Karnak Review - The Karnak Playhouse, this national treasure has been called the most beautiful theatre in Australia with its open air amphitheatre nestled beside a tranquil lake at the foot of Manjal Jimalji and lush mountain ranges against a backdrop of the rainforest. It is one of the most gorgeous places on earth to enjoy a light lunch or a homemade sweet treat.

Oscar nominated actor Diane Cilento turned her back at stardom in the 1980s; from Broadway and London to Whyanbeel Valley, where she settled and created Karnak Playhouse, a unique centre for the arts. Just fifteen minutes drive north from Mossman (25 mins from Port Douglas), Karnak is another world.

The café & gallery is open daily between June and October and serves food made fresh from the region’s exotic produce. The Karnak crew, with their sumptuous baking prowess, have created a very personalised menu.

On the savoury side it’s hard to go past the fantastic mackerel fish cakes made with taro grown in the valley and herbs from the garden. Forget what you’re used to from commercial bakeries, these little beauties are redolent of old style home cuisine. They’re contemporary but they have an old school earthiness that’s positively uplifting.

At the sweet end, my vote goes to the genuinely unique soursop cheesecake with clotted cream. This is a very sensuous little number, simple but unquestionably sexy. Its creaminess and not so sugary taste conjures up … well, I’ll leave that to your imagination.

Elsewhere the menu is loaded with homemade specialties: Diane’s pea & ham soup, Delini’s curry, Dorothy’s vegetarian parcels, black sapote cheesecake, kaffir lime cake and of course, the zing of fresh tropical juices. (Tangello is especially gorgeous.)

However, if table service is not your thing, you can order a lunch hamper and indulge down by the lake. This is somewhat like being in a Renoir painting, with the still water, pontoon, and Manjal Jimalji looming atop a lush hillside. Classic honeymoon stuff.

Speaking of art, Karnak is also home to a collection of world famous Höglund Art Glass and occasional installations by renowned Australian designer and painter Linda Jackson.

If that’s not enough sensual delight, the fully licensed bar might help you get a little further into the mood, although, to be honest, it’s the truly welcoming vibe that Diane and her cast create that really pulls you in. If they had rooms, you’d probably never leave.