The Flying Nun in Samford

On a misty and rainy "Summer" Sunday my friend and I drove out to Samford to have lunch at The Flying Nun for her birthday.  Her sister had recommended it to her and suggested that she reserve a table as it is very busy on weekends.
I was immediately excited upon arrival, seeing some cane couches under a tree outside because it looked like a relaxing spot to laze and read the paper with coffee in hand (had it been a fine day that is). We entered the cafe to discover it is a converted old timber church. It's absolutley charming inside with the original tin window shutters with the cross cut out of them on one side of the cafe and beautiful stained glass windows on the other. There is artwork on display and for sale, and massive morrocan style candle holders hanging from the ceiling.

The seasonal menu is not extensive but what I would consider a perfect amount of choices on offer. It included a Ceaser style salad with grilled strips of eye fillet steak and creamy blue cheese ($22), Prime mince burger and beer battered chips ($19), Barramundi fillet with smoked paprika and thyme crust with a greek spinach filo ($23), Grilled chicken panini with sundried tomato, basil tapenade and roquette ($14) along with some other scrumptious choices and various daily specials.  I opted for the Goats fetta, roasted pumpkin and sage tart and crunchy apple and walnut salad ($17) and my friend chose the Tiger prawn and calamari paella with a tomato and lemon salsa ($24). I was hoping wine would be on the menu but unfortunately it was not, however there is an option to BYO and corkage is $5 per bottle of wine/champagne and beer is $3 per person. Our drinks were brought out to us immediately and the lunches a short time after by the friendly and very efficient wait staff.

My tart was the perfect size and my first bite took me straight home to lunch at mum's as I tasted  a warm and comforting creamy delight. The crunchy apple and walnut salad was fresh and delicious and again reminded me of my childhood as this is a salad that was a regular feature and friends and family gatherings. My friend's Paella was equally fresh, flavoursome and delicious and a generous serving and her fresh Pineapple Juice looked out of this world.

Our belly's full, we deliberated whether we could try to fit in a piece of one of the fabulous looking cakes (all made on premises) on display, it was her birthday afterall. Geniously we decided to share a piece of cake so as not to miss out. I ordered a piece of the amazing looking Rasberry and coconut cake to share and an earl grey tea from the extensive list of teas for my friend, and coffee for myself. The tea was aromatic and yummy and my coffee was good. The cake was to die for. My God (well we were in an old church) I haven't tasted a piece of cake like that for...well I'm not sure when if ever. The cream cheese icing was devilishly good and the cake was magnificently moist and the big chunks of rasberrys mixed with the cocunut and melted in my mouth. Yum!

The Flying Nun has a warm and cozy atmosphere with delicious and comforting food for affordable prices. I really enjoyed my visit and will definately be back, hopefully next time in the sunshine to relax in the rainforest gardens that it's set in. Open 6 days a week (closed Mondays) from 7 - 4, I highly recommend a visit!

Red Hill Movie Review and Balmoral Cineplex

The decision made, surprisingly with relative ease, to view Red Hill above other films. Not wanting to wait until 9.30pm to watch it, we opted to journey to the other side of the river to the Balmoral Cineplex at Oxford Street, Bulimba.


The Cineplex is pretty cool I reckon. A little bit Old-Skool. It reminds me of the Roma Cinema actually but plonked in the city. At $8.50 per adult plus a small drink and medium pop-corn for $5 - the price is right!! The actual cinemas are quite small and the chairs are not as comfy as Birch, Carroll and Coyle but you still watch the same movie for almost have the price! The location is perfect with abundant cafes/bars/restaurants surrounding it, giving you the option of having coffee/wine/dinner before or after watching the film and allowing you to be a part of the Saturday night atmosphere created by people out-and-about.


The actual film Red Hill is another story. It is directed by Patrick Hughes and stars Ryan Kwanten, and Steve Bisley. It's an Australian Western set in a small country town of Red Hill where the population has halved and shop fronts are empty.


Shane Cooper, played by Kwanten is a young Constable who has been transferred from the city to Red Hill so his heavily pregnant wife can lead a more quiet, less stressful life after miscarriaging with their last pregnancy. Old Bill, played by Bisley is the Sergeant and Top Dog of the town. News of a convicted felon and past resident of Red Hill, Jimmy, breaking out of prison sends Old Bill into a spin and he has the town troops rallied and on full alert.


My boyfriend assures me that it was a laugh at Western Movies but I felt it wasn't funny enough to really be sure of this. The storyline was ok with The Prisoner wanting revenge on the town, but the actual acting out of this was like Crocodile Dundee meets Naked Gun. Really over acted and laughable. There were some incredibly lame one-liners in there too but again, not lame enough to get across if it was Satire or not. There were no real twists and turns to speak of and it didn't captivate me one bit. I wish they would have had a real go at this movie because I would love to see a great Australian Western.


Although I give the actual flick a thumbs down, I did enjoy the beautiful Australian Scenery and I think Steve Bilsey is a fabulous actor and felt he played his intended role well.