Brisbane & Yeppoon – Queensland – Australia – May 2022

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Australia, Brisbane, Emporium Hotel, Lunch with friends, Queensland, Storey Bridge, Yeppoon

This month I travelled out of Canberra to Queensland a state in northern Australia. I travelled to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland for three days and then flew further north onto Yeppoon which is a town on the coast of Queensland. The reason for my visit was to see friends and have time away from the cold of Canberra so I hopped on a plane and an hour and a half later landed in Brisbane but to make the trip more comfortable, I used my Qantas Frequent Flyer points and travelled in Business Class!

A couple of my friends had recently moved to Brisbane from Canberra so once I was picked up from the airport I went to their home where Vanessa and I enjoyed a glass of champagne overlooking the Brisbane River; the river unfortunately being very brown from the recent torrential rain, but still a stunning view.

On one of my days, my friends and I went to a rather new hotel in Brisbane called The Emporium located on the South Bank river and parklands precinct. Our lunch was at the rooftop bar and restaurant and as the rain had stopped we had lovely blue skies and great views of the city skyline.

Sharon chose our beverage and we started off with a very tasty champagne (feeling there is a theme to this visit) and then we all enjoyed a leisurely lunch. My four friends shared two seafood platters and I ordered spring rolls and a tomato salad. It was a lovely way to catch up with great friends I had not seen for some time. And at the same time enjoying those outside views and also the interior of the bar which is very modern and quite glamorous.

Whilst I was in Brisbane it was National Volunteers Week being Australia’s largest celebration of volunteering. One evening my friend Sandy and I walked home from dinner over The Storey Bridge a steel cantilever bridge that spans the Brisbane River, which was lit red to support National Volunteers Week to commemorate the work carried out by volunteers. And wow…it was so beautiful! And whilst the bridge is very lovely during the day, when it was lit red it was spectacular.

After three days it was time to leave Brisbane for Yeppoon. I had to take a plane to Rockhampton which is about a trip of just over an hour then my friend of 45 years came to collect me. I hadn’t been up to Rockhampton nor Yeppoon before and I hadn’t seen Tracey for quite some years so it was going to be a lovely few days visiting in her new home.

Our first day we went for a leisurely walk with her two beautiful dogs along one of the dog friendly beaches. We had woken early and the sun was just rising with a forecast for the day of mid twenties (degrees) so lovely weather to walk early.

That day we also took advantage of the blue skies and weather and walked along the promenade in town. So glad we did as the next two days the rain has not stopped and it’s become torrential.

Today, we did drive down to the beach with the dogs to see if the rain would stop as yesterday we were fortunate to be able to walk for half an hour; today not so. So we took a long drive for me to see some of Yeppoon; what a pretty place with lovely countryside and beautiful beaches. Beaches look so different without sun and blue skies; but still lovely.

One sight Tracey showed me was of a luxury boat (said to be worth $2m AUD) that had smashed into rocks after wild seas at Statue Bay, taken on water and eventually ripped its anchor resulting in it landing at Lammermoore Beach. I was told the owner of the boat does not have insurance!!! (big mistake) and it was his friend who was bringing the boat to Yeppoon on his behalf. There is a moral to this story and it’s something about if you have multi million dollar luxury boat – buy insurance!!

source: abc.net.au

And locals are said to be angry about the environmental issues (plastics and foam being consumed by turtles/fish), the time the owner is taking to remove the boat and about the amount of rubbish from the boat that is in the water and on the beach – don’t blame them!

So this has been my lovely trip away, one more day to go then back to Canberra where it’s temperature is in the low teens; chilly!

