Scenic Rim Eat Local Month:
Where to eat, drink and play
The Scenic Rim doesn't just grow some of Queensland's finest produce, it also serves it up with a side of breathtaking scenery and incredible events.
In June, Scenic Rim Eat Local Month returns once again, and the annual celebration of paddock-to-plate has never looked better. Spread across the rolling valleys, mountain ranges and farm estates of the Scenic Rim, the month-long program brings together the region's farmers, makers, chefs and producers for an immersive food experience that goes well beyond your average festival. But with more than 150 events taking place throughout the festival, there’s a lot to unpack!
Here’s your guide on how to make the most of your Eat Local Month adventure, from cute accommodation, scenic road trips and early morning hot air balloon rides in the region, to whale watching, bar hopping and city exploration in The City.
The Program
Long lunches, degustation's and dinners are the headline acts this year, with 40+ seated experiences ranging from candlelit vineyard dinners to rainforest tasting menus. Dine among the vines at The Overflow Estate overlooking Lake Wyaralong, embark on a guided five-course roaming degustation across the 12,000-acre grounds of Spicers Hidden Vale, or pull up a seat at the Longest Lunch at O'Reilly's Canungra Valley Vineyard, with three hours of bottomless artisan wine and craft beer at your disposal.
If you'd rather roll up your sleeves, the workshops and experiences program delivers more than 60 hands-on sessions to sink your teeth into. Craft your own spirit at Tamborine Mountain Distillery, master the art of mixology at Fox Hill Grove's Scenic Spirits Masterclass, suit up with a beekeeper at Towri Sheep Cheeses to harvest fresh honey straight from the hive or join a mystery-menu cooking class at Scenic Rim Cooking Classes.
Families are well catered for throughout the entire month too, with upwards of 45 farm adventures designed for all ages. Go behind the scenes at Australia's largest camel dairy Summer Land Camels, pick carrots straight from the ground at Kalfresh Carrot Day, join the Scholl family for a hands-on veggie harvest at Valley Pride Produce, or gather the kids around the campfire at Frost Farm for damper, bush skills and nature crafts.
Rounding things out, a strong lineup of festivals, markets, and expos brings the whole region together. Don't miss the Fermented Food Festival at Summer Land Camels, the two-day Scenic Rim Farming Expo in Harrisville, or the flagship Winter Harvest Weekend in Kalbar, where a massive array of market stalls, live music, the world-famous Tractor Pull and a whole lot of country hospitality come together for one iconic, regional event.
For a full list of everything happening during Scenic Rim’s Eat Local Month, make sure to check out their website.
Where to Stay
Less than an hour’s drive from Brisbane, the Scenic Rim - which includes ancient rainforest, World Heritage-listed national parks, rolling farmland and cute country towns - is not just known for its natural beauty and thriving local food scene, it’s also developed a reputation for some of the most welcoming, cosy and unique accommodation options you can find anywhere in the country. Here’s where to start your accommodation hunting:
In Lamington National Park and the immediate surrounds, you’ll find wilderness accommodation at its finest. Perched 800 meters above sea level, Binna Burra Sky Lodges offers everything from campsites and safari tents through to lodge rooms built from local slate and reclaimed hardwood, all with sweeping rainforest views. O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat is equally iconic, with 48 architecturally designed villas, a day spa and infinity pool on site. For something more intimate, working Wagyu cattle and polo farm Beechmont Estate offers a hatted restaurant and day spa across 75 acres of hinterland. In nearby Beechmont village, Clouds on Beechmont delivers five wildly different stays, from an old church conversion to African-themed glamping tents.
Just north of Lamington National Park, but still close to all the action, Tamborine Mountain punches well above its weight for accommodation. Witches Falls Cottages deliver storybook romance with spas and breakfast hampers, while the Homeostasis Retreats Wellness Cabin is built with feng shui principles throughout, right down to the organic hemp bedding.
South-west of Tamborine Mountain you’ll find Beaudesert, with its sweeping golden landscapes and quiet country town vibe. The standout here is Wander at the Overflow 1895 — five glass-fronted eco pods set on the banks of Lake Wyaralong, each named after a surrounding mountain and kitted out with outdoor baths and native edible herbs. For those travelling with family or keeping it simple, Beaudesert Caravan and Tourist Park offers a fuss-free base with cabins and powered sites.
If you’re looking to stay in the city and take the scenic route out each day, check out our guide on the best places to stay in the city.
Thing to do
Eat Local Month is reason enough to make the trip, but Brisbane has plenty more up its sleeve once you've pushed back from the table.
The region's six national parks form the natural backbone of any visit. Lamington National Park offers everything from gentle rainforest circuits to full-day mountain treks, with ancient Gondwana rainforest, cascading waterfalls and an extraordinary diversity of wildlife along the way. While you're there, the Tree Top Walk at O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat is a genuine bucket-list experience. Entry is free, and the birdlife alone is worth the trip. On Tamborine Mountain, the famous Rainforest Skywalk delivers equal thrill with a 1.5-kilometre walk combining forest floor trails and high-tech steel bridges through the canopy, while the short trek to Curtis Falls rewards hikers with a beautiful rock pool. There’s also a longlist of waterfalls in the area to explore.
For those who want to take their relationship with the rainforest to another level entirely, Happitat Adventure Park at Binna Burra is one of the most extraordinary new tourism experiences in Queensland. The world's first cliff park, set 400 meters above the valley floor in the heart of Lamington National Park, Happitat sends guests across sheer cliff faces via ferrata-style, out over the canopy on Australia's highest ziplines, along tightropes and suspension bridges, and through one of the most awe-inspiring natural environments in the country.
