Saltwater Eco Tours is a venture that celebrates culture, environmental awareness, community spirit and Australian native ingredients.

In November 2024 we began collaborating with Skye Staniford, Creative Director at Golden Virtues Catering & Events to enhance the menu for our signature Bushtucker Cruise.

Read all about the collaboration and how Skye brought to life her incredible vision...

"In 2024, Saltwater Eco Tours won ‘Best Experience’ at the Sunshine Coast Business Awards, recognising their offering of an unforgettable culinary adventure in an exquisite natural setting.

A nod to the talented chefs who had previously worked onboard, we decided to elevate the existing seasonal, multi-course, mostly pescatarian tasting menu. 

Months of research & development ensued, as did many fascinating conversations with local suppliers, farmers and fishmongers. 

I’d return from long bushwalks with baskets of Bark, Leaves and Flora. Simon would give me bags of Bunya Nut, Satin Ash, Lillypilly and Pigface he’d foraged from along the coastline, to experiment with. 

I pickled and simmered, chopped and stirred, plucked and ground these beautiful ingredients for weeks. There were bushels of vibrant, aromatic Lemon Myrtle drying in the sunshine and a galaxy of sliced Fingerlime and brilliant Blue Quandong shavings dehydrating every night. It was an exciting time. 

Simon and Jenna would invite me to their home where we would taste every new development and talk about ways we could incorporate them into a shared vision, late into the night.

A pivotal moment occurred when our whole team visited Aunty Dale Chapman at her place ‘My Dilly Bag’ in Forest Glen. She talked to us about the origins, medicinal and cultural significance of every plant and we tasted a selection of her divine spice blends, syrups and relishes. 

Her knowledge has informed our new menu with the aim of making each ingredient shine through thoughtful pairings with a focus on sustainability, cultural respect for the land and waters of this beautiful country and gratitude for the bounty it provides. 

We have fine-tuned each dish to include over 25 key native ingredients such as Pigface Fruit, Leaves & Flowers, Saltbush, Lomandra, Macadamia, Melaleuca, Wattleseed, Grevillea, Anise Myrtle and Warragal Greens. 

We also developed a separate menu, allowing people with alternate dietary preferences to enjoy the same flavours, using plant-based ingredients. 

Whether it’s in one of our signature sauces, a floral garnish or a styling element on the plate, every course is a sum of its parts where these singular and utterly unique flavours can be discovered, experienced and enjoyed by our guests. 

To sum it up in a word, the Saltwater Eco Tours Bushtucker Tasting Menu is an embodiment of UNITY. 

A celebration of Australia's incredible food culture, our menu features fresh, wild caught seafood, distinct regional flavours and precious native ingredients sourced from all over the country:

• Grilled Snapper from Point Cartwright, paired with local Pine Mango Jam and tangy, hot pink Davidson Plum Powder.
• Smoked Barramundi from the Northern Territory, served with Satin Ash Lillypilly Sauce and crispy Barra Crackling.
• Filo Pastry filled with roasted Bunya Nuts, Kenilworth Club Cheddar and wild Rivermint from WA’s rainforests.
• Mooloolaba King Prawns, peeled below deck as guests board, accompanied by a deep, smoky red sauce based on the Bush Tomato or Desert Raisin from Central Australia.
• Coffin Bay Oysters on the half shell, dressed with a Vinaigrette made from Champagne Fingerlimes grown near Maleny.
• Barbecued Squid flavoured with nutty Wattleseed and cracked Pepperberry from Tasmania.
• For dessert, Lemon Myrtle Shortbread or a rich, organic Cacao Truffle packed with crystallized Buderim Ginger.

This year Saltwater Eco Tours will continue to collaborate and grow, with discussions underway to share their story at a special dining event as part of The Curated Plate Festival.

Additionally, plans are underway to expand charter services, grazing experiences and an already-legendary cocktail menu, aiming to delight and educate both the local community and visitors to this spectacular part of the world."

Our 5-star Bushtucker Cruise is a standout experience & must-do whilst on the Sunshine Coast! Book your spots today!