Babinda Bakery

Babinda is the kind of small North Queensland town where a bakery can become the reason to stop, and Babinda Bakery has earned that status. Travellers pulling in on the way to the Boulders or Paronella Park keep getting pointed here, and one visitor was sent by the person who checked them into their Cairns accommodation. Another was following a fellow camper who was raving about the pies and went straight there.

The pies are the main event, and the range is bigger than you'd expect from a country bakery. People talk about the pepper, mushroom, chicken and vegetable, lamb and rosemary, steak and kidney, and potato and beef, plus bolder ones like the Mad Mexican mince and a Thai chilli. There's a hot chilli pie for the adventurous, and we've heard the mild version is the safer pick. The fillings are generous and saucy rather than dry, and the pastry comes up golden, crisp and flaky. A butter chicken filo pastry gets a special mention from someone who tried it alongside the pies and called it the standout.

The sweet side holds its own. The cream buns have a real following, with one visitor calling theirs among the tastiest they've had, and the vanilla slice is a fluffy, two-storey affair. Apple turnovers, carrot cake and sausage rolls get a nod too, and one traveller said they preferred the desserts to the pies, so there's something here whichever way your tooth leans. Loaves are sold too, and they're not full of air.

You can take it away or sit in for breakfast and a coffee, which people rate as very good, and the milkshakes arrive in a proper silver tin. Staff are friendly, and one local noticed them checking whether customers had already been served. Parking is free, and the entrance and car park are wheelchair accessible. Cards and tap-to-pay are fine.

The bakery keeps shorter hours on weekends and is closed on some days, so check the hours before you head in.