Kylie, our chef has had over 15yrs + experience in 3 to 5 star restaurants and resorts within Queensland and Victoria. Her career began as an apprentice Chef in a French Restaurant in Mildura, Victoria and then she landed a job on Hamiltion Island, (in the Whitsundays), in the Dolphin Room where she worked with an excellent Belgium Chef, Dominique. Whilst working on Hamilton Island her experience & knowledge expanded into different Cuisines from around the world. South Molle Island (also in the Whitsundays) saw her through her 3rd year of her apprenticeship. From there she finished off her apprenticeship at Ocean International & Pippis Italian Restaurant, both in Mackay Qld.
Later she worked at the Radisson Plaza, Cairns with the same Chef from Hamilton Island and continued to expand her knowledge. Kylie then decided that she needed a fun job and worked on Mike Ball Dive Expeditions as a Chef which went from Port Douglas to Lizard Island, Qld. And that was sooooo much fun. The dive boat catered for 26 guests & 10 staff including the Chef. It was the most awesome job in the whole world. In between working, Kylie learnt to scuba dive and was able to dive up to 4 times a day, snorkel, swim with whales (minkies - that was an awesome experience), see coral spawning from 8 metres under water - that's amazing if you ever get the chance to see, rub the Manta Rays bellies - they are so graceful, watch turtles and beautifully colourful fish.
So back to food........ The Dive Boat catered mostly for Japanese, American's & English tourists and Aussie's. So Japanese Cuisine featured on the menu daily, ranging from freshly caught fish made into sashime, miso soup made from the fish carcuss & sushi & plenty of rice which was usually served for most meals. The Guest & staff ate whatever the Chef felt like cooking, and we always had a BBQ with freshly cooked Prawns on the last night of each 3 day trip, (the tourists were flown in & out of Lizard Island). Introducing Japanese tourists to Vegemite was always interesting and fun.
After her year on the dive boat, Kylie decided that it was time to open her own Restaurant with her parents - Melaleucas Restaurant in Mackay, Qld. Melaleucas Restaurant offered Australasian Cuisine. Melaleucas Restaurant also had a 50 seated function room as well catering for the in-house guests in the resort. We achieve Restaurant of the Year in 1995 in a Resort of the Year (Blue Pacific Resort, Blacks Beach, Mackay Qld)
During her time at Melaleucas Restaurant, they bought an Italian Restaurant (Pippis Italian Restaurant also in Mackay).
September 2001 Kylie changed careers and became a massage therapist until April 2010 when she started up KnT Gourmet with her husband, Thomas.