Phantom of the Opera – Sydney Harbour – Sydney – New South Wales – Australia – April 2022

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ANZAC Day, Cafe Sydney, New South Wales, Phantom of the Opera, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney, Sydney Harbour, Sydney Opera, travelling with friends

It was time for another weekend away, so with three of my friends, a few weeks ago we flew up to Sydney for a couple of nights, mainly to see Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour. The musical is performed on a purpose built floating stage with the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and city skyscape as background. It was spectacular so more on that later…

My friend Natalie found a great hotel for us to stay; the Margo Kimpton; recently opened and housed in a magnificent heritage-listed Art Deco building. The heritage site was a hotel previously but before that it was space for the Sydney Water Board. The hotel is beautifully placed in the middle of the city within walking distance of shops/Hyde Park and the harbour which meant we were able to walk to restaurants and the show.

The foyer of the Margo Kimpton hotel is very Art Deco and contained on one side is the Wilmot Bar; very impressive with its 1930’s style and a large range of spirits lining the back wall.

courtesy: http://www.kimptonhotels.com

I read that the ‘Margo’ was chosen and added to the Kimpton Hotel as a tribute to the artistic women of influence that played a leading role in shaping Australia’s design scene in the 1930s. And to tribute women, you will find stunning artwork picturing women along the corridors leading to the hotel rooms. And on occasions dogs as the hotel is pet friendly!

Our first evening we had booked Cafe Sydney a restaurant located at Circular Quay with spectacular views over the harbour and Sydney Harbour Bridge; this is an old favourite of mine and my friends and on this occasion it certainly didn’t disappoint. We arrived early and ordered a bottle of champagne from the restaurant’s extensive wine list and enjoyed a glass or two whilst looking at Sydney’s magnificent harbour and bridge. The vegan menu is very good and I really enjoyed my dishes as did my friends from the non-vegan menu.

No matter where I travel, city or country, I always like to get up early and go for a walk to see the sights and even though I have been to Sydney many times and in fact lived there, it was too good an opportunity to take a walk with a friend. I met Mandy at a well known meeting place outside the Queen Victoria Building (QVB) at the bronze statue of Queen Victoria which stands three metres high where she is wearing a gown that falls over the pedestal at the front and a cloak that falls over the back. The QVB was opened in 1898 to honour the monarch’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and restored beautifully in 2009.

We took a stroll around the harbour with views, of course, of the bridge and also Luna Park, probably Sydney’s most iconic amusement park on the foreshore of the harbour. As a teenager, my friends and I used to travel on the train for an hour to get there; buy a day pass which allowed you ten rides and then buy food with absolutely no nutritional value – great day out! The most iconic thing about Luna Park is entering through the face at the entrance to the park.

After our long walk, we decided to stop for a bit of breakfast and returned to the Queen Victoria Building where we found a lovely little cafe with views of one of the two great clocks. This clock was built over four years and installed in 2000 and aims to tell a story of Australian history from both European and Aboriginal perspectives. But I couldn’t keep looking at the clock all morning as I had a delicious vegan breakfast to eat along with a pot of peppermint tea to drink.

Then it was finally time for us to meet in the hotel foyer, enjoy a quick beverage then stroll down to the harbour to get ready for the longest running show in musical history. Our other friend Sue, had driven up from Canberra that morning so she was joining us also so with about an hour to go before the start we all set off, some of us walking and others in a taxi. When we arrived, it was lovely to see some people dressed up for the evening but we had decided casual was best as the plastic seating was outside and we preferred comfortable over glamorous! We had excellent seats with a fabulous view of the stage and what a magnificent stage it was.

For those of you who don’t know, Phantom has been playing on Broadway for over 34 years and over 35 at the West End and I am really lucky to say I have seen it on Broadway, but by far this would have to be the best stage for such an incredible show and we even had fireworks at one particular part, which now I can’t remember but it just added to the magnificence of the evening.

The staircase was enormous, lighting incredible and the huge chandelier required a crane to move in and out of the stage. The score is fabulous and the voices of all were outstanding and lastly the orchestra was wonderful even thought it was hidden beneath the stage. What a night!! We all decided to walk back to our hotel, along with thousands of others but it was eerie when the five of us were walking through Hyde Park as we were the only people I could see!

