Summer is well and truly in full swing and us Gold Coasters live for this time of year. The sun stays out longer, social engagements quadruple, our skin is dewier, and we have an excuse to buy new clothes coz we can’t possibly be seen in last year’s summer duds #CrimesOfFaarshion.

One destination always at the top of our summer hit list is Sanctuary Cove. Forever brimming with life’s greatest pleasures (eating, sipping, shopping, beautifying, cruising, and people watching – not necessarily in that order), this luxe oasis truly comes to life during the warmer months.

Here are six reasons why you’ll find us soaking up the good life at Sanctuary Cove this season.

Update your wardrobe
I mean, #obviously. If designer threads from Europe and Australia and the latest summer looks are on your radar, Sanctuary Cove’s diverse range of boutiques have you covered. Pop into Calypso Resort & Swimwear for a new swimsuit and stock up on cutting edge Australian labels at Soho Girl. Shop designer shades, always on-trend denim looks and more at Harry’s Emporium, bespoke handcrafted jewels at Amore Fine Jewellery, and quality organic garments for your mini-me’s at Cabana Kids….and that’s just the tip of the ice block!

Sip on a cocktail
You don’t have to ask us twice! You can’t go past the #trending Palm Springs vibes at Destino Wine & Cocktail Bar. The sun-filled space casts beautiful, dreamy shadows through the garden of greenery, setting the perfect backdrop for your afternoon tipple or date night. Or, sip on Mexico’s finest tequila-based beverages at Pablito’s Mexican & Tequilaria. With a cactus in every corner, terracotta and venetian walls and exposed concrete, you won’t want to miss this ‘Juan’.

Restyle your abode
Keep up with The Jones’ and source new season furniture and homewares from Cabana to create a relaxed, coastal haven. Shop all things Hamptons at Hamptons Style, discover unique treasures from the souks of Morocco to the laneways of India at Theo & Joe, and find the perfect contemporary art print at Fineprintco #HiSlimAarons.

Dine by the water
Nothing says summer like a relaxed, waterside meal. Pop into Anchor Buoy for a casual sunlit brunch or seafood-infused long lunch. Newbie Chim Thai is the perfect spot for epic views and the best of modern and traditional Thai flavours. George’s Paragon is a long-standing fave with locals, serving up mouth-watering seafood, meat, pasta and more with a nod to Greek inspired fare. And for the perfect bougee date night, Ioesco Café and Cucina’s fresh Napoli cuisine and stunning marina views will woo that someone special.

Enjoy an unforgettable sailing cruise
All aboard Gold Coast Sail’s beautiful 45-foot Hunter Sailing Yacht, Sol Cazador. Known as the largest and best-appointed sailing vessel on the GC, this is THE way to see our beautiful local waters. Book a morning, lunch, sunset, premium, or adventure day cruise. With all the bells and whistles, this luxurious yacht has even featured on the likes of The Bachelor and yes, we’ll totally accept this rose.

Get beautified by the best
Pamper and beautify till your heart’s content with the crème da le crème of beauty services and retailers. Let Elite Skin tailor a skin treatment program to treat your concerns with a holistic approach. Experience massages and facials merging the best of modern clinical treatments and product ingredients at Vault Skin Lab. While you’re at it, give your smile the Hollywood treatment at Enhanced Dental, and swing into Studio Eclettico Hair & Co for all your hair and beauty needs #NewHairDontCare.

Where: 4601 Masthead Way, Hope Island
When: Hours vary. Visit www.sanctuarycove.com for more information

Words by Bianca Trathen.

STORY SPONSORED BY SANCTUARY COVE

If you look up “high achiever” in the dictionary, you’ll find a simple three-word definition; The Fireplace Restaurant. This award-winning wood-fire dining experience showcases the finest Australian produce infused with smoky flavour from the exclusive wood-fire oven. Garnished with seasoning from the restaurant’s herb garden and expertly paired with a world-class wine library, it’s pure happiness on a plate…and in a glass.

In addition to its endless five-star reviews, InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort’s signature dining destination has two major coups to celebrate. Cue the applause, nods of approval, and the sound of people furiously dialling their posse to lock in a Fireplace dinner, because this year is shaping up to be even more impressive than the last.

2022 was undeniably a memorable year for this fine dining power player. Firstly, let’s start with the resort’s appointment of the Dom Perignon of Executive Chefs, Mr Hamish Watt. Joining fellow culinary master, Head Chef Randy Tablan, Hamish’s extensive high-brow experience made The Fireplace truly ‘ignite’ (pun intended). With fanfare and hype galore, absolutely nobody was surprised when the prestigious accolades ensued.  Speaking of new recruits, InterContinental also welcomed a new Pastry Chef, Dee Hettiarachchi, whose pastry prowess and creativity in the kitchen is second-to-none.

With the A-Team fully assembled, naturally The Fireplace took out the top gong at the Restaurant and Catering Industry Association 2022 Awards for Excellence – South East Queensland, named the Best Restaurant in a Hotel/Resort. But that’s not all because in addition to claiming the gold in our region, The Fireplace was also a finalist in the national awards #bravo.

Don’t roll up the red carpet yet though, because more congratulations are in order. Yet again, this fine dining heavyweight was awarded a Two-Glass accolade in Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards, thanks to the carefully curated 200-strong wine library. This marks the sixth consecutive year of holding such a hotly contended title, and we’ll cheers to that. On repeat….

Looking into 2023, the culinary team are upping the ante even more to keep things exciting and enticing, just the way we like it. They’ve hit reset on the menu to align with the new season and we can already taste the wow-factor. To give your tastebuds a hint of what’s in store, let’s unpack the signature items – hot off the press.

