Gold Coast – 16 June 2007 (Cool Winter Weather, 19°C)
Woke up early today so that we can go to the Gold Coast Hinterland.
We drove towards the Tamborine Mountain (about 40mins drive) to visit Tamborine Mountain Distillery. This family-runned boutique distillery has won numerous awards for its fruits’ liqueurs, which come in pretty hand painted bottles by the wife and daughter of the owner, Michael. Some of his wines has gone to the States.
Michael is a friendly old man that looks like Santa!!!! Ho… Ho… Ho… He owns the Australia Vodka Company too! Guess what you can find: a 60% alcohol vodka at his distillery… called “MOULIN ROOZ”. We bought 1 bottle back… Shhhh… according to him, this concoction is illegal, well at least in US. Will take a picture of this Green Coloured drink some day.
Tamborine Mountain Distillery aka The Australia Vodka Company : 87-91 Beacon Road Nth Tamborine (07-5545-3452; http://www.tamborinemountaindistillery.com/)
 
Had lunch at Songbirds Rainforest Retreat (about 20 mins drive from the distillery). A good place for couple… esp for honeymoon. They have beautiful cottages and they are only available to couple! No kids! Its acclaimed restaurant won several awards including Queensland Restaurant of the Year 2006. While you are there, do enjoy the birds singing… Very quiet place…. Oh besides beautiful birds, they also have a few turkeys running around too! Hee Hee :O)
Our lunch 
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1) Panko crumbled Whiting Fillet layered with celeriac & fennel salad & potato wafers on remoulade sauce
2) Pan seared ocean trout on leek & potato pave, baby herb salad & red wine butter sauce
3) Thai Bouillabaise; fresh seafood gently poached in a fragrant hot & sour broth served over udon noodles with Asian vegie (Prawn, crayfish, salmon, scallops…)
Songbirds Rainforest Retreat : Tamborine Mountain Road, Nth Tamborine (07-5545-2563; http://www.songbirds.com.au/)
After a wonderful lunch, we travelled ard 30mins to get to Binna Burra Mountain Lodge. It was getting a little cold. :O(
This is nestled in the World Heritage-listed Lamington National Park. You can actually book yourself into their cabins and spend a day or 2 there. Unfortunately, there wasn’t vacancy for us when we were there. There are a few walking trails that you can take if you stay with them. Though we didn’t stay, we did 1 of the shorter trail. Spectacular Views!
Oh, i did the Flying Fox and learnt to play a didgeridoo from Luke Christiansen. Apparently, this handsome Aussie is fairly famous cos he is the “official” interviewee for the media!
Binna Burra Mountain Lodge : Beechmont, Lamington National Park (07-5533-3622; http://www.binnaburralodge.com.au/)
An interesting day…. :O) but it was getting a little COLD for me! :O(
