AmazingCo Mystery Picnic in Brisbane
Are you looking for a fun family date day? Maybe you keep hearing about Mystery Picnics and are wondering if one is worth taking your family on.
I recently found the company AmazingCo and they have so many fun-sounding events, I knew that my family had to check some out.
After experiencing Amazing Co’s Family Date Night at home (and having so much fun), my family went out on a Mystery Picnic in Brisbane’s Paddington neighborhood.
Keep reading to find out more about our experience on an Amazing Co Mystery Picnic.
AmazingCo currently has Mystery Picnics and other events in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Their virtual events can be done at any location in the world.
Choosing a Mystery Picnic Location near Brisbane
We are currently located in Brisbane, Australia.
AmazingCo has in-person events in Brisbane and around the world. They also have virtual events, which you can obviously do anywhere.
They have events for couples, friends, and families. As we have 2 kids (5 and 7 at the time of these activities), I only looked at the family events. They say that if you have older kids you should check out the activities for friends.
I was curious about the Mystery Picnic. It sounded like a scavenger hunt meets a food tour and ends in a picnic.
There are currently 7 locations for a family mystery picnic near Brisbane. Noosa, Tamborine Mountain, Redcliffe, Burleigh, New Farm Park, South Bank, and Paddington.
What a hard choice! The price point (AUD$160/family of 4) is high enough to most likely make this a one-time event for my family.
I let Mark decide and he narrowed it down to Paddington and Redcliffe as we have driven through each neighborhood but have never hung out in either location. We have spent time in all of the other cities. I probably would have picked Tamborine Mountain as I love it there but decided to stay close to home and check out Paddington.
Paddington is about 10-15 minutes away from where we live, but as I said, we had never spent time there.
AmazingCo Mystery Picnic Review, Paddington in Brisbane
I did not want to open anything in the email early. I stopped when the directions said to start our adventure around 9:00 AM.
They recommend eating beforehand and bringing a cooler with you to keep your food cool until picnic time.
I was surprised at the early start time as it seemed like other locations could begin at later times, but I figured it had to do with when locations were open and activities that we could participate in between stops.
I opened the email from AmazingCo right before we left home and we had to solve a puzzle to see where our first stop on our Mystery Picnic would be.
It was helpful that they gave us games for the kids to play in the car on the drive there. To be honest, I usually put headphones on and listen to a book when we are all in the car, but it was nice to have a game to play together. The kids were so excited to play, especially my 7-year-old.
I imagined that we would be walking from stop to stop, but we had to drive. The games helped us continue to have fun even when we were in the car.
Sign up for a Mystery Picnic with Amazing Co!
Starting our AmazingCo Brisbane Mystery Picnic Adventure
At each shop, they knew we were coming. I would tell them that we were on a Mystery Picnic and they would gather our supplies.
Then we would solve another puzzle and figure out where to go next.
Once you figure it out, they tell you exactly what you will be picking up at your next stop.
AmazingCo has a suggested list of places to go in between stops, but most of them in Paddington were food-related.
We had eaten breakfast, as suggested, and were picking up lots of food, so we did not want to stop at their suggested places, but I did keep track of them for a later date.
Of course, Zach wanted to eat the entire time. We brought snacks, like always, but we ended up just having an early lunch.
After gathering all of the food, it seemed silly to just let it sit there while we found something else to do while we waited until lunchtime.
If I had to do it over, the one thing I would do is start later.
Finding a Picnic Spot
AmazingCo gives you a suggestion for a location to enjoy your picnic, and ours was a park with a playground. We drove by and it was crowded.
We had actually been to that park before, and the kids loved the playground there. Mark looked up another playground close by and we drove there for our picnic.
It was perfect.
The table was in the shade, and there were no other people at the small playground.
I set up the picnic while the kids played, and then we all enjoyed our meal.
There is definitely enough food for 4, especially since our kids are small. We had some leftovers to take home, and we saved the desserts for later in the day.
My favorite item at the picnic was the fresh juice. I was not expecting it at all. When they said that we would be picking up juice, I imagined juice boxes or a bottle of apple juice. It was a nice surprise that each person could pick out the type of fresh juice that they wanted.
AmazingCo Brisbane Mystery Picnic Review Wrap-Up
My family enjoyed the mystery picnic.
I do not know if we picked the best location for the mystery picnic. I wish there were more places to check out in between food stops.
We were happy with the restaurants and shops they have chosen, but it would have been nice to have more to do in Paddington. I also would have preferred to walk between stops.
AmazingCo has plenty more fun adventures, both in person and virtually. I am going to keep them in mind for birthday experience gifts, especially the murder mystery and escape room.
UPDATE: We played one of the Murder Mysteries for my mom’s birthday and it was a lot of fun. Each person gets information about their character. There were 7 clues given one at a time via the website, but otherwise, we talked to each other to solve the mystery. Due to being in separate locations, we played via Zoom.
Sign up for a Mystery Picnic with Amazing Co!
I would definitely consider going on another mystery picnic in a new location. Before traveling, I will check their site to see if there is one where we will be.
Checking their site, it looks like there are Mystery Walks coming soon. They seem different than the picnics because you stop and eat at each location. Obviously, since they are walks, you do not drive between the stops, which I prefer.
I also wanted to mention that there is a place to add dietary requirements. As I do not eat pork or beef, I mentioned that when we signed up. I could tell that my deli meat was switched from the typical salami and prosciutto to chicken. The kids got sandwiches, but we got to choose which type at the shop. Otherwise, everything was vegetarian.
Amazing Co Mystery Picnic FAQ
Expect the food and nothing else on your mystery picnic. Bring something to carry the food around in, including ice blocks to keep some of the food cool.
Bring something to serve the food on (if you want it to look nice) and something to plate the food on. The mystery picnic does not include plates or cutlery.
I brought a tablecloth to make the table look more festive. If you want to eat on the ground, bring a picnic blanket.
Our mystery picnic included juice, but I suggest also bringing water for everyone in your group.
Amazing Co says to allow 3-4 hours for your Mystery Picnic, but it depends on how many stops you plan to make between picking up your food.
If you just go from stop to stop, it can be completed much more quickly.
Some of our stops had our food ready to go while we had to wait at others as we were there during a busy time of day.
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