Monthly Archives: April 2023

After visiting Daylesford 3 years ago there were 3 must do visits that I absolutely had to include:

1. Visit the stunningly gorgeous Mt Macedon and walk in Vicki Hawken’s garden – Viewfield.
2. Dine at the Lake House restaurant owned by Ella Wolf Tasker.
3. Eat at Annie Smithers  – Du Fermier in Trentham.

Consequently, our last two days here were filled with pretty amazing visits.

At the foot of Mt Macedon is an avenue of the most stunning houses and gardens and at this time of the year it is an explosion of Autumn colour. I had planned on a picnic lunch and came prepared with delicious quiches, pork pies, terrines, pate, cheeses and plum tart from the Piper Deli in Kyneton. After coffee and a break in Woodend we headed to Viewfield garden . I met Vicki on my research trip 3 years previously and I was delighted to meet her at the gate when we arrived. She also insisted we have our picnic lunch in her garden which was an absolute treat. Her large creative garden was a lesson in space and planting and her areas varied from woodland to Australian native to intricate potagers – all surrounded by beautiful Autumn trees. A roll of brown paper was a cheap and perfect solution for a table cloth and I must say we had a very lovely picnic.

Before heading back to Daylesford we had time to drive to the Mt Macedon Memorial Cross. It turned out to be a special brief time to watch the preparations for the Anzac service to be held at dawn the following morning.

By 5.30 we had scrubbed up and put on our glad gears on –  to eat at the highly anticipated Lake House for dinner. Ambience, Atmosphere, Service, Food – this place excels in providing the best dining experience. We had an unsurpassed evening of perfection and can certainly recommend the Lake House in Daylesford – plus I can’t wait to go back. 

Our final visit the following day was one I worked hard to secure. Annie Smithers is a special Victorian acclaimed chef and her restaurant and cook school called Du Fermier in Trentam is very hard to get into. It was Anzac day and everything is closed. But, after some correspondence Annie offered me a visit to her home farm and garden called ‘Babbington Park’ and then back to Du Fermier for lunch.

Annie and her wife Susan’s projects were so inspirational – from restoring an old church and the amazing old shearing shed to building creative houses for their menagerie of ducks, chickens, goats, cows and sheep . The property was immaculate and surrounded by stunning gardens that supply Annie with the produce for her restaurant. Menus are planned depending on what is ready in the garden – consequently, change daily. I have worked with this philosophy for ever – Seasonal , local produce and Annie has taken this to a higher level and her garden was inspiring along with her boundless energy, enthusiasm and caring friendly personality.

Lunch was a lesson in simplicity and flavour – from salmon smoked over hay – served with beetroot and red cabbage / melt in your mouth chicken in a tomato capsicum rich sauce with potatoes and carrots / chocolate and berry roulade using the raspberries Annie had picked that morning. 

I try to make life on tour varied and tell the story of the region we visit. Between, Vicki at Viewfield, the Lake House and Annie at Babbington Park and Du Fermier, we experienced the work of exceptionally talented women who are passionate, very clever and obviously love what they do.

For the next 4 days we immersed ourselves in the towns and villages of Central Victoria. Heading to Daylesford where we are to spend the next four nights.

Our travel day provided an opportunity to stop – firstly at the cute little town of Lancefield. Obviously, our lucky day as the monthly market was spread out down the grass verge in the middle of the main street. It was delightful – full of locals with baskets overflowing with vegetables, children getting their faces painted and a huge assortment of produce on offer that I hadn’t seen at a market before like; Live chickens and ducks, bales of hay, wild local mushrooms, along with the usual fresh local vegetables and fruit, cheese, meat, eggs and flowers.

30 minutes on is the larger town of Kyneton. The antique shops, gift shops and clothing stores are famous here, along with the Piper St deli – where Philip and I did some shopping for a picnic to come. But, the real reason I wanted to bring my group here was the eclectic Botanik Bar at the old Royal George Hotel. They specialise in Vermouth and Amaro and have a very impressive collection. It seemed appropriate today to include a cocktail for lunch that was accompanied by a simple platter lunch of great bread, cheese, charcuterie, pates and olives.

Belinzona hotel is 5 minutes out of Daylesford – an old wooden hotel transformed into a stylish hotel for today. Pre – dinner drinks in large comfortable leather chairs proved a perfect spot to sit and chat about our day and the new interesting countryside we have been driving through.

It’s a long weekend and Daylesford is heaving with visitors and day trippers from Melbourne. The traffic was backed up in every direction – especially to the local market. Time for a walk, a shop or sit in a café and watch the crowds.

At 4pm we had an opportunity to visit an historical local landmark owned by a friend of my brother in-laws family.  In 1988 Tina Banitska bought a derelict Convent in Daylesford and over the next few years she single handedly transformed a dream into reality and now proudly has an award winning art gallery, café, bar, wedding venue, historical tours, accommodation, plus a beautiful garden to walk around. 

We felt privileged to be invited after 4 when all the hoards had  left and after such a busy busy day, Tina shared her life story – starting as a little girl from a poor Greek Immigrant family to the despair and tenacious hard work she has put in to create one of Victoria’s iconic attractions.  A special visit hosted by a very special lady.

