Each year (2014 will be May 15-18) an influential lineup of chefs, winemakers, restaurateurs and serious foodies fall over themselves to get to Noosa for this celebration of all things gourmet. Who can blame them? Noosa's magical setting doesn't really need any extra drawcards, but combine the perfect May weather, great live entertainment and some of the best food and wine you'll find in Australia and, hey, who wouldn't want to come?
Noosa - meaning "place of shade" in the region's Gubbi Gubbi language - is rich in nature's jewels and a longtime holiday gem for those looking to combine a laidback seaside break with a touch of the cosmopolitan. While Aussies south of the Queensland border start to rug up for winter, don't put the sarong and swimmers away just yet, because winter in Noosa is one of the best times to visit.
"Noosa International Food and Wine Festival is all about sharing a secret that the locals have known about for 30 years," says Berardo. "We think a celebration of food wine and culture is a pretty good way to introduce visitors to this fabulous lifestyle.
Follow the locals for an ideal Noosa day. Start with a coffee at any of the café precincts - Noosaville, Hastings St or the Eastern Beaches - then take breakfast at a great spot, one of the cafes overlooking Main Beach. Then take a walk through the national park, spot a koala if you are lucky, breath in the pure fresh air and either take the coastal track or cut inland through the amazing bushland. After that, how about a swim or a bit of river activity? Then end the day at Noosaville overlooking the river, enjoying a glass of wine as the sun sets."
Certainly, the gourmet delights are a big part about savouring all that makes Noosa one of the most desirable destinations on the east coast - the food, sure, but there's also the nature, the adventure, the art, shopping and music. There's Hastings St, the stretch of fine boutiques, cafes and restaurants that skirt Laguna Bay Main Beach; there's that amazing national park, where remnant rainforest and old growth bushland meets the ocean and plays host to a plethora of wildlife.
On the eastern side of the national park, you'll find the surf beaches of Sunshine, Sunrise and Peregian - more cafes, more magic. You can even take the pooch to many of the surf beaches, such as Sunshine, Marcus and Castaways, giving Fido a beachside holiday as well.
Then there's the Noosaville riverside precinct, with Gympie Tce and its little sister, Thomas St, a perfect venue for all-day dining, from scoffing a hearty breakfast before a day on the river to a twilight dinner at any of the great restaurants, or sitting on the bank with fish'n chips, watching nosy pelicans and flocks of noisy rosellas that arrive at dusk. As the sun sets over the mountains in the distance the sky turns on a kaleidoscope of colour.
Once the sun goes down, the sounds get louder - during the food and wine festival, big-name guest artists appear at venues throughout town.
One of the best vantage points to watch any beach activity is the Noosa Surf Club, a triumph of yesteryear architecture amid the glass and glamour of Hastings S. This fun and friendly club has a great bistro, a big Queenslander-style deck overlooking the beach and very reasonable prices.
The Noosa Yacht Club, at the top end of Gympie Tce, is centre of the universe for river action. Again, a fabulous open deck, live music and terrific bistro-style food make this club a great venue to watch sea craft in races, regattas and displays.
Also keeping the winter chills at bay are the Noosa Long Weekend (June 14-23, 2014), an annual 10-day festival of the arts featuring theatre, cabaret, late night supper clubs, film, music, literary workshops - you name it, if it's cultural it's on during this festival.
