Pandemic or not, for a couple of years we made the most of our regional road tours – threatened species that they had become. In 2020, as we drove home from South Australia, through a shuttered and deserted Beechworth, we joked that we hoped we would be able to get across the border. We decided that Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT were so intertwined that the borders would never close – until they did less than four months later, kicking off a long series of closures and lockdowns. However, the border between NSW and the ACT always remained open, even with a few roadblocks checking credentials. Destinations closer to home, like the Southern Highlands, were an easier alternative.
My fellow traveller and I recently came back from a glorious three day break in the Southern Highlands, staying at impressive new Moss Vale venue, Moss Manor. I was so struck with the place that I started to write about the trip, then realised that I had already written an article about the previous trip, over a year before in early 2022, and never published it. I’m posting that here and then in a week or so I will post my latest article, with more about the most recent trip and our stay at Moss Manor.
My fellow traveller and I recently came back from a glorious three day break in the Southern Highlands, staying at impressive new Moss Vale venue, Moss Manor. I was so struck with the place that I started to write about the trip, then realised that I had already written an article about the previous trip, over a year before in early 2022, and never published it. I’m posting that here and then in a week or so I will post my latest article, with more about the most recent trip and our stay at Moss Manor.
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| Ducks crossing sign, Berrima |
Regional road tours – the travel you do when you are not travelling
Pandemic or not, for a couple of years we still tried to make the most of our regional road tours – threatened species that they may have become. We were on one road tour – to Adelaide and Kangaroo Island – when the pandemic first began to bite, in early 2020. We were in glorious Daylesford the night before Victoria went into its first lockdown. As we drove home, through a shuttered and deserted Beechworth, we joked that we hoped we would be able to get across the border. We decided that Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT were so intertwined that the borders would never close – ha, ha, that’s exactly what happened less than four months later, kicking off a long series of closures and lockdowns.
Pandemic or not, for a couple of years we still tried to make the most of our regional road tours – threatened species that they may have become. We were on one road tour – to Adelaide and Kangaroo Island – when the pandemic first began to bite, in early 2020. We were in glorious Daylesford the night before Victoria went into its first lockdown. As we drove home, through a shuttered and deserted Beechworth, we joked that we hoped we would be able to get across the border. We decided that Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT were so intertwined that the borders would never close – ha, ha, that’s exactly what happened less than four months later, kicking off a long series of closures and lockdowns.
‘Pandemic or not, for a couple of years we still tried to make the most of our regional road tours – threatened species that they may have become.’
One thing for sure is that it would be highly unlikely for the border
between the ACT and New South Wales to close. However, care was
required. Heading North in the direction of Sydney, intending to turn
off before we left the ACT, we accidentally missed the turn and found
ourselves zooming into New South Wales. We gingerly turned around and
crossed back into the ACT, but not before explaining to the police
checkpoint that we were locals with bad navigation skills.
Despite little hickups like this, regional road tours in NSW were much more straightforward than other states. Early last year, for a weekend of quiet birthday celebration, we decided to go somewhere else, so we ended up in the Southern Highlands of NSW. It was deep enough into NSW to have to remind ourselves how to use their check in app, but not quite as far as the crowded challenge of the Sydney Big Smoke. There was lots on. When we checked into our accommodation, we discovered the Canberra Brumbies were also staying, with a big rugby game just down the road.
Despite little hickups like this, regional road tours in NSW were much more straightforward than other states. Early last year, for a weekend of quiet birthday celebration, we decided to go somewhere else, so we ended up in the Southern Highlands of NSW. It was deep enough into NSW to have to remind ourselves how to use their check in app, but not quite as far as the crowded challenge of the Sydney Big Smoke. There was lots on. When we checked into our accommodation, we discovered the Canberra Brumbies were also staying, with a big rugby game just down the road.
Moss Vale quite the place
After a drop of Veuve Clicquot (it was a birthday, after all), we slipped down the road to Birch restaurant
in Moss Vale for a quiet dinner and were extremely impressed. Moss Vale
really has become the place over the years. Sometimes you feel that the
food in restaurants like this can be merging into similar territory but
I didn’t find that at all. One dish for example (scallops done three
ways - dumpling in broth, sashimi and tempura) was so good it made me
gasp – fantastic flavours. It was a terrific space – well separated,
which was reassuring in those times – and attentive and pleasant
service.
‘Despite little hickups, regional road tours in NSW were much more straightforward than other states. Early last year, for a weekend of quiet birthday celebration, we decided to go somewhere else, so we ended up in the Southern Highlands of NSW.’
