Bribie Island escape: Beaches, wildlife and small-town Australian delights
10am: It might not be bougie, but small-town baking really is unbeatable. Kenilworth Country Bakery was established in 1924 in the namesake town west of the Sunshine Coast and now has outposts on Bribie and in Mooloolaba. It's told that people travel an hour from Brisbane just to nab their famed doughnuts and sausage rolls, some of which are offered in 1kg portions.
Queuing, I eye up a cabinet of tempting flavours (caramel pistachio, biscoff, Tim Tam, mint slice). Someone ahead orders a coffee doughnut - a house specialty in which a freshly baked doughnut is hollowed out, lined with Nutella, then filled with a shot of espresso and frothed milk. I settle on a more classic lamington version and scoff the whole thing in five bites perched on a picnic table, watching kids on a treat-fuelled sugar rush zoom around the adjacent playground.
11am: My own sugar rush sets in, so to burn it off and get my bearings, I go for a shorefront walk, stopping frequently when greeted by chatty locals (most of whom are seabirds). For a crash course on local history, I pop in at the Bribie Island Seaside Museum, which offers a glimpse into the island's rich past, from the indigenous Ngunda or Jondoburri people who were Bribie's traditional owners to World War II history.
Kangaroos are a regular sight on Bribie Island. Image / Scott Nelson.
12pm: I drive to the other side of the island, passing many kangaroo warning road signs, to meet Jason Brown, the friendly owner operator of G'day Adventure Tours. Brown's unforgettable beach experiences take you first down, and then off the beaten path, through the raw beauty of Bribie Island National Park, which opens up to an expanse of pristine surf beach stretching over 30km.
Perfect for thrill-seekers and nature lovers alike, this guided tour offers a unique way to discover one of Queensland's best-kept coastal treasures. We climb into his custom 4x4 van, and Brown primes me to keep an eye out for wildlife. 'See there!' he soon says, pointing to a chiselled rock jutting out where the sand dunes meet the grassland. 'Uh, huh', I say quizzically, just as the stone moves and I realise it was the angular shoulders of a kangaroo nibbling on grass.
Tyson Beckett got up close to multiple kangroos with G'day Adventure Tours on Bribie Island in Queensland. Image / Supplied.
I spot and get up close to countless roos and wallabies over a 3.5-hour tour, which also takes in breathtaking views of the bushland and coastal flora. There's an option to swim or kayak through lagoons of tranquil water coloured like tea by tannins leached from the surrounding melaleuca forests. As we cruise north towards Caloundra, Brown shares local stories about the island's geography and ecology, and we park up close to what remains of some concrete World War II bunkers, now collapsing into the ocean.
Driving back, Brown says humpback whales are spotted between August and November and dolphins are another frequent sighting year-round. We see the nesting areas of endangered loggerhead turtles that return to lay their eggs in the dunes.
Bribie Island's On the Beach Resort. Image / Supplied.
3pm: In the afternoon, it's time to check into On the Beach Resort, located (you guessed it) right on the coastline.
Guests can choose from spacious, self-contained apartments or two and three-bedroom ensuite units that have plenty of room to unfurl and rooftop decks with BBQS and spa pools. Lush tropical gardens surround an expansive 20m saltwater pool and a sundeck bordered by a family-friendly outdoor cooking area.
On the Beach Resort's villa's have rooftop terraces with spa pools and bbq areas. Image / Supplied
6pm: No trip to the Queensland coastline is complete without a visit to a Surf Club, and Bribie's is one of Australia's oldest. Established in 1922, the beloved club is the heart of local social life, and on Friday night, I park up among tables of families, friends and colleagues unwinding over Queensland Classics.
I'm tempted by the seafood tower for two, but my table of one opts instead for what seems like a local delicacy, oysters Kilpatrick - grilled with bacon, worcestershire, tabasco, BBQ and tomato sauce. I wash down the heavy-hitting flavours with a shandy.
I'm full to bursting, but when a hunky slice of black forest cake is delivered to next table I hear in my head the Japanese phrase betsubara, which describes the second stomach your body finds, just for desserts.
The unspoilt beachfront extends some 30km. Image / Supplied.
9am: My day starts at Annie Lane Cafe, a cafe specialising in all-day brunch items, many of which feature produce from the Moreton Bay area. I try to start on a healthy note, ordering a coconut and lemon myrtle chia pudding with local lychee honey and fresh fruits, but am immediately and willingly led astray by a Turkish delight cold brew coffee that arrives at the table topped with a decadent chocolate mousse and fairy floss.
