Feast on Straddie

Edible gems range from locally-farmed oysters and honey to a daily seafood harvest, but you’ll need to go a little offthe-beaten track to find some of them.

Make your first stop the Island Fruit Barn on Bingle Road, Dunwich, and browse the market-fresh fruit and vegetables and gourmet groceries.

The main road leads towards Point Lookout, but it is worth a short diversion to the coastline at Amity Point and Seashells Café.

Amity is home to oyster growers Greg and Ingrid Nankervis at Dialba Oysters, who operate a farmgate stall during oyster season (September to February). The sweet flavour of Stradbroke Island oysters captures the essence of the island’s pure waters, and the naturally-smoked, deep sea mullet offers a different flavour of the sea.

There’s more Straddie seafood at Whales Way Restaurant in Pandanus Palms Resort. Matt and Bobbi Wells moved from the Granite Belt to Stradbroke Island for a sea change and brought their innovative food style and focus on local produce with them.

For a freshly-brewed, Merlo coffee every morning until 11.30am, pull up a milk crate under the paperbarks at Coffee in Cylinders at Cylinder Beach.

Discover more prawns and fish just off the headland, at the Prawn Shack in Point Lookout’s Mintee Street. Check their Facebook page for the latest catch.

Also in Mintee Street, the Green Room has hand-picked fruit and vegetables, organic meats, gluten products, organic treats and fresh coconuts. The focus on healthy eating continues next door at The Blue Room café, which has delicious, innovative food and sweeping Point Lookout views.

Finish your weekend on Straddie at the Point Lookout Surf Life Saving Club Deck Bar on Kennedy Drive. Open Saturday and Sunday afternoons, it offers extensive beach and gorge vistas.

When it is time to say goodbye, pop into Point Lookout Newsagency and take a taste of the island home with a copy of Eat, Drink and Be Straddie, written by Stradbroke locals Angie Simms and Stuart Quinn.

Where to stay

Enjoy all the relaxation of camping without the hassle of putting up a tent. Straddie Camping’s permanent Island Eco Tents at Adder Rock have queen-sized beds with crisp white sheets, fluffy towels, a ceiling fan, fridge and full electric power, but you’ll still have a walk to the amenities.