Our final day in Sydney was ANZAC Day (Australian and New Zealand Army Corp). The date marks the anniversary of the first military action fought by Australians and New Zealanders at Gallipoli during the First World War and was devised to honour the members of the ANZACs, however now it is regarded as a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand to commemorate all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. All around Australia there is a Dawn Service and usually followed by a March around mid-morning. In Sydney the March commenced at 9am so my friend Naomi and I met along the main street to honour those who had served and those who had lost their lives and as is said ‘Lest We Forget’. I actually did a little bit of research on this phrase and found it originated from a poem by Rudyard Kipling called ‘recessional’ written for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and was adopted in its current use around a decade after the end of the First World War.

For the first time, I saw Fire & Rescue New South Wales honouring those who have served their country; a really special sight as they are the only non-military group sanctioned to march as a contingent on ANZAC Day. Very special!

So that was it for my fabulous weekend away; time to take a taxi to the airport for our plane trip home. Bye bye Sydney, see you next time!

Day trip to Young – New South Wales – Australia – October 2021

Tags

day trips with friends, Grove Estate Winery, Lambing Flat Chinese Tribute Garden, New South Wales, St Clement's Retreat & Conference Centre, Wilkies Cafe

courtesy of http://www.traveller.com.au

After coming out of Lockdown last year, a day-trip was needed so with a couple of my besties, we decided to visit a country town called Young which is marketed as Australia’s cherry capital. Every year in the first week of December, the height of the cherry picking season, Young hosts the National Cherry Festival. We were a bit too early for this so it meant we found other places to visit. Young is about a two hour drive from my home so we decided to stop off at Binalong which is a very little country town and so very sweet. Wayne popped to the cafe for a coffee and Jef and I walked around the town, literally took five minutes but saw some lovely old buildings and scenery.

After the coffee arrived, it was time to head to Young with our first stop being the Lambing Flat Chinese Tribute Garden. These gardens were developed in 1992 and established to recognise the contribution of the Chinese community to the settlement of Young in the 1860s. There are two marble lion sculptures guarding the entrance to the gardens. We passed though these traditional architectural elements which are referred to as moon gates (月亮门; yuèliàngmén); circular openings and walked into the gardens, around pavilions to the Pool of Tranquility with lovely views of Chinaman’s Dam.

The Pool of Tranquility contains rock formations, a water mill where water flows over rocks creating a small waterfall, lovely water lillies and a larger replica of the famous bronze Flying Horse of Gansu or the Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow [馬踏飛燕] (unearthed in Gansu Province in 1969). [I actually made a specific visit to Gansu Province a few years ago to see both the location where the statue was found and to see the actual statue which is located in the Gansu Provincial Museum; beautiful and quite small].

Time for lunch so we drove into the main street of Young and found Wilkie’s Cafe where the boys enjoyed a pizza and sushi and I had a lovely toasted sandwich; good food and presented beautifully.

Our next stop was at local winery Grove Estate Wines which was about a four kilometre drive out of Young but on the way we stopped to look at a lovely building located on over 300 hectares of land which is now a retreat and conference centre; St Clement’s Retreat & Conference Centre…we didn’t get out of the car but stopped long enough for Jef and I to take a few photos.

At Grove Estate Wines, we went to the Cellar Door where Jef and Wayne sampled a few of the wines on offer; a pretty winery with lovely areas to sit and enjoy a meal with glass of wine or just walk around taking photos like I did.

By this time, we had to leave to return to Canberra. A really lovely day and on the way home, Wayne and I spotted a turtle in the middle of the other side of the road as we were driving past, so like a racing car driver, Wayne sped up, did a fabulously fast u-turn and drove like a crazy person (in his new BMW) to the turtle before a car coming the other way drove over him/her. I got out of the car, ran over and picked him/her up (had been given advice by Wayne not to hold the turtle close as they wee on you – thank you Wayne). At this time cars were driving towards me, so held up my hand to stop them (they did fortunately) and looked for the water where the turtle was trying to get to and placed him near there. Our animal rescue good deed for the week! What a day!!

