Cuckoo for Montville
Time to race into one of the hinterlands iconic shops for a fun family challenge. Carlie Wacker chimes in on a competition that is clocking up some serious attention (just count the puns!).
Inspired by the filming of the television show The Amazing Race – The Cuckoo Race has kicked off at the quirkiest tourist attraction on the Sunshine Coast – Clock Shop in Montville.
This iconic Sunshine Coast Hinterland business has been a drawcard for visitors since it opened in 1993. Daniel Hoffman and his wife Holly are second generation family owners of Clock Shop after Daniel’s parents Phil and Fran opened the unique Montville shop 28 years ago.
In this time more than three million customers have uncovered a world of hums, chimes, rings and things. The experience of visiting this landmark is both nostalgic and magical. The Western cedar shingled roof transports us to another time (pun number three) and place. As you step over the pond via footbridge you plunge into a world of handcrafted German grandfather and cuckoo clocks. Don the lederhosen – we are heading into historical Germany and there is a lot to take in.
Every square inch of this destination is brimming with whimsy and full of traditional German items including beer steins, Christmas decorations, music boxes, watches, souvenirs and so much more. You can totally understand why earlier this year our very own Clock Shop was featured in Episode 14 of the much-loved TV series, The Amazing Race.
Ever since, they have seen an increase in visitor numbers to the store. So, a few months ago Clock Shop launched The Cuckoo Race – an exciting new game that the whole family will go cuckoo for – and it is completely free to play.
Here is how it works: hundreds of cuckoo clocks adorn the interior walls of Clock Shop and each are set to go off at different times. Your challenge is to find a symbol in one of the Cuckoo clocks when it goes off – quite difficult when you have so many clocks cuckooing randomly around the shop. To make things even more difficult, the symbol will change places every day. Once the symbol has been found, you need to tell a staff member what the symbol is, and then take a photo with a special sign which is then shared to social media as your entry ticket.
Each entry automatically enters you into the monthly minor prize draw, as well as the major prize drawn in December – a cuckoo clock worth $1890!
The beautiful prize cuckoo clock was created by Anton Schneider, a family run company now in the 6th generation of clock making and has been handcrafted from the Black Forest region in Germany.
This amazing piece will be awarded via random selection on December 1 to one lucky contestant, making for a fantastic early Christmas present!
Daniel said they wanted to create a fun way for customers to play the game and potentially win some prizes.
“The idea is quite simple- customers simply find the hidden symbol behind the door of one of the cuckoo clocks and tell staff what the symbol is,” he said. ”We capture the moment and celebrate it on social media. At the end of the campaign, one lucky customer wins a grand prize!”
The whole family will enjoy this challenge so make a day of it and set off on a The Cuckoo Race adventure in Montville.
Time is ticking people!
