How to plan your own foodie tour on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Looking for a foodie tour on the Sunshine Coast? Create your own. Here’s how.

Having been a visitor to the Sunshine Coast, Queensland for over 50 years, I’ve never really been one for doing the touristy thing on every visit. We love nothing more than just hanging out at the beach.

My grandparents retired on the Sunshine Coast in 1969 so every other weekend we would visit from Brisbane and go to the beach for a swim. The only tourist attractions to really see were The Big Pineapple, The Big Cow (which used to be at Yandina), The Ginger Factory (in Buderim in the early days) and the Sunshine Castle in Bli Bli.

Now you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to the Sunshine Coast, especially as far as food and alcohol goes. Here’s a way you can plan your own foodie tour on the Sunshine Coast and make the most of what’s on offer, in your own time.

Why plan your own tour?

We visit the Sunshine Coast often. It’s our second home. Having been there so much over the years, it’s our favourite place to visit. I have noticed that it has really come of age as being a foodie destination in South East Queensland so wanted to make the most of my next visit.

When I started researching the foodie tours already available (why reinvent the wheel right?), I noticed most of them included wine, beer or other alcohol destinations and we’re talking a couple of hundred dollars.

I don’t drink alcohol anymore so it really wouldn’t be worth it for me. There were also parts of some tours I liked and parts of others I didn’t. So that’s why I decided to start researching the places I wanted to visit the most and found this amazing website that does all the hard work for you.

How to plan your own foodie tour

South East Queensland Food Trails is a website that allows you to plan and create your own foodie tour on the Sunshine Coast and anywhere else in South East Queensland.

There already pre-planned routes you can take that make the most of the region, for example bicycle tours, walking tours or what’s happening right now. They also include some hidden gems you may not have even existed, in your own backyard!

There are also links to that particular region’s tourist websites for even more information. Really a one stop shop to find out all the information you can about the area you’re visiting.

How it works

You simply choose which region you’d like to visit. Either check out the information already available or click on “Create My Trail”.

Choose which region you are visiting from either the List or the Map, then click which Sub Region. You can select all or on an individual region in that area.

Enter the address from which you’ll be starting at. This could be your home address, if you live in South East Queensland, or your accommodation address.

This is, of course, a self-drive tour and if you wanted to visit places that serve alcohol, choose a designated driver. If there are a lot of you, look at the cost of hiring an Uber driver for the day. It might work out a lot cheaper than an organised tour.

After you’ve entered your starting point address, choose your “Interests”. This could be “All”, dining, markets, cooking schools or other attractions in that region.

Your places of interest are then displayed and then it’s a matter of selecting which places you’d like to visit. Click on each one you’d like to include on your tour.

A map is then created with all of the places you’ve chosen with the distance, time and location of each place.

You can then save the link to return to when you’re out on the road and follow the Google map driving instructions to find your way around.

Conclusion

I’m going to be using this tool more for my own area. There’s really so much to see and do in your own backyard, if you really look hard enough. It will save you money, it will be tailor made for your tastes and you can take your time. The South East Queensland Food Trails website has made the job of planning your DIY foodie tour even easier.

22 Easy & Useful Crochet Projects for Beginners

Have you ever thought about trying a new craft? Crochet is one of those crafts that is easy and produces results quickly. The best part is you can create useful items for around the home or even fashionable items to complement your wardrobe. Here are 22 easy and useful crochet projects for beginners plus a few supplies that you will need.

Besides being able to create useful items for yourself like beanies, scarves and sweaters, you can make the kid’s clothes or baby booties if you are expecting or know of someone having a baby. There are also so many useful projects to make for around the home. Dish cloths, hand towel toppers, cushion covers, blankets, throws, rugs and so much more.

Once you get the ‘hang’ of the basic stitches, you’ll be trying new patterns, different types of thread and creating more complex patterns but it really isn’t all that difficult once you can read a pattern.

The best part about crochet is that you’re making something useful and it’s very, very relaxing. You can do it in front of the television, on the bus, when you’re waiting for the kids at soccer practice, on your lunch break at work or whenever.

What You Need to Begin

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Crochet hooks come in all shapes and sizes. The finer the hook, the finer the crochet thread you’ll need for intricate work like edges of handkerchiefs or doilies. The larger the hook, the more loose the crochet pattern is and you can get some really chunky, open projects like throw rugs, shawls or scarves.

Thread comes in all forms. You can use the finest silk thread or something like baker’s twine to create something like a plant hanger, a scourer for pots and pans in the kitchen or a door mat. I like to use crochet cotton for edges on face washers and woolen yarn for larger projects like ‘granny squares’ or knee rugs.

Crocheted items make perfect DIY gifts too. Imagine a dish cloth, made by you with a bottle of nice smelling dishwashing detergent for a housewarming gift or a crocheted baby blanket for a newborn. A crocheted edge on a brand new face washer with a gorgeous cake of soap makes a perfect gift.

When you’re starting out, there is always a wide variety of thread available from the thrift shops for not a lot of money.

Until you get the basics covered, there are patterns galore in stores and online to create wonderful projects and designs. The basic stitches are easy to follow in these patterns so never think that the project isn’t achievable.  I’ve made intricate doilies and edges on handkerchiefs that I thought I could never do. It’s the same basic stitches and a bit of counting.

The Basic Stitches

There are really only four (4) basic stitches you need to know to begin crocheting. They are:

• slip knot: to create the first loop to begin and to join onto the next stitch when you’re finishing a row
• chain stitch (CH): this is the most basic of all the crochet stitches and allows you to join clusters of patterns and continue your project
• single crochet (SC): with the single crochet stitch you are now forming the basis of your design by pulling the thread through, creating what looks like a vertical stitch
• double crochet (DC): like the single crochet but you are now creating two loops to draw the thread through and it creates a longer vertical stitch.

