Thursday, 16 July 2015

Day trip to the Sunshine Coast: Glass House Mountains and Montville

It’s my last week of holidays before I head back to Uni! I thought what better way to get the most out of my last few moments of free time than take a trip to the Sunshine Coast.

I had wanted to go and visit the Glass House Mountains for a while now, as it is quite easy to get to from Brisbane.  The Glass House Mountains National Park is a heritage-listed site, consisting of volcanic plugs, which are the cores of extinct volcanoes that formed around 27 million years ago. To drive here from Brisbane takes about an hour and fifteen minutes. Even though for some this may seem like a long drive, you follow one of the most scenic stretches of road, which makes it all worth it! I was totally memorised by the long, empty stretches of road, protected by hundreds of thousands of pines trees on either side. We even drove past a few pineapple farms.  On a day like the one I went, where the skies are incredibly blue and clear; you wouldn’t want to be doing anything else than taking a scenic trip towards a new destination.





The first stop of the day was the Glass House Mountains lookout.  As you approach the national park, it is practically impossible to miss the signs directing you towards the famous lookout.  The views from the lookout are absolutely breathtaking! You can pretty much see all 12 plugs, popping up amongst what seems like an almost infinite stretch of luscious national park.














The next stop was Main Street in the charming small town of Montville, around 30 minutes drive from the Glass House Mountains National park.  This town exudes old charm. The Main Street has quaint clusters of craft, candle, nic nac, clothing, pottery and fudge stores. There are also many cafes and bakeries.  The timeless ambiance of all the old style architecture makes Montville the perfect spot to slow down and relax.


















I had quite possibly one of the best lunches of my life here at Montville. I had lunch at The Montville Coffee Pot and ordered the most delicious Thai Beef Salad. I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting much at all, but when they bought the salad to the table I was totally awestruck. If you love salads you should just take the trip to Montville for this café alone!



You can easily spend a few hours here just browsing the stores and café hopping.  On the walking trail behind the beautiful Poets Café is the most stunning Chapel.  The woodwork on the door was unlike anything I have ever seen. It was so intricate and detailed; I could spot a carved frog, owl and possum. It was a magical looking chapel, with a panoramic view of the valley as its backdrop.










If you ever have a spare day, I definitely recommend planning a trip to the Sunshine Coast.  There is so much so see and explore in this area. From the countless viewing platforms, walking trails to eateries and shops. I can assure you, that there is no limitation on new places to see!

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