FLYING FOX CAFE - Mona Vale

Now, I'd like to think I'm a bit of a foodie, but reality dictates that this love sometimes has to make way for other priorities. I find myself today with a weather forecast for another sunny winter's day, and a child absolutely bursting with energy and with his big sister at school, in need of a play mate. So, acting on some past recommendations, today is the day to make the trek down to Mona Vale and to check out the Flying Fox Cafe. You can find this incredibly popular eatery at the end of Mona Vale road, and a little to the left, inside the Winnererremy Bay Reserve. We went on a week day and the parking was easy. However, on the weekends I've heard it is beyond busy, so be warned. The reserve itself is in a beautiful location. Right on the bay, your eye is immediately drawn to the glistening water and the bobbing boats. Across the grass the Cafe is immediately recognisable by the huge coloured sails shading the larger than large play areas. Entering the gate you realise that along with the flying fox, there is two separate areas for play. One for smaller children, and the other for more adventurous older kids. The rope climbing tower is just screaming to be climbed, there is two "skateboards" on rail, that the most energetic of kids can stand on and by holding the bar at waist height, rock themselves along the track until you can't rock anymore (guess what the lad did?). Lots of colour and motion with assorted seating scattered about for the carers makes it great as a park in itself. At the back of this area is a modern pavillion with a covered eating area which houses the cafe and toilet block (a godsend at the park but not always a given). We had arrived just in time for morning tea, so we ordered a latte, chai, kids milkshakes, along with banana bread and a chocolate mousse. Sounds quite run-of-the-mill? Not so. The drinks were great quality and they really cater to the fact that lots of parents need to be on hand in the play area even though the cafe is just on the other side of the fence, so lids for coffees, and cardboard carry boxes are the norm for the food that gets taken away. We had a smaller child with us today, so no sitting down to relax, it was take away all the way! The cafe offers an all day menu and along with the cakes, muffins and wraps, you can also order burgers, beer battered flathead fillets, and other mouth watering feasts. The outdoor setting next to the bay is also a winner, so it would be a perfect place to enjoy a weekend brunch and just let the kids run free. Back to the food. The banana bread was large and thick, and drizzled enticingly with honey. Priced at about $7 I expected it to exceed expectation. It did. Today was the day I was to start my new lower fat food regime, but faced with the itty bitty DELICIOUS looking choccie mousse, I was never going to win that fight. So, giving in willingly, I bought one and realised after the first bite that even though it was small (about the size of a golf ball), it was incredibly rich and sumptious. The base was a disc of milk chocolate, on top of which was the perfectly dense chocolatey mousse, encased in a thin chocolate shell. Just thinking about it I want to revisit it (no wonder I'm in need of a low fat diet). After our snacks, we moved out of the gated area, and through a beautifully landscaped garden, with rock sculptures of sealife which kept the kids interested. We stopped for a bit of a play in a small sandpit area, and then wandered around along the waterside looking at the ducks and boats. I wouldn't say its a peaceful day out, the playground and popularity has made that impossible, but you can get away from it all and take some good food out onto the reserve and roll out your picnic rug whilst the kids dig along the waterline or just run free in the park. Flying Fox is a great day out, worth visiting for both food and activity, just beware on the weekends, I've heard the wait for coffee can be up to 1/2 hour. Flying Fox Cafe is at Winnererremy Bay, 2 Mona Street, Mona Vale 9986 0980. Happi Eating!