Entrees dispatched, we waited (not long though, the service was very good) for the main courses to arrive. On seeing John’s dish of Barbequed Bugs, Ian commented “I wonder if there are any Bugs left in the sea after that plateful!”. It was certainly a good sized meal, and went down well. A couple of hardy souls had room for dessert afterwards (must be candidates for lap-band surgery after that meal) and tea/coffee finished off a very pleasant social lunch.

Fortunately, a shopping excursion through the adjoining centre didn’t bash the plastic too much and we all headed up the highway for home without incident.

When everyone had had their fill, we moved outside where some had to go home and the rest of our group decided to check out the great views from Picnic Point and it was such a fine, clear day you could almost see the Glasshouse Mountains. With everyone happy, we all (with the exception of Jenny, who was staying overnight) headed home after another great day.

Built of hoop pine and cedar in 1868, with 12 foot verandahs and 14 foot ceilings, the old hotel is a unique example of 19th century Queensland architecture and retains a concert hall with original cedar windows and doors. The hotel was originally built in the Gympie goldfields but was dismantled and moved to Boreen Point in 1987.

The spit roast lunch was obviously very popular, since it had been fully booked. Our table was in the outdoor beer garden, and was in a typical bush-style setting where Ian finally was able to enjoy his morning coffee. We were quite close to the BBQ shed where the aromas emanating from the spit roast over hot coals were quite mouth-watering. We joined the queue for the lunch serving and everyone was quite satisfied with the portions and the variety of accompaniments on offer – very good value at $15 per head. Wine and other beverages were available of course to make for a happy and convivial lunch.

About 2.30pm we all drove a few hundred metres down to the lakefront and spent about half an hour enjoying the vistas across the shallow lake to the ocean sandhills. Boreen Point is quiet and somewhat isolated from the bustle of Noosa, but real estate prices in the area are apparently booming. Eventually we decided to call it a day and head back to Brisbane via Pomona. Fortunately the traffic was relatively light for a Sunday afternoon, apart from the usual holdups at the roadworks near Caboolture.

7 cars met to leave from Brisbane, and we linked up with Darren and Elle at Aratula to make up our group of 8 Prii. First stop was Warwick for a quick coffee and make plans for a lunch stop before it was on to our first port of call at a winery. When we drove into the carpark, there was a tour bus there. Bugger! That meant a heap of people. On entering though, the bus mob were grazing on lunch, so we had the tasting area to ourselves. Justin and Micheala were introduced to the joys of wine while the rest of us enjoyed tasting (and buying a few bottles). Suitably satisfied, we had a quick nibble on some cheese to cleanse the palates, and it was on to lunch.

Lunch at the Big Apple was Italian-influenced, although their (large) home-made pies were excellent too, and everyone left happy. Castle Glen Winery was next on the road, where they have an amazing selection of liqueurs on offer, followed by a cheese factory just up the road. Everyone was stocking up with their preferred selections at each stop, and we moved on to another winery. Last stop of the day was to be a lavender farm, but a GPS aberration took us a very long way round via a creek crossing and some cattle-dodging. Sorry, folks! We eventually found the destination just as a shower and chilly breezes arrived. After everyone had bought their future presents etc, the rain had passed and we headed for our motel in Town, and a welcome cuppa before dinner.

Anna’s Italian restaurant was our dinner destination, and was just a short stroll over the bridge for most people. They have a great buffet on Saturday nights, and there is something there for everyone. A great night of feasting, chatting and generally enjoying good company followed, until we noticed that our group was the last one in the place. We then decided to call it a (great) night, and returned to the motel to catch up on some sleep.

Sunday morning was a little cloudy, but fine, and we were on the road to our first stop at an olive farm. The owners were VERY interested to see a group of Prius in their yard, as they had recently hired one, and were quite keen to buy one soon. We were able to explain anything they wanted to know (plus more), so hopefully there will be a new happy Prius family in Stanthorpe soon. On to more Prius appreciative people at Jamworks, where everyone stocked up on yummy home-made jams and sauces, before indulging in decadent hand-made chocolates further down the road.

We were then due for lunch at Ballandean Estate winery, where we were fortunate to have the place to ourselves due to a large bus group running late. Our lunches had been pre-ordered, and were ready soon after arrival. Refuelled, we had a very informative and entertaining tour of the winery courtesy of Angelo Puglisi, the winemaker and one of the district’s founders. By then, the bus mob had finally arrived, and the restaurant was full as we made our exit for some tasting. During lunch, Greg had conducted a small quiz on the winery. Darren was the deserving winner, and was presented with a bottle of wine of his choice as a prize.

