AussieMonkies: Day 5

Ginger Factory - Mapleton - Lake Baroon - Montville

Di-di & I had a truly packed programme today, so it was a good thing we had a filling brekkie to prepare ourselves for the day ahead!

We made the relatively short drive from Noosa down to Yandina, where the Ginger Factory was located.

Ahhh... so that was where the Gingerbread Man was staying!

As the name implies, this place was all about ginger - you can see how ginger is processed, taste a mind-boggling variety of ginger-related products, or like us... hop onto the Ginger Train to see the ginger gardens. Yah lor, no need to walk mah. :P

We then loaded up onto a poor kangaroo's back for a ride, while Mummy went browsing at the heritage-style village of Gingertown.

Oh, an added bonus was that the Superbee Live Bee Show has moved to the Ginger Factory as well, where di-di & I got the chance to see the action of a real live bee hive up close, complete with all the buzzy worker bees hard at work.

We also tasted the labour of the bees after the show - many different flavors and types of honey... so sweet!

And speaking of sweet things, Daddy & Mummy were only waiting to try out the so many types of ginger-infused ice cream at the ice creamery!

Mummy said it was too bad there was no teh halia there. Hee hee...

The grand finale and highlight for us had got to be the boat ride, where we were going to track the travel adventures of the Gingerbread Man!

As our boat sailed along, we had to keep our eyes peeled, so as to help the Baker spot the Gingerbread Man as we were taken on a voyage around the world.

Di-di & I definitely enjoyed the ride lots... erm, 'cos we went on it twice! Heh.

With that, it was time to say bye to the Gingerbread Man and head on to our next destination. Oh, but if you love Macadamia nuts, remember to check out the Macadamia nut factory, Nutworks, just opposite the Ginger Factory. All I can say is.... samples galore! Kekeke...

We then proceeded to drive to the scenic driveway from Mapleton to Maleny, also known as the Blackall Range. Filled with beautiful scenery, waterfalls, nationals parks and lakes, this driveway also consists of charming & historic towns.

But along the drive through Mapleton, the inevitable happened. We monkies fell asleep in the car. :P

But, I think Daddy & Mummy didn't mind it a single bit lor. 'Cos they were stopping every now and then to take photos of the magnificent scenery, in paricular Lake Baroon.

Lake Baroon is much like a reservoir, supplying water to the nearby towns. Guess Daddy & Mummy must have enjoyed the peaceful and tranquil nature of the surroundings...

... but look which monkie woke up and crashed the party.

Oh, make that 2 monkies!

Hee hee... we had a great time by the lake, just lazing around and spotting the occasional bird skimming across the surface of the water. I guess it was looking for fishes hor? Which erm, reminded us that we were getting hungry.

So onwards to Montville for teatime!

And my, Montville truly has an old village charm air around it. There were a nostalgic blend of Tudor, Irish and English cottages made of log or stone and Swiss and Bavarian chalets lining the street...

Oh, and an old mill water-wheel too!

Erm, and the occasional Transformer spotting.

That's what I really call 'Robots in Disguise'! Hahaha...

Okokok, time to settle down for our tea break. And what better way to it than to have our tea at this quaint cafe.

With our yummy Strawberry shake!

And simply delicious scones!

Erm, which by the way was walloped almost entirely by di-di & me. At least Daddy & Mummy enjoyed their coffee too.

By the time we were done, it was getting late.

So we decided to head back instead, 'cos di-di & I still wanted to go down to the beach near our resort. Daddy made a wrong turn and we walked down to a part of the coast where instead of sand, there was sticky mud all around. Oopsy.

But at least the view of the sunset from there was breathtaking. :)

But we finally made our way to the correct beach lah...

We didn't enter the water though, as it was getting chilly with the sun setting. But we were contented enough to just play with the sand.

Mummy didn't tag along, 'cos she was busy preparing the food for our mini BBQ later! Ooh... yummy!

Nothing beats having macaroni & cheese, with broccoli after a nice warm bath... Great end to a tiring but fun-filled day!