We took a short break in July, seeking some sun around Cape Tribulation. We relished the rainforest and relaxed pace a little more than the restaurants - over four days our meals included chips four times, three pizzas and two mass-produced vege burgers. The high point was easily the above wood-fired pizza from the camping ground's Sandbar, topped with artichoke hearts and goat cheese and washed down with ginger beer.
At our accommodation we were spoiled with gorgeous tropical fruits at breakfast. I fell upon the freshly cut pineapple wedges, reacquainted myself with the charms of custard apple and dragon fruit, and tasted curious new morsels we still don't know the names of.
The forests were bursting with other fruits too...
native 'dog' pepper (piper caninum)
native banana (musa banksii)
coconuts!
The vast majority of them weren't suitable for human consumption...
... but they might have been to the taste of this dame.
The sweetest stop was at the Daintree Icecream Company. They grow their own tropical fruits and whip them into a four-flavour roster - we shared a $6 cup of chocolatey black sapote, butterscotch-like yellow sapote, hazelnut-coffee-toned wattleseed and sweet, dependable coconut.
While we were a little reluctant to leave our rainforest retreat, I must admit that it was magnificent to encounter tofu and beans back in the big smoke of Cairns.
Wow, that fruit platter is to die for! What IS that pearly thing in the middle?? Oh and the gorgeous cassowary is just magnificent! (was that at Birdworld?)
ReplyDeleteHey Lisa, I reckon that's a rambutan - it's related to the lychee. And this cassowary is a Cape Tribulation local! She visited the backyard at our accommodation after breakfast.
DeleteI have a bit of a fructose intolerance, but I reckon even I'd be willing to risk some of that fruit platter. It looks incredible!
ReplyDeleteHi Lentil Institution! It was a treat to wake up to each morning. :-)
DeleteWe were at Whet restaurant in Cape Tribulation in early June. They actually had a separate vegetarian menu (you had to ask for it though and it's not on their website) and we loved both the atmosphere and food.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your great blog.
Oh, drat! We ate at Whet on our first night in Cape Tribulation - had a nice soup, excellent salad, passable dips plate - completely oblivious to this secret menu.
DeleteMethinks you were spoilt by your fancy dining in Brisbane :-) Sounds like a relaxing holiday.
ReplyDeleteJohanna, you are absolutely right! We were treated to lots of excellent home-cooked meals from Qld friends and family too.
DeleteHi there, I just came across your blog on Blogger. You take great photographs of the food. You make it look so yummy, especially the fruit and pizza!
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Fairytales and Fitness! Nice to have you visit.
DeleteGreat photos, the Daintree is one of my favourite spots in Australia. Hope you enjoyed your trip there even if the food wasn't special!
ReplyDeleteMel - we really had a lovely time, lots of walks and just hanging out, reading. The eating wasn't such a big sacrifice. ;-)
DeleteThat fruit platter looks amazing! I love tropical fruit (even when I don't know what I'm eating!)
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain on the pizza/fries front. We ate so much pizza in Vanuatu that I couldn't look at it for AGES afterwards!
Hi Lizzie B! I sure didn't tire of the fruit like I did the pizza.
DeleteI used to live in Cairns years ago, the talk of all that lovely fruit had me yearning. I haven't had a black sapote for years they are like the fruit version of chocolate mousse.
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth! Although it's not pictured on the platter above, I ate a few fresh black sapotes too, they were so soft and creamy.
DeleteOh my gosh, you guys saw a real live cassowary! Jealous! When we went to FNQ last year I kept looking out for them but no luck!
ReplyDelete