Mungalli Creek Dairy

February 28th, 2008 by Tiffany Miller

While in Australia, I drove through the Atherton Tablelands, which was one of the most scenic parts of my trip. I was on my way through Millaa Millaa when I saw a sign for the Mungalli Dairy Farm. As I am, admittedly and strangely, obsessed with eating yoghurt, I recognized the name from the supermarkets in Queensland. I had no idea what it would be like, but just had to jerk the wheel and check it out.

About five minutes of driving down a narrow lane, I came to what looked more like someone’s home, perched quietly on a hillside under the shade of a few tall trees. It had just a small sign wedged outside the door and a few cars in the stone car park. Turns out it was a book not to be judged by its cover.

On arrival through the door, I was greeted by a jovial woman with a platter of 6 different cheeses to sample. I tasted them all, while watching through a glass partition at the workers and machines making the products. They seemed extraordinarily content with their work, like some episode of I Love Lucy before things go haywire. I half expected them to start skipping and whistling. In any case, it was interesting. And when I finished the cheese, the woman brought me a few small cups of yoghurt to try. And when I finished that, I ordered (yes I was hungry) a slice of (the world’s best) orange-chocolate cheesecake. I sat outside on the verandah with heaven on a plate and a panoramic view of green pastures and distant verdant hills. Afterward, the woman came and sat with me and told me all about the dairy farm and the process of making bio-dynamic yoghurt. I walked out to my car feeling like I might start skipping and whistling.

There were only a few people there when I was, but I think this place deserves to be better known. Though they affectionately call it the “Out of the Whey” Farmhouse, it is not actually all that far. It is the perfect place to break up a drive for some tea, lunch or a delicious treat, and everything is fresh and locally produced. To put it plainly, it is a pleasurable, inexpensive, educational and healthy (if you dont have too much of that cheesecake) addition to the itinerary. What else could you ask for?

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