One of my core values at Begin Well Nutrition is making food fun! I want everyone to truly enjoy and feel comfortable around food and mealtimes – which I understand are not always happy occasions. For that reason, I wanted to start a weekend series where I travel to different food-related attractions around the Gold Coast to inspire you and your family to find the fun in food again!
So I begin this series venturing to Northern New South Wales to go and explore ‘Tropical Fruit World’. It was a berry good time! (excuse the pun).
Tropical Fruit World is a family-owned farm located in Duranbah, halfway between Surfers Paradise and Byron Bay. The farm is well known for growing tropical fruits, in fact it has cultivated over 500 fruits from around the world – meaning there is definitely a fruit for everyone in the family to enjoy. Additionally, Tropical Fruit World offers a variety of experiences, including guided tours, mini golf, and even an animal park.
My family (which included my mum and two younger brothers, aged 11 and 13) and I decided to embark on the ‘Farm Tractor Tour’ – which was jam-packed and a lot of fun! We began the tour on a tractor exploring the vast landscape and discovering many of the fruits grown on the farm. During the tractor ride, we stopped at different stations to partake in different activities. We first were able to pluck our own bananas from a bunch (they were so delicious), and then crack open macadamia nuts – which was such a hit, as many of the kids hadn’t seen macadamia nuts with the shell on it before.
The tour then led us to an animal park – where everyone was able to hand feed a variety of farm animals, including sheep, ponies, kangaroos, and plenty of ducks. We then embarked on a boat cruise through the bushland valley in the heart of the farm.
The last stop of the tour was my personal favourite – exotic fruit tasting. We had the opportunity to use all of our senses and explore and taste fruits I have never even heard about before, let alone tried. Before we delved into trying the new fruits, one of the farmers gave a talk about each fruit and explained where it came from, and why it looked and tasted a certain way. My favourite fruit I tried on the day was Mamey Sapote – an orange-fleshed fruit, with a creamy texture. It has a taste similar to that of sweet potato, mixed with notes of cantaloupe. I think it would be a great addition to a smoothie, but I will have to try this before recommending it to you though.
Then the tour concluded and we finished with a meal at their cafe and a walk through their fresh fruit marketplace – where you have the opportunity to purchase a variety of exotic fruits to take home and experiment with. What a day!
My favourite aspect of this tour and what makes Tropical Fruit World so great, is that it’s fantastic for kids (and adults) to use sensory exploration to learn about and try new fruits. As you have the chance to pluck bananas, crack macadamia nuts, and touch different fruits, you are actually interacting with fruits without having the pressure to eat them! This is great for kids with fussy eating as they get an opportunity to explore unfamiliar foods in a fun and non-pressured environment – which is often the best place for kids to find the courage and excitement to try new foods!
If you are looking for something different, fun and tasty to do one weekend, I would definitely recommend you make the trip down to Tropical Fruit World. Make sure to get a photo next to the big avocado!