Lunch over, it was time for dessert…..on to the Bramble Patch, a specialist berry garden where a wide variety of fresh berries and berry products such as jams, coulis, preserves and delicious desserts and ice creams were available. Everyone tucked into various goodies while we waited for the rain to stop, then it was on to get some fresh fruits. Back up through Stanthorpe to where most of the orchards were to stock up on some fresh stone fruit, apples picked straight off the tree, and raspberries before finally heading for home after a happy and busy weekend. Thanks to all who came and made it such a success.

After meeting Rory, our Club’s newest member, we headed up the highway and amazingly, the weather started to clear up. On arrival at the Ginger Factory, what else was there for four girls to do (with one hopelessly outnumbered male) but shop? And so they did…..at least until hunger intervened, and we all adjourned to the cafe for lunch. The special of the day was a steak sandwich with (appropriately) a ginger sauce. This was chosen by most of our group, and was quite good.

Suitably refuelled, it was back to the shops again. A motoring memorabilia and model shop provided some relief for the hopelessly outnumbered male, before it was back to the fray again. Next along was a fudge and sweets shop….too many goodies to resist in there! Then a shop selling all types of spices and cooking implements. Some wonderful aromas in that one!

More nick-nacks, then a card shop attracted the shopaholics before it was time to sit down for an ice-cream and coffee with a chat for sides.

We then adjourned to the carpark to fit some accessories to Rory’s Prius, and compare cars. This was the first Club trip where we have had no two cars the same….a record.

A different, scenic, trip home was planned, but everyone was shopped out and just wanted to go home down the highway, so that is what we did. As it turned out, the traffic wasn’t too bad, and we had a good trip home.

Thanks to those who came, and made it a good day for all…..especially Sue with her wog.

The Boreen Point lunch will be re-scheduled for some time next year when we have a larger group to make it worthwhile.

On the way south over the Burringbah range (taking the old Pacific Highway) we found a roadside fruit stall, and stopped. One of the many signs invited us to “feed the ducks”, so some of our group bought 50cent packs of bread chunks and wandered off toward the pond with dozens of ducks in tow like modern-day pied pipers.

Feeding frenzy finished, the Prius Procession rolled on to Mooball, a quaint little town whose main claim to fame is its Jersey Cow look-alike paint job on anything in town that didn’t move! It also has a cafe which boasts on its menu the largest burger in creation….and if any individual can get through eating one, it’s free! We decided that here would be a good place to eat, but nobody took up the challenge on the Mooball Monster. Ian and Nixon went close though, ordering the next one down the list….a works burger. When they came out, it was a sight to behold. Truly a challenge as it was skewered by a satay stick to hold it together, sitting on a mountain of chips and side salad. The entertainment began, just watching the guys trying to get their jaws around a self-destructing monster burger was worth admission. Ian managed it best, and without wearing any part of it…a feat Nixon failed miserably. Our weekend mascot, Charlie the poodle, became a favourite of everyone as he played with the goats, rabbit, and other animals there while helping us eat our lunch.

After some photos, the convoy again rolled southwards and stopped at the Macadamia Castle just outside Ballina, where we indulged in some very tasty Macadamia nut concoctions and ice-creams. While we were talking in the carpark, a group of people started to board a tour bus and a few asked us about our cars. The usual misinformed comments about pricing etc came up, and we were able to tell them the real facts. It was then time to drive straight in to Ballina, and find our motel. That was fairly easy, and we all settled in to very pleasant, and well-fitted out rooms. A decision was taken to organise dinner around the pool and BBQ area at the motel, so we went out to get a pile of seafood, salad ingredients etc, and a bottle or two of wine. The motel also offered BBQ packs to guests, and some chose these. After Ian almost tried to demonstrate his walking on water trick, everyone enjoyed a meal around the pool, and a relaxed chat afterwards. A fierce overnight thunderstorm around 2 am put on a huge light show and washed the cars for us, but Sunday dawned bright and sunny again.

Some early risers were off to the local markets on Sunday morn, and recommended our first stop for the day….a huge antique shop on the outskirts of town. An hour or so was spent browsing through the old and interesting wares, but it seemed a bit too much of a comparison to have 7 of the motoring world’s most hi-tech cars sitting amongst all these olde-world goods.

Next stop was the Thursday Plantation, a facility near Ballina which manufactures a wide range of medicinal products from natural plants such as the Tea-Tree. An interesting video was part of the tour, and morning tea/coffee refreshed us. We intended to have lunch at a Pecan Nut plantation and restaurant in a little country town called Eltham, and after a very scenic drive through rolling green hills, we found the town. The local Pub had also been highly recommended for its food, so when we stopped outside it, a decision was made to eat there and visit the Pecan plantation restaurant later. Everyone wandered in to find empty tables just vacated by a busload of departing tourists, and settled in to choose from the menu. After ordering, we were told there would be a 45 minute wait for our meals….as there was a crafty store next door, that wasn’t a problem for most of the ladies, who wandered off to browse there. The food started to arrive after 50 minutes and proved to be good….for those who were served. Unfortunately, one table missed out and waited, and waited for more than an hour and twenty minutes. Complaints to the owner got no results, as the 2 kitchen staff were just too busy to cater for a full house. When we finally left the pub, it was too late in the day to visit the pecan plantation….maybe another time?

