The Blackall Range has long drawn artists and craftspeople, and the wealth of exceptional talent gives rise to some wonderful galleries. Expect to find oil and watercolour paintings, bronze, sandstone and marble sculptures, porcelain, wood, photography, hand-blown glass, silk and textiles — there really is something to capture every imagination on this easy two-day trail through Maleny and Montville.
Day One — Maleny
Ease into the day with breakfast at The Orangery at Mary Cairncross Corner, then wander next door to Art on Cairncross where Joanna de Maine's ceramics and Michael Taylor's leather masks are stand-outs. Grab a bite at Maleny Food Co on the main street before visiting David Linton's timber works, Maleny Art Direct (home to Lindsay Muir's ceramic wildlife and Gary Myer's outback paintings) and Peace of Green — a collective gallery of glass, mosaic, pottery, ceramics, textiles, woodwork and paintings that's been operating for over 20 years. Finish with dinner by candlelight at Pomodoras on Obi.
Day Two — Maleny to Montville
Start with breakfast at Spicers Tamarind, five minutes out of Maleny, then head to the Ben Messina Gallery on the main street to see award-winning landscape photography collected by royalty and thirty countries worldwide. From Maleny, drive fifteen minutes to Montville. Turn into Western Avenue and drop down to Secrets Gallery on Lake Baroon — home to Jack Wilms's exquisite woodwork — then head back into the village to the Montville Art Gallery (established 1972) and finish across the road at Illume Creations, where Tina Cooper's world-renowned glass art dates the technique back to Roman times.
What to Expect
Most galleries are open daily, offer directly-sold works from represented artists, and are within short driving distance of Lillypilly's. Prices range widely — from small giftable pieces to serious collectors' works — so there is something for every taste and budget.