Starting with entrées, the Charred Field Mushrooms with lentils, sauteed spinach and sherry vinegar dressing is simply unmissable. Then, who could resist a main of Barramundi with warrigal, baby corn, sugar snaps, heirloom tomato and salsa Verde and certainly not us. Or, if you’re partial to the grill, the 250g Milly Hill Lamb Rump with a selection of accompaniments and sides is a meat-eater’s dream dish.

Sweet tooths, you haven’t been forgotten with Dee Hettiarachchi’s newest dessert menu including his signature dish: Native Flavours. Featuring fresh Kakadu plum parfait, macadamia nougatine crunch, lemon myrtle sable, Bundaberg infused wild peach marmalade, dry mandarin and fresh berries, there’ll be no sharing because you won’t want to part with a single morsel.

Wine enthusiasts will be tickled pink (red and/or white) to discover that The Fireplace is sharing the  stories of their wine library with a collated series of producer profiles, including Henschke, Bouchard Pere et Fils and Barossa Valley Shiraz. Great news for non-wine drinkers too, because these stories aren’t limited purely to the wine list, with tailored choices across the entire range of beverages, particularly the incredible selection of whiskeys.

The year ahead will also see seasonal menu changes and highly curated special events come to life. Specialist wine dinners, signature dining events and Chef-led experiences are just a taste of what’s to come. Or if you have a special event on the horizon, why not host it in The Fireplace’s intimate Private Dining Room? Seating up to 18 guests, your soiree will be remembered for all the right reasons.

For more information and to keep abreast of The Fireplace’s latest news and gourmet offerings, follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

Where: InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, Lower Level, Manor Circle, Hope Island
When: 5.30pm – 9pm Tuesday to Sunday (closed Monday)

Words by Bianca Trathen.

STORY SPONSORED BY INTERCONTINENTAL SANCTUARY COVE RESORT

When a new venue specialising in quality, authentic Mexican cuisine and tequila launches, we drop everything. Especially when it opens on the Northern GC because halleluiah, this end of the Coast is finally getting its quota of fresh, modern and very ‘now’ eats spots. This particular establishment, the spec-taco-lar Pablito’s Mexican Cuisine and Tequilaria, calls the luxe (yet casually cool) Sanctuary Cove home, and is the new frontrunner on your ‘restaurants to try stat’ list.

With an emphasis on fresh produce presented simply, Pablito’s serves up a very on-trend predominantly plant-based and gluten free menu, with just enough non-planty goodness to keep the meat eaters happy. Offering indoor outdoor dining with capacity to seat 45 inside and 50 outside, it looks the part of the quintessential Modern Mexican cantina. But, it also has a slight Caribbean influence and holy guacamole, is this not the union of the two coolest vibes ever and we are already obsessed.

Speaking of obsessed, there’s a cactus at every turn which really speaks to our unrelenting fascination with these prickly must-haves. Our terracotta fetish is also well and truly nurtured, with gorgeous terracotta tables set against venetian walls and exposed concrete. The Virgin Mary herself resides within, in the form of several statues lit up with soft, flickering mood lighting creating a warm, authentic Mexican ambience. Clui Design and Northcoast Building and Maintenance certainly understood the assignment by creating a space that feels intimate and fun and best of all, like you’ve just swapped continents and stepped into Mexico City itself.

Owners Peter Baumgart and Paul Hodgkinson have outdone themselves on the big sister to their first-born Mexican restaurant, Caracara in Tugun. Looking to cut their teeth on something bigger and swisher, they patiently waited for the perfect location to present itself for a premium dining experience. Naturally when a spot at Sanctuary Cove became available, they were all over it like jalapeños on a taco.

Head chef Luke Corvin cooks up a show-stopping variety of delectable plates, designed both to share or hog all to yourself. Using only the highest quality produce and suppliers, sink your pearly whites into his signature Red Snapper Ceviche, enjoyed most when washed down with one (or more) of the many margaritas on offer. Our infatuation with this iconic Mexican cocktail is well documented, so any chance we have to knock back a few of these bad boys, we’re there before you can say muchos margis grazias. We’re ordering both the coconut margarita and the watermelon margarita because we can’t choose and why should we? The house tequila is made with wild agave and they only use organic, freshly squeezed lime in all their cocktails. Or, if you’re into sipping tequilas and mezcals (or shotting, like us circa the early naughties), there are over 50 on the menu and we dare you try them all. Actually, maybe don’t do that… because it really won’t end well for anyone involved.

We’re also fans of the Crispy Mushroom Tacos with cashew cream, charred white cabbage and hibiscus onion, and the King Prawn Lettuce Tacos with Persian feta, sauerkraut, egg, peas, hibiscus onions, and Yarra Valley salmon caviar (fancy!). And let’s not forget the Chicken Burrito Bowl with Mexican rice, house beans, salsa verde and roasted red capsicum sauce and slaw. Top it all off with the Dessert Nachos with salted caramel bananas, coconut yoghurt and peanut brittle and you’ve officially died and gone to foody heaven.

So if you’re keen to escape the mass produced, sour cream laden tex-mex style of chow and experience authentic and genuine Me-hi-co, Pablito’s is the real deal.

Where: Shop 39D Masthead Way, Sanctuary Cove, Hope Island
When: 5.30pm – midnight Monday – Wednesday, 11.30am – midnight Thursday, & 6.30am – midnight Friday – Sunday.

Words by Bianca Trathen.