When Stephanie Papillo from the Friendly Little Kitchen was visiting Byron Bay recently, she got two beautiful classic shots: “We decided that we had to see the dawn,” she says. “We woke to the sound of the alarm, a room of darkness and chill in the air. A willing early rise like this was out of the ordinary for us, but without hesitation we put on our running gear  and took to the track. It was a beautiful run, from footpath to bush track. Light had just begun to fill the sky as we climbed the last great hill to reach the Lighthouse – the best vantage point in Byron Bay to watch the sunrise without a doubt!”

Papillo got her sunset shot on her first evening in Byron:  “We arrived in Byron Bay, and just a few hours later  found ourselves sitting on the rocks by the ocean, the sound of waves crashing below us and the beating of drums behind us. We watched the sky change elegantly before our eyes as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon.”

Stephanie Papillo uses a Canon Eos 700D.

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Ahhh Byron Bay! What a unique and wonderful place, the best kind for a week away. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know I was recently in Byron Bay and you’ll also know that I absolutely loved it. Beach, rainforest, mountains and beautiful sunsets, all at the same time, how could one not fall in love?
But that’s not what drew Robbie and I to Byron for our getaway. It all played a part, of course, but it was really the food that drew us there. And for very good reason.

Byron Bay and its surrounds are dotted with foodie gems. We were spoilt for choice for cafes and restaurants that offer gluten free, dairy free, vegan, nut free, and you-name-it dietary options, making it extremely easy for us fructose malabsorpers and the like to eat out. As you can imagine this was a highlight since I felt I could freely eat out almost anywhere. A few of my faves included the ridiculously good vegan smoothies at Naked Treaties, the delicious vegetarian nourish bowl at The Roadhouse, the Hare Krishna green curry at The Cardamom Pod, a proper good avo smash at Folk and some amazing brunches and coffee at Bayleaf. So so good!

Yummy vegetarian food from the Cardamon Pod in Byron Bay.

The food adventures did not stop there though. A prerequisite for our accommodation is always a full-size kitchen. I love having the option to stay in and cook, and rightfully so because the fresh local produce in Byron Bay was pumping! The weekly farmers market located just on the side of the town centre had everything we needed. And that’s where the magic really began. Especially when we found what we now refer to as the magical pineapple! The most deliciously sweet pineapple I’ve ever had and it only cost $2!

The foodie surprises continued when our overwhelmingly generous hosts surprised us with a delivery of a big container full of shelled pecans and an even bigger bag packed full of a variety of fresh herbs. We were pretty much in heaven.

With all this amazing fresh produce at our fingertips, I couldn’t help but get experimenting in the kitchen. An amazingly sweet and juicy pineapple and a heap of pecans… the answer was waiting in a fresh, hot batch of gluten free Hummingbird Pancakes made with buckwheat flour – definitely too good not to share!!

The last few hundred metres on the chain to the top of Mt Warning…

The view at the top makes it all worth while.

Food aside, Byron Bay was just a super cool place with plenty to keep us happy. If I had to offer my top three things to do in Byron, it would be eat, hike, and watch the sunrise and sunset. One morning we were up before the sun so we could run to the Lighthouse for the best vantage point to watch the sun hit the most Eastern point of Australia. Another day we drove inland through the Hinterland to the edge of Mount Warning for a hike that would leave my legs sore for days. With an almost vertical incline for the last 250 metres to reach the summit, it was a truly amazing experience… Luckily we had these pancakes on return to keep us going!

So there you have it, a few ideas for your next getaway and a damn good pancake recipe to enjoy.

Hummingbird Pancakes with caramelized pineapple, toasted pecans banana and yoghurt.

Hummingbird Pancakes

Serves 2

1 cup milk of choice

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 cup buckwheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1/2 banana, mashed

1 egg

Pineapple

Pecans

Banana

Natural yoghurt
Measure out milk, add the apple cider vinegar and set aside to ‘sour’. Combine all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mash banana in a small bowl, whisk in egg and soured milk. Add wet mixture to the dry, and mix well. Set aside for five minutes while you prepare some toppings. Place pineapple slices in a fry pan on medium heat to caramelise. You may also add the pecans to toast. Heat another fry pan on medium heat and begin cooking the pancakes – keeping an eye on the pineapple and pecans at the same time. Serve pancakes with caramelised pineapple, toasted pecans, fresh banana and a dollop of natural yoghurt. Enjoy!

Find out more about Stephanie Papillo and the Friendly Little Kitchen on:

friendlylittlekitchen

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