Montville — ColourfulLittleMoments

Location: Montville, Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Queensland

Accommodation: Spicers Clovelly Estate, 2 nights

Price Point: Take out a loan. Keeping in mind that the accommodation was booked as a package and included breakfast each morning and one dinner at The Long Apron restaurant. (If you opted for just the bed and breakfast it was slip back to the ‘Don’t ask’ category.

Favourite Thing: Sitting on the lawn terrace with a wine, enjoying the gardens, peace and quiet.

Least Favourite Thing: The Collet Champagne

Day 1

I’ve always enjoyed a day trip to Montville. The beautiful views of the hinterland hills, and on a clear day views out to the Sunshine Coast, the main street lined with restaurants and shops begging to empty my wallet and, of course, the perfect excuse to buy some chocolate, fudge and honeycomb.

It was a special occasion (a birthday) so reason enough to try another Spicers Retreat. Clovelly Estate is French inspired and the rooms met expectations for the cost with luxurious furnishings and bathroom including a freestanding limestone bath looking out to the bush and heated tile floors and towel rack.

We had seen a vineyard on the drive up to Montville so quickly unloaded the luggage and headed back out to The Barrel at Clouds Vineyard for a cheese platter and wine tasting. It was lovely enjoying some wine in the mid afternoon sun but I wasn’t inspired by the wine enough to buy a bottle to take back to the room.

By the time we got back to Spicers there was still a couple of hours until dinner, so decided to have a drink on the room’s private deck and enjoy the bush setting and tranquility. Having not bought a wine bottle back from the vineyard and feeling like some bubbles I unwrapped the 375ml bottle of champagne from the bar fridge. Rule #1 - always check bar fridge prices first! But of course I didn’t, and the cork was all but popped when I picked up the price list up. $75!!! Holy smokes! But by then it was too late so what could I do but sit back and enjoy every cent of it? I’m the first to admit I’m no sommelier, I just enjoy a good drop, but I had never tasted anything like this. It seemed to taste like very overripe fruit and I just couldn’t drink it! Not even a glass! Ok so that was my disaster to worry about, but later. Time to move up to the lawn terrace, order a more reasonably priced rose and enjoy the sun going down and the fairly lights coming on in the trees. So nice, so relaxing.

(I will add that we spoke to the Spicers staff about the champagne and they very kindly took it off my bill. Thank you!)

Dinner was booked for 6.30pm (yes, I’m a granny who likes early nights and early mornings) at Misty’s Restaurant in the main street of Montville. For the most part I prefer to eat Vegan/Vegetarian but the only vegetarian main available was mushroom (yuk) risotto so I had a vegetarian tapas entree and the confit dug leg with sweet potato puree. The food was very nice and the table was situated in the courtyard filled with lots of plants and fairy lights so I’d quite happily go back again.

Wine tasting. The Barrel at Clouds Vineyard

Day 2

A quick wander around the Spicers grounds before breakfast found a few very short walking paths, one of which led to a hidden BBQ area with a big deck, deck chairs, lamps, blankets, etc. that overlooked the Baroon Pocket Dam. It would be a great area for a late afternoon lunch for a group of friends. There was also a run down old shack (I love an old shack), precariously balanced on the side of the mountain which would have great views if you were game to wander in (no thank you) and which I’d like to discover the story behind.

After breakfast, we headed off to find one of the Kondalilla National Park entrances that would lead to Baxters Falls. The walk was 8.5km in total, taking 2 hours 20 minutes, but we did wander further past Baxter Creek and Falls than needed. The walk to the falls was pretty with lots of ferns and a few wildflowers but no mountain lookouts on the way. The walk down is easy, but a moderate return with a steady zig-zag incline all the way back up. It was quite a sweaty walk for the first month of Spring too! I was happy that there was some water at the falls despite it having been so dry.

A secret seat amongst the Spicers Clovelly gardens

Walk done and freshened up, it was time to head out to lunch, booked at The Edge in the main street of Montville. I’d eaten there on previous visits and knew it had one of the best views of the Hinterland. I ordered the Middle Eastern bowl , after a bruschetta entree, which was soooo good and which went very nicely with a rose or two.

My belly full, shopping was next. I haven’t visited Montville in a while so was pleased the Inside India shop was still there. I don’t think I’ve ever walked into that shop without walking out with something and today was no exception. A few months supply of incense, a couple of new incense holders and a gorgeous little stool (1/2 price - yes!) with a mandala carved into the seat to bring home to the yoga room. Chocolate, fudge and honeycomb too, of course. As if I wasn’t eating enough already these couple of days!

There was one last stop before heading back to Spicers for a rest - Flame Hill vineyard. Again the wines were nice but no bottles bought. The restaurant and terrace at Flame Hill has lovely, green views overlooking the vines and Hinterland for anyone that wanted to stay a while.

Late afternoon, we headed back up to the Spicers lawn terrace for a refreshing Aperol Spritz and a spot of croquet. (I could get use to this!) Being a classy kind of gal, I started using the mallet in a golf putter fashion before remembering it’s a between the legs swing. I’m sure the Spicers staff got a giggle out of watching that. 🙄

The Long Apron is the highly awarded restaurant at Spicers Clovelly Estate. Dinner was a choice between a 5 course degustation or a 3 course dinner. Not being a huge eater, I went with the 3 course menu and the restaurant allowed us to pick and choose between the dishes offered on both 3 and 5 course menu allowing more choice. I went with the goats cheese with onion jam entree, marinated tempeh main and wattleseed creme brulee with rhubarb compote for dessert.

Yum, yum, yum! And rolled back down to the room, ready for a big sleep and return home in the morning to give my stomach and liver a break….