Day of exploring some local attractions:

GOLDEN DROP WINERY: a family owned and operated business originally a viable tobacco farm in the 1970’s, but with the demise of the tobacco industry the family diversified from tobacco and planted the first 3,600 mango trees in 1975 . The plantation has grown to 17,500 plus trees, making it one of the largest mango plantation in Australia.

....then they moved to produce a commercially viable wine from mangoes. The seemingly simple task of making wine from mangoes is technically very different from producing grape wines and required a great deal of research and development. Sights were set on developing a product for the untouched niche market of Mango wine.

As you can imagine, Ed was/is intruiged and purchased two bottles: Mango Port and Dragon Fruit Cello. Yes, you read that correctly, dragon fruit. From the tasting at Winery Ed notes, "mighty fine''.


then on to my beverage of choice...


unexpectedly coffee is a ''thing'' here in Australia. Who would have guessed? Apparently Canberra is coffee-lovers central. Starbucks opened a shop there, three months later they shut down as customers had all said 'Yuck' and never returned.

JAQUES COFFEE PLANTATION served great coffee at a wonderful outside setting. Even more startling - the unique 'Termite Avenue' leading to the coffee plantation with the 'ghost' of waltzing Matilda. Termite mounds (arranged by the termites and not plantation owners) are a feature all along the road from Kuranda to the Atherton tablelands.

We probably spent more time at their dugout water pond as it was teaming with birds than at our cafe table enjoying coffee. Birds - pretty well all first sightings for us (GOOGLE Masked Lapwing to see one of the more unusual ones). One of the staff actually drove out to see if all was ok or if we had broken down.

want to know more re fascinating history of the plantation:
http://www.jaquescoffee.com.au/Jaques-Coffee-History.html