Our Australian road trip has now reached the area known as the Sunshine Coast, just over an hour’s drive north of Brisbane.
The name is very apt, there being no shortage of beautiful bays with near-deserted golden sandy beaches and, of course, plenty of surf and warm sunshine. Here’s Alexandria Bay viewed from the coastal headland in Noosa National Park.
The sunshine does wonders for the abundance of fresh fruit growing here. As you can see from my main photo at the top of the post, I just had to put together a fresh fruit salad, with juicy mango, golden kiwi, red grapes, red plums, blueberries, raspberries, apple and banana – all local Queensland produce.
It has helped make what I call my Sunshine Breakfast, shown here over toasted Australian-grown oats and grains, and with thick, creamy Australian yoghurt. The crowning touch is a drizzle of honey from a jar I bought in the Blue Mountains. It is made from beehives in the eucalyptus forests there.
A bowl full of all-Australian Sunshine Breakfast. What a super way to start any day!
From one all-Australian classic to another, with the latest addition to the ADK playlist: this is Icehouse with Hey Little Girl.
Brisbane, the latest stop on our Australian road trip, is very much a city on the up.
Built around the meandering bends of a wide river, the layout is a model of good city planning. A great way to get one’s bearings on arrival is to see the city from the completely free hop on/hop off Kitty Cat ferry that runs between the main points of interest, daytime and evening.
On the north side of the river is the glass and steel might of the commercial and business district (CBD), packed with skyscrapers and malls.
The south bank, meanwhile, is the home of an extensive cultural centre, with museums, art galleries and a performing arts centre. I especially enjoyed the exhibition by Judy Strong, whose multimedia art is influenced by the stories and struggles of Australia’s indigenous people. It was in the Queensland Art Gallery, which is itself a work of art, with marble paths flanked by shimmering pools leading to spacious, airy halls.
I also enjoyed the south bank’s well laid out gardens and riverside boardwalk. Gardens in Queensland tend to have something of a rain forest feel. You are never quite sure what might slither out of the undergrowth to say hello, while you’re having your picnic lunch in the shade!
There is a free public access city beach and pool, which is clean and life guarded. It provided a welcome place to cool off in the Queensland heat, while looking across to the dramatic backdrop of the CBD.
The south bank also hosts numerous restaurants representing many world cuisines, and a buzzing nightlife after dark.
Naturally, I just had to check out some of the food on offer. Settling at Spanish-influenced restaurant Olé, we shared this tapas dish of crispy roasted cauliflower florets with a chilli mayo dressing.
Also delicious was this excellent vegetable paella.
Brizzy (as it is affectionately known) is due to host the Olympic Games in 2032, when it will join the elite cadre of world cities bestowed that honour. Infrastructure developments are already under way, including two new metro lines, and a vast new bridge over the river, connecting the CBD with Kangaroo Point to the east.
Confident in itself, modern with an excellent offering to visitors, and looking positively to the future – the rest of the world can expect to be hearing a lot more about Brisbane in the next few years.
The city also has talented indie musicians! The name of this band is a play on the name of the suburb from which they hail, Redland Bay. This is Beddy Rays with Sobercoaster.
Most of Australia’s Pacific Coast could be described as a surfer’s paradise, given the seemingly never ending stretches of golden sandy bay with wave after crashing wave. However, Surfer’s Paradise is the actual name given to a beach front district in the city of Gold Coast, the next stop on our road trip (see the welcoming gate below).
I’m not a surfer, though I do enjoy jumping in the waves and swimming in the relatively warm sea, when the occasionally vicious currents and riptides here allow. All along the Pacific Coast, however, there is no shortage of people who do.
Take these diehard souls pictured at Noosa, walking their boards barefoot to the sand…
…and waiting patiently on the rocks for that perfect swell.
On the way here, we stopped off at Byron Bay, the upmarket surfing and wellness haven that is famously home to Chris Hemsworth, well known for playing Thor in Marvel’s Avengers.
We stayed a night and hung out for an evening amongst the beachfront bars and cafes. We enjoyed the surf vibe, though we didn’t bump into Chris. Maybe he was off on filming duties in Hollywood. Or possibly Asgard 😉
Back to the Gold Coast, and our latest foodie experience, amongst the skyscrapers that line the golden sands. O Bagel, in the Broadbeach area of the city where we are based, came highly recommended, and certainly lived up to its billing.
