Tags
Australia, Bowral, Ethos Restaurant, Links House, New South Wales, Southern Highlands, travelling with friends, Vegan wine
A lovely overnight trip out of Canberra
Finally…we can travel…well domestically anyway. My friend and I decided to drive about two hours out of Canberra to a beautiful area of New South Wales called the Southern Highlands which is also considered a wine region. My lovely friend Sharon booked us a couple of rooms at Links House in Bowral. Bowral is the largest town in the Southern Highlands and is known for its antique shops, cafes, house & garden stores and expensive homes similar to other areas in the Southern Highlands.
We had a nice drive; I drove and we chatted about anything and everything and before we knew it, we had arrived at our hotel. Links House has a lovely frontage. It was built in 1928 as a country guesthouse and still has all the charm of that era and style. 
We drove up the side lane and parked the car and walked into the hotel. We were greeted by the owner who offered us a small glass of locally made port. Sharon indulged but because I don’t like red wine I declined. We were shown our rooms which were lovely with a country style; heated, clean and most importantly; a comfortable bed!
We spent the next hour or so with a friend and his family in their beautiful home; an old schoolhouse – and so beautifully decorated. No photos unfortunately as didn’t think it appropriate to be snapping at the home of people I have only just met!!! Then Sharon, David and I went out to lunch at Centennial Vineyards, a local winery, located in the same suburb as our hotel (but more on that in an upcoming post).
That evening Sharon and I decided to eat at our hotel at Ethos restaurant as it was rather cold outside and we had a busy day driving/eating/chatting and meeting new friends. 
We met in the lounge area of our hotel which had a lovely fire and comfortable chairs.
source: courtesy of the internet
I arrived early to the lounge area so ordered a glass of wine. As most of you will know I am vegan (over two years now) but something you might not know is it’s only been the last two months that I have decided to only drink vegan wine. This means that any wine that has used egg white/fish or gelatine as a finishing agent (stops the clouding of the wine) I won’t drink.
source: courtesy of the internet
I asked whether there were any vegan wines available and was told there was only one which was a rosé. I am not a red wine or rosé drinker but the owner said this wine was very light and offered me a taste. I took a small sip and it certainly was very light so ordered a glass. By this time Sharon had arrived and after a few minutes we moved into the restaurant. I ordered a mushroom risotto which the chef made vegan and Sharon ordered the pumpkin soup with truffle oil and home made grain bread. Both very good dishes with lovely fresh local produce.
By this time we were feeling a little tired so moved back into the lounge area near the fire for a chat before heading off to our rooms where I promptly fell straight asleep.
The next morning, I woke up early to see the sun rising and hopped out of bed to take a walk around the local area to check out the expensive homes.
My walk took about an hour and whilst it was hard to see many of the homes from the street (I am definitely one of those people who loves to peer into other people’s homes!!), I could see driveways and parts of homes along from the footpath.
The gardens were beautifully maintained also and one even had little ducks walking along the grass; very country I must say.
Bowral has always been a place I would love to live but unfortunately now it’s way out of my price range…ah well it’s a lovely place to visit overnight or even for a few days.
We enjoyed a lovely breakfast at our hotel and then it was time to check out and head back to Canberra. On our way home we stopped at another country town called Mittagong to look at the shops – I love the stores selling all things fabulous like facial creams/soaps and candles – a little bit expensive but gorgeous. Sharon and I ended up buying a few things in one particular shop and I bought a present for my friends Ray and Nat who helped look after my dogs whilst I was away. I bought them a jigger – now I had no idea it was called this but you might, it’s the stainless steel measuring cup used to measure alcoholic spirits…so I learnt something (mindless) whilst away. 
We also went into a fabulous bread shop. I must say I love good bread but whilst I didn’t buy any bread I did buy an Indian vegan pie to take home which I have since eaten and it was very good; great pastry!
So as you can see we had a lovely time away and as it’s so close to Canberra it’s an easy place to visit regularly. I must return soon!
About a half hour drive north from my home in Canberra is a lovely old town called Gunning which is located in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales. The town has a population of just over 600 people and located inside the historic and refurbished 1865 Royal Hotel is a lovely restaurant called Grazing. The restaurant serves decent size portions of food, made with fresh seasonal organic and local ingredients along with an extensive list of Canberra District wines.
It’s a lovely drive to the township through country farms and bushland. We arrived a little early and took the opportunity to walk along the main street and pop into a couple of stores. Then it was time for eating (yay)…we were seated in the main part of the restaurant; there are smaller more private rooms but usually for more than six or so people.
