I recently ducked up to the Echidna Magic restaurant at the Mt. Gravatt Lookout on the southside of Brisbane (not surprisingly, in the suburb of Mt. Gravatt).
My visit was a spur of the moment decision and I only had a burger, so this isn't an indepth review. However, the setting is lovely and the accompanying view is spectacular and, as always, I had the camera with me. I couldn't resist myself.
I ordered an Angel Bay Beef burger ($18.50), which included chips. The ingredients were fresh and the serves were good but the price was a bit high for what I received. It was more like $12-$14 burgers. However, when I looked out over the spectacular view, I forgot about the cost (some more menu items can be seen at the end of the post).
The view is expansive and you can see as far as the Glass House Mountains and Moreton Island on a clear day.
I have discovered that this post runs slowly if viewed on Internet Explorer. It's best viewed on Google Chrome or Firefox (not as fast as Chrome).
I have discovered that this post runs slowly if viewed on Internet Explorer. It's best viewed on Google Chrome or Firefox (not as fast as Chrome).
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| The Brisbane CBD with The Gabba visible just before the CBD. |
When I first arrived I watched as planes taking off from Brisbane Airport climbed towards the lookout then banked away. At some point while I was there the direction of the air traffic changed and the planes started coming in on final approach to land at the airport, almost over the lookout (photo above). The planes were quite close but you couldn't hear them, so they weren't a rude interruption.
I was surprised there weren't carloads of plane-spotters perched on the hillside but, then again, there is a perfectly good viewing area at one end of the runway at Brisbane Airport, where you can get nice and close to the planes taking off or landing (and trust me, it's 'plane-spotter central' there!).
As you can see from the photo above, the Echidna Magic restaurant isn't huge but the menu is a reasonable size, covering breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here is a selection of menu items:
Full Breakfast (bacon, eggs, toast) - $18.95 (add tomato/mushrooms/sausages - $1.50)
Pancakes with jam or syrup - $10
Raisin toast - $6
Lunch/Dinner
Spring rolls - $10
Mediterranean platter (for 2-4) - $22.50
Toasted sandwiches (served with chips) - $10
Steak sandwich - $19.50
Barramundi with garlic and butter sauce - $20.50
Sumur chicken - $16.95
(traditional food of the Torres Strait)
Rib fillet / T-bone - $23.50
Homemade shepherd's pie - $18.95
Fettuccine carbonara - $19.95
Steak burger - $19.50
Caesar salad - $17.50 (add chicken - $4)
Mediterranean salad - $18.50 (add chicken/beef - $4)
Cakes and slices - prices vary
Echidna Magic is BYO and there are soft drinks available.
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There looked to be parking for around 30 cars. On weekends it can get very busy and there is a 'no bookings' policy at the restaurant, so it's a case of first in, best dressed, or queue and admire the view.
Opening hours:
Mon-Sun: 8.30am - 2pm
Also
Fri & Sat: 6pm - 9pm
One thing to watch out for is that signage to the lookout off Logan Road isn't great. You enter the road to the lookout from Shire Road, which leads directly off Logan Road and there is one tiny sign. The traffic you see in the photo below is coming from the city, so blink and you miss it!
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Thanks for reading this brief post and if you have any questions, please contact me and I'll do my best to help you - TravelWithGiulio@gmail.com
Ciao,
Giulio
If you'd like to see more posts like this, please have a look at my 'Brisbane/SE Qld - see, eat and sleep' page, which can be found HERE.
All photos and text by Giulio Saggin
© Use of photos/text must be via written permission
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