The requirement at the time to be fully vaccinated was also reassuring to someone in close contact with elderly relatives. I wish more Canberra businesses had required this during those dark years. Unfortunately, as we discovered only last week, on our latest visit to Moss Vale, Birch has ceased regular bookings and now concentrates on food events, none of which matched our visit dates.
Regular pilgrimage and new kids on the block
We also made our regular pilgrimage to beautiful Sturt Gallery in Mittagong, where I was knocked over by the dynamic hanging textile pieces of Jane Théau. Next day we went to see the newly-opened regional gallery, Ngununggula, which had managed to snaffle an exhibition by the great Djon Mundine, probably best known for putting together the breath-taking Aboriginal Memorial which used to be in the entrance to the National Gallery of Australia and now has pride of place inside the Gallery. We drove around in circles trying to find it because the council in its wisdom had not put up any signage on the main road. In a sign of consistency, when we visited most recently last week – over a year later – there was still no signage, so we got lost again.
We walked from there to nearby Retford Park, a huge stunning property built by Samuel Hordern in 1887 and later donated by James Fairfax to the National Trust. Despite years of travelling to Bowral, we didn’t know anything about it.
That night we were off to Mittagong again to what was then the newish wine and cognac bar Hendriks and then to the amazing Thai restaurant Paste. I love the fact that Paste is tucked away in regional NSW, but its menu design is by Bee Satongun, awarded Asia’s Best Female Chef by World’s 50 Best Restaurants. I was impressed to see that as well as having superb Thai food (at least as good as we have had anywhere), Paste experiments with Australian bush produce, like Warragul greens and lemon myrtle.
‘I love the fact that Paste is tucked away in regional NSW, but its menu design is by Bee Satongun, awarded Asia’s Best Female Chef by World’s 50 Best Restaurants.’
Only a couple of weeks later, we were back again. We spent three days in Bowral. At the Farmers Market in Canberra on the Saturday morning after our return our coffee vendor said ‘Are you thinking of moving? You seem to spend a lot of time there.’ It’s not such a silly idea, and one we have thought about before. However, the reason we were there was because medical specialists in Canberra are booked so far in advance that you often have to look further afield, even for routine things.
Galleries, breweries and distilleries
We had a fabulous time, and because we’d been there only weeks before, we branched out, revisiting place we hadn’t been for a while and some places we had bever been before. The main place we had never been was Joadja, a historic industrial site which used to produce kerosene from shale and now produces gin and whiskey from grain. We turned up unscheduled out of curiousity and were given a tour and tasting of Joadja Distillery by their friendly marketing and sales staff member.
‘It made me reflect that long after all the coal has been left in the ground (except for that required to run vintage steam engines of course), there will be galleries, breweries and distilleries filling the abandoned spaces.’
An unexpected outcome of that visit is that – on her recommendation – I have taken to drinking my gin with mineral water rather than tonic. I think I’m probably safe from malaria – for now, anyway – so probably don’t need the quinine in the tonic and the flavour of the gin comes through much more clearly. It made me reflect on something that I commented on in the once mighty port of Oamaru on the East Coast of the South Island of New Zealand in early 2023 – long after all the coal has been left in the ground (except for that required to run vintage steam engines of course), there will be galleries, breweries and distilleries filling the abandoned spaces.
Heritage hotels, restaurants and local produce
We stayed at the Berida Hotel, which the owners have been progressively restoring since 2016. I remembered it as the site to which the Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meeting was moved after the Hilton Hotel bombing in 1978. I still remember photos of armed troops along the railway line nearby. It’s a bit of a local attraction, with a fine bistro, Bistro Sociale, and both a gin bar and whisky bar, with lots of places to sit in the shade outside. We made the most of all of venues. The bistro has taken a while to settle into its niche, having been through several changes over the last few years.
While it is quite different to the lost and lamented Biota restaurant, which used to be located just across the road and which closed several in 2020, it helps fill the gap. James Viles, the owner and chef at Biota has since moved on to other things, including working in Canberra. When René Redzepi, the chef from Noma restaurant in Copenhagen – which used to be celebrated as the world’s best restaurant – visited Australia he chose to go foraging with Australian chefs including James Viles.
If you want a change of scenery you can wander across the road to the Bowral Golf Club and drink rosé on the terrace while watching people hit balls around the greens. We ate at the bistro one night.
‘I have noticed driving round regional Australia that the roads seem far worse than ever before. There are signs everywhere that roadworks are in progress but not many actual roadworks.’
