SA - Mintaro

Reilly's Wines

We had a delicious lunch at this boutique winery which also has a restaurant. It is a short drive from Clare to another charming small town, Mintaro, where there are a few wineries and the historic Martindale Hall.
At Reilly’s the chef matches the wines with the meal which I love. Mike had a barley and prawn dish and I had the bruschetta. Every mouthfull was delicious.
There are only a few choices on the menu but each meal is exquisite.
We were watching the incredible looking deserts being served but Mike and I had no room left to squeeze another mouthful of food in.

Reilly’s wines
Burra St, Mintaro
Ph: 08 8843 9013
www.reillys-wines.com

Qld-Port Douglas

On the Inlet

“On the Inlet” is a great seafood restaurant near the Marina.
Every night at 5:00 the place is packed with people watching the feeding of George the grouper. George and his two grouper friends are massive and it was fun watching them being fed with huge fish heads. It is a beautiful place to sit watching the sunset and they also have a delicious light menu as well as the dinner menu.
Our neighbours, Colleen and Adam, were up here on holidays and we chose this restaurant to have our final meal up here together.
Mike and I shared a very tasty clam chowder which was so yummy that I didn’t really want to share. My main course was the tempura sample seafood plate. Beautiful presentation and cooked to perfection.
When we told our waitress, Ella, about our website, she mentioned it to the chefs and we were presented with a complimentary Panna Cotta. It is the lightest and tastiest that I have ever had.
The “Liquid Desert” intrigued us and we weren’t disappointed. The chefs put so much effort into the presentation that you almost didn’t want to disturb the design.

On The Inlet
3 Inlet St
Port Douglas, Qld.
Ph: 07 4099 5255
www.portdouglasseafood.com

Qld - Cairns

The Lillipad Cafe

This cafe was recommended by some locals to our friends Robyn and John while they were up here for a holiday. We were so impressed by what they had said that we decided to try it ourselves. We have now eaten there several times.
The decor is what I would call bohemian and the atmosphere is very relaxed.
The food is fantastic and incredible value for money. All the dishes are huge and the food is sooooooo tasty.
There is fresh juices, great coffee and yummy deserts and the portions are big.

We have had breakfast and lunch here and it is always busy. There is inside and outside seating.
When visiting Cairns, this place is a must.

The Lillypad Cafe
72 Gafton St
Cairns, Qld. 4870
Ph: 07 4051 9565

Qld - Port Douglas

“Lure” is a lovely indoor /outdoor restaurant on the Marina at Port Douglas.
We ate there three times while in the area and each time had a lovely meal.They have a morning special of bacon and egg roll with a cup of coffee for $7.95. Mike and I had breakfast there one morning watching people catch the boats to the reef.
My favourite dish is the fish and chips. It is served in a cone on a stainless steel stand.
The fish was spanish mackerel and the chips are big and lightly battered. Just writing about it now makes me want to go back just one more time.
The staff are very friendly and they also have some good wines.

Lure-Breakfast, lunch and oyster bar
Shop 15/16 Meridien Marina
Port Douglas Qld
Ph: 07 4099 5201
www.lurerestaurant.com.au

Qld - Port Douglas

Salsa Bar and Grill

This is one of the best known of the local restaurants. They are open for lunch and dinner daily but it is suggested that you book as it is extremely popular. The building is a beautiful old Queenslander on Wharf St.
We went there on a Saturday night and even though the restaurant was packed the service was excellent and the food unforgettable.
My friend, Robyn and I had the special of the day which was reef fish, asian greens and rice in a laksa sauce. Our husbands had the steak and the lamb tenderloins. The presentation of each dish was so beautiful that it was a shame to eat it and destroy the artwork.
For desert we shared the chocolate soufflé which “was to die for”. So light it almost evaporated in your mouth. Not much talking was done during the meal as we were savouring each bite.
If you are in the area, this restaurant is a MUST. They have also a recipe book which sells for $49.95 so you can try some of their dishes at home and impress your friends.