For something at a slightly higher altitude, and with considerably less physical exertion, Floating Images Hot Air Balloon Flights launches from the Ipswich region at sunrise for one-hour drifts across the patchwork of valleys, farms and ranges that make up this extraordinary part of South East Queensland. And, tucked in the Fassifern Valley near Boonah, Kooroomba Vineyard and Lavender Farm is one of the Scenic Rim's most special stops, with six hectares of lavender fields and an award-winning restaurant serving locally sourced food and an excellent cellar door. It's the closest thing to Provence you'll find this side of the Great Dividing Range, and the lavender is planted across multiple French and Italian varieties to ensure something is flowering nearly year-round
Sitting just 40 minutes from the Scenic Rim and less than an hour from Brisbane, Ipswich makes for a natural and rewarding addition to any trip south. Start at the Workshops Rail Museum, one of Australia's oldest railway workshops still in operation and an immersive cultural experience that covers everything from restored heritage carriages to the largest model railway in Queensland. History buffs will also enjoy the Cooneana Heritage Centre and its six architecturally significant buildings dating to the 1860s, while the Ipswich Art Gallery is one of the most visited regional galleries in the country, with a strong program of local, national and international exhibitions. There’s also plenty of vintage shopping and arts and crafts stores scattered throughout the city to keep you busy.
If you’ve got an appetite for adventure and are keen on extending your stay, there’s few better locations than Moreton Island/Mulgumpin. Just a ferry ride from Brisbane, the island is one of the world's largest sand islands and home to some of the most pristine natural landscapes on earth, with towering sand dunes, scenic walking tracks, crystal clear snorkelling lagoons and the iconic Tangalooma Wrecks, for those willing to brave the winter waters. For a full list of things to do on Moreton Island/Mulgumpin, make sure to check out our guide to the area.
For those not keen on swimming, June also marks the start of whale watching season. Each year from June through to November, humpback whales pass through Moreton Bay region on their annual 10,000km migration North to tropical waters.
Whether you’re taking a trip out on the water with one of Brisbane’s best whale watching cruises, which includes Tangalooma Whale Watching Cruises and Brisbane Whale Watching, or spotting whales from the heights of the historic lighthouse, sightings are reliably spectacular. Dolphins, turtles and sharks are also regulars year-round, and you'll get some of the best sunsets with the bay as your backdrop.
Explore the City:
The Scenic Rim will feed your soul, but if you've got a few more days up your sleeve, Brisbane city is ready to pick up where the paddocks left off. This is a city that's been quietly building into one of Australia's most exciting urban destinations, and right now, it's firing on all cylinders.
Kickstart your Brisbane adventure at South Bank, where the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) sits on the riverfront as the cultural heartbeat of the city. Right now, GOMA is home to Olafur Eliasson: Presence, a Brisbane-exclusive exhibition in its final weeks during Eat Local Month. Just up the road, the Museum of Brisbane in King George Square is well worth an afternoon, with an intimate, thoughtful gallery dedicated entirely to the stories, people and culture of the city, with a strong program of rotating exhibitions.
Brisbane is a river city, and the best way to understand that is to get out on the water. GoBoat lets you captain your own eco-friendly electric picnic boat — no licence required — setting sail from the Breakfast Creek Lifestyle Precinct in Newstead and cruising past parklands, woolstores, historic homes and riverside precincts at your own pace.
For something with a bit more adrenaline, Riverlife Adventures at the base of the Kangaroo Point Cliffs delivers everything from sunset kayak paddles and night kayaking under the Story Bridge to abseiling down the cliffs themselves. It's a surprisingly wild experience sitting just minutes from The City, with the city skyline as your backdrop throughout.
And speaking of the Story Bridge, the Story Bridge Adventure Climb remains one of Brisbane's signature experiences. Day, twilight and night climbs available, all finishing with panoramic views that stretch from the ranges to the bay.
Just 20 minutes from The City, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the world's oldest and largest koala sanctuary — home to over 100 koalas and a full cast of Australian wildlife including kangaroos, wombats, platypus and birds of prey. The daily Koala Moment experience lets you get up close, and a half-day here is genuinely one of the best wildlife experiences in South East Queensland for visitors of any age.
After days of paddock-to-plate eating in the Scenic Rim, Brisbane's city dining scene offers a completely different but equally compelling chapter. The flavour map here runs wide. Pan-Asian sharing plates at Supernormal with views of the Story Bridge and river; underground Hong Kong-inspired dim sum at Central; wood-fired cooking over open flame at Agnes in a Fortitude Valley warehouse; or a Champagne bar with 1,400 bottles to choose from at Winnifred's. For something more intimate, Attimi in Paddington delivers a 28-seat Michelin-style experience, while Perspective Dining is one of the most genuinely singular dining experiences in the country. Golden Avenue (recently named one of the best restaurants in the world) brings a skylit Levantine feast of woodfired breads, charcoal lamb and Middle Eastern sharing plates to the heart of Brisbane, while Stilts offers up stunning views of the Brisbane River alongside modern Australian fare.
And once you’ve completed your foodie journey, why not experience one of countless events taking place across Brisbane in June? From major concerts and festivals, to cultural experiences, sporting showdowns and family-friendly events, there’s always plenty on Brisbane’s event calendar.