Wilma Restaurant – Civic- Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – March 2022

Tags

canberra, dining with friends, Ma Po Tofu, Wilma Restaurant

A new restaurant has opened up in Canberra called Wilma. The location has a bit of a history as there was a murder of a Comanchero outlaw motorcycle group boss at the previous nightclub Kokomo’s. The person who committed the murder was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment late last year. I am not sure if that is why the nightclub closed but it may of had something to do with it.

Fortunately there weren’t any murders on the night we were there! The interior is dark and has a good mood about it, nothing like the bright nightclub it previously was. I particularly loved the booths surrounding the edges of the restaurant, the shiny black stained wood, the low lights and linens sheers. We were seated in a booth and I had direct views into the open and busy kitchen, so was pretty happy about that as I love to see the chefs and kitchen staff bustling about cooking our meals.

Wilma has an extensive menu that focusses on barbecuing using coals and a wood fire but it also has a separate vegan menu so I of course ordered from that.

I had several choices and nearly ordered the sticky eggplant with black beans and cashews dish; with sizzling or sticky eggplant being my favourite dish. However my friends who had eaten here previously, had tried the eggplant dish and didn’t love it. This made my decision easy; the ma po tofu it was. The dish was a little different to what I am used to as it contains not only tofu and fried chilli but sizzling Schezuan Shiitake mushrooms. The tofu was good but unfortunately I didn’t like the mushrooms in the dish.

We also ordered another vegan dish which was the morning glory vegetables in a hoi sin sauce with a chilli garlic crunch. I didn’t take note of the hoi sin sauce on the menu so this was another dish that wasn’t to my liking. My friends enjoyed it though.

My three friends ordered a range of dishes to share including the roast duck pancakes with shallots, hoi sin sauce and cucumber, the Balmain bug and egg noodles with chilli, coriander and sesame dish and the hot smoked char sui pork which were by all accounts delicious. They each ordered a roti bread but unfortunately that is made with dairy so I could not taste.

A bottle of local Canberra wine was enjoyed by us during the meal and lots of laughs at my expense over a particular new neighbour in my complex; not for further discussion here!!

An early evening as it was a school night which meant my three working friends had to work the next morning but we did return to my friend’s home for our obligatory night cap or roadie as we refer to it; being ‘one for the road’. Probably will return to Wilma and try a few other vegan dishes!

Blissiimo – Luxury French Tea House – Braddon – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – January 2022

Tags

ACT, Blisiimo French Tea House, Braddon, canberra, Cire Trudon candles, Enigma Fine Chocolates, Mariage Freres Teahouse Paris

In line with me wanting to visit all new cafes in Canberra, last week I drove to a local suburb, not far from my home, to check out a new olfactory that is now offering a luxury French teahouse along with its exclusive range of luxury international perfumes. The first thing I saw upon entering the arcade was a fabulous luxurious velvet sofa in front of a wall of green plants and then a huge toy zebra in the window of the store I came to visit, Blissiomo; both making me want to see more of this store that looked so amazing on-line.

But before I entered the store I saw a hand made chocolate shop Enigma Fine Chocolates a lovely family owned business specialising in artisan style chocolates, truffles and yes…dairy free chocolates…I knew I definitely had to visit. The staff were exceptionally helpful and I ended up buying nine hand made dairy-free chocolates all put into a little box with a bow. The staff then gave me a list of chocolates I had chosen so I would not forget when selecting one to eat. I haven’t tried any yet, but am sure I will over the next few days.

After chocolate shopping, it was time for Blissiimo; it was lovely to hear beautiful French music, smell beautiful fresh flowers and I loved seeing the piccolo bottles of Moet & Chandon in the fridge alongside iced tea and other carbonated non-alcoholic drinks. Bit too early for me to start drinking champagne so I decided to take a look around the store starting off at the walls lined with beautiful smelling perfumes all displayed according to their scent with a mirrored backdrop, huge vases of flowers and statues. You are welcome to try one or all perfumes if you have the time but I am guessing you might be there all day!

