The Curated Plate: A sneak peak at the festival's hottest dishes

A taste of what’s in store when The Curated Plate rolls into Queensland’s coast this July.

Merging beaches with bushland and sunny days with rainfall, the Sunshine Coast is one of Australia’s most sublime balancing acts. From the volcanic peaks of the Glass House Mountains to the vibrant sand dunes of Rainbow Beach, optimal subtropical conditions whip up 60 kilometres of nutrient-rich soil and thriving crops, an all-natural secret sauce behind an abundance of top-shelf produce.

Showcasing the region’s finest flavours across 10 jam-packed days is The Curated Plate, a food and drink festival that’s been luring savvy gourmands since 2019.

Showcasing the region’s finest flavours across 10 jam-packed days is The Curated Plate , a food and drink festival that’s been luring savvy gourmands since 2019. In 2025, with celebrity chef Peter Kuruvita steering the event as culinary director, the spoils are set to be richer than ever across more than 90 individual events.

Seasoning applied to grilled scallops and rock oysters — The finishing touches are being applied to The Curated Plate food festival, set to launch in July on the Sunshine Coast.

Mark The Curated Plate’s start date, July 25, in your diary and take note of the most anticipated tickets below, previewed and sampled by Australian Traveller just last week. Spanning decadent long lunches to mind-blowing internationally inspired parties, taste sensations will be roasting, bubbling, shaking and stirring around every corner.

The Sunshine Coast Asian Food Festival

What’s planned: A two-day celebration of local ingredients that lend themselves seamlessly to authentic Asian cooking, The Sunshine Coast Asian Food Festival is one of The Curated Plates most popular drawcards. Think picnic blankets sprawled as live music tinkles in the background, craft beer and far-too-drinkable wine and some of the most acclaimed culinary creativity in town.

prawn toast of Rice Boi Mooloolaba — Rice Boi Mooloolaba’s mouthwatering Prawn toast is tipped to be a viral sensation.

What to eat and drink: A handful of the best Sunshine Coast restaurants, including The Tamarind at Spicers Tamarind Retreat, Rice Boi and Spirit House , have locked in some knock-out bites. Rice Boi’s Mooloolaba prawn toast with mandarin dashi caramel is bound to go viral, a glistening blackened square that’s been blobbed with black sesame mayo and softens in your mouth with the lightness of a marshmallow.

skewers and oyster dishes at Curated Plate — Spirit House’s blackened Phat Wag Wagyu skewers hit all the right notes.

There’s also Spirit House’s blackened Phat wag wagyu skewers with Indonesian sate and crispy sambal, achingly tender despite a bold façade, plus The Tamarind’s grilled Hervey Bay scallops and oysters, ever-so-delicately dressed to avoid obscuring all that ocean-fresh quality.

Another hit on the festival must-eat list has to be The Tamarind’s grilled Hervey Bay scallops and oysters.

Where you’ll find it: On the lawn at Spicers Tamarind Retreat , 88 Obi Lane South, Maleny, from August 2 to 3

Saltwater Eco Tours’ Seafood Experience

Saltwater Eco Tours team member serving at Curated Plate festival — The Saltwater Eco Tours team will offer an exclusive cruise experience.

What’s planned: The Saltwater Eco Tours team is putting the finishing touches on an exclusive cruise around the Mooloolaba waterways aboard their heritage sailing vessel. Shining a light on the sleepy beach town’s significant Indigenous culture, the First Nations themed experience will also dish up a several-course feast littered with seafood.

cocktails served at Curated Plate — Chilli margarita cocktails infused with native pepperberry and Davidson plum.

What to eat and drink: Cocktails will be shaken with spirits from Beachtree Distilling Co., based in Caloundra, plus native ingredients — keep your eyes peeled for a chilli margarita laced with Davidson plum and native pepperberry because it’s a game-changer.

As for the seafood, expect the likes of toasted barramundi skin (as addictive as pork crackling, we learned), Mooloolaba King prawns, grilled snapper and rock oysters, all expertly layered with native ingredients.

Rock oysters with Saltwater Eco Tours — Book the exclusive cruise for a multi-course feast filled with an array of seafood delights.

Where you’ll find it: Departing from The Wharf, 123 Parkyn Pde, Mooloolaba. Dates TBC

The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

What’s planned: A long table will poke out from among the lychee orchard at beautiful Yanalla Farms in the Glass House Mountains, where guests are invited to sport their wackiest headwear and indulge in an afternoon of boozy tipples and a mix of savoury and sweet treats.

