the nice life in noosa

If you’re not ready to put your sarong in mothballs just yet, head to the Sunshine Coast in May for a feast for the senses

WORDS JULIE MCGLONE

Spend a while in Noosa and you’ll understand why the region’s elders, some years back, decided it was necessary to place a population cap on the place. Who wouldn’t want to live in a region bestowed with some of nature’s most wonderful beaches and national parks, and where the food, wine, shops, music and parties rate among the best on the east coast?

The month of May provides a perfect opportunity for visitors to understand just how fabulous Noosa can be, with Mayfiesta kicking off a month of gourmet celebrations, water sport events and world class music.

“Mayfiesta is all about sharing a secret that the locals have known for 30 years,” says Steve Cooper, CEO of Tourism Queensland. “We thought a celebration of food, wine and culture – all during perfect 25°C temperatures, while the southern states are starting to get chilly – was a good way to introduce visitors to this fabulous lifestyle, and so Mayfiesta was born.”

Photo: Tourism NoosaMayfiesta’s main activities take place along the recently refurbished Hastings Street, the stretch of fine boutiques, cafés and restaurants that skirt the famous Laguna Bay Main Beach.

Then there’s the Noosaville riverside precinct, with Thomas Street – one of the most fabulous food precincts in the Noosa region – holding the Feast on Thomas on May 10. This fun family style event will feature fine food and dynamic entertainment in a safe, party atmosphere. Thomas Street will be closed to traffic for the event between 4pm to 9pm.

“The great thing about Mayfiesta is the array of different events,” says Cooper. “At the Blue Water Swim on 18 May, competitors can try their luck in a marathon ocean swim or first-timers can try a 500m triangle swim along Main Beach. You don’t have to compete to be part of the action – there’s plenty of partying going on onshore to cheer them in.”

Feast on Hastings Street café
scene, Noosa Heads
Photo: Tourism QueenslandOne of the best vantage points to watch any beach activity is the Noosa Heads Surf Club (69 Hastings St, tel: +61 (7) 5474 5688). A triumph of yesteryear architecture amid the glass and glamour of Hastings Street, this friendly club has a great bistro, a deck overlooking the beach and reasonable prices.

Other events include the Riverfest Regatta, when the Noosa Yacht Club (Gympie Terrace, Noosaville, tel: +61 (7) 5449 8602) will be the centre for the river action. A fabulous open deck, live music and bistro-style food make this club a great venue to watch the myriad sea craft go up against each other in races, regattas and displays on 17–18 May.

Delicious fresh produce at
Noosa Farmers’ Market
Photo: Tourism NoosaAnd once the sun goes down, the rosellas twittering in the trees will compete for sound space with Marcia Hines, Deni Hines, jazz trumpet legend James Morrison and more at an open air concert at the Great Aussie Picnic. Over at The J youth & community centre (60 Noosa Drv, Noosa Heads, tel: +61 (7) 5455 4455), a variety of world music and jazz, theatre performances and experimental music will take to the stage.

But central to the Mayfiesta madness is Jim Berardo, restaurateur and champion of Noosa’s attractions, who has this message: “In Noosa, we’re blessed. We have the pure magic of fresh produce, a stunning natural environment and a community which cares about the grassroots of life.” He is organiser for the fifth annual Settler’s Cove Celebration of Australian Food & Wine on 16–18 May, which pays homage to the soil and sea by offering up the area’s bounty for world-renowned chefs to whip into gourmet delights.

Berardo’s on the Beach
Photo: Tourism Noosa“Noosa is in the unique position of having producers so close by that we thought it only sensible to include them in the gourmet festivities,” says Berardo. “We’re bussing people to the Asian produce farm, Garnisha at beautiful Boreen Point, where they’ll be shown how chilli, betel leaf and a huge variety of Asian produce is grown and prepared. Then there’s a big slap-up dinner afterwards, by some of Australia’s most brilliant chefs. Another event is our seafood trail aboard the Catalina. Fishermen come on board with their fresh catch and show patrons how to clean and prepare the food.”

Berardo’s (Hastings St, tel: +61 (7) 5447 5666) is one of the main action points during Mayfiesta. Apart from its world-renowned reputation as one of Australia’s finest restaurants, its special events make it the must-go venue. Berardo’s is hosting three dégustation dinners with eight guest chefs, including Neil Perry, Serge Dansereau, Cheong Liew, Valli Little, David Rayner and David Pugh, who are preparing a separate course each night, matched to the finest Australian wines. “And on other nights, the chefs are going out to different restaurants and doing great dinners. And it’s not all on Hastings Street – Wasabi, for example, on the beach is part of the action.”

Wasabi (56 Duke St, Sunshine Beach, tel: +61 (7) 5449 2443), which serves the amazing Japanese creations of chef Shinichi Maeda, is part of the excellent food precinct on Sunshine Beach.

If it’s great entertainment, action and food you’re after this May, Noosa shines.

Farmers’ Markets

Noosa’s rich hinterland provides the bountiful setting for a thriving cottage industry of organic and clean, paddock-to-plate trading.

Photo: Julie McGloneDairy produce, especially the cheese from towns such as Kenilworth and Maleny, is in hot demand nationwide; excellent olive oil is being produced from several farms; hinterland organic meats and poultry are sought after by restaurants; and a variety of chutneys, curry pastes and other condiments are being lovingly hand-made, as are the breads, pastries and cakes on sale direct to the public each week at the fabulous Noosa Farmers’ Markets.

Held at the Noosa AFL ground Sunday mornings, it’s a great chance to fill up your green bag and meet the regional producers.

The Noosa Farmers’ Market was started five years ago by Shane Stanley, with a few stragglers bringing in their wares for sale. Since then, it has grown exponentially – hundreds of people turn up every week to sample innovative products and buy the freshest produce at this iconic event.

“We saw a need to support the little blokes – the farmers who were getting a raw deal out of the big contractors who were buying their produce,” says Stanley. “This is a way for people to see what farmers really do – to talk to them about their produce and to create real paddock-to-plate buying. The consumers love it and the suppliers think it’s great, so everyone’s a winner.”

Open every Sunday, 7am to noon, Football Ground, Weyba Rd, Noosaville.