The ten day festival offers lots of elements relating to film. It aspires to show case many genre and pop culture movies, inspire film makers and give people insights to the nuances of making films.
So far I have gone over three days attending three totally different events.
On Friday I attended the Gold Coast Women in Film day and listened to upcoming producer and actor, Gracie Otto. It was a wonderful lunch that was inspiring. Bizaare at QT is one of my favorite lunch time buffets, the talks were good and the crowd better. Mingling and chatting to women in film, about the lack of female presence and influence in Australian Film was interesting, topical and made me more determined to get my documentary about Nepal off the ground sooner.
Grace Otto and me at The Gold Coast Women in Film Lunch
On Saturday I took my son to the Gold Coast Art Centre, where we went to a couple of workshops about film production. One on crowd funding, and the other on being a director for the first time. Good to hear from people who have been through the process and their pearls of wisdom.
And tonight was superb. The night is called SIPfest – multiple short movies shown on the beach in Surfers Paradise.
It was a spectacular night, warm and comfortable.
Well supervised by the police, not that they were needed, it was a really cool crowd, the audience were invited to vote for their favorite.
Tonight a short film called Upside Down Feeling won the awards.
I am looking forward to more. To find out what’s on check out the program here.
A special place hidden away in the Gold Coast Hinterland is OReilly’s.
Established in the early 1900s as a family homestead and place people could come to do bushwalks, the history remains very much a part of the land.
The old homestead still exists and host dinners, the reception, the discovery centre, the library (with books, a fireside and piano).
There is a lot to explore with bird feeding which delights kids as they come and sit on your head, arms, anywhere, very comfortably. I remember bringing my children here and them loving the bird experience.
There is also a birds of prey experience which runs every day at 1pm. The bird handlers and birds themselves are magnificent. Swooping from behind people in the crowd, eating and landing with incredible accuracy the show is worth seeing and it will leave you with a new perspective and adoration for the hunters of the skies.
From the main guest house there are a myriad of walks. The famous border walk which goes to Binna Burra is currently closed due to bush fires affecting Binna Burra in 2019. There are however many of other extensive walks, you just have to chose how long you want to walk for.
Waterfalls, creeks, rock formations there is a lot to see.
One hour, 2 hour, half day and full day walks are all easily to find and well signed.
For the shorter walks you can get away with sneakers but proper walking gear is a bonus for the longer walks.
The Tree Top Walk is a must for day trippers and is suitable for children and adults.
It is hard to describe the enormity and stillness in the rainforest. O’Reilly’s is in the Lamington National Part and is one of the oldest rainforests in Australia.
The forest is beautiful and soft with bright green leaves sprinkled amongst Australian natives and the fern undergrowth. When one looks up you can see elkhorns, stag horns and crows nests all growing juxtaposed to tree trunks and nestled in branches.
I love looking up in the rainforest and letting my eyes dance with birds, trees and leaves.
Birds and wildlife are prolific at O’Reilly’s and there are many of animal encounters offered throughout the day and a fantastic way to see Australian wildlife if you aren’t in Australia for long, or if you have children.
Oh and on the subject of kids, if the walks aren’t enough, the birds, there are also two pools, a spa (when covid restrictions are lifted), a kids club, a plane relic, documentaries to watch, and at night there are glow worms.
There are only a handful of options for eating. Guests can order their breakfast or eat in the cafe when it opens.
Lunch can be purchased at the cafe, or there are many picnic spots and you can BYO.
Dinner is only available to guests in the dining room.
Seeing as the drive is around 1hour45mins from the Gold Coast, it can be a long day, or if you stay a welcomed escape. It is only a thirty minute drive from the Gold Coast to Canungra but from there it is approximately an hour mainly due to the single lane, winding road. It can be scary for first timers so take it slowly.
There are a couple of styles of accommodation starting with a basic hotel room. Whilst the interiors are warm, they are pretty basic and small.
There are newer rooms for higher rates but not necessarily worth it if you are mainly here to walk and explore.
The newish villas are very nicely appointed but book out especially in school holidays. These are the best option if you have children as they can house a large family, including a large deck, BBQ facilities, bedrooms, kitchen etc.
I love O’Reilly’s and will continue to come here as long as I can and hopefully bringing my grandchildren and great grandchildren one day. It’s that sort of place.
Truly a life desire and memory is taking a helicopter ride over The Great Barrier Reef and a must to understand the massive size that the reef spans.
