. Upon arrival, you start off with a small yogurt dish layered with Davidson fruit jam, local yogurt and natural honey, fingering lime and topped with coco- it is DELICIOUS. Davison fruit is very tart and this little treat will certainly wake up your taste buds. Here, Ken will tell you a little about the farm and the fruits as well as let you try the few fruits if you so desire. (Do it, they are both insane.)
Sue will bring out a hot breakfast with coffee and tea. Breakfast is so tasty- local pork sausage and hot corn and zucchini fritters, YUM. From here, you have a little time to enjoy breakfast and take in the views before being invited back to the pavilion for some marshmallow and jam tastings. Now these are not your average, sugary marshmallows. There are three fruits-based flavors and they all have a nice, soft texture and sweetness- definitely worth a try even if you don’t normally like marshmallows. The jams are fabulous as well, so be sure to give those a try. If you fall in love, all products are available for purchase.
Also be sure to say hi to the pups on the way out 😉.
Rainforest Bounty
After another scenic drive through the Atherton Tablelands (don’t worry, no more windy roads 😉), you arrive at Rainforest Bounty. This is a private property ear the historic town of Malanda. You walk into a beautiful table set up just for the tour group, with fresh cheeses and jams and wine glasses ready to go (always a good sign). Rainforest Bounty produces artisan gourmet condiments (jams, vinegars, and pastes) from the local Australian rainforest fruits. Once you sit down, your host will walk you through their amazing fruits and tell you a little about the cheeses on the table from the local farm, Gallo. Some new fruits you’ll learn about here include the lemon aspen, cape york lillypillies, and boonjie tamarind. They also have ooray plums, another name for Davidson plums.
After you learn a thing or two, you get to dig in. All of the jams and pastes are so flavorful and unique and pair nicely with the variety of cheeses provided. On top of it all you get to choose red or white wine (woo!). These are wines from the region so they are fruit based as opposed to grape based but I will tell you they are NOTHING like the fruit wine you get in the States, they are really tasty. You also get to try some nice concoctions of their lemon aspen juice with soda water. It is SO refreshing, as well as their ooray plum fruit vinegar with soda water, also tasty.
The Platypus Park at Tarzali Lakes
You’re longest stop of the day begins here with a platypus viewing in its natural habitat. Did you know these are the second least viewed animal in their natural habitat in the world?? You walk down to the spring fed pond where these adorable little guys live. Now you might have to be a little patient with this one, as they may take some time to approach. Brett says there are usually only two that really come up close- they seem to be curious about us. These are two females, as the males tend to stay along the outskirts, who Brett has named Dorothy and Petal. We were lucky enough to see Petal swimming around and even come very close to us. She never completely emerged from the water unfortunately but it was still a very cool experience. They are so cute!
After some time hanging around with the platypus, you head back to the cafe for lunch. The best part? This is a super Australian lunch- featuring some food only found in Oz. The delicacies feature kangaroo, crocodile, and Red Claw crayfish- a freshwater crayfish only found in Australia. With lunch you also have a choice of a local Tazarli Lakes Beer or a Dragon fruit cider (I had the cider, it was probably the best I’ve ever had).
After lunch, Brett serves you up a beautiful wine tasting of local fruit wines from Murdering Point Winery. Murdering Point is located about an hour away in east Silkwood, situated amongst fertile cane fields and lush rainforests. Now, when trying these wines, forget everything you know about traditional grape wine. These are fruit based wine and in my opinion just taste more like a delicious, alcoholic fruit drink- they are seriously AWESOME. But if you come in to this expecting them to taste like your California Pinot Noir, well, your setting yourself up for disappointment. We tried a mango, passionfruit, Davidson Plum and a lychee wine. All of them were really, really tasty.
Gallo Dairyland
Now you may recognize this name is you have been paying close attention 😉. Gallo Dairyland is the farm that produces the cheese we tried at Rainforest Bounty. To get here we head through the historic village of Athernon and just rolling hills on rolling hills of stunning lush green farmland.
At Gallo, you will try some of their homemade chocolates which are to die for. Plus, if you didn’t get enough cheese before, they dole out all the sample tastings you would like. These are literally some of the best cheeses I have ever had, and I have tried A LOT of cheese in my day. There is a variety of delicious flavors and they all somehow have the perfect texture. Try them all if you like.
The Humpy
This might be the cutest roadside food store I have ever come across. Right in the middle of beautiful farmland in the Atherton Tablelands, The Humpy features local food for purchase straight from the growers. You walk in to a beautiful seasonal fruit tasting including the DELICIOUS custard apple as well as some hot, seasoned local peanuts and macadamia nuts.
Be sure to walk around and check out all the awesome produce as everything comes straight from the surrounding farms and producers right there in the Atherton Tablelands.
Mt. Uncle Distillery
Now get ready for a real pep in your step, the next stop is the award winning Mt. Uncle Distillery. Started in 2001, Mt Uncle is North Queensland’s first and only distillery. They produce many different types of liquors, made from fruits and other ingredients grown right there on the Mt Uncle farm.
On this stop of the tour, you get two free tastings included. Don’t worry, you have options. There were 8 different liquors to choose form on our tour, one vodka, three gins, two rums, a whiskey and one liqueur called Sexy Cat. Rawr. This one is a sort of marshmallow flavored liqueur, its quite nice. I went with a gin, because I love good gin, and their internationally recognized rum. Let me say, I don’t drink much rum but this one is SO good, you can sip it. If tasting straight liquor isn’t really your thing, definitely go for the sexy cat. It’s super tasty and easy to drink.
On the way out be sure to check out all the rescue animals on the farm. Oh, and the wild peacocks 🙂
Jaques Coffee Plantation
The last stop, which will be exactly what you need at this point, is Jaques Coffee Plantation. The plantation is located in Mareeba and contains over 85,000 Arabica coffee trees. It is also home of the world’s first coffee harvester! Once you arrive, you order the coffee of your choice, included in the tour, and head around back for a little coffee lesson. Brett will walk you through the harvesting process, the machinery and show you a little bit about the beans themselves. Afterwards, you can walk around the beautiful plantation until coffee is served on the gorgeous back patio.
With your coffee comes traditional Australian scones, which, if you are American, are similar to biscuits. But EVEN better, except maybe for those in the south 😉. They are a little denser and have a slightly sweeter flavor. Plus they come with local jam and Mungalli double cream, which is… indescribable. As a pastry lover, this was quite possibly my favorite food of the day. This and the fruits at the beginning, and thats saying something because everything on this tour is awesome.
Before you order you’re coffee, check out my guide to ordering coffee in Australia.
Looking for one last little taste of the day? Don’t worry Brett’s got you covered. On your way out of Jaques you get a sampling of Debrueys coffee liqueurs. No better way to end the day.
Important Notes:
-Don’t eat breakfast unless you need to for medication/ other important reasons. The first stop has a hot breakfast and a yogurt cup to start (and trust me you want to be hungry 😉.)
– If you get a little woozy in the car, consider taking some motion sickness medicine. Or request to sit in the front seat, the very first part of the ride is a little windy.
– This is a small tour, the bus only fits 12 people so it is a really special/ personal experience
There you have it friends, this tour is an ABSOLUTE MUST in Cairns. Even if you’re only there for a few days, you don’t want to miss this one. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! Ask below in comments or feel free to shoot me an email 🙂 I love to hear from you!
Click here for Brett’s Outback Tasting tour info and bookings!
xx,
Hannah
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