The meals were as good as they were on my previous visit. We started off with a salmon pate on crisp bread which I declined but my friends thoroughly enjoyed. 
I ordered a risotto which the chef was happy to make vegan. It arrived with Jerusalem artichoke and greens; beautifully presented and delicious. One of my friends ordered the original risotto made with braised lentils, Wagu beef cheek, Jerusalem artichoke, chestnut and truffle dressing.
Also ordered was the Barramundi which was oven roasted and came with curried celeriac and crab crust, buttered cabbage and fennel velouté. And we shared the baked eggplant with miso glaze, blackened Baba Ghanoush, sesame and labneh. Again I must say all the meals were beautifully presented.
We also ordered a couple of other dishes but looking at them now I genuinely cannot remember what they are well apart from the Brussel sprout dish; guess it’s such a long time ago and the dishes are not still on the Grazing on-line menu.
Gunning is a lovely little town to visit and Grazing is especially worth a visit with good friends.
I have known my friend Lyn for over thirty-five years so when she moved back to Australia from Canada I promised I would visit when they had built their new home. It’s exactly what I did a couple of weekends ago. The drive from Canberra to Ulladulla is exactly two and a half hours and is very pleasant.
The next morning we took a lovely walk with the dogs; through bushland and along the beachfront where the dogs jumped immediately into the water. It was about twenty-one degrees so no need for big jackets and gloves like I have to wear at the moment in Canberra.
The girls had booked a table for lunch overlooking the ocean at the Mollymook Golf Club but before we went there, we went to the local lighthouse where we walked along a pathway of interesting trees and shrubs to arrive at a viewing platform to see the ocean.
The views from inside the golf club were also very beautiful and it was here I saw my first whale (well a spout of water and a side fin) and a mum dolphin and her baby. Very exciting but no photos as it was too quick a sighting.
I really had a great few days with the girls as they are such great company and it was so nice to stay in their fabulous newly built home, but it was time to leave. I decided to stop at a lovely historic country town on the way home called Braidwood. I parked up one end of the main street and walked up and down both sides to check out all the shops and pick a nice cafe for lunch. There are some beautiful old buildings but wow it was so incredibly cold.
I decided on a warm and cosy cafe called Abion which was so pretty inside with its fresh vegetables on display as well as old aluminium cans and tins amongst many other things.
I ordered a really delicious coconut, sweet potato and split pea soup with a pot of peppermint tea and of course a small bowl of chips and sat on the old wooden bench before an old wooden table! A lovely environment to eat lunch on such a cold day.
And on the way back to my car I walk past more historic buildings and some street art next to a sign showing people their dogs cannot poop in the street!
Earlier this year, three of my good friends and I drove just under two hours from my home in Canberra to Bundanoon which is a small country town in New South Wales. My friend Natalie had told us about this great place where we could go and have facials/massages and take country walks…so one Saturday off we all drove.
We started off with some beauty treatments and then a couple of us took a walk around the gardens which really were quite lovely and so well maintained.
All meals were included and the food was excellent. Lunch was a buffet with a variety of dishes from Mexican bean casserole, to vegetable dahl and tofu stirfry served with a variety of salads, fresh wholemeal damper [absolutely delicious] and fruit. The daily salads included a fabulous brown rice salad and an Asian peanut cabbage salad. And evening meals were three courses served with wine.
And the clear blue sky and lush green grass and trees were lovely to look at whilst reading a book or just talking in the fresh air.
And sunset was particularly lovely…
On our first morning, two of us got up early to take a walk around the town whilst my other two friends took in a yoga class. Bundanoon really is a lovely old town with all sorts of nice things to see.
Our last day we took a hike with the retreat’s guide to Morton National Park; great way to start the day and lovely views. This was followed by an exercise class and other beauty treatments…oh and a great night’s sleep.
But after three days and two nights it was time to depart; relaxed and feeling great – what a great way to spend time with friends.
I left school ‘many’ years ago and for the past fourteen years a few of my school friends and I catch up annually. This year with my friends Belinda, Lianne and Michelle we went to Sydney to see Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the iconic Capitol Theatre.
We laughed pretty much non-stop for two hours after which we popped into a local bar for a cocktail before heading back to our Airbnb.
We decided to walk back towards our apartment and on the way found this fabulous Thai restaurant where we enjoyed satay tofu, salt and pepper tofu, curried vegetables (and tofu) and my friends ordered two meat dishes. I think we were ‘tofued’ out at the end of the evening but we all said the food was exceptional.
