There are moments in life where we get to chance upon gems through getting lost or into slight trouble when we are on holidays overseas. Our car brakes got burnt after hours of driving up and down the steep slopes of Mount Tamborine. We had to pull over by the side of the road and dial a mechanic over.
While my friend was frantically explaining our situation to the mechanics over the phone, I ventured up a nearby slope and found myself staring at a charming medieval architecture.
At first sight, the building looked deserted but the door wasn’t locked and we soon found ourselves in the company of a friendly old couple who managed the restaurant.
Stepping into the restaurant, we felt as though we have travelled through time to a quaint village pub in olden days England.
Upon hearing our plight, the old gentleman got us the beer list to calm our nerves.
He shared with us that the Fox & Hound Country Inn was an actual pub in England that was dismantled, shipped to Australia and reassembled in the Gold Coast hinterland.
Here comes my Old Speckled Hen ($10 A Pint or $5 for Half Pint), an English ale from the Morland Brewery. It has a light bitter taste that’s pretty easy to gulp down.
We settled down for meals at this cosy corner.
The owners were not expecting customers hence only Ploughman’s Lunch ($18) was available. It consists of vintage cheddar cheese, ham, apple, celery, branston pickle, pickled onions, coleslaw and salad
accompanied with a warm crusty roll.
We were not exactly sure if this was the correct way to enjoy Ploughman’s Lunch but we were just too hungry to care. The ingredients were really fresh and I had fun dipping celery sticks into jam.
Fries were ordered to munch while we continue to search for a mechanic who was willing to make the trip to rescue us.
We wandered around the restaurant after the meal.
Guys will totally dig this fire place with all sorts of old soccer memorabilia.
There was even a complete knight armour in the restaurant.
The sword is freaking heavy. How did they wield it with such ease in the past?
Artefacts closer to our time such as this retro radio were also displayed in the main dining hall.
Managed to find a video on Youtube that showcased the building too. More like a sales video.
In the end, no mechanics were willing to come for us. But thankfully the brakes recovered after a 2 hours break and drove at a really slow speed back to Gold Coast. From our visit and the recent information on their website, it seems that the owners are selling the property off. Its too early to know if the future owners will be able to retain the authentic English charm. You should visit it while on the way down from Mount Tamborine. Here are the full information:
The Fox & Hounds Country Inn
Address: Corner of Oxenford Tamborine Road & Elevation Drive Wongawallan Qld 4210
Tel: 07 5665 7582
Website: www.foxandhounds.net.au
Facebook: Fox & Hounds Country Inn Fan Page
Email: [email protected]
You may also like to check out my posts on other exciting travel destinations here
