Nude Food Calendar unwrapped

The unseasonably warm weather yesterday provided the perfect conditions to whip the covers off the Granite Belt's new Nude Food calendar.

The calendar features photos from in and around Stanthorpe with almost all taken by members of the community across the Queensland wine capital. Celery grower Peter Harslett proved a popular choice for the front cover with other talent revealed inside.

The theme for the 2010 calendar was Strange Bird meets Nude Food on the Granite, a natty way of promoting its two self-drive visitor tours for those pursuing good wine and food. The monthly themes reflect what's in season on the Granite Belt. Online each month a recipe will be posted, beginning with a delicious garlic mushroom recipe using Granite Belt mushrooms of course!

The calendar is an initiative of Granite Belt Wine & Tourism Inc (GBWT) a not-for-profit community group. The calendar is available from the Stanthorpe Visitor Information Centre with proceeds being reinvested into promoting the region.

Public reaction to the calendar has been very favourable, although two women complained that there wasn't enough bare flesh. [Hard to please some people isn't it!] Photographers can take inspiration from the first edition and start now on their next entries. New vintage wines is the September theme, with spring (Primavera) being the time when new vintages are released.

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No Vacancy? No Problem!

One way to avoid drinking and driving in a wine region is to bring your home with you. Visiting a winery and looking at a motor home is the somewhat novel idea of Mountview Wines. The family-owned winery just south of Stanthorpe is hosting a weekend expo in association with Motorhome Conversion Co. And if the idea of owning a traditional motor home doesn’t appeal to you, the Brisbane based company has a great reputation for converting buses and vans into your personal home on wheels.

The September exhibition (19th and 20th) also includes a range of Granite Belt produce from Glen Aplin’s Nature’s Glen, producers of locally procured honey and jams. They are apparently Queensland’s first saffron grower.

The McGrath family will make you welcome to Mountview with a free sausage sizzle, use of their community pizza oven and picnic grounds. Also on offer will be their 2008 Bloody Good Red which will be available by the glass. Plan a weekend trip to Stanthorpe in September and who knows, you may end up investing in a trip of a lifetime!

Visit the Granite Belt event pages to find out more.

Forget Paris... it’s love on the Granite Belt

It appears expensive trips to Paris are no longer in vogue. Love is in the air on the Granite Belt as the boys have been busy planning romantic proposals for their lucky ladies.

Alure Boutique Villas alone have had four such engagements in the last two months. And with the efforts of Stanthorpe accommodation operators like Marion Carrick, this trend is likely to grow.

What’s more ladies, savings on ticket prices alone will not only leave plenty of spare change for a truly romantic proposal, complete with beds of roses and candle lit dinners, think of the potential increase in diamond size!

With spring just around the corner, what better time to take that important next step with your loved one... Flowers in bloom, strolling through the vineyards as the grapes blossom and beautiful sunsets as your hosts secretly arrange your private plans. For a truly romantic experience, have a look at some of our luxurious Stanthorpe accommodation options and get some romantic proposal ideas.