10am: Small towns are often home to jacks of all trades. Take Bribie Beach Shack, a busy do-it-all shop frequented by locals and tourists since 1951. Here, you can hire kayaks and boats, grab fish and chips, a glass of wine or beer and enjoy the views of the Pumicestone Passage - a haven for boating, crabbing, and fishing.
The quaint Bribie Beach Shack has been a go-to for locals and tourists since 1951. Image / Supplied
12pm: Squally weather means my plan to explore the Passage onboard a beautifully restored Venetian-style Gondola remain tethered to the dock. Instead, I happily potter around, taking in the charm of the local shops.
I while away an hour at least perusing the gloriously retro covers at The Book Bucket, a book exchange shop packed to the rafters with second-hand holiday reads. My leisurely browse means I get to Robbie's Crystal Cauldron 15 minutes too late to get a reading in the Psychic Garden (guess they didn't see me coming), but I don't leave empty-handed - I get a good chuckle from psychic Annie's crystal of the day: Sunstone.
3pm: Maybe the only thing better than small-town baking is the secondhand shopping. A Google search shows Bribe has at least eight op-shops and I duck showers by flitting between them, and the antique stores where I pick up some kitschy vintage tea towels and fabric badges as souvenirs.
Sandstone Point Hotel is especially popular for family dining. Image / Supplied.
6pm: It seems like everyone from the local area is descending on the crowd-pleasing Sandstone Point Hotel, the award-winning venue is heaving with people celebrating birthdays, engagements, or simply welcoming the weekend.
If the rain had lifted, you'd have found me farewelling the day al fresco at the venue's new Oyster Shed Beach Club, which offers a menu of fresh seafood, a cocktail bar, fire pits and day beds surrounded by palm trees and water views. Instead, I sit cosily indoors with a friend I've convinced to drive down from Brisbane to justify ordering the lavish frutti di mare platter. We crack into Moreton Bay Bugs and prawns, oysters, Mooloolaba spanner crab and crispy calamari while overlooking the waterfrontage just past the expansive lawn. The hotel is home to Australia's best outdoor entertainment venue, which has hosted the likes of Jimmy Barnes.
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NZ Herald
28-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Bribie Island escape: Beaches, wildlife and small-town Australian delights
10am: It might not be bougie, but small-town baking really is unbeatable. Kenilworth Country Bakery was established in 1924 in the namesake town west of the Sunshine Coast and now has outposts on Bribie and in Mooloolaba. It's told that people travel an hour from Brisbane just to nab their famed doughnuts and sausage rolls, some of which are offered in 1kg portions. Queuing, I eye up a cabinet of tempting flavours (caramel pistachio, biscoff, Tim Tam, mint slice). Someone ahead orders a coffee doughnut - a house specialty in which a freshly baked doughnut is hollowed out, lined with Nutella, then filled with a shot of espresso and frothed milk. I settle on a more classic lamington version and scoff the whole thing in five bites perched on a picnic table, watching kids on a treat-fuelled sugar rush zoom around the adjacent playground. 11am: My own sugar rush sets in, so to burn it off and get my bearings, I go for a shorefront walk, stopping frequently when greeted by chatty locals (most of whom are seabirds). For a crash course on local history, I pop in at the Bribie Island Seaside Museum, which offers a glimpse into the island's rich past, from the indigenous Ngunda or Jondoburri people who were Bribie's traditional owners to World War II history. Kangaroos are a regular sight on Bribie Island. Image / Scott Nelson. 12pm: I drive to the other side of the island, passing many kangaroo warning road signs, to meet Jason Brown, the friendly owner operator of G'day Adventure Tours. Brown's unforgettable beach experiences take you first down, and then off the beaten path, through the raw beauty of Bribie Island National Park, which opens up to an expanse of pristine surf beach stretching over 30km. Perfect for thrill-seekers and nature lovers alike, this guided tour offers a unique way to discover one of Queensland's best-kept coastal treasures. We climb into his custom 4x4 van, and Brown primes me to keep an eye out for wildlife. 'See there!' he soon says, pointing to a chiselled rock jutting out where the sand dunes meet the grassland. 