[food review] Global Burgers

Recently opened in Mackay, Global Burgers is an Aussie franchise with an international flair. Featuring burgers named after famous cities and accompanying beers, Global Burgers was the perfect place for Friday dinner.

I couldn’t resist sampling the Vancouver burger, which had a beef  patty with cheese, bacon, oak lettuce, mayo, tomato & maple onion jam. Hearing our accents during the order, the owner stopped by our table to get our thoughts on the burger as Vancouver natives. With the beef and bacon, I felt that this burger would be more aptly called the ‘Calgary’. From my perspective, Vancouver flavours are more Asian-inspired. If I were to re-design it, the Vancouver burger would have a cedar-plank salmon patty with miso dressing.

Chris went for the Kuala Lumpur burger, which was essentially chicken satay and crispy salad on a bun. Simply delicious.

Global Burgers had an extensive collection of international beers. My favorite was SP, a Papua New Guinean beer with banana notes. We’re looking forward returning to Global Burgers to eat and drink our way through the rest of the world.
The Last Bite
He said: The beef in the Vancouver burger was exceptional. We’re going to have to buy from Mackay Wholesale Meats directly.
She said: The patio furniture worked well for the indoor/outdoor space. The cushioned alcove in the centre of the patio called us to invite friends out with us next time.

Artspace Mackay & Finch Hatton Gorge at Eungella National Park

Chris and I played tourist in Mackay this past weekend, checking out the art scene and the natural attractions.

On Saturday, we took in Artspace Mackay which is adjacent to the central library, Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre (MECC), and city hall. We appreciated the effective urban planning.

One of our favourite features of Artspace is the Tate Adams Reading Room. In conjunction with the library, the reading room offered an extensive collection of art books and magazines. I perused an urban knitting hardcover while Chris read about the history of graphic novels. If we’re not at home in the coming months, chances are we’re back in the reading room.

Artspace was hosting an exhibitoin of self-portraits drawn and painted by the regional youth. We enjoyed the different techniques taught to each class, and seeing the progression of work through the year levels. In the centre of the gallery, there were mirrors, pencil crayons and paper, inviting kids (and big kids like us) to draw their self portrait.

Here’s Chris. Do you like his orange sunglasses?

Here’s me. Do you like how my eyes look as though they might bore through the wall?

On Sunday we drove to  Eungella (pronounced young-ella) National Park, where you can’t feed the kangaroos.

We found the Finch Hatton Gorge was aptly named. Taking a break to munch on trail mix, we were greeted/accosted by our winged friend. We didn’t feed him either.

The lizards are everywhere; on the Finch Hatton Gorge trail, in our laundry sink, on the ceiling of our motel room.

Massive bolders line the trail. This one had a great hair-do.

The falls were numerous along the trail. At the bigger pools, many locals were rock jumping and rope swinging. Too bad we didn’t bring swim suits with us. Given summer has yet to arrive, we’ll have plenty of time to swim with the eels in the coming weeks.

[food review] Ban-Na Thai Restaurant

The first stop on our culinary trek through Mackay was Ban-Na Thai Restaurant.  Where the decor left a little to be desired, the authenic Thai food at Ban-Na exceeded our expectations.

We started with soup; mushrooms in coconut broth for me and seafood in clear broth for Chris. Both soups were flavourful and satisfying.

For our main we shared the Chef’s Special Salad and Duck with Cashews. In both dishes, the veggies were in-season and skillfully prepared. The Chef’s Special Salad featued a peanut sauce that paired well with our coconut rice. The Duck with Cashews was lack lustre, but not disappointing.

At 6pm, we were the last party to be seated without a reservation. As the evening wore on, the joint was jumping with Mackay’s young and old. We’ll certainly return to Ban-Na to sample their curries  and more of their soups.

The Last Bite
He said: Good food, friendly staff, very busy, wouldn’t get the duck again, but you can’t argue with peanut sauce.
She said: I especially enjoyed the fresh mushrooms in the creamy broth, which was so smooth that it felt almost decadent.

The Beachcombers: Mackay edition

While taking ‘long walks on the beach’ is cliché, it is truly one my preferred pastimes. Growing up in Campbell River, I spent plenty of time in the surf with the seaweed and sand. I’ve unabashedly collected sea glass, shells, and rocks through-out my life and made my fair share of driftwood forts. With the river in my backyard, the Georgia Straight down the road, and Dad watching The Beachcombers on CBC, it’s a wonder I didn’t start going fins.
I’ve always felt compelled to see the shore. One of the first things I did when I moved to Vancouver to attend UBC was visit Wreck Beach, my piece of the ocean away from home. Since we’ve been downunder, I’ve been waiting patiently to take in the other ocean, otherwise known as ‘The Coral Sea.’ After viewing another house this morning, I took to the nearest beach.

It was a comfort to see this flock of seagulls trolling for bugs and vulnerable crustaceans, not to mention your typical beach-goer left overs.

The driftwood is much smaller here, and mixed with dried leaves. Shells are small to mid-size.

This plastic tyre (as they spell it in Oz and Britain) was one of the few pieces of sea-debris on the shore.

This must be a (huge) clam hole. Dad used to take my brother and I clam digging at Saratoga Beach. We used a retro-fitted piece of house-hold pipe to bore into the sand and sucked them up to the surface.

Up on the shaded road, I chatted with two older Aussie men who told me these islands are named ‘flat top’ and ’round top’, respectively. When I told them I was from Vancouver Island,  one them remarked,  “That’s the most beautiful place in the world!” I replied that Mackay is most definitely a contender when it comes to ‘the most charming sea-side town.’ I feel quite at home already.

Welcome to Mackay

A city of sprawling suburbs, Mackay is home to approximately 85,000. From what I gather, the population is largely comprised of workers in the cane sugar industry, mining industry, and the supporting infrastructure. Mackay boasts access to recreational fishing, retail shopping, and the coveted Whitsunday Islands.  As it’s the beginning of summer, the heat in Mackay is almost unbearable; window shopping in their downtown core is largely impossible.  You can lose half your body weight in sweat just looking for a coffee shop. That being said, it’s likely that I’m just a foreigner unacquainted in the ways of living under the glare of the sun.

Here are some of my initial observations of our new home.

People are happy to be here. Our hotel housekeeper has been here for 62 years, during which she had a cane farm and cattle ranch.

There’s a roundabout every other block. Sometimes entering a roundabout is daunting because vehicles seem to be coming from all directions, but a little patience (along with the soothing AC in our car) has served me well.

Mackay Regional Council resides over a variety of services and resources, including ‘Artspace Mackay’ and the libraries. The best feature of the libraries is the roaming book mobile that visits remote suburbs with a selection of reading material.

Mackay’s shopping mall, Caneland Central, is in the end phase of renovations.

This shop immediately caught me eye. Typo sells adroable stationary, gift and home wares. It was challenge to walk out empty handed.

Later in the evening I took walkabout the neighborhood where our hotel is situated. At 6pm, the moon showed it’s face.

The sun set over gnarly trees, dry fields and power stations.