As you walk through this amazing store you might have to duck your head under a fabulous chandelier or walk around a huge table arranged with fresh flowers, lotions and perfumes. One thing you will have to do is take your time to look at all the displays of candles, clothes and many many other gorgeous items. Items you don’t really need but once you enter this store you know you have to have!

The sales girl was so helpful and informative and said that Blissiimo brings more than 30 independent candle brands to Canberra, including a cult favourite Cire Trudon—the most exclusive candle brand in the world and whose history dates back to 1643 where Trudon, a French candlemaker started making bees wax candles to became a candle provider to the royal court of the King of France, King Louse XIV. This visit was like a history lesson on perfumes and candles and I found it all very interesting.

There is also an incense bar in the store and on a Monday you can have a psychic reading or have your tealeaves read! What a fabulous way to spend an afternoon along with a glass of champagne and a couple of sweet treats.

By this time I had bought myself a candle and reeds from an Italian scent and soap company founded in Sicily in 2006. I had been given one of the amazing smelling candles from my friend Mary, who ordered it from Italy for me (very kind) so once I saw the brand, Ortigia Sicilia, I wanted another candle, some lovely smelling reeds and a soap. I also wanted to buy Mary a soap and when I gave it to her, she was very happy that this brand could be bought in Canberra; saving her exorbitant postage costs from Italy. The lovely sales girl also gave me Ortigia Sicilia brand bags to put my gifts in…so beautiful.

Now, I was feeling a little thirsty so took a look at the teas on offer. There is an extensive range with 125 different teas available from all over the world with an exclusive range from the Marriage Frères teahouse in Paris which has been in operation since 1854. However, I chose a refreshing Persian mint tea from the Monista Tea Co and went and sat outside on one of the more private sofas around the side of the store to relax a while and enjoy my tea.

There are also stands of Cacao Macarons from Melbourne but I only wanted tea which did come with little biscuits but I didn’t know if they contained dairy so didn’t partake.

The store also has an Afternoon Tea or High Tea available and the menu offers gelati, whipped cream and fruit, parfaits, jelly pots and knickerbockers (layered ice-cream sundaes) for the sweet tooth and antipasto platters for those with a more savoury tooth but either way there is so much food to indulge in!

After tea, I took one more stroll around the store to look at the displays of other perfumes, some with the old fashioned pump and others with a glassed item indicating the scent and bright cushions. How fabulous!

This really is a wonderfully luxurious store – it’s a must if you live in or visit Canberra.

Cakes, cakes and bread – 85ºC Daily Cafe – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – January 2022

Tags

85ºC Daily Cafe, ACT, Australia, breads, bubble tea, cakes, canberra, matcha cake, Milky tea, Taiwanese inspired cafe

Lately I have been making a list of cafes and restaurants that have recently opened in Canberra with the aim of trying them all. One I wanted to visit is a Taiwanese international chain called 85º Daily Cafe selling breads, cakes, desserts as well as smoothies, coffee and teas including milk and bubble tea. So this morning after my walk with my dog Axel, I drove into town to find the cafe. It was pretty easy to find as its located near our university on the fringes of the city.

You walk into this cafe and its interior is quite pink, to say the least. Pink walls, pink chairs, fake flowers on the walls are all shades of pink and there are pastel coloured flowers in small baskets, trolleys and vases near the cash register; pretty much all pink. All very sweet I must say.

I chatted to the young Chinese girl behind the cash register and asked her if she was from Taiwan (considering the cafe originated in Taiwan), she told me she was from Mainland China and we chatted a while about my travels throughout her birth country. She told me that all products in the cafe contained egg so I ordered a Jasmine tea and chose a small table near the window to sit and enjoy. The tea arrived in a teabag which was a bit unfortunate but it was nice all the same!

As for the cakes; there are so many lining the walls of the cafe in refrigerated glass side boards. And they look great; there are slices of layered sponge cake, chocolate mousse cake, cheesecake, strawberry cream cake, egg tarts and so many more…including several Asian flavours like a matcha (Japanese green tea) red bean roll and pineapple cakes.