The bagels were freshly baked, and came with various coatings and flavours. The texture was just the right combination of soft and chewy.
I chose an everything bagel, generously filled with home made egg salad, wood smoked ham, swiss cheese, crunchy lettuce and smoky tomato relish. It tasted great, taken down to our picnic lunch stop at the beach.
Musical choice this time around comes from an Aussie indie band that I have featured before, and who I saw play live over in the UK supporting Queens of the Stone Age back in November. I like the fact that they have a good punk sound, while (as anyone who has seen their videos on You Tube will know) do not take themselves too seriously.
They are from Queensland, so it seems right to play them while here on their home turf. This is The Chats, with their ode to chicken schnitty, parmi and all other great Australian pub fare: Pub Feed.
Leaving the Blue Mountains, our Australian road trip headed next through the Hunter Valley wine-growing region, to reach the Pacific Coast at Newcastle, just north of Sydney. The plan is to make our way along the Pacific Highway up to the Sunshine Coast in tropical Queensland, just north of Brisbane, over the next week or so.
First stop was at Merewether Ocean Baths, just outside Newcastle. Fed by water from the ocean, it is the size of 8 Olympic swimming pools. We parked the car across the road and enjoyed a refreshing swim. It was the perfect way to break up our journey in the 30C heat. The pool is free to use and open all year round – what an asset for the local community.
The onward journey has been one of discovering one glorious golden sandy bay after another. My main photo at the top of the post shows Nambucca Heads. My photo below is taken at Coffs Harbour.
There are many forms of wildlife that call this coast their home. Flying foxes (large wing-spanned bats) are a regular sight overhead, as dusk settles. At the intriguingly named Look At Me Now headland we spotted some humpback whales out at sea, making their way north. Best of all, though, we came across this lovable family of kangaroos.
Foodwise, we’ve been keeping meals light and cool because of the heat, and making the most of Australian produce. My photo below shows Tasmanian (generally called Tazzie – the Australians abbreviate most things) smoked and hot-spiced salmon, with salads made from veg grown in tropical Queensland.
Most fruit and veg seems to grow well here and the choice in food shops and markets is plentiful. As a lifelong banana fan (banana on toast is a particular fave of mine) I loved seeing bananas actually growing on trees, for the first time.
This was on a banana plantation just outside Coffs Harbour. Next door is a family fun park called The Big Banana, where all the rides and attractions are (you guessed it) banana-themed. We stopped to sample their speciality dessert – a fresh banana on a stick, coated in chocolate and dipped in chopped nuts (or sprinkles) and then frozen.
It was delicious and helped us stay cool. The frozen fruity centre tastes like banana ice cream and, along with the dark chocolate and nuts, it is actually a relatively healthy snack. This is another piece of foodie heaven I shall be trying to recreate when I get back home.
Our Pacific Coast journey will continue in my next post. Time now, however, for another Aussie indie band to feature on the ADK Playlist. I very much like the exciting sound of this band. This is These New South Whales with Changes.
The start of our Australian road trip takes us around an hour’s drive west of Sydney, to the Blue Mountains National Park in New South Wales.
The Park is so named because the mountains are said to take on a bluish hue, as a result of light being refracted through the air rising from the eucalyptus forests that line the landscapes.
There are many awesome views to behold. My main photo above shows the Grand Canyon viewed from the Look-out at Govett’s Leap. The photo below is of the Grose Valley shot from the Evans Look-out.
The most famous sight in the Blue Mountains is just outside the central town of Katoomba. I was a little sceptical when we arrived as to whether we would see it, as it was a very misty morning. As an example, my photo below shows the Skyway, which takes visitors to the rainforest floor of the Jamison Valley, attempting to navigate the swirling fog.
However, as we reached Echo Point, the mist suddenly rolled back to reveal the Three Sisters rock formation. This is one of the most visited destinations in Australia – a claim borne out by the number of coach tours arriving every hour, bringing day-tripper passengers from the cruise ships temporarily docked in Sydney Harbour.
We made Katoomba the base for our visit, and enjoyed its fiercely independent culture – the main street lined with vintage clothes shops, second hand bookshops and antique warrens. Pick of the hipster cafes was the Yellow Deli, where I enjoyed this bowl of hot chilli, with freshly baked cheese and jalapeno bread, and a green chai latte.
