HINTERLAND FOOD TRAILS

Hinterland Food Trails – Culinary Adventure 

Taste your way through the Sunshine Coast hinterland as the expert team at Creative Tours connect you to local produce and local stories along the enticing Hinterland Food Trails. 

This isn’t just your typical food tour; it’s a sensory expedition through the picturesque landscape and abundant culinary delights of the Hinterland region, where you can relish, sip, and explore to your heart’s content.

Join a small group of like-minded individuals on an immersive sensory journey as you sample your way through a smorgasbord of fine local flavours, from award-winning cheeses and chocolates to bush tucker, gelatos and gins. Or for the ultimate experience, consider booking a private tour for you and your guests, with your own personal tour guide and door-to-door transfers – perfect for celebrating special occasions.

On all our Hinterland Food Trail Tours, you’ll be escorted by our expert local guides, who delight in introducing you to the sensory pleasures of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. This captivating region abounds with breathtaking views, fresh flavours, and the inspiring tales of local producers whose innovation and hard work has established this region as a celebrated culinary haven. 

Travel in air-conditioned comfort for a scenic drive from the sparkling coast to the lush hinterland overlooking the awe-inspiring Glass House Mountains. Over the course of the next six-and-a-half hours, you’ll be escorted to some of the most spectacular lookouts and enticing foodie finds this beautiful region has to offer. Along the way, we’ll share a treasure trove of stories about local producers who have helped grow and create the region’s abundance of fresh and innovative flavours. 

This audio guide serves up a tantalising appetiser to what you’ll experience on our Hinterland Food Trails Tour. With friendly and professional service, small group numbers and the finest local flavours, we offer all the perfect ingredients for a mouth-watering taste of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland!

Indigenous Bush Food Tasting 

Your culinary adventure begins the moment you step aboard our comfortable tour van. You will feel your sense of excitement build (and perhaps your tummy rumble) as your guide welcomes you to the tour and offers a tantalising introduction to the day’s itinerary. Throughout the day, your enthusiastic driver/guide will continue to provide expert audio commentary to acquaint you with your surroundings and accompany your sensory exploration, with plenty of informative and entertaining insights along the way. 

As you wind your way upwards, the glistening ocean and golden beaches give way to the fertile farmlands and lush forested pockets of the Blackall Ranges. 

Our first stop is at My Dilly Bag – an Australian native bush food and botanicals marketplace. We arrive in a large car park and walk into this small shop with tables and chairs available for our tasting sessions. You will be greeted and welcomed by staff and experience a tasting featuring a range of native Australian flavours. This morning tea experience embraces the unique tastes of Australian native cuisine. Sample a selection of native sauces, jams, oils and spice blends, accompanied by a delicious cup of bush brew tea. 

Sample bushfood spices such as Lemon Myrtle, Wattleseed, Saltbush, Tasmanian Pepperberry and discover exciting new flavours and ingredients. All products sampled during the tasting session will be available from My Dilly Bag bush food pantry to purchase and enjoy at your leisure. The knowledgeable My Dilly Bag team will be on hand to answer any questions you have about the ingredients and products in store.

Once you’ve experienced an authentic taste of Aussie bush tucker and made your purchases, it’s time to reboard the bus and continue to our next Hinterland highlight. 

Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Lookout

Our next stop is a natural jewel in the crown of the glorious Glass House Mountains. Perched high on the escarpment of the Blackall Ranges, Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Lookout immerses your senses in a preserved pocket of subtropical rainforest, and offers breathtaking views of the rugged Glass House Mountains and tranquil valleys below.  

We arrive in a large car park and walk along a flat surface to a large building that features a cafe and lookout platform. We will use the elevator or stairs to reach the viewing area. Here the staff will give some background on the history of the Glass House Mountains, and the surrounding rich farming lands. 

Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve comprises 55 hectares of subtropical rainforest overlooking the Glass House Mountains and is home to the Kabi Kabi and Jinibara peoples. Between 30 and 22 million years ago, southeast Queensland was rocked by volcanic activity, as the continent moved over a hot spot in the Earth's mantle beneath the crust. Volcanoes began to erupt basalt lava flows that filled valleys. This created broad, gently sloping plains and shield-shaped mountains. 25 million years ago numerous dome-like plugs of magma were forced through the surrounding older rocks, filling volcanic vents or subsurface bulges (known as laccoliths). Over millennia, the soft sandstone rock has worn away while the mountains have resisted. The exposed plugs are the steep-sided peaks of the Glass House Mountains. 

We spend approximately 15 minutes here, enjoying the fresh mountain breezes and breathtaking views of the dramatic peaks of the Glass House Mountains, and the lush green patchwork of surrounding farmlands that produce the region’s fresh local produce. 

Then it’s back on the bus to check out what’s next on our curated menu of culinary delights.

Lunch At Maleny Food Co 

If the fresh mountain air has helped you work up an appetite, you’ll be pleased to hear that our next port of call is also our lunch location – Maleny Food Co. 

The country community of Maleny boasts a picture-perfect landscape of lush green pastures and productive farmlands interspersed with pockets of dense rainforest. It’s the heart of the hinterland’s dairy country, and a perfect place to sample some of the local dairy goodness. This quaint township also boasts an abundance of arts and craft galleries and boutiques lining its main street. 

Staff will park on the street close to the cafe and walk the group to a reserved table. Maleny Food Co is a large cafe with indoor and outdoor seating and a walk-in fromagerie featuring amazing cheese from around the world. A range of locally produced gourmet goodies are arranged on shelves around the perimeter of the café.

Lunch is a charcuterie board showcasing local produce, chutneys and pickles made in house, natural crackers, sourdough and award-winning local cheese. Also included is a drink of choice and a kid’s service of their award-winning gelato. We spend approximately 1 hour here lingering over our sumptuous lunch and enjoying each other’s company. 

