Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation

[Gadget]

Hi folks,

On holiday recently took the opportunity to do some coffee exploration. i ended up at Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation. Ill post a few pics and tell some coffee stories along the road and the holiday.

My journey to the plantation began early last year when a friend was on holidays to Mount Tamborine in Southern Queensland. Knowing my interest in coffee, she visited the Cafe and Gallery. There she convinced them to sell her some green beans as a gift for me.

I roasted them and was delighted with the taste. I have to admit that ,new to coffee, I was both ignorant and prejudiced about Australian coffee.

So, when a holiday to southern Qld was planned, I added Mount Tamborine to my list.

The holiday was great! Relaxing, low stress, good coffee, also learning about coffee and the relatively small interwoven community that it is in Australia.

First stop, Woolgoolga.

[elbeano]

Re: Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation

Hi Gadget,saw your name in their visitors book. Good to see you made the effort to check them out.I reckon the place is great.

[Gadget]

Re: Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation

Hi elbeano, I enjoyed my visit, the owners are enthusiastic about coffee. I have some pictures which I will post.

Now to Woolgoolga!

When I stopped at Woolgoolga, I just drove into town looking for a coffee shop which may have a local flavour. I found one that looked like it may not be mainstream. The beans were from Zentfelds. I had never heard of them, but they became part of the blend of coffee knowledge on my holiday. The beans were grown locally. Cheaper than a trip to Brazil, not as dangerous as sampling Yemen beans at their source and no one wanted to look in my backpack as they may do after a trip to Columbia! The coffee was well prepared and drinkable! Just what you need when taking a break from driving.

After I returned from holidays, I found more information about coffee production in Australia. Zentfelds have been developing growing techniques which suit Nth NSW and mechanical harvesting. I think they switched from Avocado to coffee. Anyway search on the net if you are more interested. The NSW Dept Primary Inductries did some work on alternative agriculture. They produced a chapter on coffee growing. All you budding plantation owners out there might like to look at it.

At the next coffee stop on this travel journey I will examine the relationship between coffee and cycling!

[Gadget]

Re: Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation

First to add a picture of the holiday location.

[Gadget]

Re: Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation

More crowded in the other direction

[Gadget]

Re: Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation

Tho not every day was perfect!

[Gadget]

Re: Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation

We had some bikes to enjoy the paths by the sea. One needed some chain lube, so I looked in the directory and found Bikes and Beans! In the Beachside suburb where we stayed. I had to check it out.

Had a coffee and asked the question," Why Bikes and Beans?" Answer, "For some there is a strong link between cycling and coffee, a group might ride 40km for a good coffee."

Was the coffee good? Katrina the shop owner kept some of the cafe equipment when she turned the shop into a bike shop. She recently upgraded her commercial machine and could notice the difference in the coffees produced. she uses locally roasted beans, by a small roaster. The supplier of her coffee equipment is "Go Barista". Is there no escaping CS related business anywhere in Aus?

Was the coffee good? Yes.

Do lots of cyclists ride there for a coffee? Some. Most customers are from the surrounding industrial area. But Katrina can make herself a great coffee on a great machine anytime, and it pays for itself. No wonder Katrina has been a World BMX Champion, US Mountian Bike Champion, and has won 3 World Cup Titles.

[Gadget]

Re: Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation

Not all the nearby beaches are crowded and commercial. Dreaming Beach still has significance for the traditional owners. Its only a few minutes drive down the road.

[Gadget]

Re: Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation

Next installment - a chat about roasting coffee with Les.

[elbeano]

Re: Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation

Howz the wicked barrels peeling off at Burleigh!! Maaaate!!

[Gadget]

Re: Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation

There may well be a long established link between surfing and coffee. So another picture for the surfers. My Zoom lens was being repaired so I didnt even try to get pictures of some of the great surf. There was a Junior surf event (Hurley jnr pro?) happening for a few days. The sets of waves kept rolling in. The Grommits in the comp surfed one set in the middle. There were still good waves further out, and another set near the shore.

[yeeza]

Re: Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation

Yeah thats a nice little right hander

[Gadget]

Re: Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation

Having seen Coffee Rosters Australia on this site, I gave Les call. He welcomed me to his showroom, north of the Gold Coast. I learnt a bit about his business, and the coffee industry generally.

Les imports all sorts of coffee machinery and supplies to the industry, small and large. He has a wealth of knowledge about roasting and who roasts what. He had a small roaster on display, a (was it a 2kg) Has Garanti. His larger one had been purchased by someone from mount tamborine, who didnt want to wait for a new machine to be imported. As i drove up mount tamborine a few days later I made the connection.

If you are after advice, equipment or whatever, I reckon Les would like your business.

[Gadget]

Re: Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation

I did make it to Mount Tamborine Plantation. A coffee shop gallery runs at the front of the plantation. I received a warm welcome, especially when they heard that I had roasted some of their coffee of my own interest! So I drank some of the coffee served in the shop. No complaints! A good taste and well prepared.

There is a blackboard menu.

[Gadget]

Re: Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation

Oh yes, it is mountain forest queensland.

There was a hungry friend.

Dont worry, everyone is friendly here!