I started off with a pot of peppermint tea and the girls ordered coffees, followed by poached eggs on sourdough toast. This came with a side of avocado (more than anywhere else we have seen – half an avocado!). I ordered a vegan dish of coconut feta and quinoa fritters with coconut labne, avocado, fatoush salad and hazelnut dukkah – oh my goodness I have never tasted coconut feta but it was the best and the rest of the dish was amazing!!
When we finished I wanted to walk through an alley I had seen the previous evening – Spice Alley – what a great find.
We wished we had eaten there the previous evening with its gorgeous coloured lanterns, wooden stools and seats and a large range of Asian restaurants. But we decided we were more than happy with our Thai choice.
Spice Alley is quite small but definitely worth the visit to see its paved pathway, colourful signs and street art…
And vibrant posters of Asian women and lovely rooftops above the restaurants…
It was so lovely walking through mid-morning as the restaurants were just in the process of lunch preparation so no-body was around.
We finished our walking tour and stepped onto another slightly wider paved street that runs parallel to Spice Alley which has more lovely restaurants and an actual Tuk Tuk parked on the kerb. 
We walked a little further to Central Railway Station through the country train station which is rather lovely with a beautiful clock hanging in the grand concourse…
And time to depart once more until we meet next year!
(Firstly apologies but this post is a little longer than my usual posts)
And a nice view of the city from my window…
We then walked to Aria. The entrance is not what I expected; it’s a little unassuming but once you are inside it’s a completely different story – the walls are full of original art, the atmosphere is fabulous and the views….wow!!
The restaurant is located down near the Opera House with those magnificent views I just mentioned and as its web page says Aria is one of Australia’s finest restaurants. 
Our table was not right next to a window but we still had good views of the Bridge, Harbour and a docked cruise ship.
We decided on three courses; entree, main and dessert and started off with a bottle of French champagne before selecting our dishes. Some of the vegetarian options contained non-animal rennet cheese and all desserts contained gelatine so the waiter kindly brought me a vegan menu.
I was rather disappointed with my first course which although arrived beautifully presented, was cold. But…it was supposed to be cold but I didn’t know that and unless the dish is a salad I am not a fan of cold food…perhaps I should have checked before I ordered!!
Ray ordered a seafood bowl which was very nicely presented and Nat had the blue-eye trevalla with almonds, capers and razorback prawns. That was presented so beautifully.
Service was top quality; our waiter was so friendly and our Sommelier was extremely knowledgeable. We ordered a glass of wine each for our main course and a different wine for our desserts. My next course was a sweet potato, Jerusalem artichoke and nasturtium – this was lovely.
Ray ordered a duck dish with treviso, sausage and sweet potato mash and Nat ordered another fish dish; the Murray cod with an angasi oyster, white radish, miso and celeriac…they loved all their dishes.
Our sides which I think were complimentary, were a mashed royal blue potato (absolutely delicious) and a beautiful leaf salad with a delicious dressing which Nat kindly displayed with serving utensils for my photo.
My dessert was pineapple, coconut and almond (forgot to photograph this) and we were also given complimentary cones with a raspberry sorbet which was a very nice way to finish our mains and wait for dessert.
Nat and Ray ordered some nice desserts but I think Ray’s was the winner. Nat’s is the pie and Ray’s is the chocolate ball with a chestnut, cognac and cocoa crumble which once broken there flowed an amazing caramel like thick sauce. How good does this look!!
Nat also chose a selection of Australian and international cheeses to share with Ray which came with quince paste, grapes, fruit and lavash bread…
And then more complimentary dishes; some dark chocolate and small treats. I could only eat the nougat on the small treat platter as the lemon sweets contained gelatine. But lucky I had very willing friends who managed to eat them. It was a lovely few hours and I am glad I have been; it’s not a cheap restaurant but the service, food and views were all part of the wonderful experience.
After our long lunch we went back to our respective hotels and I met Nat a little later to walk to the Harbour. I did pop into Ray and Nat’s room at the Intercontinental Hotel to see fabulous views of the harbour.
We had good seats and both Nat and I loved the opera (Ray is not an opera fan so he didn’t come). 
The usual merchandise could be purchased of course…
And wonderful sunset views over the Opera House and Harbour Bridge…
When I bought our opera tickets on-line I also bought two drink tickets for intermission as there was a pop up bar which was beautifully decked out with tables, stools and lovely fresh flowers. It was a nice way to spend thirty-minutes so Nat and I enjoyed a white wine each.
A great opera after which we walked back to our hotels for a comfortable sleep. And the next morning, I went to the restaurant for my complimentary breakfast from the huge buffet [I don’t usually have this much tomato sauce; it poured out way too quickly].
