There’s irony in the fact that you’ll find Australia’s biggest craft markets in one of the sweetest little towns on the Sunshine Coast.
The hinterland village of Eumundi is synonymous with its eponymous markets – a colourful bazaar that virtually takes over the town each Wednesday and Saturday.
If it’s hand-made, home-baked, sewn, or grown – there’s a good chance you’ll find it here… along with musicians and street eats stalls that cover cuisine from across the globe.
But when you’re done browsing and buying at the markets, it’s well worth stepping beyond the stalls to explore Eumundi and its surrounds.
The Imperial Hotel is a great place to start. Built in 1911, the pub was a fixture long before the first market marquee was even a glint in a tent-maker’s eye!
These days it’s a popular venue for dining, live music, and the fruits of its famous brewery.
Now the Imperial has added another string to its bow – with the opening of Eumundi Distillers on-site. The venture’s first label is Folktale – featuring a standard gin with 43 percent alcohol and a “navy strength gin” which is 57.1 percent.
Try it straight up, on the rocks – or add a dash of sophistication to your day by ordering the distillery’s signature gin cocktail, the Pink Spritzer.
Speaking of pretty drinks, have you ever heard of a Bamboo Tea Cocktail?
It’s available at the Sunshine Coast’s famous Spirit House Thai Cooking School and Restaurant.
The tea at its base comes from Big Heart Bamboo – home to artisan bamboo beverages and condiments, about 10 minutes drive from Eumundi village.
Becky Dart’s dad founded a 100-acre bamboo plantation in the Sunshine Coast hinterland – and she grew up among forests of towering, creaking bamboo.
It led to a fascination with (and research into) the therapeutic and health qualities of this fast-growing plant from southeast Asia.
Becky has since developed an array of bamboo teas; chutneys; relishes and pickles under the Big Heart Bamboo label. You can order them on their website here.
For more inspiration on your next Sunshine Coast escape, go online to sunshinecoastforreal.com
