By Mike Cook | 7 November 2016
Nambour: a town of vintage stores, quirky cafes and indie bars.NAMBOUR - By no means is the Sunshine Coast a fast-pace, rat-race, work-to-live region. The cluster of coastal towns only an hour north of Brisbane satisfies those who break free from the hustle and bustle of larger cities. Yet one town has built a reputation of carefree nonchalance that invites curious exploration.
Sitting on the outskirts of the Sunshine Coast is Nambour: a town that, in 2016, is only catching up with the urbanised nature of the rest of the region. The town is tattooed with graffiti, vintage stores crammed into each nook and cafés oozing with hipster subculture wedged into each cranny. It’s not hard to spend more than a day wandering and weaving through the backstreets of Nambour. I recommend starting the morning at Husk & Honey – a local joint where the menu evolves every two weeks. The latest breakfast options are scrawled on a blackboard above a counter stocked with cakes and muffins. This quirky café goes against the grain. Quite literally. Husk & Honey prepares all their delicacies free of grain and gluten. Lounging underneath the awning outside, a chatty waitress brings a cappuccino and scone, and the day begins. Once the caffeine hits, Nambour is arguably the best place for op-shopping. From vinyl records to ’80s inspired vinyl furniture, the town’s second-hand stores can stretch that last $10 a fair way. Four op-shops later, my arms are straining under the weight of items procured from the day’s shopping expedition. And there’s still change for a cuppa-joe. The aroma of coffee beans wafts through the air and it’s time for a four-o-clock ‘pick-me-up’. Villain Espresso’s entryway is plastered with the image of a Viking woman straddling a puma as it pounces forth, claws bared. If obscurity is the name of the game, this anarchist café wins on all counts. Coffee is served with a grin, and I unwind in the softly lit room, listening to the vinyl of an indie band I’ve never heard of before. As the sun sets and my feet have trodden every pathway, the Nook & Cranny’s live music begins. A premier indie bar, the Nook & Cranny is one of the few BYO locations in the region. The Nook and Cranny offers breakfast, lunch and dinner all through the week. Soaking up the atmosphere, and devouring the gourmet pizza, this hipster bar knows how to do a Saturday night just right. With just a 30-minute drive from the Sunshine Coast’s CBD, those who trek to Nambour will be rewarded with a tapestry of coffee-centric, food-filled, record-revolving hipster hotspots. |