On the way up we stopped as we always do at the Exeter General Store for a bite to eat and on the way home we returned after too long a break to the Sutton Forest Inn, which has the most exquisite tiled 1930s corner front bar and pie floaters with puff pastry made by their chef – we really hit the jackpot at this last stop of our stay in the Highlands.
Roads worse than ever
On a side note one thing I have noticed driving round regional Australia and going to so many places, is that the roads seem far worse than ever before. Is this the result of decades of neo-liberalism, with cuts to budgets and public works staff? There are signs everywhere that roadworks are in progress but not many actual roadworks. It reminds of the approach of neo-liberal governments to almost everything – less action, more advertising. Instead of spending big on roadworks, they like to spend big on signage about how many roadworks are coming (sometime in the future).
Despite the world seemingly falling apart, all in all it was a terrific time despite the pandemic. It’s a trip we will repeat many times – and we've already started.
See also
The island to the North – the islands to the North East
‘The awkward relationship between Tasmania and the island to the North is not the only clumsy relationship between islands in this part of the world. The history of the ties between the island to the North and the islands of the Pacific is even more troubled’, The island to the North – the islands to the North East.
‘The awkward relationship between Tasmania and the island to the North is not the only clumsy relationship between islands in this part of the world. The history of the ties between the island to the North and the islands of the Pacific is even more troubled’, The island to the North – the islands to the North East.
‘tableland’ on Facebook – life on the land and at the table
‘Life on the land and at the table, the companion Facebook site to this blog, for brief and topical snippets and vignettes about land to table – the daily routine of living in the high country, on the edge of the vast Pacific, just up from Sydney, just down from Mount Kosciuszko’, 'tableland' on Facebook.
Food and culture in the neighbourhood – culinary love letter from the South Pacific
‘Our near neighbours in the vast Pacific are often overlooked by Australia in its slavish focus on America, Britain and Europe. Yet this is our own backyard. The lack of knowledge has ranged across many aspects of the culture and history of the Pacific, including its culinary traditions. Yet, behind the scenes over more than a decade, a culinary revolution has been underway. This is the story of New Zealand chef, Robert Oliver, his fascination with the traditional food of the Pacific Islands, and an internationally award-winning cookbook, described as a ‘culinary love letter from a smattering of islands in the South Pacific’, which has developed a life of its own’, Food and culture in the neighbourhood – culinary love letter from the South Pacific.
‘Life on the land and at the table, the companion Facebook site to this blog, for brief and topical snippets and vignettes about land to table – the daily routine of living in the high country, on the edge of the vast Pacific, just up from Sydney, just down from Mount Kosciuszko’, 'tableland' on Facebook.
Food and culture in the neighbourhood – culinary love letter from the South Pacific
‘Our near neighbours in the vast Pacific are often overlooked by Australia in its slavish focus on America, Britain and Europe. Yet this is our own backyard. The lack of knowledge has ranged across many aspects of the culture and history of the Pacific, including its culinary traditions. Yet, behind the scenes over more than a decade, a culinary revolution has been underway. This is the story of New Zealand chef, Robert Oliver, his fascination with the traditional food of the Pacific Islands, and an internationally award-winning cookbook, described as a ‘culinary love letter from a smattering of islands in the South Pacific’, which has developed a life of its own’, Food and culture in the neighbourhood – culinary love letter from the South Pacific.
The Asian food century begins in Sydney
‘Almost ten years ago much fuss was made of the rapidly looming Asian Century, full of challenge and promise. I was working in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet at the time as Director of the National Cultural Policy Task Force. The discussion White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century being developed at the same time seemed part of a similar big picture approach to Australia's future. Today it seems even more relevant than in those times of more strategic governments. In Sydney you get a much sharper sense of the Asian Century – and its culinary reflection, the Asian food century’, The Asian food century begins in Sydney.
‘Almost ten years ago much fuss was made of the rapidly looming Asian Century, full of challenge and promise. I was working in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet at the time as Director of the National Cultural Policy Task Force. The discussion White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century being developed at the same time seemed part of a similar big picture approach to Australia's future. Today it seems even more relevant than in those times of more strategic governments. In Sydney you get a much sharper sense of the Asian Century – and its culinary reflection, the Asian food century’, The Asian food century begins in Sydney.
Returning to the city while the coast is clear – Raku serves up Japanese seafood with style
‘While
I was in the city recently I noticed that Raku restaurant was open.
