And it's rather excellent. Very trendy, nice coffee - they roast their own.
Strangely, it seems to have two names: 'The Concept', and 'Riba Kai'. I asked the waitress what 'Riba Kai' meant, and she said: "river food".
I don't think that's Kabi Kabi language, and my further research showed me that 'Riba' is river in Catalan, while 'Kai' is food in Maori. Hmmmm........
One day I'll tackle the theme park itself, with its scary rides and all. Today was a day though for a brunch with a difference.
Aussie World's pub seemed to be all set up for such a thing, and we eventually navigated the system and got fed there.
The building has an interesting history. It was originally an Ettamogah Pub pub, as in the chain of them that started at Ettamogah, with their leaning walls and trucks on the roof etc. Then there were corporate realignments and legal battles, when the brands separated but it was temporarily still too Ettamogah-like.
Anyway, it's looking good now even if the breakfast is a bit strange.
This one occupies another of the old Nambour sugar mill buildings, near the museum and the Coles shopping complex, and just across from our choice cafe of a few weeks ago: Sweet & Flour post
It's a similarly pleasant and recommendable spot.
There seem to be two Mudjimbas. There's this one, sometimes called Mudjimba Beach, and then there's the newer(?) one on the main road a bit to the north. I call that one 'Airport Mudjimba', being next to the airport, and far less scenic. It's got some unexplored cafes too though.
Anyway, High Tide cafe had location going for it, and ambience. Maybe a bit much ambience with the school holiday crowd. The eggs Benedict sauce was a sticking point for this Benedict afficionado. It usually works best when they stick to a mass-produced commercial sauce. Sometimes the local chef can make an improvement. But often not.
I'll be back there again though.
It's in Nambour, in what used to be the manager's house of the sugar mill that used to operate there. A very nice spot.
We've been meaning to check this one out for a while, but it's been hard to find a nearby parking spot!
It was worth the wait though. It's an interesting place. It's just along the road from the new law courts and the very big police headquarters. And more to the point, the coffee was good,and the breakfast toast was cheap (though you had to toast it yourself).
We'll be back!
It's called Envy, and I'm a little envious of those who discovered it before me. I only got there today, and it's all very healthy. But tasty too. It's one of many still-to-be-exploreds along Cotton Tree's Esplanade.
It's part of the Banjo's Bakery chain, which originated in Tasmania, but since spread to other states with good taste.
This one's special claim to fame is that it's almost underneath the Next Level High Ropes Adventure Park ropery, so you get to watch the amazing adrenalin adventures being had up there. (Not today though - I think all the staff were off doing the Sunshine Coast Marathon - more about this later.)
It also serves a very nice coffee in takeaway cups, and about the best pies I've encountered. Pride of place goes to the Tasmanian scallop pie. Quite an institution.
It's part of the ubiquitous Coffee Club chain, but bear with me. The coffee's always good, the food's good too, and in this case, you're right next to the gorgeous Buderim Village Park.
Yesterday I had the Eggs Benedict with salmon and spinach, and it was, unexpectedly, one of the best I've ever had!
Raw Energy is a nice little outdoor cafe in the Zone shopping centre on Wises Rd, Maroochydore.
Some of its energy and style stem from the stylish barista and the particularly stylish coffee art he specialises in.
The grumpy coffee on the left, of course, was the decaffeinated one. The regular, caffeinated one was the smiley one on the right!
This is the one with the million dollar views. The food's good too, as I discovered today.
And as a bonus, it's attached to the Mary Cairncross Reserve in Maleny, whose rainforest walk is possibly the best curated tourist nature trail I've ever seen. See also here: earlier post
This was quite a surprise. It's in the (surprisingly pleasant) shopping strip of Brisbane Rd, Mooloolaba, ie the non-touristy part of Mooloolaba. As well as very drinkable coffee, they were serving, as advertised, delicious Lebanese ...... street food!
It's just appeared on Broadmeadows Road, Maroochydore, and as far as I can tell, it's not part of a franchise. Maybe it ought to be?
It's certainly got a vibe about it, even if it's so far got nothing sweet on the menu. Or the usual Australian breakfast classics. But maybe that's the idea.
We like it anyway.
This cafe is a strawberry farm too. It's on Sports Rd, Bli Bli, just past the Maroochy Wetlands Sanctuary.
As well as the usual coffees and breakfasts, you can have strawberry ice cream and other such treats.
And of course you get to pick your own strawberries to take home.
They're open every day during the cooler months - which I guess are the strawberry-growing months.
The GURU Life is on Petrie Creek Rd in Rosemount. Driving past, it looks like a little truck stop with a few benches, but wander in, and there's a lot more to it.
A magpie lark actually (Grallina cyanoleuca). He hangs out at Maroochydore's Culture cafe, just like we often do!
