The ideal blend - Queensland Wine Country with a Hot Air Balloon ride
There's nothing like getting up early on a long weekend with the anticipation of what the day will bring. Today we decided to head up to the skies and check out the Hinterland from a hot air balloon and follow it with some stops to nearby Vineyards and fit in a leisurely lunch at a regional restaurant. West of Brisbane the road took us about 45 minutes to Canungra where we started the real journey. Floating in a hot air balloon is one of the most peaceful activities you can do. We could see Mount Tamborine and all the different farming properties & the Gold Coast high rises to the west. After the flight, we went to O'Reilly’s Grand Homestead & Vineyard for a delicious breakfast that really tops off the morning. After we had a short walk around the vineyard grounds we made our way back to our car to continue on with our day. First stop was Sarabah Estate Winery where we sampled their signature Cab Sav and purchased some bottles for later. Quite a lot different to the other two vineyards that we visited is the Albert River Winery, a beautiful vineyard with an outback backdrop. Try out the Farm station tours to learn about the history of Mount Tamborine and the vineyards. We had just enough time to stop at Sirromet Wines on the drive back to Brisbane, wow what an impressive restaurant and the cheese platter was the ideal way to end the day. And if you want to make a short break and continue for another day or two, here are some more: Albert River Wines - 1-117 Mundoolun Connection Road, Tamborine Qld 4270 Canungra Valley Vineyards - Lamington National Park Road, Canungra Qld 4275 Cedar Creek - 104-144 Hartley Road, North Tamborine Qld 4272 Heritage Wines of Mount Tamborine - Cnr Bartletts Road and the Shelf Road, Mt Tamborine Qld 4272 Mt Nathan Winery - 220 Clagiraba Road, Mt Nathan Qld 4211 Tamborine Estate - 32 Hartley Road, Mount Tamborine Qld 4272 Witches Falls Winery - 79 Main Western Road, North Tamborine Qld 4272 Top Tip: Try tasting some of the local produce in between Vineyard wine tastings.