Last week I wrote about an awesome weekend with my children, my poor wife resigned to bed rest. This week, everyone back to full and proper health, we decided to take a drive along one of my favourite roads, The Hunchy. Located a short distance from the M1, this short winding mountain road has some of the best views and twisty bits within the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

If you can get your head out of driving mode, and occasionally look out to the east to admire, there are breaks in the tree lines to give you panoramic views. The greenest of green fields and the forest far below you, peppered with little towns and cottages quietly humming with daily life. One of the more surprising views the family enjoyed on our latest trip up the Hunchy was a large, brown leather couch, perched rather majestically on a mound just before the precipice of the cliff. I snapped a few photos of this rather amusing juxtaposition as the family scratched their heads, bickering over the story behind this baffling occurrence. One of the more amusing tales they were able to come up with involved abducted cows and science experiments gone wrong. No points for guessing from whom they inherited their imagination.

We resumed the climb and arrived in the quaint little town of Montville. The most picturesque of little country towns, every building seemingly straight out of a fantasy story tale, with little cottages, old country style church, and an assortment of stores nestled together on the edge of the cliffs, overlooking the breathtaking valley and coastline far below. The cafe on the edge was fully booked so we ventured across the street to the Montville pub, with its beautiful open beer garden setting and quaint black and white, old English styled architecture. The atmosphere was great, with families nestled here and there and the air filled with joyful chatter. We placed our orders and took a seat, admiring the atmosphere and marveling over the beautiful, individual, yet not overbearing flower arrangements on each table.

We could smell the meals arriving before we saw them. The aromas were mouth watering. I had chosen the lime-peppered calamari and chips, with a side of garden salad. The calamari was crisp and delightful, sharing an interesting home made salt and spice with the well-portioned side of chips that was absolutely delicious. By far the biggest surprise was the garden salad; it was mostly watercress, light greens with a fresh and sweet flavoured dressing that the recipe for the staff were keeping close to their chest. For the food alone I recommend this little country pub, but paired with the atmosphere, delightful service and offering of live music throughout the nights of the week I, definitely suggest you give it a shot.

Full and satisfied, we took a walk around the shops of Montville, from its boutique fashion stores to its handmade jewellery. I was able to distract the wife from the ‘bling’ and successfully direct the family to the car before setting off, taking a different route home, first through Mapleton, then following the Forest Road, through Cooloolabin and Yandina, before rejoining the Bruce Highway and heading back home to Maroochydore.

Since moving up here from Brisbane we have yet to have a dull weekend without some sort of adventure as a family, and I can’t express how glad I am for it.