Chilled glass in hand, we both descended onto one of many plush couches surrounding the stone hearth in the lounge room and began flipping through a picture book that chronicled the construction of the lodge. The task was a mammoth one at we could well appreciate from the long, windy dirt track we had to navigate after the Cunningham highway. It made the opulent decor, fine trimmings, an extensive game loft with a pool table and the sonorous tones of Simon and Garfunkle streaming through ubiquitous Bose speakers even more impressive.
Lunch was very nice and the matching wines helped us choke down the confit of duck and pan fried squid we were served. Immaculately presented with wonderful produce, though Alison and I both felt that the chef had a penchant for over seasoning his dishes which was a minor blemish on the experience. Even so, I would have happily wolfed down another serving of that beautifully bitter chocolate fondant with caramelized pineapple.
After lunch we headed out into the cold to explore he surrounding countryside. Driving on the road up to the lodge we spied two chairs invitingly perched on the edge of the lawn, overlooking the surrounding field and hills so we headed in that direction first.
A short stroll and we found a table at the northern lookout that would have been gorgeous to have a picnic if not for the inclement weather. After savouring the view for a moment, we headed back to check out the tennis court and helipad before reviewing our room for the night. Our eye was immediately drawn to the fireplace but I think the room was pretty nice in general.
The rest of the afternoon was wasted away playing a few games of pool and taking advantage of the complimentary WIFI with our iPads. As a side note, Carcassonne for the iPhone is a most impressive port of the game and works really well on an iPad for two people. Two more glasses of wine later and we were being served canapes to ease us into dinner; a seven course degustation with matching wines.
To start with we were served an unbelievably rich globe artichoke demitasse, coupled with a Reiseling that I actually enjoyed. The rest of the dishes that followed were good, though not especially memorable until we got to the steak; a 9+ wagyu sirloin with leek tarte tatin and babaganoush. A trifle over seasoned once again but the flavours worked wonderfully in concert. By the dessert course the wine had certainly compromised my ability to enjoy the food so I could only stomach a spoonful of panna cotta and a bite of the pistachio praline before retreating to bed.
We woke up a few times throughout the night to scavenge for food and tend the fire but still ended up having a relaxing sleep by breakfast the next day. Good thing too as the breakfast menu was quite exciting. Alison ended up ordering a smoked haddock omelet with minted peas and creme fraiche, fabulously rich and smooth. I on the other hand, feeling a little worse for wear from the night before, opted what was basically a sophisticated big breakfast; free range scrambled eggs, roasted tomatoes, wilted spinach, mushrooms with hollandaise sauce, bacon and amazingly earthy black pudding. The tomatoes could have probably been roasted a little longer but everything else hit the spot.
We were having such a good time that we'd love to have stayed another night, but all good things must come to an end. Handing in the room keys earned us a pot of honey from the on site bee hive as a parting gift, then it was time for us to head down back to civilization.
A quick stop by Aratula for some antiquing on the way back home and that was pretty much the end of our little trip away. Thankfully our return to Brisbane still left us with lots to look forward to. Naomi and Nat were going to host a raclette party at their swish city apartment. The meal was described as a reverse fondue, though as I'd never had the pleasure of trying fondue that wasn't much help. In saying that, any meal which involves a bowel clenching quantity of cheese is alright in my book.
We rocked up with a semi chilled bottle of chardonnay and were treated to a smorgasbord of cured meats, vegetables, bread and assorted cheeses to melt and drizzle. The idea was to place a blend of soft cheese on your personal raclette pan and stick this under the grill for the cheese reduce to a bubbling pool of melted goodness, a simple concept with fabulous results. Our hosts had peeled and boiled a pot of Dutch Cream potatoes (just recently my discovered spud of choice) that were beautiful sliced up and combined with sour cream, chives, paprika and smothered with a velvet blanket of raclette cheese, gruyere and gorgonzola. I would have paid more attention to my arteries hardening if my taste buds weren't screaming maniacally with pleasure.
So all up a good night with friends and food. The only mild sour note was that we were too full to enjoy the dessert that Nat and Naomi had whipped up.
Sunday was a day of necessary jobs, as the house had somehow degenerated into a state of gross untidiness. At least we got things back on course before lunch and had time to pop out to Bunnings to pick up a few things for an afternoon in the garden. The little animals we picked up when antiquing in Aratula found a home by the fence.
Our vegetable patch has been decimated several times by possums much to our dismay, so we're fighting back by improving our agricultural defenses. The netting seems quite fragile but we hope it will prove to be enough of a bother to deter mischievous marsupials from causing trouble. With luck we might actually bring a tomato to full term for us to eat.
A long weekend with one more to enjoy next week. Had lots of fun with my baby and it's nice to celebrate this special milestone, which is leather this year I believe. Happy anniversary darling.
1 comment:
Interesting weekend ...... all the better, now that it's three years since we drank wedding TEA from both of you. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY and much much more to come your way. Always in my mind.
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