Yanalla Farms Mad Hatter Tea Party for the Curated Plate on the Sunshine Coast — Yanalla Farms plays host for the Mad Hatter Tea Party during the festival.

What to eat and drink: Yanalla’s renowned dragon fruit, custard apples and lychees are guaranteed to take starring roles in the spread. Sweet and savoury scones will also likely come with Maleny Cuisine’s irresistible strawberry, lime and whiskey jam (the team calls it their ‘crack’ spread — one taste and you’re indeed hooked) and Hum Honey’s locally crafted raw honey. Maleny Dairies’ incredible Pure Cream will almost certainly serve as another high-quality accompaniment while gin cocktails, crafted from locally distilled spirits, should cement a memorable scene.

Yanalla Farms showcases local produce during the Curated Plate festival — Some of the local produce on offer during the long lunch.

Where you’ll find it: Yanalla Farms, Glass House Mountains. Dates TBC

Queensland’s Sunshine Pantry Twilight Market

Queensland's Sunshine Party Twilight Market makers — The Twilight Market is a celebration of the region’s producers and makers.

What’s planned: Grab your reusable shopping bags — the Queensland Sunshine Pantry Twilight Market is a one-stop shop for all things local and delicious. Featuring stalls from more than 100 stellar producers, the much-loved one-evening-only market event offers a total foodie immersion, plus loads of opportunities to take a slice of the Sunshine Coast home with you. Just add cooking demonstrations, live music and performances.

What to eat and drink: Local stalwarts including Barry Family Butchers (don’t miss their epic super-pudgy ham steaks if they’re out for the evening), Mountain View Poultry and Little White Goat Cheese are likely to showcase delectable goods, while exceptional caffeine from the likes of Montville Coffee and cold drip from Glass House Plantation should keep crowds buzzing.

Where you’ll find it: The Station, 201/8 The Avenue, Birtinya, on July 25

Tour of Mooloolaba seafood trawlers

seafood tour — Peter Kuruvita (right) gives guests a behind-the-scenes tour of Mooloolaba trawlers.

What’s planned: An eye-opening behind-the-scenes tour of the Mooloolaba trawlers. Led by Peter Kuruvita himself, the tour will take guests through local fishing docks and mammoth freezers where the good stuff takes up residence before getting swiftly shipped out to local kitchens. Think gigantic yellowfin tuna, barramundi, spanner crabs and the region’s tireless MVP, the Mooloolaba prawn.

What to eat and drink: After learning about the sustainable practices of the Sunshine Coast’s seafood industry from local teams like Rockliff Seafood and Silver Sea Seafoods, Australian Traveller was treated to crab and avocado sandwiches slapped together by Peter himself. Sparkling wine was also readily poured, so here’s hoping the scheduled tour will mirror such top-notch perks.

Where you’ll find it: The Spit, Mooloolaba. Dates TBC

Grape vs Grain lunch

grape vs grain at curated plate — 10 Toes Brewing and Brockenchack Wines team up to give guests an expert wine and craft beer food pairing.

What’s planned: A clash of the titans, the Grape vs Grain lunch will determine what pairs best with quality seafood and beef — wine or craft beer? Guests are invited to get in on a highly entertaining several-course fine dining meal with expert pairings from Brockenchack Wines and 10 Toes Brewing.

steak at curated plate — The Mary Valley grass-fed eye fillet with greens was a standout on the menu.

What to eat and drink: At Fish on Parkyn , one of the best seafood restaurants within the Sunshine Coast, dock-to-table dining reigns supreme. Expect to wash down generous pours of competing drops (riesling vs pale ale, rosé vs hazy and more) with the likes of spanner crab capellini in a smoky Japanese-inspired broth, Moreton Bay bug gratin with sour plum and prickly ash bechamel, and a Mary Valley grass-fed eye fillet with greens.

Where you’ll find it: Fish on Parkyn, 25 Parkyn Pde, Mooloolaba, on July 25

Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

Getting there

car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland — Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

Best accommodation in Clermont

Theresa CreekDam in clermont — Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn .

Things to do in Clermont

three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting — Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters , Four Mile , Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings . To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting . They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum . Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland — See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services . Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs . The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

meal at Commercial Hotel — Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.

First look: Every delicious thing we ate at Sunshine Coast food fest