I love going away for short breaks and this was such a lovely weekend away.
We decided to share an entree and chose a tomato bruschetta with a difference. This one was huge, it was a large wood fired Italian bread with tomatoes, red onions, basil, olives and oregano and some extra virgin olive oil – delicious!
I ordered the vegetable risotto which was absolutely delicious and came with baby spinach, asparagus, mushroom, shallots, sliced avocado, semi-dried tomatoes and fresh chilli, topped with a perfectly cooked poached egg.
Katrina ordered the lamb salad with avocado, feta, oregano, fresh rocket and semi-dried tomatoes with a garlic aioli dressing – fabulous she said too.
And Sharon ordered the beetroot salad with roasted pumpkin, goats cheese, shredded carrot, roasted walnuts and fresh rocket with a raspberry dressing along with a side order of haloumi. The food here was an absolute winner. This is a chain restaurant and is also located in other locations in Sydney and Melbourne…just wish it was in Canberra.
It was great to catch up with these friends and enjoy good food and after a while another friend joined us and he chose a healthy option of a marinated chicken salad with cos lettuce, sliced avocado, cherry tomatoes, red onion, shredded carrot, feta, semi-dried tomatoes, roasted capsicum, mushroom and cucumber with a chilli aioli dressing…looked pretty good too.
Like me, two of my other friends retired last year, so I said I would travel to Sydney and go out to dinner to celebrate their retirement. I chose a restaurant serving South East Asian cuisine and known for being very popular (Longrain) and had come highly recommended by my ‘foodie’ friend Jane.
Some of the girls tried the desserts which I was told were very good and presented beautifully. A coconut sorbet and a coconut ash ice cream swirl with a cashew nut praline were the desserts of choice.
In the main the food was very good but it was an incredibly hot restaurant (too many tables with too many people I think) which made me rather uncomfortable and extremely noisy. Made it very hard to hear friends across the table and those up the other end of the table, I had no idea what they were saying!
A little later we walked up to Surry Hills, an inner city suburb and found our restaurant which was pretty cute inside along with a very sweet and attentive waiter.
Another four of my friends met us and we ordered some fabulous food; everyone decided on the vegan menu which was great for me as I got to try all dishes. Our entrees were home made spring rolls with a light sweet chilli sauce, deep fried vegetable puffs and steamed dumplings with a side of dipping sauce.
All were very good. Our main dishes consisted of two curries; one a lemongrass tofu curry and the other a deep fried tofu with vegetable dish. Then a mock chicken dish with finely chopped lemongrass and onions. All ‘yum’. I was so lucky to enjoy such a large selection of food.
As for my second visit, every year since we attended a 25 year school reunion twelve years ago, three (now four) of my school friends and I meet together for a long weekend, usually at one of our houses, but last year we decided to meet in Sydney and see the Carole King musical ‘Beautiful‘. We all grew up with that fabulous ‘record’ ‘Tapestry‘…
The musical was excellent and we sang along to all the songs and had a bit of a tear during some parts. No photos allowed during the show of course but I managed one of the stage before the show commenced.
As we attended a matinee session, we were finished around 5pm so decided to walk back to our Airbnb through the city, Hyde Park and then through the main street of Paddington where we stopped and had dinner at an Indian restaurant I used to go to when I worked in Sydney all those years ago. Great to see it was still there.
Last year my friend Tracey leased a lovely little home in the southern highlands of New South Wales, which is about a two hour drive from Canberra, and invited me to visit her for the weekend. The home has two bedrooms and a newly renovated bathroom and kitchen. The gardens are just gorgeous with a small pond and waterfall.
After I arrived and Tracey had shown me around the garden and house, we took her dog Laddie for a walk up the laneway and back – a nice little walk in the countryside which takes about half an hour or so. For the next two mornings, I would get up early and do this same walk with Laddie. He really loves his walks and is fine to walk off the lead [unlike my furry babies].
Along our walk there were beautiful meadows containing many cows…so lovely to see the countryside and take in its smells; good and bad!!
The views in the early morning and late afternoon were particularly beautiful…
One morning we went to the local markets where we both bought some locally made jams and condiments followed by a drive to the local village of Fitzroy Falls where within the bushland you will see a beautiful 81 metre waterfall.
There are also some stunning cliff face views and mountain scenery along the way; not a place I think you would want to get lost…
And some interesting Australian bushes [being shown off by Tracey all rugged up for the cold weather].
On our way home we stopped off at a local supermarket which sold great home made soups, desserts, biscuits, jams, pickles etc and bought up a storm both to eat that evening and for us both to take home!
