How to spend 48 hours in Mount Mee

Anything worth doing is worth doing properly, which is why you should start this weekend in the country with wine-tasting on the mountain.

But this isn’t any wine tasting. This is wine tasting by hoof, not foot.

Ocean View Estates Winery and Restaurant run a ‘wine and ride’ tour in conjunction with the team at Slickers Horse Riding, where you can saddle up and experience a trail ride to get to lunch.

If you’re not a seasoned rider, you’ve got nothing to fear, because you’ll be matched with a horse to suit your ability before hitting the open trail. The Slickers horses have seen more pastures than Melbourne Cups, and are an easy ride for beginners.

You’ll spend around two hours on horseback taking in views over Brisbane and Moreton Bay before you arrive at Ocean View Estates in time to sample the local vino. If you’re looking for things to do in Mount Mee, this should be top of your list.

12 noon: Vines, bines and wine 

On arrival at Ocean View Estates, meet the chief winemaker and vigneron Thomas Honeff, who was the mastermind behind planting the first grapes here back in 1998 with his wife Kate. He’s since built a vineyard which produces 35,000 bottles of wine each year.

The altitude of the property (450m above sea level) makes for ideal wine growing all year round. The cooler temperatures mean longer growing times, which means greater flavour – after one sip, you'll have to agree with this winning formula.

Explore the area with a tour of the vineyard and cellar with one of your generous hosts.

1PM: Lunch

Without a doubt, the hardest decision you’ll make on this weekend is whether you’ll vine or bine (wine or beer) with lunch. For the uninitiated, grapes are grown on a vine and hops are grown on a bine. Don’t worry, you’ll soon be an expert in brewing lingo as you learn all about it on the winery tour.

Picking from the menu is no picnic, either. Choose from a banquet or a la carte dining options and be tempted by the likes of beef tartare, ricotta and blue swimmer crab dumplings, chestnut gnocchi and whole roasted duck. 

3PM: Inspect your accommodation

Whether you’re in need of an afternoon nap, or simply want to see where you’ll be resting your head tonight, this is the perfect opportunity to visit one of the three onsite cabins that are walking distance from the Ocean View restaurant.

Accommodating couples, families and larger groups, these small and cosy cabins have you and your group covered. Cosy up next to the fireplace, take in the mountain and vineyard views, or slip into the spa. City life feels a million miles away right now.

Ocean View even accepts your furry friends in the fully fenced Winemakers Cottage.

4PM: Take in the stunning scenery by air

If time is of the essence, romance is on the cards, or you’d prefer to take in the vines from a whole new perspective, a helicopter tour can bring you directly to Ocean View for lunch.

Take in the stunning Glass House Mountains and Mount Mee, land right in front of the restaurant at Ocean View and enjoy a glass of wine and a special banquet prepared just for you. Once you’ve had your fill of wine and local produce, you’ll be whisked back to the city in style.

Sunset: Watch the sun go down with a picnic

What better way to watch the sun dip below the horizon than with a bottle of wine and a selection of cheeses. Ocean View Estates’ providore is ready and waiting for you to choose a selection of premium nibbles. Create your own picnic menu, grab a bottle or two of wine and find yourself a green perch to lay your rug as you take in the views.

Whether you choose to end the evening with a banquet or relax in a spa in your cabin, you’re guaranteed a blissful sleep thanks to that fresh country air.

Sunday

8:30AM: Breakfast with a view

Head to Birches Restaurant on Mount Mee for breakfast. A sprawling Queenslander with expansive decks, Birches offers the perfect vantage to take in the surrounding views to the countryside, including Redcliffe Peninsula, Moreton Bay, Moreton Island and beyond.

Or, if you’re too taken with Ocean View to leave just yet, the on-site providore has a small selection of breakfast treats including toasties, croissants and granola.

9:30AM: Hike yourself happy

After a day of non-stop indulgence, a hike is just what the doctor ordered.

The Somerset Trail in the D’Aguilar National Park is a 13km track (about a four hour hike) that will take you through eucalyptus woodlands, scribbly gum plantations and lush subtropical rainforests.

It’s a veritable botanist’s playground with more than 800 plant species, but it’s not all flora here. Keep your camera handy because about halfway along you can enjoy views to the west overlooking Somerset Dam and Wivenhoe Dam.

Hikers should be sure to pack your own water. There are no spots to fill up en route.

If you’ve got energy to spare, the dam offers canoeing, kayaking and rowing and trails for mountain biking and horse riding. Or, take on this list of things to do in the Glass House Mountains.

2PM: Take a drop of Mount Mee home with you

As you face the journey home to reality, stomach full and soul rejuvenated, make sure you secure your own piece of Mount Mee to sample from the city.

Ocean View’s selection of wines and beers make a great gift, or keep them for yourself and cheers to the perfect country escape from your couch.