Trevor Pepys reviews Noosa Heads Surf Club
Sitting at a front row table on the First Point Deck at Noosa Heads Surf Club on a glorious spring afternoon, sneaking a peek through the trees at the small swell lines wrapping around the point to one side, and across a shimmering Laguna Bay to the long finger of the Cooloola Wilderness on the other, the last place Trevor expected to be transported to was the south of France, but voila!
It was a dreamy kind of afternoon, and sipping on a glass of mellow La Vieille Ferme ros¨¦ ($9), a Rhone Valley blend as old as the estate of the famille Perrin that gives it the name, he found himself sitting at a rough wooden bench in front of a bar on the outskirts of a Camargue village, in that crazy land of dark-eyed gypsies, white stallions and pink flamingos. This was a regular stop on the long road journey from the Basque country to the wineries of the Luberon and the Rhone, and monsieur knew that Trev had come to grab a stash of the ridiculously cheap, quasi-legal and immensely quaffable Sable de Camargue ros¨¦s produced in a shed out the back, before heading into the expensive chateaux country.
It’s a long way from the sandy marshes of the Camargue to the deck of the Surfie, but Trev was there in a shot when his duck confit was slid in front of him, its delicious aroma almost sending him back to France, via a few exotic Asian ports. There’s an old line about the better the view, the worse the food, but when you come to the Surfie, you can throw that one right out the window. But we’ll get to the tucker part of the tucker column in a moment – just be patient. First, a word about our sponsor.
From humble beginnings as a swell-smashed tent on a sand dune almost a century ago, the Noosa Heads Surf Club has gone through many incarnations before arriving at its current position as the biggest, airiest, friendliest place in town for a beer and a feed. But one thing has remained constant – that unbeatable view. Sure, it’s a surf club with a dress code, and Trev can remember years ago being escorted from the premises for throwing a pair of shoes off the balcony to their rightful owner so that he too could secure entry, but under club president Ross Fisher and Supporters Club manager Anton Mogg, the Surfie has become a relaxed and welcoming place for all, even dishevelled surfers and superannuated semi-professional food critics.
It was Ross Fisher who decided to celebrate the club’s history around its walls, first introducing a historic photo montage at the entry stairs, then this year creating the surfboard riding history pillars of the First Point Deck. Check out Noosa’s colourful surfing history next time you visit.
So here we sit, a duck confit with Asian greens, sweet potato and mandarin sauce ($27) in front of me, a comfort food chicken parmigiana with Napoli sauce, ham cheese melt and chips and salad ($24.50) in front of Mrs Pepys. The duck is a staff recommendation from the blackboard “Surfing Asia” menu, an excellent addition to the Surfie offering that also features prawns and coconut rice in a green Thai curry and a grilled salmon and Asian greens the day of our lunch. But the call from behind the counter is a good one – a crispy-skinned quacker with succulent meat and delicious sweet potato helped along with a tangy sauce. It’s so good, Trev has to sneak in a Japanese lager ($8) to complement it, between his pale ros¨¦s.
Meanwhile, the missus wolfs down her parmigiana, declaring it just what the doctor ordered, and leaving so few chips for Trev that he has to order another bowl ($9). And that means there’s time to sneak in a couple more glasses of the delicate pink. Should have bought the bottle!
So, we had meaty feast on this occasion, but it’s worth pointing out that the Surfie has an excellent seafood selection, from the simple and delicious battered flathead and chips, to the legendary iced bucket of Mooloolaba prawns, which need to be washed down with tap beers from the huge and varied selection from local craft to old favourites. In fact I’ve talked myself into heading back for a prawn extravaganza very soon.
The verdict: Friendly service and atmosphere, good, honest tucker with a few exceptional dishes, excellent bar with extensive wine list … and then there’s that view.
See you at the Surfie!