We then travelled west along the Summerland Way through pretty country to the Lions Road, a shorter route over the range which was built in stages by the local Lions Clubs using volunteer labour. This is an interesting sealed route joining the Summerland Way to the Mount Lindesay Highway via a winding road following the Interstate rail line. At the top of the range, there is a lookout over the valley below where the rail line is engineered into a spiral loop in order to gain height to cross the Border Ranges. It just looks like a toy train set we used to play with as kids. Towards the highway, the countryside is rolling green hills and fertile valleys….very pretty.

We stopped on the outskirts of Beaudesert to say farewell, as some were going in different directions home. Everyone agreed it had been a very pleasant, and interesting weekend seeing a lot of areas they had not seen before. Thanks to everyone for your great company!

It was a fun trip along first the highway, then Steve Irwin Way to Landsborough and up the hill to the first stop at a winery….all the time looking, looking, looking for various devious questions and photographs (which were in random order). It was probably helpful to have extra observers in the back seat, but fun nevertheless.

The competitive section stopped and the real fun began at the Big Barrel winery where we all got inside in the warm and sampled their drops. After much deliberation, not to mention tasting, most people pulled out their wallets and bought a few bottles. Next stop was a specialised Swiss cheese factory just down the road towards Montville. Again, we were not disappointed by the quality of the goods on offer, and sampling led to buying. By now, it was after midday, and lunch was awaiting!

On through the rolling hills to the shopping mecca of Montville, where parking spots were like striking gold, and we soon came to our lunch destination of a ridgetop French restaurant eloquently named after a French fowl! Nothing foul about the restaurant, though….we were warmly welcomed inside by the (obviously) French owner/chef and made very welcome at our table. Menus were swiftly produced, and specials detailed for us to make our choices. The dishes offered were traditional French fare, and included Escargot (but no frog’s legs…must have been out of season, or too quick on the hop). A few hardy souls ordered the snails, with most opting for more “normal” fare. Baskets of bread, and drinks, came out while we waited for our meals and happy conversation went around the table. Our host Thierry had a collection of Citroens garaged there, and produced some photos to show us. The entrees soon appeared, and the snails were presented simmering in garlic butter in their own little recesses of a large ceramic (hot) flat bowl. On to the mains, and more wine and good conversation. Time flew! You couldn’t dine at a good French Restaurant without also having dessert, now could you? The Creme Brulee was wonderful, as were the sorbets. Crepe Suzettes were offered, but not taken up.

During the meal, Greg and Des had checked everyone’s run sheets and done their sums to work out a winner. That honour went to Rob and Lindy, who scored a great bottle of wine as a prize. John and Sue were (marginally) more feather-footed on the economy stakes during the run. A comparison of odometer readings for the trip showed that they were all identical to the nearest tenth of a kilometre. Fuel economy was adversely affected by the long pull up the range, resulting in readings of around 5.2L/100km at the luncheon break. Of course the Prius recovered this energy on the way back down the range, and round trip readings had returned to the usual 4.7-4.9 by the time we got home.

Lunch over, and mine host and staff thanked for a great meal, we left for home after another fun, and satisfying, day out. Thanks to Greg and Des for their efforts, and to those who came and braved the weather. It was well worth it!

After exploring all the interesting shops and fairylands on offer, we duly met back and swapped suggestions for lunch….settling on Cafe Amore just across the road. It turned out to be a good choice, with excellent service, and good, well-priced food. Much happy conversation crossed the table over lunch and, suitably refreshed, we set off for our next destination….a cheese factory down the road. Before we left the carpark however, it was amusing to watch a couple’s reaction to 5 Prii together….”what *is* that car?” said the gf to the guy. “It’s a Prius, one of those petrol/electric cars” was his response. “Look there’s another one….and another one over there, and another one!” she said. ” Do they have that many in Australia?” Oh well…there’s a lot of education still to do.

The cheese factory was good value, with most finding a variety or two to their liking. The ice creams were good, too. Then it was on to a photo opportunity where the hang gliders throw themselves off a perfectly good cliff in the hope of someone bringing their car down to the bottom to meet them later. Nice view, pity about the police car parked on radar duty right where we were going to cross double lines and park. Sorry about the u-turn, folks, but we all did not need a ticket there. We found a good spot for a photo (at right) down the road, then backtracked to an interesting treasure trove of antiques (no, not Ian and Greg) advertised as a lavender farm. It turned out to be two sheds stuffed with an amazing variety of old goods, vehicles, tools and restored stuff that kept everyone amused for ages. Until the afternoon chill arrived, that is. Then it was time to head for home. All in all, another great day with great company! Thanks, everyone.