Made up of nearly 3000 atols and reefs, the Great Barrier Reef was listed as a world heritage site in 1986.
For years I have been visiting the reef and snorkelling in amazement at the wonderful life forms underneath the water but in recent years the life under the ocean top has diminished. Global warming and coral bleaching unfortunately is true, despite what many politicians will have you believe.
Low Isles off Port Douglas
There’s a couple helicopter companies operating out of Cairns and Port Douglas. We chose GBR for our experience. They all cost about the same and they all are similar whether you book through an agency or direct.
WE had a great pilot , Simon, who was engaging and really loved his job.
I was a little sick on take off and my partner was scared sh*tless.
None the less we both had a hoot.
It was a very hot day but the copter has aircon so that made the trip pleasant.
Situated right in town but feeling like an oasis set under the rainforest canopy is Watergate.
My friend had recommended it as one of her favourite restaurants in Port Douglas and it didn’t disappoint. The staff are awesome – David met us and was very amiable and informative then handed over to Jill.
The Watergate menu is great – not too much but enough to have a wide selection without boggling you down and making you go around in circles.
Offering an interesting selection of Australian fare with Asian influences we settle on the Crocodile Karaage, Lamb Ribs in Korean sauce, Tuna Tataki and Watergate salad.
You know when you hear mixed revues about a restaurant, rather than inspire it tends to make you pause to race there? This was my response to Balboa. A silly trap that I have fallen into before which only has lead to denial of a wonderful Italian restaurant boasting very good food.
The purpose built Balboa Italian situated on the Gold Coast Highway in Palm Beach opened only a few years ago.
Sporting a healthy clientele and return customers because of their pizzas, (they look amazing), the pasta (apparently the gnocchi is to die for) and the al la carte.
I was super impressed by the table service which in a country like Australia is often lacking.
We order an Italian chardonnay – I’m not sure that is was a true chardonnay but a delicate light white, more like a chablis from France. Perfect for our meal.
Scallops for entree which were delicious, light and tasty.
The calamari salad also delicious and could be a meal in its own right. Light, tasty healthy.
For mains we share the lamb shoulder which is delicately served on a bed of puree, beans and tomatoes.
We accompany this with the house made potato chips and aolii and broccolini.
The cocktails are wonderful and my partner orders an old fashion which is served with the smoke trapped inside the glass.
I can highly recommend it. Service 5/5, food 5/5 overall 10/10.
Shelly & Jonathon are wonderful hosts at the Holroyd House.
Set in the very pretty northern suburbs of Toowoomba but still walking distance to town (albeit a long walk) is their cottage and loft.
The cottage is anything but a cottage and is a large family home with wonderful living spaces, but on this occasion we stay in the self contained loft.
It is a beautiful loft with self contained kitchen, separate bathroom and walk in waldrobe.
The furnishings are delightful with little gestures such as fresh water and chocolates.
The bed is firm and comfy with electric blankets so the room is cosy and the bed toasty.
A big surprise is the breakfast which is included. We are gluten and dairy free so didn’t want to inconvenience Shelly but she made the most amazing hamper with coconut yogurt, granola, fresh berries, dairy free cheese, GF bread, GF banana cake, ham and home made relief.
I am happy to recommend this place and we will be making this our stay-place when we come to Toowoomba. Thank you Shelly and Jonathon.
When you receive an invite to have dinner at a pub in the middle of nowhere (well for city folks), you have to say yes, but later go “why?”
It’s a long drive, someone has to drive, what is the food going to be like etc etc.
Let me reassure you that Rudd’s Pub is iconic and very much worth the effort from where ever you are coming from.
It has a typical Aussie bar at the front and the staff are awesome as well as swift. People say g’day and want to meet you, which isn’t always the case in cities.
The pub has massive history and was originally built in 1893.
Its big claim to fame was the writing of many of the series of the radio series called Dad & Dave which was broadcast on Australian radio from 1937 – 1953. You can read a little more about the series here.
The food is great and what Aussies would call good “pub grub.” The meals are cooked out the back by the owners so whilst yummy may take a while if you have a large group. I suggest putting your food order in early if you are hungry and having a couple of “bevvies” with the locals while it is cooked up.
Aussie Pub grub from Rudd’s pub
The menu is quite extensive and includes gluten free options and all the great pub favourites of steaks, chicken parmies and bangers + mash. I am told the rissoles are great as they are home made and home made Aussie rissoles are awesome.
