Stay on a coffee plantation within a short drive of the Gold Coast

Wake up and smell the coffee at a new plantation farm stay before tasting your way around food paradise on the Tweed. SEE THE PHOTOS

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IF you can’t face the morning without coffee, this new farm stay at Carool is for you.

Origin House, which opened quietly earlier this year, offers an opportunity to sleepover at the source.

Views for days from Origin House, which overlooks the Tweed’s only coffee plantation.

The two-bedroom architecturally designed accommodation is just metres from the neatly planted rows of the Tweed’s only coffee plantation, Wirui Estate.

Perched on a plateau above a glittering Gold Coast skyline, Mount Cougal looming to the left, the modern masterpiece of glass and steel is designed to capture vast views.

It’s the picture of peace when my partner arrive at twilight, a couple of wallabies munching on the lawn and the house’s walls of windows thrown open to the breeze.

Host Zeta Grealy, a well-respected coffee judge and niche producer of Arabica coffee, isn’t far away, and her red cattle dog Artie usually joins the welcome party.

Zeta has stepped back from the roasting business to focus on supplying green beans to specialty roasters and spoiling overnight guests.

Zeta Grealy operates farm stay Origin House Photo: Origin House/ Laara Dean Photography

A steady supply of homegrown coffee is the obvious perk of checking in. Cooking up the local produce in Origin House’s generously equipped kitchen is another.

Woodland Valley Pasta is on our menu, one of Origin’s Northern River “neighbours”, home to around 1700 pastured chickens and 250 pastured ducks.

Keep your staycay menu local with Northern Rivers pasta from Woodland Valley Farm.

The Italian heritage of farmer and artisan Fabian Fabbro is reflected in their small-batch artisan pasta (try the squid ink) made from ethical eggs.

The next morning – after a coffee, of course – we meet Zeta amid the K7 arabica trees.

She talks us through the slow ripening of the cherries in her subtropical slice of paradise, encouraging us to taste their surprising sticky sweetness.

Wander through the arabica trees at Origin House. Photo: Allan Beare

While it’s a behind-the-scenes glimpse usually reserved for industry insiders, Zeta will host a coffee tour as part of Tweed Artisan Food Weekend from November 27-30.

The restaurant just down the road is also taking part.

A culinary champion of the bountiful border towns’ producers, Potager will host a Meet the Locals Lunch.

The sold-out event will showcase Cape Byron Distillery, Kat Harvey Cheese, Terranora Lakes Oysters and Tweed Real Food, but you can expect the same level of local devotion any time you dine at the kitchen garden.

The oysters go from local plot to plate at Carool’s kitchen garden Potager.

For more information on Tweed Artisan Food Weekend go to destinationtweed.com.au or for Origin House go to zetascoffee.com.au

In the meantime, here are three events to whet your appetite:

ZETAS COFFEE TOUR

November 27 9.30 – 11.30am, $66

Tour the trees, learn about harvesting and processing and explore coffee characteristics with a tasting of two single origins.

Mud crab will be on the menu for chef Steven Snow during the Tweed Artisan Food Weekend.

CRABBER AND THE CHEF

November 28 9.30am – 3.30pm, $220

In this collaboration between Tweed Eco Cruises and chef Steven Snow of Fins Restaurant, head to the upper reaches of the Tweed River and Terranora Lakes to see how mud crabs are caught before eating the spoils at Fin’s Restaurant.

FARM FEAST WITH CHRISTINE MANFIELD + FARM & CO

November 29 12.30 – 4pm, $210

The famous chef will whip up a three-course long lunch celebrating local producers with organic wines by Baume Fine Wines.