All different sorts of breads and brioche are also sold including cheese bread, cheese twists, chocolate chip bread, coconut twists and croissants. So much choice! Unfortunately for me, similar to the cakes in the store, these savoury treats are non-vegan as they contain either milk or egg or both. These are also beautifully displayed in cabinets where you will also see more beautiful flowers above and lovely take-away boxes on display. I can imagine taking one of the larger cakes as a gift to a friend, looking fabulous in a see through box complete with bow!

The waitress told me that the name of the cafe 85º Daily Cafe actually comes from the idea that the perfect brewing temperature for espresso coffee is 85º Celsius. Interesting! But back to the cakes…there are also full cakes on display for any occasion I guess, then again who needs an occasion to eat cake!

So whilst I could not eat any of the sweet and savoury items on display, I did very much enjoy the visit and the opportunity to practice my Mandarin and view the cuteness of this cafe!

Weekend trip to Sydney – New South Wales – Australia – December 2021

Tags

Barrangaroo, Darling Harbour, Hamilton the musical, New South Wales, Otto Restaurant, Sydney, travelling with friends, Walsh Bay, Wooloomooloo

Yay…a couple of weeks ago I went on my first plane trip in nearly over a year…I bought tickets to see Hamilton the musical at Darling Harbour. I went with a friend I met about two years ago and who I immediately formed a bond. I booked a two bedroom apartment within walking distance of Darling Harbour, which is a harbour and pedestrian area adjacent to the city of Sydney.

When we arrived in Sydney, we took a taxi to our accomodation then went for a walk around the city and did a touch of shopping. It clearly has been some time since I have been to Sydney as now there is a fully functioning tram running throughout the city. I actually don’t mind the tram running through the city as there are no longer cars, trucks etc in the town centre.

We walked back to Darling Harbour and enjoyed a meal and glass of wine at one of the restaurants where we had a view over the harbour which is particularly lovely at night. We also had great views of the new Crown Casino owned by Crown Resorts who have other casinos in Melbourne and Perth and also throughout other parts of the world.

Our next morning we woke early and went for a lovely walk through Darling Harbour, Barrangaroo and Walsh Bay. Barrangaroo is a former container terminal and now is another waterfront precinct with high-rise apartments, commercial office space, shops, cafes and restaurants. We walked along the waterfront with views of our Harbour Bridge which I think is particularly beautiful and a structure I never tire of seeing.

We walked for about an hour or so to Walsh Bay, historically a working port but now regarded as a major arts precinct with its theatre, restaurants, hotel and at the time we visited, a public sculpture exhibition. And at this time of the year a huge Christmas tree with the Harbour Bridge as its backdrop.

We walked along the boardwalk for a little while checking out the sculptures then did a u-turn to return to Barrangaroo to find somewhere to have a late breakfast.

At Walsh Bay, I do love the old but refurbished coloured timber clad cargo sheds along the waterfront.

We found a lovely cafe at Barrangaroo (Wild Sage) and sat inside as by this time it had gotten a little windy and the high-rise buildings blocked out the sun so it was definitely too cold to sit outside. Barrangarro has lovely small streets, painted windows and painted flower boxes; all adding to the ambience of the place.

At the Wild Sage cafe I ordered sourdough toast, mushrooms and a hash brown along with a pot of peppermint tea. My friend Rosi ordered sourdough toast with Haloumi cheese, mushrooms and a side of salmon along with a cup of coffee.

Everywhere in Sydney we were required to wear our face masks, sign into venues using the QR code and show our vaccination certificates. I don’t have a problem with this really for short periods but my face got very warm wearing it for three hours during the musical..it was worth it though as Hamilton was a fantastic musical; so energetic, funny and definitely worth seeing.

Our dinner that evening was at a fabulous restaurant at the Woolloomooloo harbour front precinct. I had booked a very early sitting at Otto Ristorante, again with lovely views of the harbour and apartments and boats of people who have much more money than me! One of our famous movie stars, Russell Crowe, has an apartment here (probably one of the penthouses) said to be worth many millions of dollars.