There is accommodation out the back so you can stay on your travels through, a nice venue room for parties and events and lots of memorabilia on the walls to check out.
This good old fashion Australia regional town is a large enough to get lost but small enough to walk around.
Situated only 90 minutes from Brisbane it is the last of the larger towns going west and is renown for it’s pretty gardens and flowers.
I have been coming here for years and have always had a pleasant stay. The town folk are friendly and it is a much different vibe to the closest Aussie cities of Brisbane and Gold Coast.
I am usually here for a work engagement, children’s sporting event or visiting family.
This visit we decide to pop up for 2 nights as Covid restrictions means no international travel, so it’s time to revisit our famous Aussie towns.
We stay in a beautiful airbnb and do a lot but also nothing.
Toowoomba, being the city of gardens, does have many beautiful outdoor spaces. Gardens, flower shows, a Japanese garden and just walking through the beautiful wide streets will leave you inspired.
In September is the famous flower show but every time of year there are delightful gardens to have picnics in or wander through.
The other places of interest are Cobb & Co museum, the beautiful architecture of the CBD and Picnic Point.
The town is perched up quite high on what is called the scenic rim. There are many walks to do along the rim but this weekend we are blessed with rain so don’t venture too far from our airbnb and friends.
For a great coffee head to Nick’s place called Wendlands Fine Foods. Although there are many awesome coffee houses around town.
Preston Peak Wineries is a ten minute drive south of town but is closed for a private function on the day we go but has beautiful commanding views over the Lockyer Valley.
The main shopping precinct is called Grand Central and is like every other big shopping centre in the world but great if you do want to catch up on some shopping or having retail withdrawals.
All in all Toowoomba is a great rural country town and very different to the sea towns in Australia. You will need wheels to get around and if you are willing to explore can pick up some mustering, polo games, dirt bike events and more.
Synonomous with healthy eating, beach side dining and long standing awards and reputation is Coolangatta’s Japanese favourite, OSushi.
Whilst this restaurant has a sushi train it is far from just a sushi joint. The place has an extensive hot menu too offering many styles of Japanese dining, including the popular poke bowls, udon noodle bowls, sashimi and other styles.
The layout is simple and welcoming. The happy bustling staff make your experience memorable as well as high quality food.
Position opposite the main beach at Coolangatta beside the Cooly pub it draws a diverse crowd. Lunch time vacay goers can stagger off the beach, and score a great snack. Night time diners can have a myriad of choice. Either dining at the sushi train or sitting outside with the sea breeze gently cooling the evening.
On this night we have kingfish cerviche. The fish is fresh and the tastes infuse well on my palette.
For mains we share a sashimi platter with comes with seaweed salad. I look sashimi and the salmon is buttery and fresh.
The best thing about this restaurant aside from the great food, friendly staff and ideal location, is that is serves a variety of alcoholic beverages at reasonable prices.
Affectionately known as the GABBA, the Brisbane Cricket ground, home to the Brisbane Lions… is an iconic sporting field in Australia.
On this night, my son and I are venturing to watch a short, newly introduced, cricket game.
It’s called twenty twenty cricket (20 overs each team), or the BIG BASH LEAGUE. It is like speed cricket. Really good if you like seeing a result in sport. It’s especially good in a sport like cricket, which has BIG history as a sport but it typically played over 5 days. Even one-day games require a whole day.
The 20-20 big bash is a perfect family sport. Hard hitting, big knocking, smacking a hard red ball around a BIG part. The Gabba is perfect for the fun, action packed game.
Kids love it and as a parent it is pretty awesome too.
The Gabba (affectionately nick-named after Wooloongabbba – the suburb which is in located in) is a Queensland icon. It is very central to the city – a little too so. Fortunately free public transport moves people in, and out really quickly.
The food is average. I find a cafe/coffee house that had a salad which was pretty good value and reasonably priced. The “other food” is rubbish. Hot dogs, chips, pies RUBBISH! I do struggle to understand the blatant opportunity of sporting venues to drive home how important nutrition is to our youth… but now I sound like a wailing nutritionist who cares…
There is beer on hand, wine is much harder to find. Which suits me as it is a coffee and salad night for me with my son.
We decided to stay at Southbank, and I would love to recommend the hotel, but I can’t. There are plenty though, and for those of us who don’t live in Brisbane, coming in the after noon, going to the art gallery , walking along Southbank, then the Gabba, makes for a great day!