Qld - Bowen

Bowen has numerous pubs to choose from in the shopping area. We both wanted a baked lamb dinner so chose the Grandview Hotel on the south side of town near the marina.
The hotel was used in the movie “Australia” so that was a good enough reason to try it out.
The place was packed so obviously it was the place to be. The inside is beautiful with wooden counters, ornate ceilings and very well taken care of.
The lamb was divine. It was so tender that you could cut it with your fork.
This has to be the best roast lamb that both Mike and I have eaten and only $12.00 per meal.
What a treat!

Qld-Mooloolaba-The Bridge Seafoods

This seafood restaurant at Mooloolaba is situated on the edge of the Mooloola River and the Brisbane Highway heading south.






The restaurant is a family venture and you feel welcome the minute you walk in the door. The fishing trawler is moored on their dock so it immediately makes you feel good knowing that the fish will be fresh.
You can purchase fresh fish, take away orders as well as dine in.
The restaurant is BYO and we ate at one of the riverside tables with our friends who live local and recommended this place. I had one of the daily specials which was ocean perch, crumbed with macadamia nuts, salad and chips. The perch was cooked to perfection and the meals are very generous in size. Mike ordered hairy prawns which were prawns fried in coconut and magnificent. They were the highlight of his night. If we were staying in town longer we would definitely be going back to try some other dishes on the menu.

The prices are not over the top and we highly recommend this for a great value meal.

The Bridge Seafoods
209 Brisbane Rd, Mooloolaba, Qld.
Ph: 07 5444 1154
If you have any comments please send us an email at gourmetgreynomads@bigpond.com

NSW - Balina - Shelly's On The Beach

While our caravan was being repaired in Alstonville, we spent the day traveling from Balina up the coast to Byron Bay, Lennox Head and then back.

We had breakfast at “Shelly’s On The Beach” in Balina. It is a beautiful spot, and as the name says, right on the beach, serving breakfast, lunch and coffee.

I had an omelet and Mike had bacon and eggs. They were both delicious served with sour dough bread, our favourite, and the coffee was great.

We were visited by a couple of water dragons looking for a handout. By the size of their tummies I would guess that they are well taken care of.

The venue can’t be beaten, the service very friendly and prompt and excellent food. If you are driving through Balina, make the effort to stop. I am sure that you won’t be disappointed.

Shelly’s On The Beach
Shelly Beach Rd, Balina
Ph: 02 6686 9864

NSW - Emerald Beach Saltwater Cafe

Saltwater Cafe and Restaurant on the beach

Emerald Beach is a few kilometres north of Coffs and a very pretty little area. The day we were there, the southern end of the beach was full of rocks and not much sand. We had just had a week of huge seas so much of the sand may have been swept away. It will be interesting to see if it is any different in a few months.
We had been recommended this restaurant by a friend and we were so glad that we decided to go.
The restaurant is across the road from the beach and has been there for four years. It is very open, modern and you can look out to the beach from most of the tables. The service was very efficient and friendly.
The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I personally preferred the lunch menu, more than the dinner. The breakfast sounded great but as we were leaving the next day we were unable to try it, which was a shame.

The lunch menu had so much on it that Mike and I liked, we found it difficult to choose. We decided on two dishes and we would share.

“Tempura Prawns served with wasabi aioli and dipping sauce served with asian salad” $25.00

and

“Chicken Breast Saltimbocca, preserved lemon scented roasted vegetables and verjuice dressing” $22.00

Both meals were very tasty. The meals are not huge but definitely enough for lunch time. Mike and I shared a divine citrus tart with cream for desert.
It was Mikes’ birthday lunch so it was lovely to celebrate it at such a beautiful spot and have such a memorable meal.

