AmazingCo Mystery Picnic Date: An honest review
Looking for a unique day out with someone special? AmazingCo’s mystery picnics could be for you. Read on to find out what exactly a mystery picnic involves, where you can do them in Perth and surrounds, and whether it’s worth it.
This AmazingCo mystery picnic review is based on my experience of going on a mystery picnic in Chittering with my partner (with thanks to my mum who chose a gift voucher for it as our Christmas gift).
What is a mystery picnic?
On one level, the term ‘mystery picnic’ is pretty self-explanatory: you’ll end up at a surprise outdoor location with a spread of delicious food to enjoy. But AmazingCo’s mystery picnics aren’t simply a turn-up-and-eat situation. It’s as much about the journey as the destination! To gather the components of your picnic, you’ll spend some time solving clues and visiting different locations, with gourmet goodies waiting for you at each one.
AmazingCo offers mystery picnics tailored to couples, groups or families. It’s a great way to combine a good meal with a bonding experience, and enables you to discover places you may never have heard of before.
AmazingCo Mystery Picnic locations
AmazingCo operates in several cities, with mystery picnics available in several choices of locations in each one. Some locations are walkable, but for many you’ll need a car to get around: check the details before booking.
Here in Perth, options include the Swan Valley, Fremantle, Highgate, Subiaco, Claremont, Mandurah, Kalamunda and Chittering.
We chose Chittering, in the northern end of the Perth Hills, as it was the area we were least familiar with. It turned out to be surprisingly beautiful – a peaceful country escape just an hour from the city centre, with excellent stops to gather delicious food items and enjoy our picnic!
You could choose a location you want to get to know better within your home city, or use a mystery picnic as a fun way to explore an area while travelling. Personally, I’d love to do one in a wine region near Adelaide!
How does an AmazingCo mystery picnic work?
For AmazingCo’s mystery picnics, you’ll need to book at least a few days in advance. This is because they pre-arrange your visit with several suppliers, who’ll be expecting you on the day. Just choose your location and date and book via the simple online form.
They’re quite flexible, offering changes up until three days before your booking date, so if the weather isn’t looking good as the day approaches, never fear! I had to postpone our original booking for that reason, and it was quick and easy via their online chat.
The day before your booking you’ll receive a link to access the clues for your adventure. Each one takes just a few minutes to solve, and they’re not particularly difficult to do with the information provided, but you can access a hint or reveal the answer if you’re stuck.
After solving each clue you’ll have the name of your next destination, and need to navigate there using maps on your phone.
Being outside the city and visiting some quite isolated spots, we did find our internet access to be a bit patchy, which could have caused us to get stuck. A staff member at one of the stops mentioned that some people solve all the clues before setting off on their adventure, which I’d probably do in future if concerned about connectivity!
The final destination for the day is a picnic spot – though of course you could go anywhere that takes your fancy to enjoy the spoils of your quest.
While plenty of food is provided for your picnic, there are a few things you’ll need to bring along from home: an esky or cooler bag, picnicware (including knives, plates, cups and so on), and a picnic blanket or chairs and tables.
Are mystery picnics worth it?
AmazingCo’s mystery picnics start at AU$75 per person, with premium upgrades or wine add-ons available at extra costs. Your booking includes prepaid items at all your stops, so there’s nothing more to pay on the day (unless you want to grab extra treats). Some stops involve tasting food samples, and at some you can choose from a selection of items for your picnic, while others have set items pre-prepared. They do cater to dietary requirements; just make sure to add the details to your booking.
You could certainly buy all the makings of a delicious picnic spread more cheaply, but the mystery picnic turns a simple lunch into an experience. There’s the chance to strengthen bonds and exercise your brain by solving the clues. And there’s the joy of discovering amazing sights and producers you may never have known of otherwise.
We were gifted a voucher for the premium mystery picnic experience (currently priced at AU$220 for two people) by my generous mother, and loved it so much we’ve since gifted the same thing to others.
The area was simply beautiful, the food items were tasty and the experience was smooth at every provider – all we had to do was mention we were on a mystery picnic and they took care of us.
The premium version includes one extra stop on top of the standard all-inclusive package, plus a snack and hot drink along the way. On our Chittering adventure, we found the ‘snack’ to be so generous that we barely touched the picnic in the end (which was good, as it was well after 2pm by the time we got there), so we had plenty of food to take home and enjoy over the following weeks.
The verdict
A mystery picnic organised by AmazingCo is a lovely way to explore a place you’ve never been, or to discover hidden gems in an area you know and love. It mixes fun and games with delicious local gourmet goodies.
While the higher-priced premium experience offered heaps of extra treats, I don’t think we would have gone hungry with the standard package!
I’d happily do a mystery picnic again. If you go on one after reading this AmazingCo mystery picnic review, let me know what you think!
