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The Whitsundays is getting Australia’s first agave cellar door

Credit: Th3rd Dimension Media

Margarita lovers: There’s a cellar door coming to the Whitsundays you need to know about.

The Whitsundays may be best known for its white-sand beaches and idyllic islands, but head inland from Airlie Beach and you’ll find something more unexpected taking root: hundreds of thousands of Blue Weber agave plants.

Say hello to SOLLOS Estate, a 374-hectare agave farm and distillery around 45 kilometres from Airlie Beach. Soon, visitors will be able to experience it for themselves with a new cellar door set to open later in 2026.

What is SOLLOS Estate?

bottle of sollos spirit at the sollos estate
If you’re a margarita lover planning a trip to the Whitsundays, this should earn a spot on your itinerary. (Credit: Th3rd Dimension Media)

SOLLOS is billed as Australia’s first single-estate agave spirit, with the whole process taking place on one sprawling Whitsundays property.

The Eden Lassie farm sits between Airlie Beach and Bowen, where the first agave was planted in 2020. Today, SOLLOS says the estate is home to 570,000 Blue Weber agave plants.

If that plant rings a bell, there’s a reason. Agave tequilana – more commonly known as Blue Weber or blue agave – is the same species traditionally used to make tequila.

But you won’t see ‘tequila’ on the bottle. Much like Champagne, tequila is protected by geographical origin, so a spirit produced in Queensland can’t carry the name. Instead, SOLLOS is forging its own path as a distinctly Australian agave spirit.

Australia’s home-grown agave story

A man carrying a barrel at SOLLOS estate
This cellar door has been over six years in the making. (Credit: Th3rd Dimension Media)

While the SOLLOS name is new, good things take time and the farm behind it has been years in the making.

The property was established as part of the Australian Agave Project, an Australian agave spirit launched in 2024. SOLLOS is described by its owner, Blue Sky Drinks Co., as the next chapter for the project.

The estate’s agave plants have now had more than six years to grow, with many reaching the maturity needed to harvest their sugar-rich hearts, known as piñas.

SOLLOS currently has four expressions in the works: Whitsundays Blanco, Whitsundays Reposado, Whitsundays Añejo and a limited Whitsundays Reposado Distillers Release. Each is made with 100 per cent Australian-grown agave and sits at 40 per cent ABV.

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When will the SOLLOS cellar door open?

A shot of the agave plants with mountains in the background
While we’re still waiting for a finalised opening date, SOLLOS Estate is on track to open its doors to visitors in late 2026. (Credit: Th3rd Dimension Media)

Here’s the part potential visitors will be most interested in. A cellar door is slated to open at the Whitsundays estate later this year, bringing visitors closer to the Australian agave-making process.

While the finer details are still under wraps, SOLLOS is promising a farm-to-glass experience at the working estate, giving visitors the chance to see where the agave is grown and taste the resulting spirit close to its source.

It adds a surprising new experience to a region synonymous with sailing, snorkelling and the Great Barrier Reef. And at just around a half-hour drive from Airlie Beach, the estate could soon offer a compelling detour from the coast.

An exact opening date, along with details on tours, tastings, pricing and bookings, is yet to be announced. But with the cellar door expected to welcome its first visitors soon, your next Whitsundays margarita could have a distinctly local flavour.

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Jessica O'Donnell

Jessica O'Donnell

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Exploding supernovas & gold fever: discover the past at this outback Qld town

    Kassia Byrnes Kassia Byrnes
    Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

    While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

    Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

    Getting there

    car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland
    Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

    You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

    Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

    Best accommodation in Clermont

    Theresa CreekDam in clermont
    Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

    All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

    Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

    To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn.

    Things to do in Clermont

    three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting
    Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

    One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters, Four Mile, Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings. To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting. They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

    Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum. Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

    The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

    Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland
    See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

    For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

    Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services. Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

    Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs. The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

    Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

    meal at Commercial Hotel
    Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

    Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

    Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

    For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

    Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

    Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.