104 Fiddaman Rd,Emerald Beach, NSW 2456
Ph: 02 6656 1888
www.saltwateronthebeach.com

NSW - Urunga - Anchors Wharf Cafe

While heading north on the Pacific Highway, The Anchors Wharf Cafe is at the waters edge on the right hand side of the bridge crossing the Kalang River at Urunga.
We always thought that it was just a take away shop, but boy, have we been enlightened! We stopped for lunch and wanted to come back for dinner and lunch the next day.
Even though it is beside a busy highway, I don’t recall hearing the traffic at all. It is so relaxing just watching the river. They also have a little gift shop.

My lunch was Sweet Chili Feta Green Prawns “ green prawns in a sweet chili and feta cream sauce served on rice”
$16.90 for the entre size and $28.90 for the main. The entre was a perfect size for me for lunch.
The combination of the flavours was amazing. The servings were very generous and very creatively presented.
A couple at another table ordered the seafood platter for two for $135.90. It was three levels high and a work of art. We were at the restaurant for over an hour and it seemed as though they had hardly made a dent in it even though they were steadily eating.I think it could easily feed about four people.
If you are passing by this area, stop in. I am sure that you won’t be disappointed.

4-6 Bellinger St, Urunga.
Ph: 02 6655 5588
www.anchorswharf.com.au

Three days after we ate there in March the area flooded and the entire lower level was under water as well as about a foot in the main area. The dock had been been washed away and the kitchen equipment was damaged. A day after the flood we drove to Urunga to check out the damage and offered to help them clean up but they said they had everything under control. We wish them well with the clean up and re-opening.

NSW - Forster reef bar grill

On the water, shop 1, Reef apartments, Wharf St, Forster
Ph: 02 6555 7092

We chose this restaurant because of it’s wonderful position. It is to the left of the Forster - Tuncurry bridge heading north and at the foot of the Reef apartments with a stunning view of the water.
I ordered the chefs specialty:
‘Wild caught Crowdy Bay prawns, gravlox salmon and avocado stack. Stacked with crispy wonton skins and cracked pepper aioli.” for $23.50.
It sounded delicious but I was really disappointed. It was a very small serve, not much taste and I don’t see why it is the chefs’ specialty.
Mike had the Thai Laksa with prawns “we got this recipe from a Bangkok based chef” and it was delicious, one of the nicest we’ve had, and we’ve had a lot. It was $19.50 and I wished I’d ordered it. We were looking at the other meals coming out of the kitchen and they were looking good. Just a bad choice on my behalf.
We’d go back again, you can’t beat the view. It is open for lunch and dinner.

NSW - Belmont - Salina Reataurant

787 Pacific Hwy, Belmont
Ph: 02 4945 3005

This Italian restaurant on the Pacific highway is within a five minute walk from the Belmont Pines caravan park. We went there with a group of six friends. We each had an entree, main and desert. Some of us had the specials of the day and the rest of us ordered off the menu. We sampled each others food and everything was full of flavour and you almost wished that you could of had a bit of everything on the menu. Every mouthfull was so tasty. It has a casual atmosphere with the tables outside set on white stones and an informal garden setting. The prices are at the higher end but put it down as the place to go for a special occasion or to treat yourself.
I know that when we get back to Newcastle we will be looking forward to returning. It is fantastic. I can’t believe that it is only 10 minutes from our house and we had not tried it before.

NSW - Belmont - "tides cafe and restaurant"

While staying at The Pines caravan park at Belmont we drove down to Swansea in search of a place for dinner. This would be our first "night out" while on the road. We found a little restaurant across the road from the Swansea channel on the right hand side of the Swansea bridge heading south.
The address is Shop 3 / 2 Belmont St, Swansea. Ph: 02 49715152.
The chef and owner's name is Gwenda and her Seafood Linguini is to die for. On the menu it is described as "king prawns, scallops, squid and cherry tomatoes in a rich white wine sauce, with a bit of chilli. Can be made hotter to your liking.
I had them remove the squid and add more scallops and more chilli. The dish cost $24.00 and worth every penny.