I also liked this aubergine parmigiana at the Gourmet Cafe and Deli in neighbouring town Leura. It tasted like lasagne, but with aubergine in place of the pasta and bolognese sauce. Excellent to find a vegetarian dish that is low on carbs. I will definitely try recreating this when I get home.
I’ve also been discovering some new Australian indie bands for the ADK Playlist. I like this new track from The Rubens, a band who hail from New South Wales. This is Liquid Gold.
After a 7 hour flight from Singapore, we arrived in downtown Sydney just before 8am. What better way to begin our stay in Australia than by having breakfast at one of the city’s excellent cafes.
My wife’s order is shown in the photo below: eggs benedict with spinach and bacon on sourdough toast, with balsamic drizzle.
I ordered smashed avocado on sourdough toast, with soft poached eggs. I especially liked the addition of crumbled feta and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
These were accompanied by a couple of long blacks (what we in the UK would call an americano) with milk.
There is a very strong cafe culture in Australia, and standards are high. The making of a cup of coffee is something of an art form.
Singapore also had a distinct culture in its kopitiams (coffeeshops). One very popular dish there was 2 lightly boiled, and still runny, eggs, served cracked into a shallow bowl, making a dip for kaya toast – toasted bread sandwiches with coconut jam.
Also a little different was kopi (white coffee made with condensed milk), and kopi C (white coffee with evaporated milk). Both had a pleasant enough taste, and seemed to work as part of the overall quirky kopitiam experience, though I can’t see either catching on back in the UK.
Or Australia for that matter – I shudder to think what the barista’s reaction would be if I asked them to open a tin of Carnation milk, and pour it into that long black they’ve been carefully crafting for the past 10 mins.
After breakfast, we’ll be picking up a hire car and heading out past the Opera House (see my main photo above) and Sydney Harbour Bridge into New South Wales. There really is only one song to be played when setting off on the start of an Australian road trip, so it’s time to add this track to the ADK Playlist: AC/DC with Highway to Hell.
I want to share with you some of the great art in public places I’ve come across in Australia.
For reasons I can’t quite explain, my experiencing of art is inextricably connected with the consumption of coffee and pastries. Visit to a gallery? Sooner or later my wristwatch will be telling me it’s time to visit the coffee shop. Walking on a public art trail? I guarantee at some point there will be a minor detour to take in that nice, funky looking cafe over there. More about Australia’s cafe culture in a moment – let’s first take a look at some of the art.
I’ll start with the art deco entrance to Luna Park, Sydney’s retro amusement park that dates back to 1935, shown in my main photo above. It is a joy to behold – the huge grinning face is visible all the way from the other side of Sydney Harbour, getting progressively larger as you approach it on the ferry. If you look closely you will see visitors walking through the mouth to enter the amusement park, giving a sense of its vast scale.
My next photo below was taken at the graffiti wall which lines the promenade at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach – a place where chic boutiques and upmarket cafes co-exist with the bohemian grunge of the local surfing community. Our visit here soon led to a visit to one such cafe (see, what did I tell you), from which we enjoyed the free entertainment provided by the surfers. This was easily the best surfing I have ever seen – well-poised riders catching a wave for a good 10 – 15 seconds before diving neatly into the water, then doing it all again.
Back in Melbourne, Hosier Lane is known as Spraycan Alley, making it a popular tourist attraction – see below. It is positioned in the Lanes and Arcades quarter chock full of fiercely independent cafes. A visit to at least one of these is inevitable (for me, that is) when in this part of town.
Indigenous art influences are strong wherever we go. The tall three-legged, two headed Angel (by artist Deborah Halpern) is situated in Birrarung Marr, the public park that stretches out along the River Yarra from Federation Square to the home of the Tennis Open.
Again in Melbourne, the whole of the ground floor of the Ian Potter Centre (free to enter) is given over to indigenous people’s art. The paint used is generally derived from rocks, minerals and clay, giving it an earthy feel, and a colour palette based around an ochre spectrum. The abstract designs and patterns evoke the meditational nature of the aboriginal philosophy known as the Dreaming. My photo below is an example, by artist Willie Gudabi.
And so to the world of coffee and pastry that I associate with these images. Cafe culture is big in Australia. They are nearly all independents – you will only very occasionally see a Starbucks or other chain. Baristas take their work very seriously, and the making of a hot drink has itself been elevated to something of an art form. I can honestly say I have never had a bad cup of coffee since arriving in Australia.