The restaurant is one where you can ‘people watch’ as there are many restaurants along the boardwalk and people are forever walking up and down; just a lovely place to relax and wish you owned one of the fabulous moored boats.

Otto has a separate vegan menu which is quite extensive. I started with the zucchini flowers filled with cashew nut cheese with a tomato and pine nut pesto. Rosi ordered the raw Abrolhos Island scallops, Sturgeon Black River caviar with cream and lemon oil. Service and presentation at this restaurant is top notch! Our sommelier suggested an Australian Riesling which was very good. House made bread arrives as soon as you are seated with olive oil and balsamic. I could eat this all night as the bread is just so fresh and crusty.

For our main course I ordered the risotto with spinach and garlic whilst Rosi ordered the saffron linguine, Goolwa pipis, southern calamari, bottarga with dill and basil leaves. We also ordered a dish or heirloom tomatoes and basil. I love the food at this restaurant, it’s always beautifully presented and tastes so good. No dessert on this occasion as both of us were just too full.

Time to return to the apartment, watch a little television and return to Canberra the next morning. What a truly great weekend!!

Sage Dining Rooms (another visit) – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – October 2021

Tags

ACT, canberra, dining with friends, Sage Dining Rooms, vegan dishes

Sage Dining Rooms is a local Canberra restaurant I have been to many times and have always loved the food, wine and service. The last time I visited this restaurant was before Covid-19 struck and it was for a friend’s birthday – I really love the Mint Garden Bar where you can enjoy a glass of wine at any time or of course a cup of coffee. It was raining on the day we arrived so I went straight into the restaurant – this really is so lovely inside; cosy with beautifully presented tables.

Well this time it was for a post Lockdown catch-up with three of my good friends who I had not seen for quite some time so each of us was looking forward to a good catch up. Sage has a fully stocked bar and the bar area is gorgeous and am sure any drink is available but we decided on a bottle of Aussie riesling…good choice I think.

The meal options include a five course degustation and a three course degustation. On my previous visit I ordered the five courses and boy it was way too filling. It’s funny the portions don’t look that big on the plate but after bread/amuse bouche and little delights in between courses…five courses is just too much for me.

My friends ordered the shucked signature oysters as an entree which arrived beautifully presented and whilst my entree didn’t look that great it was actually quite nice..it was kohlrabi (after an internet search I now this to be a German turnip), peas, grapes, summer squash and a sorrel (again after an internet search I now know this to be a herb).

Our second courses arrived and my friends had ordered the barramundi fillet with scollops, tomato and lemon myrtle. This also arrived with a salad and a serving of crispy baked potatoes that my friends said were delicious…but unfortunately I could not eat as they were not vegan.

My dish was a barbecued sugar loaf cabbage with green tomato and a chilli crunch. I must say I have always loved the food at Sage but really didn’t love the cabbage dish …it tasted a little bland unfortunately, maybe just not to my liking. I guess I thought it was also just some cabbage on a plate – probably expected more!

Our desserts arrived and it was the cheese platter for my friends which came with a house made condiment, crisp bread and also a creme brûlée. Mine was a fruit compote with a coconut cream…quite nice; a really nice crunch in the fruit – like a granola – I really liked it!

We stayed for more drinks and then we had to leave, unfortunately. Service here is exceptional and we all enjoyed such a lovely catch up. So many laughs and just a great couple of hours.

Old Parliament House National Rose Garden – Barton – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – November 2021

Tags

ACT, Barton, canberra, National Rose Garden, Old Parliament House, Paperback trees, sightseeing with family

There are a lot of different places to see around Canberra for visitors and it’s usually the more tourist spots that people are taken to. I had my Goddaughter Stephanie and her husband Anthony visiting so as it was pouring rain pretty much all weekend we decided to have a late breakfast on the Sunday at a local cafe that I have grown to love. The Knox Made cafe has a large vegan menu and on this occasion I chose the Vegan Benny which has smooth avocado with sautéed spinach and Miso mushrooms and a pumpkin almond hollandaise all on house made sourdough. I have never tried a vegan hollandaise before and I must say I loved it…so delicious…and I had a pot of peppermint tea. Anthony ordered the Eggs Benny with bacon on a house made English muffin along with all the usual sides and loved it so much there was nothing left on the plate. Steph ordered The Avo which came with poached local eggs, smashed avo, pickled cucumber, confit tomatoes on the vine, marinated feta and a quinoa and herb salad with dukkah…and a side of haloumi.

