Wow it has been a really long time since we last visited the Ginger Factory at Yandina on the Sunshine Coast in Qld. We use to bring our children here when they were little, many years later we are here with our grandchildren.
I guess not a lot has really changed in that time. A few of the walks have changed. One we thought was pretty cool was The Rainbella Project. A short walk with lots of very colourful umbrellas hanging in the tree line.
There is ZOG a Rainforest Adventure. You download an app and follow along the trail. A good fun adventure for kids. We didn’t download the app as I didn’t know about it at the time, it was getting late so only a quick look but our grandkids did enjoy what they saw, and could have easily spent quiet a bit of time there.
A old school setup with old type writers the kids thought was fun
We did the tours, The Factory Tour and Tasting. We were there on a Sunday so the factory was not operational, I think during the week seeing it operating would be better but it was still a good and an interesting tour, especially for those that like ginger.
Ginger soaking in sugary syrup
Early ginger is not as strong and used for the above products. Ginger left in the ground longer is a stronger flavour and also more medicinal.
Late harvest ginger, there is no smell while the skin is on
Another tour was the Bee Live Show and Tasting. Very sad to hear how the bees are decreasing in numbers and that we could face a future without bees making honey. Robot bees are already happening to help with pollination due to the lack of bees. Also due to the amount of rain we have had in Qld the honey available for keepers to harvest is less as the bees are needing to eat the honey themselves. There is a honey shortage which always equates to rising prices. We were all encouraged to plant some flowering plants the bees like. We were also encouraged to buy raw honey from the markets or straight from the bee keepers. I used to keep native bees so found the bee show interesting. The guide also gave Chris and I a sneaky taste, just for us, of native bee honey. The kids all loved to see the busy bees in the hives and asked lots of questions.
Our tour guide and bee keeper
Busy bees the kids found fascinating
We also went on the Moreton the ginger train ride which is a 15min ride around the grounds.
Overboard boat ride, we joined the gingerbread man on an adventure around the world as he escapes the clutches of the hungry chefs. Overboard is a boat ride with with music, and animated puppetry featuring more than 200 handmade moving puppets. Our grandkids weren’t too sure and found the puppets a bit scary.
A small sample of the many puppets
We did buy a bundle deal which most likely works out cheaper depending on what you want to do. It included unlimited boat and train rides but we didn’t have time to do them more than once.
We bought lunch there. Of course you have to buy some ginger products when you are there. Just be aware of pricing as some are dearer than the supermarkets but you are supporting a local business and you don’t see this much variety in the stores.
A small sample of the ginger products for sale
Opposite the Ginger Factory is Nutworks. More my taste. They do a variety of macadamia nuts from raw, to salted, to chocolate coated, honey coated, salted caramel etc. so I whizzed over just before it closed and might have bought a few bags of yummy nuts , well they don’t sell these varieties in the shops.
You can also have a coffee at Nutworks
Chris isn’t up to travelling anymore, so we are trying to visit some local attractions with our family. We did enjoy the Ginger Factory, Chris is a big fan of ginger, it is a good family day out.
Live Long and Prosper.