At first the coffee menus were like a different language, but I now understand my way around them. There is no such thing as an americano – it is a long black and, if you want it white, you ask for a small jug of milk (specifying whether it should be hot or cold, and dairy, oat or other) on the side. A batch brew is a filter coffee, and a cold drip is an iced version – usually a latte served over ice cubes and, in some places, a scoop of ice cream.
Cappucino and flat whites are as you would find in the UK but, surprisingly, decaff is nowhere to be found on the menus. Seemingly this is because the serious coffee aficionados do not consider it to be a credible option. While there is no doubt that Australia makes great coffee, I do think this is one area where the approach is a little out of step with modern times.
So boil the kettle, or fire up your espresso machine, and fetch a nice coffee while enjoying these images. Which one is your favourite and why? Please feel free to leave a message in the comments section below, if you like.
The title of this post has probably given away the latest track I’ve chosen for the ADK Playlist. Paint Me Down is not one of Spandau Ballet’s biggest hits, but I have always really liked Martin Kemp’s bass line, which kicks in right at the start and stays prominent thoughout. Take it away, lads..
My Lonely Planet guide book to Australia advised that one of the foods I must try when I was here was Vegemite. I have followed that advice and very much enjoyed this institution of an Aussie delicacy, in many forms. The most memorable is the Vegemite Knot pastry, shown above, more of which I shall explain in a moment.
My first encounter with the stuff was in a road side cafe on Phillip Island in Victoria. Having stopped for a coffee (a long black with milk on the side – they do not do americanos here), I noticed that the snacks menu included two thick slices of sourdough toast, with butter and Vegemite. Sounded too good to turn down, so in a few moments the plate shown below arrived.
I soon learned that serving on thick buttered toast is a really good way to enjoy it. The dark, rich spread combines with the butter to make a salty, malty, creaminess that sinks into the warm toast, and complements the crispy crust. The taste is similar to the Marmite that we have in the UK, but much more buttery and creamy, and easier to spread.
Shortly after this, I invested in my own jar at Coles, one of Australia’s major supermarket chains, and the above has become a regular form of breakfast!
Vegemite is made from yeast extract and is a good source of B vitamins. The culinary ingenuity of Australians has led to it being incorporated into more and more foods and dishes, including marinades, stocks, soups and stir fry sauces. Savoury bakes are also fair game, see my photo below – cheese and vegemite twists, anyone?
Or possibly even a flavouring for roast chicken? This was on sale, hot, in Coles:
And so to the photo that started this post – the Vegemite Knot. I found this in Rollers Bakehouse, a great cafe in Manly, by Sydney’s north beaches. Someone has made the inspired decision to combine Vegemite in a creamy, almost caramel-type sauce and drizzled it on choux pastry, topped with chopped scallions (spring onions) and what I think are chia seeds. It tasted unique and wonderful, managing to be both sweet and savoury at the same time.
Suitably inspired, I will be taking a jar of Vegemite home with me and plan to experiment with its use in baking. My current thoughts are to adapt my tried and tested recipe for National Trust scones, to include cheese, Vegemite and possibly some local water cress. Watch this space for a future post!
Choice of music for the ADK Playlist has to be the only track I know that famously references the Vegemite sandwich. Here’s Melbourne’s own Men at Work with Down Under.
Victoria Street, in Melbourne’s inner city east, is known locally as Little Vietnam. It has earned this name through the number of Vietnamese restaurants and food stores that stretch out along both sides – a reflection of the sizable Vietnamese community that has settled in the city over recent generations.
I haven’t eaten Vietnamese before, so took the opportunity to try it out. A little research identified Van Mai as a good place to visit, and I’m pleased to say I would recommend it.
As a starter, we shared a plate of Rice Paper Rolls. I had seen these in some Vietnamese street food stalls in the city, and fancied trying them. Visually, they resemble sausages (see photo below), the contents wrapped in edible, transparent rice paper. Unlike sausages, however, they are eaten cold. The fillings included shredded carrot, beansprouts and crispy chicken, with fresh coriander. They were served with a dipping sauce that had a satay flavour.
For mains we chose three dishes. My main photo at the top of the post shows Crispy Chicken with Steamed Rice, served with vegetables and a chilli and ginger dipping sauce. We also tried the Salt and Pepper Tofu, deep fried and presented on a bed of crispy vermicelli (see below).
