Szilvia GombolaSunshine Sanctuary
April 5th 2007 07:33
Think Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and vivid images of sun-soaked beaches and bodies immediately spring to mind.
What you don’t expect to find in the middle of this coastal playground is a secluded tropical rainforest complete with cascading waterfalls and crowned with a majestic Bed & Breakfast at one end and an historic boarding house cum award-winning restaurant at the other.
While this contrasting world is readily associated with the well-known Sunshine Coast hinterland towns of Maleny and Montville roughly 50 kms inland, it also exists (in relative anonymity) smack bang in the middle of the coast – just a short hot sand-induced jump from the beaches of Mooloolaba and Maroochydore.
The home of the Sunshine Coast’s secret sanctuary is the hilltop town of Buderim, which rises proudly less than 10 minutes from the beach. Buderim Mountain is a volcanic outcrop and in the heart of town you will find Buderim Forest Park – a 45 hectare sub-tropical paradise of towering trees, cool streams, waterfalls and meandering tracks that showcase the fruits of the mountain’s volcanic origins.
The official entrance to the park is from Quorn Close, just a couple of turns off Buderim’s charming main strip of cafes and shops. Perched regally next to the entrance is the Buderim White House Bed & Breakfast – a beautifully restored Queenslander with immaculate gardens to match and an unrivalled outlook and access to the park.
A variety of walking and picnicking options are available at Buderim Forest Park, but we chose to tackle the return circuit to Harry’s restaurant and back, a distance of about 3.2 kilometres. Entering the park is like immediately stepping into the coast’s own air-conditioning unit and the shaded picnic tables at its doorstep must surely be a popular haven in the height of summer. Not today though. We virtually had the track to ourselves, with only the cracking calls of whip birds for company.
As you descend into the park, the sound of water gradually increases and about 10 minutes in you come to Serenity Bridge, which spectacularly spans Martin’s Creek. The single-span bridge was dropped into its location by helicopter and is an excellent platform from which to view Serenity Falls and its surrounding caves and rock pools.
From here, the track basically follows the creek on its descent down Buderim Mountain allowing walkers to immerse themselves in cool comfort in a hidden world. At times the sky is almost completely blocked out by the rainforest canopy, and amid the bubbling sounds of the creek you would never imagine you were less than 10 minutes from a thriving coastal metropolis.
About halfway to Harry’s restaurant, the track evolves into an elevated boardwalk that delicately winds its way through the sensitive wet area. The boardwalk transported us right to the restaurant, which is rich not only in indulgent food but also local history. Mrs Harry Board was regarded as the mother of the tourism industry on the Sunshine Coast. As early as 1905, her guests would come by horse-drawn buggy to her guesthouse on Buderim’s William Street. Her house was moved to Buderim Forest Park in 1993 and painstakingly restored into Harry’s on Buderim restaurant.
The staff at Harry’s are accustomed to welcoming weary walkers and seasoned locals pack a second pair of shoes for lunch, leaving their muddy sneakers at the door. However, this is no trackside convenience store. The food, service and atmosphere is all first class. For those walkers who have packed their own lunch, a huge public park with picnic tables adjoins the restaurant.
The return walk back to the Quorn Close entrance is steeper and can be slowed further depending on the lunchtime fare and refreshments, but there is no need to rush. Like the surfers who keep paddling out for one more wave at the nearby beaches, you will want to savour the sights and sounds of this sunshine sanctuary till the end.
What you don’t expect to find in the middle of this coastal playground is a secluded tropical rainforest complete with cascading waterfalls and crowned with a majestic Bed & Breakfast at one end and an historic boarding house cum award-winning restaurant at the other.
While this contrasting world is readily associated with the well-known Sunshine Coast hinterland towns of Maleny and Montville roughly 50 kms inland, it also exists (in relative anonymity) smack bang in the middle of the coast – just a short hot sand-induced jump from the beaches of Mooloolaba and Maroochydore.
The official entrance to the park is from Quorn Close, just a couple of turns off Buderim’s charming main strip of cafes and shops. Perched regally next to the entrance is the Buderim White House Bed & Breakfast – a beautifully restored Queenslander with immaculate gardens to match and an unrivalled outlook and access to the park.
A variety of walking and picnicking options are available at Buderim Forest Park, but we chose to tackle the return circuit to Harry’s restaurant and back, a distance of about 3.2 kilometres. Entering the park is like immediately stepping into the coast’s own air-conditioning unit and the shaded picnic tables at its doorstep must surely be a popular haven in the height of summer. Not today though. We virtually had the track to ourselves, with only the cracking calls of whip birds for company.
From here, the track basically follows the creek on its descent down Buderim Mountain allowing walkers to immerse themselves in cool comfort in a hidden world. At times the sky is almost completely blocked out by the rainforest canopy, and amid the bubbling sounds of the creek you would never imagine you were less than 10 minutes from a thriving coastal metropolis.
About halfway to Harry’s restaurant, the track evolves into an elevated boardwalk that delicately winds its way through the sensitive wet area. The boardwalk transported us right to the restaurant, which is rich not only in indulgent food but also local history. Mrs Harry Board was regarded as the mother of the tourism industry on the Sunshine Coast. As early as 1905, her guests would come by horse-drawn buggy to her guesthouse on Buderim’s William Street. Her house was moved to Buderim Forest Park in 1993 and painstakingly restored into Harry’s on Buderim restaurant.
The staff at Harry’s are accustomed to welcoming weary walkers and seasoned locals pack a second pair of shoes for lunch, leaving their muddy sneakers at the door. However, this is no trackside convenience store. The food, service and atmosphere is all first class. For those walkers who have packed their own lunch, a huge public park with picnic tables adjoins the restaurant.
The return walk back to the Quorn Close entrance is steeper and can be slowed further depending on the lunchtime fare and refreshments, but there is no need to rush. Like the surfers who keep paddling out for one more wave at the nearby beaches, you will want to savour the sights and sounds of this sunshine sanctuary till the end.
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