This Gold Coast Road Trip Reveals the Best Eats and Treats in the Hinterland

IN MY 20S, I SPENT EIGHT YEARS living in Melbourne, Australia, and only ever saw the popular beach destination of the Gold Coast, in the “Sunshine State” of Queensland, as a town of theme parks and schoolies trips (the Aussie version of spring break). I never visited. 

But recently, someone mentioned that a short drive from the famous draws, like Movie World and Sea World, the Gold Coast hinterland is a compelling collection of verdant national parks, quirky villages, and delicious food and drink. So, at the tail-end of the southern summer, I took my friend Zoe on a five-day Gold Coast road trip that completely changed my perspective on the region. 

Behind the wheel of a grey Suzuki Vitara—a compact SUV we christen “Silver Arrow” in homage to the Mercedes Formula 1 team’s nickname—I navigate the highway north from Coolangatta airport to Currumbin’s Tarte Beach House for the first of a series of delightful dining experiences. In a breezy space with views over Currumbin Creek, we tuck into an oversized chicken sandwich elevated with miso mayo and freshly baked white sourdough, and a cured salmon dish flavored with citrus fruits. We end the meal with satisfyingly strong, creamy coffees that cement my belief that Australia makes the world’s best coffees. 

Appetite sated, we begin a 45-minute drive of hairpin turns along mountain roads until we arrive at Beechmont Estate, a former polo estate that’s now a sumptuous country retreat. The property, rendered in subtle equestrian style, features cattle-filled paddocks—and the occasional kangaroo—21 elegant, spacious cabins, and a heavenly spa. 

Then there’s Beechmont’s Chef-Hatted restaurant (Chef Hats are the local version of Michelin stars), aptly named The Paddock, which celebrates sustainable local produce. The forward-thinking kitchen smokes, cures, and ferments everything to reduce wastage, while ingredients are sourced from the extensive kitchen garden or within a 150-kilometer radius, to ensure freshness. The sumptuous result is highlighted at dinner in dishes like delicate mud-crab tortellini in garden verbena bisque and a masterful wagyu rump cap with beetroot glazed shallot and black garlic purée. 

The next day, there’s a lavish breakfast of bread, fruit, and the daily special—scrambled eggs one day, a hearty stew made with sausages and beans the next. Then, after a hike through the nearby Lamington National Park and an encounter with Tabitha, the resident python (Zoe snaps photos while I back away in silent terror), we soothe our nerves with a decadent picnic on The Paddock’s terrace, where massive ham-and-cheese sandwiches and a platter piled with local cheese and charcuterie are paired with tranquil views of the pastoral landscape and a chilled rosé. 

After a thoroughly gastronomic start to the trip, we drive to Tambourine Mountain to explore another side of the hinterland. At the immersive Tambourine Rainforest Skywalk, we stroll over forest floors and through canopies to discover the mountain’s impressively diverse tropical rainforest, then move to the town center to see the quirky boulevard of Gallery Walk. There’s a surprising number of stores peddling crystals, incense, and tarot readings, as well as a treasure trove of eccentricity in the cottage-like German Cuckoo Clock Nest and a wealth of sweet treats at Fudge Heaven. 

At Witches’ Falls, Tambourine’s premier wine producer, the personable team takes us through their selection of unique wines in the idyllic cellar door gardens. Traditional winemaking techniques, including wild fermentation, and grapes from Queensland’s Granite Belt, ensure a surprise with each sip, from the spicy, full-bodied 2022 Prophecy Syrah to the textured 2002 Wild Ferment Marsanne. 

The next two days of culinary indulgences around Tambourine are centered around the charming Verandah Country House Estate. The family-run property boasts New England aesthetics and features white-and-mint buildings set around a sprawling lawn, and we spend most of our time between the cozy spa, the design-forward communal barn, and our Estate Suite, which boasts Ralph Lauren fabrics, a working fireplace, and two roll-top tubs facing forest views. 

When hunger strikes, we head to Bailey’s Irish Bar and Restaurant for elevated pub fare served in a cozy, old-world dining room—the tender beef-cheek special falls apart on the fork—and Trattoria MK III, where we people-watch at the window counter while snacking on Italian-inspired plates like thyme and sea salt focaccia with olive tapenade and mushroom arancini. 

Back at Verandah, guests can enjoy local produce in the bucolic surroundings, though there’s no onsite restaurant. Breakfast—best enjoyed on the suite terrace—is an opulent affair of fresh pastries: strawberry danishes, almond croissants, and quiches from local bakery Franquette. A generous picnic lunch, backdropped by 180° views of the surrounding forests and distant Gold Coast skyscrapers, includes local cheese, charcuterie, breads and spreads, and a bottle of Witches’ Falls sauvignon blanc. 

On our penultimate morning, we make a bleary-eyed 15-minute drive in the pitch black of 4am to meet with Hot Air Balloon Gold Coast. As dawn creeps over the horizon, we’re in an empty field watching gusts of gas and fire inflate a hot-air balloon that we soon take to the skies in. For an hour, we sail over the hinterland in silent awe, watching the landscape come alive in the soft sunrise.  

Back on terra firma, we head for O’Reilly’s Vineyard for a fry-up breakfast and—why not? — a surprise 8 a.m. wine tasting. To top off an unforgettable morning, we take the vineyard’s resident alpacas for a leisurely walk—like us, our alpaca Pablo seems motivated by food. 

Toward the end of the trip, we stop at Cauldron Estate and Distillery, which produces acclaimed gins inspired by Tambourine’s native ingredients. After sampling a gin and tonic and touring the distillery, we begin a raucous gin-blending class where we’re carefully taken through 40 ingredients before choosing six to create our own custom gins. Mine—which I call the “Writer’s Unblocker” —is a punchy blend featuring pink peppercorn, lemon, lemon myrtle, strawberry gum leaf, hazelnut, elderflower, and cucumber. 

Before flying out, we make a pit stop at Stanley’s Barn in Coomera, a handsomely bucolic restaurant. The Rustic Avo dish and piping-hot coffee make for a memorable last breakfast—could we get any more Australian?—but it’s the Gold Coast Motor Museum next door that thrills (we are on a road trip, after all). After spending too long geeking out over a 1924 Model T Tourer, one of motorcycle legend Mick Doohan’s race-winning bikes, and the Chopper owned by Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neal, I drive our SUV like one of the museum’s vintage Ferraris to get to the airport on time.  

It was worth it, though. The meal and museum were the last captivating surprises on this five-day Gold Coast road trip, and perfectly encapsulate the unexpected riches of its lush hinterland. 

BOOK YOUR STAY AT BEECHMONT ESTATE VIA AGODA.COM

BOOK YOUR STAY AT BEECHMONT ESTATE VIA BOOKING.COM

Lede and hero image by @dylanevansphoto/Courtesy of Beechmont Estate.

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