Our third dish was Steamed Fine Rice Vermicelli with BBQ Pork Balls. This was served with fried onions and shallots, fresh mint and crushed peanuts (see below).
This dish was eaten by handrolling the food in large crispy lettuce leaves, and dipping the parcel in a bowl of fish sauce.
I liked the food very much, particularly the pairing of hot and spicy with fresh, uncooked ingredients like lettuce, hand-torn mint and coriander. I also had fun eating with my fingers, though my hands were very sticky by the end of the meal.
Another joy of visiting Victoria Street is the sight of the Skipping Girl – a much-loved Melbourne icon dating back to the 1930s. It was the city’s first neon sign, advertising the Skipping Girl Vinegar brand. Walk down the street after your meal to see her as dusk is falling – she will be illuminated and, magically, skipping.
For the next track on the ADK Spotify Playlist we take inspiration from the Skipping Girl. This is Malcolm McLaren with Double Dutch.
During my travels here in Australia, I have become quite partial to the Lamington. Typically enjoyed with a coffee, it seems to be something of a national treasure, and is on sale in bakeries and cafes everywhere we go.
Essentially it is a square-shaped sponge cake, coated in chocolate icing with a generous sprinkling of desiccated coconut. A simple, and unbeatable combination!
The story goes that it was invented in Queensland, Australia in around 1900 by the chef to the State Governor, Lord Lamington. I understand that New Zealanders have also laid claim to it’s creation, but the Aussies seem to be having none of that!
There are some variations. The ones in my main photo introduce another ingredient – a layer of raspberry jam in the middle – which works really well. There is even a bakery in Sydney that has developed glamingtons, with flavours including strawberry, salted caramel and peanut butter. The original choc and coconut combo remains the most popular, however.
Australia Day (the national holiday) is coming up on 26 January, and one of the ways that people will be celebrating is by baking and eating Lamingtons. These ones, adorned with national flags, I spotted in a bakery today in Brighton, a resort just down the coast from Melbourne.
Here is another variation for Australia Day – a Lamington style Victoria sponge filled with fresh cream.
Can’t be bad!
Fancy joining in?
Servings
This will make around 16 cakes.
Timings
20 mins to prep, 20 mins in the oven. Once cooled, 10 mins to coat in the icing.
You Will Need:
metal baking tray, 24cm square (or equivalent)
125g sugar
50g butter, softened, plus 1 tbsp for the icing
2 eggs
120g self-raising flour
85g desiccated coconut
2 tbsp cocoa
150g icing sugar
3 tbsp boiling water
1 tbsp butter
some smooth raspberry jam (optional)
Method
Heat the oven to 180C.
Grease and line the metal baking tray with baking paper.
Cream the sugar and softened butter together in a mixer. Whisk in the eggs and combine, then add in the self-raising flour.
Pour the batter into the baking tray and spread out evenly with a knife or spatula. Bake for 20 mins.
Cool on a baking tray, then cut into squares.
If you wish to add a layer of jam, do so at this stage – slice each square and spread it in, making a jam sandwich.
For the chocolate coating, mix the cocoa, icing sugar, boiling water and tbsp butter. Give it a good stir so it forms a nice, thick sauce.
Put the desiccated coconut in a separate bowl, alongside.
One at a time, place each sponge square on a fork and dunk it in the choc sauce. Use a spoon to coat the top and sides, then set it in the coconut, gently turning it over so that all sides are coated.
Leave on a wire rack and allow 10 – 15 mins to set, before serving.
Customise it!
As indicated above, bakers across Australia have come up with a number of very creative variations. If, like me, this is the first time you’ve made Lamingtons, I would stick to the basic recipe. With all the dunking in choc sauce and coconut, this has the potential to become quite messy. My advice is to learn to walk before you run!
I mentioned earlier that we had visited Brighton today. For my final photo, I will share with you this shot from Brighton Beach, looking back towards the Melbourne city skyline. I liked the contrast between the small town seaside resort, with a line of little coloured beach huts on the right, and the mighty CBD behind. It was another hot one today, reaching 30C, and we joined the many people cooling off in the sea.
Time to add another Australian band to the ADK Playlist. I discovered The Presets, an electronic duo from Sydney, on a visit to Melbourne’s Australian Centre for the Moving Image. This track is called My People.
A Different Kitchen 