Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 6 . QUEENSLAND & THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
Season MODERN AUSTRALIAN With one of the few beachfront locations
in Noosa, this is one of Noosa’s most popular restaurants. Former Sydney
chef Gary Skelton has maintained his following, with vacationers from southern
states rediscovering Season, and even if the locals balk at the A$10 (US$6.50)
corkage for BYO wine, there’s no question the food remains superb. Breakfast
dishes start from A$4 (US$2.60) for muffins or you can indulge yourself with
buttermilk and banana pancakes (with palm sugar butter and maple syrup) for
A$12 (US$7.80). For dinner? How about the pan-fried reef fish filet with
crushed pinkeye potatoes, leek and tomato, or even simpler, the barbecued
seafood antipasto. Smoking is not permitted.
25 Hastings St., Noosa Heads. & 07/5447 3747. Reservations only accepted on the day you dine. Main
courses A$21–A$26 (US$14–US$17). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 8am–10pm.
Wok In Noosa ASIAN NOODLES Locals flock to this clean, cheery joint for
tasty meals that are usually under about A$15 (US$9.75). Most get their food to
go, but some eat in the colorful dining room, where you help yourself to cutlery,
a bottle opener, and wine glasses. Don’t overlook the big range of laksas (soups),
a tummy-filler that comes in a bowl the size of a baby’s bathtub. They deliver—
minimum order is A$15 (US$9.75), plus A$3 (US$1.95) delivery charge. Kids’
meals are A$5.50 (US$3.60), and come with a free popsicle. BYO.
77 Noosa Dr. (at the roundabout at Sunshine Beach Rd.), Noosa Junction. & 07/5448 0372. Main courses
A$8–A$13 (US$5.20–US$8.45). MC, V. Daily noon–9pm.
WORTH A SPLURGE
Ricky Ricardo’s MODERN AUSTRALIAN Owners Leonie Palmer and
Steven “Stef” Fisher, stalwarts of the Noosa restaurant scene, named their latest
one not for a Latin TV idol, but for Stef’s great-uncle Ricky, a “gentleman scallywag”
whose zest for life is reflected here. I’d choose it for lunch over dinner
simply because of the fantastic setting; the food is sensational at any time. You
can sit over a long lunch drinking in the view across the Noosa River while nibbling
from an innovative tapas menu or something more substantial. The menu
is Mediterranean style, with fresh seafood and regional produce used throughout,
and changes seasonally.
2/2 Quamby Place (inside the shopping center), Noosa Sound. & 07/5447 2455. Reservations recommended.
Main courses A$17–A$33 (US$11–US$21). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily noon–midnight.
9 The Gold Coast
Love it or hate it, the Gold Coast is an Australian icon. Bronzed lifesavers, bikiniclad
meter maids, tanned tourists draped with gold jewelry, high-rise apartment
towers that cast long shadows over parts of the beach . . . but the glitz, the glitter,
and the over-development pales into insignificance as soon as you hit the beach.
The white sands stretch uninterrupted for 70km (18 miles), making up for the
long strips of neon-lit motels, and cheap souvenir shops. Since the ’50s, Australians
have been flocking to this strip of coastline and that hasn’t changed. Today,
they’re queuing up with tourists from all around the world to get into the theme
parks but everyone can still find a quiet spot on the beach and the sun shines on.
The Gold Coast’s theme parks are not as large or as sophisticated as Disney
World, but they’re exciting enough. Apart from the three major parks—
Dreamworld, Warner Bros. Movie World, and Sea World—there are of plenty
of smaller-scale ones. If theme parks aren’t your thing, there are also 40 golf
courses, dinner cruises, and loads of adrenaline-based outdoor activities, from