'Uh, huh', I say quizzically, just as the stone moves and I realise it was the angular shoulders of a kangaroo nibbling on grass. Tyson Beckett got up close to multiple kangroos with G'day Adventure Tours on Bribie Island in Queensland. Image / Supplied. I spot and get up close to countless roos and wallabies over a 3.5-hour tour, which also takes in breathtaking views of the bushland and coastal flora. There's an option to swim or kayak through lagoons of tranquil water coloured like tea by tannins leached from the surrounding melaleuca forests. As we cruise north towards Caloundra, Brown shares local stories about the island's geography and ecology, and we park up close to what remains of some concrete World War II bunkers, now collapsing into the ocean. Driving back, Brown says humpback whales are spotted between August and November and dolphins are another frequent sighting year-round. We see the nesting areas of endangered loggerhead turtles that return to lay their eggs in the dunes. Bribie Island's On the Beach Resort. Image / Supplied. 3pm: In the afternoon, it's time to check into On the Beach Resort, located (you guessed it) right on the coastline. Guests can choose from spacious, self-contained apartments or two and three-bedroom ensuite units that have plenty of room to unfurl and rooftop decks with BBQS and spa pools. Lush tropical gardens surround an expansive 20m saltwater pool and a sundeck bordered by a family-friendly outdoor cooking area. On the Beach Resort's villa's have rooftop terraces with spa pools and bbq areas. Image / Supplied 6pm: No trip to the Queensland coastline is complete without a visit to a Surf Club, and Bribie's is one of Australia's oldest. Established in 1922, the beloved club is the heart of local social life, and on Friday night, I park up among tables of families, friends and colleagues unwinding over Queensland Classics. I'm tempted by the seafood tower for two, but my table of one opts instead for what seems like a local delicacy, oysters Kilpatrick - grilled with bacon, worcestershire, tabasco, BBQ and tomato sauce. I wash down the heavy-hitting flavours with a shandy. I'm full to bursting, but when a hunky slice of black forest cake is delivered to next table I hear in my head the Japanese phrase betsubara, which describes the second stomach your body finds, just for desserts. The unspoilt beachfront extends some 30km. Image / Supplied. 9am: My day starts at Annie Lane Cafe, a cafe specialising in all-day brunch items, many of which feature produce from the Moreton Bay area. I try to start on a healthy note, ordering a coconut and lemon myrtle chia pudding with local lychee honey and fresh fruits, but am immediately and willingly led astray by a Turkish delight cold brew coffee that arrives at the table topped with a decadent chocolate mousse and fairy floss. 10am: Small towns are often home to jacks of all trades. Take Bribie Beach Shack, a busy do-it-all shop frequented by locals and tourists since 1951. Here, you can hire kayaks and boats, grab fish and chips, a glass of wine or beer and enjoy the views of the Pumicestone Passage - a haven for boating, crabbing, and fishing. The quaint Bribie Beach Shack has been a go-to for locals and tourists since 1951. Image / Supplied 12pm: Squally weather means my plan to explore the Passage onboard a beautifully restored Venetian-style Gondola remain tethered to the dock. Instead, I happily potter around, taking in the charm of the local shops. I while away an hour at least perusing the gloriously retro covers at The Book Bucket, a book exchange shop packed to the rafters with second-hand holiday reads. My leisurely browse means I get to Robbie's Crystal Cauldron 15 minutes too late to get a reading in the Psychic Garden (guess they didn't see me coming), but I don't leave empty-handed - I get a good chuckle from psychic Annie's crystal of the day: Sunstone. 3pm: Maybe the only thing better than small-town baking is the secondhand shopping. A Google search shows Bribe has at least eight op-shops and I duck showers by flitting between them, and the antique stores where I pick up some kitschy vintage tea towels and fabric badges as souvenirs. Sandstone Point Hotel is especially popular for family dining. Image / Supplied. 6pm: It seems like everyone from the local area is descending on the crowd-pleasing Sandstone Point Hotel, the award-winning venue is heaving with people celebrating birthdays, engagements, or simply welcoming the weekend. If the rain had lifted, you'd have found me farewelling the day al fresco at the venue's new Oyster Shed Beach Club, which offers a menu of fresh seafood, a cocktail bar, fire pits and day beds surrounded by palm trees and water views. Instead, I sit cosily indoors with a friend I've convinced to drive down from Brisbane to justify ordering the lavish frutti di mare platter. We crack into Moreton Bay Bugs and prawns, oysters, Mooloolaba spanner crab and crispy calamari while overlooking the waterfrontage just past the expansive lawn. The hotel is home to Australia's best outdoor entertainment venue, which has hosted the likes of Jimmy Barnes.