It’s an old favourite and we’d looked at takeaway from there in the
midst of the first lockdown, when everyone was ordering from their
favourite locals to help keep them afloat. However, we hadn’t been to
the restaurant since the pandemic struck. Since we needed to grab some
lunch, we thought why not go there and support one of our local
businesses while the coast is clear since the hospitality sector has
been the only one to be harder hit by the pandemic shutdown than the
creative sector. A stream of Japanese dishes seemed a suitable way to
enjoy the charm of a local restaurant that serves up seafood with
style’, Returning to the city while the coast is clear – Raku serves up Japanese seafood with style. In search of wild mushrooms
‘Growing up in the Central
Highlands of Tasmania, foraging for wild mushrooms was a regular part of
life. Now living in Canberra, a landscape markedly similar to where I
grew up, mushrooms have an altogether more deadly reputation. However,
it all comes down to specialist knowledge about the subject, as I
discovered on a chilly evening with one of Canberra’s mushrooming
experts’, In search of wild mushrooms.
The Asian food century begins in Sydney
‘Almost ten years
ago much fuss was made of the rapidly looming Asian Century, full of
challenge and promise. I was working in the Department of Prime Minister
and Cabinet at the time as Director of the National Cultural Policy
Task Force. The discussion White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century
being developed at the same time seemed part of a similar big picture
approach to Australia's future. Today it seems even more relevant than
in those times of more strategic governments. In Sydney you get a much
sharper sense of the Asian Century – and its culinary reflection, the
Asian food century’, The Asian food century begins in Sydney.
We all scream for icecream – cooling down in a cold climate with Frugii
‘I realise I may have just become a statistic. I have a suspicion that I have eaten more sorbet, gelato and icecream since local Canberra icecream outlet Frugii opened in Canberra’s Braddon perimeter than I have eaten in my whole previous life. Tucked away in hipster heaven, it keeps churning out flavours, in an ever changing smorgasbord of coldness’, We all scream for icecream – cooling down in a cold climate with Frugii.
A bustling Friday night in hipster heaven
‘On a bustling Friday night in hipster heaven, I popped into my favourite Canberra restaurant, Italian and Sons, planning for little more than a quick bite to eat. I managed to get my favourite spot – when I’m not settled comfortably in Bacaro, the adjoining bar out the back, that is – sitting in the window, watching the action on the street. I headed straight for a real blast from my Adelaide past, part of my earliest discovery of Italian cuisine – saltimbocca. Then I beat a path down Lonsdale Street to Frugii, Canberra’s own dessert laboratory. What is happening to this city? It’s getting cooler by the minute and it’s not just the icecream or the approach of winter’, A bustling Friday night in hipster heaven.
Vitello Tonnato for a life well lived in hipster heaven
‘It had been quite a week and I had been crushed by too many encounters with the crazy world of Centrelink as I fulfilled my long list of aged care responsibilities. I needed cheering up so last night ate out at the venerable Italian and Sons, the very first of the many funky venues which now enliven Braddon. My attention was drawn to the rare appearance of vitello tonnato. My imagination had been captured decades ago when I was a young boy by seeing the recipe for the dish in Margaret Fulton’s classic cookbook. I finally tried it in a tiny restaurant in Florence, during my first visit overseas, after a stint at the massive Frankfurt Book Fair in 1989. This most recent one was the best I have ever eaten outside my own home – well, perhaps the best anywhere. This is a favourite place, probably my most favourite in Canberra. Coming here always makes me feel happy and what more can you ask?’, Vitello Tonnato for a life well lived in hipster heaven.
Eating out in a cold, funky city – Canberra comes of age in the Asian Century
‘On a day and night which was bitterly cold – as cold as Canberra has been this year, with the hint of snow clouds overhead – I was reminded why I live here. As we wandered along after a full day of cultural institutions and design events, looking for somewhere to eat we impetuously popped into Restaurant Eightysix and even more impetuously were able to get a table. I had forgotten reading somewhere that famed long-former Adelaide chef, Christine Manfield was here for the month, cooking up an Asian-inspired menu. How much better could it get?’, Eating out in a cold, funky city – Canberra comes of age in the Asian Century.
Provenance - knowing where good things come from
‘It took me only five years but I finally found my way to Provenance, the legendary regional restaurant established by chef Michael Ryan in Beechworth in 2010. Provenance is widely considered one of the best restaurants in regional Victoria, in a tiny state that contains many good regional restaurants. I had been meaning to eat there since it was established and given how regularly we travel to Beechworth and its surrounds I was amazed I hadn’t been earlier. It took some time but it was worth it’, Provenance - knowing where good things come from.
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