Tag Archives: to do

Toowoomba – What to do

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.

The Gili Island Cooking School

For a bit of fun I thought I would try the cooking school on Gili Trawangan at Sweet and Spicy.

As I said it was a bit of fun.

You get to cook five dishes but eat six.

Sweet and spicy cooking class
Sweet and spicy cooking class

It was good for me being a nutritionist seeing how food has been bastardised to suit the Western Palate. Loads of MSG (salt) and loads of other things that just are not healthy but it was fun and for two girls in the group it looked like their first cooking experience. Including stirring something in a pot!

sticky rice balls
Green sticky rice balls – the green dye was banana flavoured!

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We made some green sugar balls in sticky rice…. I think they call this food but I could debate that.

We also made gado gado (frozen vegetables with a chilli peanut sauce).

My favorites were definitely the chicken Lai (recipe from a Lombok village) and the steamed fish.

For all the herbs we used it lacked the same dynamic taste sensations that other countries have in their foods – that or the herbs were old and had lost their kick.

Flaming the chicken for a curry
Flaming HOT!

The most fun by far was flaming the chicken.

I had a scary kitchen incident growing up and we accidently torched my friends kitchen when cooking popcorn. The fat caught on fire, then exploded. I ended up with stitches in my leg (after diving through a window to escape) one girl ended up in hospital with concussion and the girl closest ended up with nothing as the flame died down pretty quick! Oh that’s right. She threw water on the burning fat. An absolute no-no.

Anyway getting comfortable with flames in the kitchen was cathartic and fun.

Would I recommend it – sure. It was only 350,000 (35USD) and you got to eat the food. Times were at 11am, 4pm and 9pm.