NZ Herald
11-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Mayor Wayne Brown's Manifesto for Auckland: Bed tax, reciprocal China visa, population plan
'That means ensuring population doesn't get ahead of council planning and investment. Auckland knows best what we can and can't do,' he said. He said the council was already working with the Government to enable more homes to be built, but the key focus was to develop tools to fund infrastructure. He said restructuring council-controlled organisations and integrating land use regulation with transport and infrastructure planning would mean the council could 'prioritise investment'. 'Now we need the Government to urgently get on with the legislative changes needed to give Auckland Council control of regional transport planning.' 'Mature enough to have a conversation': Immigration, population growth plan Brown wanted the Government to develop an immigration and population growth plan for the city in consultation with residents. 'I believe Aucklanders are mature enough to have a conversation about population growth and the trade-offs that come with having a bigger city,' he said. On tourism, Brown said Auckland was the gateway to New Zealand and 'the obvious place to host major events that will attract more international visitors'. Getting the most out of Auckland's visitor economy would be helped by a visitor bed night levy, a bed tax, Brown said. 'I strongly urge the Government to reconsider a bed night levy, especially given it's what Aucklanders want,' he said, referencing recent consultation feedback showing 60% of respondents supported the tax. 'A reciprocal visa policy with China would also help' get the most out of the tourism sector, he said. Brown pointed out the current transit visa Chinese nationals needed to pass through Auckland was a significant hurdle preventing the 'southern link' between Southeast Asia and Brazil. 'The issue needs to be resolved so airlines like China Eastern can provide this service linking those two huge economies together via Auckland, which will provide a huge jolt to our economy.' On innovation, Brown spoke of getting 'the incentives right so that more private investment flows in'.
NZ Herald
11-05-2025
- NZ Herald
How to spend two days in Manila, capital city of the Philippines
It's a beautiful space, but it has a surprising history. A church has stood on this site since about 500AD, but despite the Gothic architectural style, the current iteration of the cathedral was built in the 1950s. Something is also 'off' about Intramuros' St Agnes. The church has the magnificent arch, it has the statement doors, and it has the statuary. In fact, this one has very oriental statuary. The temple dogs flanking the front doors, our guide explains, are to make the religion more attractive to the local Chinese population. But it is the asymmetry of the facade that makes the church look odd: its northern tower is no longer balanced by its pair. Its absence is a sign of the city's more recent past: the capital, including the centuries-old Intramuros, was smashed in World War II's Battle of Manila, a month-long firefight that claimed more than 100,000 lives. The city holds the unenviable record of being one of the most bombed metropolitan areas of the Pacific theatre conflagration. A ruined and blasted barracks, complete with cannons rusting in the hot sun, slowly crumbles in a corner of the zone. But despite its political upheavals, both without and within, Manila is upbeat, a pulsing metropolis of colour and excitement, albeit one girded in hours-long traffic jams. We allow for delays when we head out of town to see the rural side of the Philippines, heading to Tagaytay, a popular rural holiday haunt of Filipinos, to visit the source of one of the Philippines' best-known exports – coffee. Like wine, coffee beans take on the flavour of the terroir, and our guide explains growers have had to learn which plants to grow with the coffee beans to ensure annual germination. He keeps up a happy patter of anecdotes and jokes as he explains the process of growing, harvesting and roasting the beans before encouraging us to pick up the pestle to grind the beans into a drinkable grind. I am glad we don't find out until after the outdoor tour that the biggest hazard among the vines are snakes. When food is as flavourful and luscious as it is in the Philippines, it's no wonder that eating is such an important part of family life and the Filipino culture. Balay Dako means 'Big House' in the local language, a name that is a nod to the large home that would have dominated family compounds. Tagaytay's elegant and wildly popular Balay Dako restaurant commands an impressive view of the Taal Volcano in its lake. We are brought dish after plate after bowl of beef, chicken, seafood, rice, noodles, soups, while on the lake far below, fishermen in long boats trawl the waters for its bounty. Back in the city, Blackbird is a wonderfully quirky dinner experience in the original Manila airport's Nielson viewing tower. The restaurant has retained the art deco features of an era when air travel was all about elegance and style. Blackbird's menu is geared towards the international tourist market and is scattered with focaccia, baba ganoush, curry, and Wagyu. We tried each other's orders, and my recommendation is – all of it. But Manila had one more surprise for us. After our guide had the right word in the right ear, we were led through the Shangri La Hotel, out a back door and through an unassuming door into a dark hallway. After a special knock, the door opened, and we were quickly pulled within, into a secret bar styled like an old-time speakeasy. We had time for a single concoction before returning to bed in time for our early morning flight back home. But the location of the bar has to be my little secret. Checklist