During our lunch stop in this hinterland dairy haven, we’ll also pay a visit to Maleny Chocolate Co – masters in the art of chocolate. The walls of this small showroom are lined with an exquisite array of carefully crafted sweet treats which are sure to prove irresistible. This boutique local business takes great pride in producing small batches of exquisite handmade creations combining the finest Belgian chocolate with an exquisite range of fresh ingredients such as fruits, nuts and even honeycomb made from scratch using their own farm-fresh honey. Preservative-free and with no artificial flavours, these chocolates represent the epitome of indulgence. Enjoy a free sample of today’s fresh flavours as you peruse the shelves.

Exploring Montville 

Following lunch, we board the bus once more and make our way to the gorgeous mountaintop village of Montville. Enroute, stunning views of the glistening ocean and golden beaches of the Sunshine Coast come into view to the east. We may make a quick stop at a lookout to soak in the scenery and take a few photos. 

It would be hard to find a town on the Sunshine Coast that is more charming than Montville. Perched high on the Blackall Range, this quaint village is home to art galleries, cosy coffee shops and boutique stores where you'll find everything from handmade beanies to one-off sculptures, handcrafted by local artists. 

Here you’ll enjoy some free time exploring the sloped main street at your leisure. Our staff will provide personalised tips and suggestions to your group and arrange to meet back up at a set time and place. 

Montville abounds with opportunities to explore with all your senses. Watch demonstrations of confectionary being created and sample some sweet treats at a range of lolly and fudge shops dotted along the main street. Browse local art and craft stalls to touch the softness of locally made scarves or hand-crocheted items. Inhale the bouquet of sweet and citrusy smells wafting from nearby candle and soap shops and listen to the incredible symphony of sound within the Cuckoo Clock Shop. Fashionistas will love the cute boutique clothing stores, while art-lovers will delight in the local galleries showcasing the handiworks of the region’s talented artisans, producing everything from ornate wooden furniture to colourful pottery and exquisite paintings. 

Choose your own adventure along the main street of Montville and discover your own hidden gems. 

Sunshine and Sons Distillery 

From the lofty heights of Montville, we weave our way back down the range to Sunshine & Sons Distillery at Woombye, for some more local produce tastings and a well-earned drink on arrival. 

Set in a large industrial shed, this distillery backs onto a large grass area with comfortable seating areas and the bushland as a picturesque backdrop. On arrival we head into the designated tasting area to sample their range of award-winning gins, vodkas, rums and liquors. These are accompanied by local products such as Nutworks macadamias and Silvertongue (PRON: ‘Silver tongue’) Crackers and jam. We are at this venue for approximately one hour, allowing plenty of time to soak in the flavours and natural serenity. 

The Sunshine & Sons team are passionate about producing beautiful premium spirits that capture the essence of the coast spirit and preserve the natural environment in which they operate. At this stop, you’ll get a glimpse into the backstory of their award-winning enterprise, and have the opportunity to purchase your favourite tipple to enjoy in the comfort of your own home or hotel. 

Sunshine & Sons boldly bring the Queensland story to life. Our stop here is sure to leave you in fine spirits!

The Big Pineapple – A Taste of the Tropics 

Then there’s just time for one last photo stop at one of the sunshine state’s largest tropical attractions – the Big Pineapple. 

This national tourism and food icon featuring a 16-metre fibreglass pineapple structure. Historically the Big Pineapple drew over a million visits a year, being the most popular tourist attraction in Australia. 

We’ll pull up here for a quick, 10-minute stop, where staff will assist you to capture a happy snap with the towering tropical icon. 

Having had your fill of delicious local fare and insightful local stories, it’s time to settle in for the comfortable journey back to the coast. We hope you’ve enjoyed your culinary adventure with Creative Tours, along the flavour-filled Hinterland Food Trails. 

Accessibility 

Here at Creative Tours, we have recently begun our journey towards becoming a more accessible tourism business for all. We are presently undertaking a range of initiatives to further improve the accessibility and inclusiveness of our tour operations and are excited to be actively engaged in creating positive change. To learn more about our current access initiatives, please check out our ‘Accessible Tourism’ page found under the ‘More’ tab of our website at creativetours.com.au. 

Our friendly and accommodating staff have underdone disability awareness training and will strive to deliver a positive and inclusive experience for all our guests. If you’d like to discuss your unique needs or require further information, please feel free to contact us on (07) 5499 3477 or complete an online contact form via our website. 

The Hinterland Food Trails Tour is available as a private tour or shared tour experience. Private tours are available seven days per week, with door-to-door transfers and no minimum numbers. The shared tour experience means you’ll be travelling with up to ten other like-minded travellers, with a minimum of four participants and pick-ups available from central locations in the Maroochydore/Mooloolaba area and possibly other locations upon request. 

We are proud to participate in the Companion Card program, offering a 50% discount for carers assisting registered Companion Card holders. 

Registered service animals are welcome on this tour. Grassy areas suitable for their toileting needs are available at most stops throughout the experience. Expert audio commentary throughout the tour promotes an inclusive experience for all guests, including blind and low vision patrons. 

All three mini vans used by Creative Tours are accessed via one or two steps with a handrail to the right. Each van includes sufficient space to accommodate storage of a fold-up wheelchair. Tinted windows help alleviate glare during the journey. 

On this tour, we will be visiting multiple venues with varying degrees of accessibility for wheelchair users and guests with limited mobility. For further information ab out specific the accessibility of specific destinations enroute, please contact our friendly team.

Accessible bathroom facilities are available at Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, and just off the main street in Montville. 

We will make every effort to accommodate special dietary requests wherever possible. Please notify us of any special dietary requirements at the time of booking so we can strive to cater for your needs.