Here is a video tutorial of me showing how to start, how to master the basic stitches and produce a simple crocheted dish cloth which also forms the pattern for many different, simple projects that are useful and practical.

Once you master these, you’ll be well on your way to creating your own wonderful, useful projects. Below are 22 easy and useful projects I have put together that anyone at any age can do.

Beginner Projects

Large Market Bag

Textured Jute Rug

Dog Coats

Farmer’s Market Bag

1.5 Hour Beanie

Matching Beanie & Scarf

Modern Crochet Granny Square Blanket

Ear Warmer Head Band

Easy Crochet Sweater

Tablet Cover

Simple Granny Square

Beginner Baby Blanket

Crochet Slipper Socks

Simple Crochet Blanket

Crochet Knit Like Sweater

Chunky Crochet Pillow

Easy Infinity Scarf

Easy Dish Cloth

Cupcake Kitchen Towel

Crochet Hot Pad

Hand Towel Topper

I hope you have fun trying some of these easy and useful crochet projects for beginners.

 

High Tea at the Wolston Farmhouse

I’ve become a bit of a high tea ‘junkie’ lately. There’s something about a substantial morning tea that carries you into lunch and I always feel a little bit special when enjoying high tea. A recent high tea at the Wolston Farmhouse with my girlfriend was just what I needed for a special day out.

The Tea Terrace Cafe is the recently appointed cafe situated at the rear of the Wolston Farmhouse property, with the National Trust of Australia since 1963. The 19th century farmhouse is the only remaining farmhouse in the area and has lovingly been restored to it’s former glory for an insight into how families lived back in those olden days.

Included in the price of our high tea was a National Trust magazine plus a self guided tour through the farmhouse which felt like I was walking back in time into my Nanna’s house. Constructed in 1852 by Dr Stephen Simpson, it was taken over by Matthew Goggs in 1860 who raised his family of 9 children there. The house doesn’t have all of those bedrooms still standing but it gives an accurate picture of what life was like at the time.

High tea isn’t as traditional as it’s meant to be anymore. It can be had in the morning or afternoon and usually consists of a scone with jam and cream, mini cakes and sweet treats, sandwiches with various fillings and/or savoury pastries of some description. We weren’t disappointed with the offering at Wolston Farmhouse. There was a real old fashioned feel about the presentation and ambience with embroidered tablecloths, mismatched china crockery and the traditional high tea tower with everything presented so beautifully.

Everything is made in-house by the resident chef and you could tell is was homemade by the taste and not mass produced. Included in our high tea were finger sandwiches of various cold meats, salad greens and spread with homemade bush tomato and beetroot relishes. The sweet treats on offer were the “Grindle” Orange Cake (a miniature homemade orange cupcake), a vanilla slice, chocolate mudcake and custard filled profiterole. A homemade country style sausage roll was also served as well as a traditional plain scone with homemade strawberry jam and clotted cream.

You have a wide range of potted teas to choose from plus bottomless filtered coffee as well as a cold option of old fashioned Crows Nest Cola which is served in a jug with ice and glasses with paper straws. A real treat. There are other menu options which, from what we saw, looked just as delicious as the high tea.

While sitting on the wide veranda on what turned out to be the most glorious Spring day, you can’t help but think of the great memories the children would’ve had climbing the large trees on the property, running through the property but probably working hard on the farm and doing their chores.

The formal living room.

Piano for family entertainment in the main living room.

When the sewing machine in the living room was an attractive piece of furniture.

Homemade crafts adorned the home not cheap imports cluttering every space.

The less formal sitting room.

The main bedroom.

Family photos and functional pieces feature on top of the chest of drawers.

Baby’s cot in the main bedroom.

Wash stand in the main bedroom. No ensuites back in those days.

Glorious sideboard in the formal dining room.

Table set for a formal Sunday lunch.

Fireplace in the formal dining room.

Baby’s high chair in the kitchen.

Not sure if that gun on the wall in the kitchen was for cattle rustlers or kids with hungry bellies.

My girlfriend and I were swooning at the amazing old vintage finds in the working kitchen. We’re not sure if the ‘lady’ of the house would’ve been cooking for her large family or if they would’ve had ‘help’ but when you compare it to the mod cons we have in our homes now, you can only imagine that everything prepared would’ve been simple, delicious and plenty of it. Just like the memories I have my grandmother and her extended family.

The laundry looks like it would’ve got a good work out too. The old boiler, washboards, wringer and heavy irons gave us an insight into how hard washing days must’ve been but I’m sure the whites would’ve been whiter than white. (I can remember Mum having an old copper which she had when they first bought their house. She used an electric wringer machine for many years before upgrading to a twin tub which she used up until the day she died and my sister still uses it.)

The Wolston Farmhouse is situated in Wacol, southwest of Brisbane. They have programs for school children and are looking at improving their information centre for visitors and the volunteers who do so well to keep the property in pristine condition.

DETAILS

ADDRESS:

223 Grindle Road
Wacol 4076 QLD

OPEN:

Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 4pm.
Lunch 10am to 2pm
High Tea 10am to 1:30pm (bookings essential)
Closed on Public Holidays

PHONE: 07 3088 8133

EMAIL:  wolston.house@nationaltrustqld.org

ENTRY FEES:

National Trust members – Free
Adult – $10.00
Concession – $7.00
Children – $5.50
For Groups of 10+ please contact