The moment we left breakfast the rain stopped which was great, so I decided to take my visitors to see the roses at the National Rose Garden which is located at Old Parliament House. The gardens opened in 1933 and exhibit both Australian and overseas roses and also a variety of beautiful trees. The first I saw was when just about to enter the gardens; a stunning tree, a Paperbark I think and then various other beauties inside the garden.

The first thing we noticed when we went into the garden was how much the heavy rain and wind had damaged the roses but when you walk through the garden you can still see how gorgeous some of the roses are and the fragrance is just beautiful! There is wisteria and also rose covered pergolas, unfortunately the wisteria had already bloomed but the walkways were still lovely.

The three of us spoke about how fabulous it would be taking a break from work and enjoy your lunch on one of the benches under a trees or out in the open in the sunshine. A lovely way to relax and look at and smell the beautiful roses.

But it was the roses we really came to see and apart from some of them looking a little weathered as I mentioned, from the elements, we still enjoyed a lovely walk with delightful aromas every time you walked past the different rose bushes.

And then it was time for me to take close ups of some of the different coloured roses. One thing I found very interesting was how many different varieties of roses there are; such different blooms and all beautiful! Such a great place to visit and my visitors loved it too which was great.

White Rabbit Cocktail Bar – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – July 2021

Tags

ACT, canberra, drinks with friends, White Rabbit Cocktail Bar

Isn’t it great when you find a lovely bar where you can catch up with friends for a glass of wine, a cocktail, a spirit or a cup of tea and some delicious snacks then also enjoy the ambiance! Well I have found one such bar in Canberra and over the past few years have frequented often. A few months ago I chose the White Rabbit Cocktail Bar to meet up with a couple of friends for a quiet drink. It’s in the middle of Canberra city and everything is quite heavily themed to Alice in Wonderland and even the movie (soundless) is played on a large screen; it’s pretty fabulous! Beautiful orchids (real) adorn the individual seating areas as well as a white picket fence lining the walls and a floral archway leading to the bathrooms. And..velour comfy couches to relax in enabling you to enjoy your wine and your company.

White Rabbit also hosts regular events, in particular Tipsy Tea which really is pretty much a boozy high tea available every weekend with an assortment of savoury and sweet treats paired with cocktails or sparkling wine. How can that not be great! It’s pretty cool when cocktails such as Alice Be Curious arrive in a teapot along with a cucumber finger sandwich. Every drink has something delicious served with it, for example the Mad Hatter – 12yr old rum, bourbon and cognac with cream and egg comes with a side of cognac-soaked flaming black cherries or even the Tweedle-Rum.

A Tweedle-Rum (source: Facebook.com/WhiteRabbitCocktailRoom)

My friends and I only enjoyed a glass of wine on our occasion of catching up but I have eaten here before and the food is very good – charcuterie boards and the most amazing desserts.

(source: TripAdvisor)

(source: http://www.whiterabbitroom.com.au)

(source: http://www.whiterabbitroom.com.au)

As soon as you walk in there is something pretty spectacular that catches your eye…a collection of glass-fronted cabinets along one wall. Each cabinet contains bottles of alcohol which is actually a locked vault for personal drinks – you can own a cabinet to store a special (I guess expensive) bottle or your favourite wine, which will be brought out for you whenever you visit. How cool is this!

This really is a lovely place for a relaxed drink and something to eat. I like it too because it’s dimly lit adding to the ambience but really why would you not enjoy a place that serves great wine/delicious food and most importantly you can relax in a comfy lounge!