The trip was interesting, although it didn’t go entirely to plan. We decided to stop at Bangalow (just off the highway) to get some ham and other smoked smallgoods at a local butcher there who advertised in a tourist guide. Not having a knowledge of Bangalow, we decided to ask a local when we got there for directions. Armed with these from the local Video Store, we went in search of the treasure….with no luck! After wasting about half an hour looking in the area given to us, it was obvious there was no butcher shop, so we headed for Lismore through the rain and rolling green countryside. It was confirmed later that the butcher no longer has a shop in Bangalow…only in Lismore.

On arrival at City Toyota, we were to meet up with some local Prius owners over lunch and talk cars etc. A nice lunch and refreshments were provided by Mike and his friendly staff, but the local Prius owners who had accepted invitations to come had, for various reasons, cancelled. Bugger! Oh well, we talked cars etc with Mike and his staff for a while, then decided to enjoy a leisurely drive up through the mountains to Nimbin, and on back to the coast.

Nimbin was…interesting. There are certainly some diverse types of people who live and work there. An interesting sign on the approach to Nimbin proclaimed that it was an alcohol-free town….no mention was made, however, of any other intoxicating substances which were very obviously in general use there. We stopped for coffee and a stroll around, then continued on to Murwillumbah and home via a quite scenic route. Maybe we should go down there again sometime just to see some of the attractions we didn’t get to visit this time?”Nimbin Muse

First stop (apart from a short coffee break in Warwick to meet up with Don and Alicia) was lunch at Giardino’s Cafe…a recommended foodie’s delight where the meals proved to be HUGE! Well fed, we moved on to Castle Glen winery where fruit liqueurs are a specialty. Much sampling and shopping ensued, followed by some cheese and bikkies to cleanse the palate and a photo session in the carpark.
We then moved on to Hi-Value orchards, where everyone proceeded to the orchards to pick apples straight from the trees (can’t get any fresher than that!). Sampling of other fruit products was offered, before we moved on to Heritage winery for more tasting and group buying to re-stock the wine racks at home. One more winery followed, where we toured the production area and learned how the grapes are transformed into the luscious drop that eventually is bottled and consumed.

From there, it was time to head for town and check in to our motel for a little R and R before dinner. 6 Prii arriving in stealth mode at the motel office caused quite a stir among the natives sitting outside! Our rooms were very nice, and host Steve was very attentive to everyone, making sure we were settled in. Some in the group decided they needed to burn off some calories before re-stocking at dinner, and went for a walk around the nearby creek. Most just crashed!

Dinner was a short walk next door to Anna’s restaurant where a great Italian buffet was on offer on weekends. Anna’s is situated in an old high-set Queenslander, and the various sized rooms are set with tables to accommodate different numbers of guests. Once seated, guests are free to fill their plates from the extensive selection of great home-cooked hot and cold Italian dishes and desserts, as well as fresh fruits, as many times as they like. Fresh-brewed coffee and tea finished off a great meal. After dinner, it was just a short bracing walk back to the motel and a welcome sleep to cap a great day.

Sunday dawned with a short early rain shower before fining up. Don was up early to catch up on the day’s newspaper before crashing back in bed for a few more ZZZZZ’s. He managed to wake up by the time everyone was ready to leave, though. Before leaving, we had a delivery of some fresh-picked broccoli courtesy of Ian and Gail, Stanthorpe-based grey nomads who joined us for dinner. Thanks guys!

After giving Steve a demonstration of the wonders of a Prius,and checking out of the motel, we moved up the road to the Farmer’s Market where bargains in fresh produce were snapped up. Stocked up, it was on to Heavenly Chocolates to indulge in fresh coffee and hand-made chocolate treats. From there, we moved back up to Felsberg winery for a tasting and some spectacular views of the area before farewelling Don and Alicia who had to leave early. On to lunch at Ballandean, where good wines and home-cooked meals were offered. Ian seemed a bit the worse for wear after lunch and tasting, but perked up later. The day progressed with a visit to an olive grove, and a family-run jam factory where the owners were most impressed with a demo and drive of a Prius. We then finished up at the Bramble Patch, where a wide variety of fresh berries, jams, sauces, and luscious berry ice-creams were on offer. Good stuff!

Everyone then headed for home, with cars full of fresh produce and good wine. The trip home was uneventful (except for Nixon, who realised he had left some clothes in the wardrobe at the motel….bugger!).

From the feedback received, everyone had a great time, and wants another trip soon.

Glad it was a success….yes, we will organise another one sooner rather than later.