Somehow the arrival of my tour bus and getting on the road also comes with a sense of relief. Even if there was a surprise both for me and my bus driver Trevor: He was driving a large 48-seater bus. I thought I was getting a small bus with a luggage trailer. He thought he was getting 40 people not 14.   I think we can both say it was a win win. It always feels good to gather my tour group in one place, they can chat endlessly in the huge big seats and its easier for me to talk. 

Driving out of the city was easy and with Trevor’s 30 years on the road he swiftly had us climbing the hills of the Dandenong’s. It is very green and lush here and obvious they have had recent rain. Large houses hide in the trees and their grounds sweep out to meet the road. Little communities are dotted all over the hills and from here many choose to commute into the city.  

Our first stop for the all-important coffee was the small Village of Olinda. It also sports one of the best hat shops in the country. Its owner duly arrived late to open but in time to sell a couple of hats and inform us many of his relative live in Dunedin (small world) https://truffaux.airshipcms.io

Just along the road is ‘Cloud Hill ‘Garden, a Japanese tea house and the Dandenong Rhododendron gardens so in that order we walked through the garden rooms of Cloud Hill, enjoyed a simple Japanese lunch but finished with a few decadent cakes and for those that wanted a brisk 30-minute walk in the botanical gardens. The Autumn colours are so disappointing compared to the previous two visits I have had here. The cool wet weather has made a big impact. Yarra Valley is only an hour’s drive away from Melbourne. We passed one of the biggest flower growing areas of the region. But, soon had vineyards spreading around us on all sides. Our accommodation is in a wine estate complex called Balgownie and within an hour we were immersed in our first wine tasting of Yarra Valley wines – notably – Sparkling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Shiraz, followed by dinner. 

A group of hot air balloons are up each morning early even though we have a leisurely 9.30 start. The mornings are cool and the valley below is shrouded in mist. 

Three years ago, when I did my research trip I was advised to go to a Nursery called ‘Antique Perennials‘. I meet Matt and his partner and they offered a tour of the nursery. So, I finally made it and wasn’t disappointed. This nursery is famous all over Australia and sells 99.5% of everything they produce.  Matt was generous with his time and knowledge and we were shocked to hear he lost everything in the black fires of 2009. At the gate the plant store is packed with the most interesting and strong plants and surrounded with a fabulous example of perennial planting suited to dry conditions.  Only wish we could buy …

The largest town in the Yarra Valley is Healesville – and also the home of ‘Four Pillars Gin’. After a brief walk and for some a little essential shopping !! (Which is always necessary on tour).  We started with a paddle of 4 gins to taste. It was fun, different and the casual shared food was whisked to the table super quick. 

The destination on our second day was to the town of Marysville.

The famous Black Spur drive links the Yarra Valley to Marysville and is bordered by immense mountain ash trees and equally tall  tree ferns. It’s a windy road, which provided wonderful views of the dense forest.

  A visit to Marysville is a humbling experience and amidst the beautiful Autumn trees it’s hard to envisage the town, which previously had a population of over 500 people, was devastated by the Black Friday Murrindindi Mill bushfire on 7 February 2009. Killing 45 people and around 90% of the town’s buildings were destroyed. 

Today it has returned to a quaint little village, ideal for a quiet time out of the city for walking or biking. The memorial is sobering and a reminder of the terrifying fire that destroyed so much.

A quirky talented artist called Bruno attracts visitors to his garden of terracotta sculptures and provides photos of his garden completely burnt out. It is surely an example of the fantastic resilience and hard work that is so evident here and in surrounding areas. 

Returning to our hotel we made an essential stop at the famous Chandon winery. It is one of the oldest in the district and is dedicated to creating méthode traditionnelle sparkling wines. 

Many of the Yarra valley wineries have large venue facilities for large functions and especially weddings. Our final nights’ dinner was at one such winery venue called Meletos. Attention to detail, clever interiors and beautiful gardens and surrounds, along with a delicious dinner made this a perfect way to end our time in the Yarra Valley. 

The 3 years between tours has almost been surreal. At first the relief of being safe in NZ while worldwide we grappled  with a Pandemic, then the safety of leaving NZ with a group became enormous. Finally, by the end of year three, I was missing my tours, along with the wonderful people that travel with me and the many overseas contacts I have made over the years.

I have started in Victoria Australia where I did the research all those years ago. It feels good to have a full tour, with many that have toured with me before and to share my love of gardens, food and the chance to spend 15 days exploring and making new friends. 

Flying into Melbourne is always exciting since our son Matthew , partner Kara and two grandchildren Mia and Charlie live in this vibrant city.  We had a short morning with them before heading to the “Cullen Art Hotel” in Prahran  and meeting up with my tour group in the late afternoon. Adam Cullen’s art covers the walls and each room has books of prominent Australian artists. 

Situated over the road from the Prahran Market it soon became evident the effect of lockdowns, lack of staff and general slow down in hospitality had taken its toll. With the hotels bar and breakfast room now gone it meant a walk to a local bar for drinks that night and café for breakfast. Not all bad – but unexpected. 

Monday night was certainly quiet, except for dinner at Entrecote. A notable French restaurant in the city. It was full of patrons, noisy with chatter,  a marvellous piano player and hosted by impeccable staff.

Classic French dishes were hard to select on the 3 course menu and each exquisitely executed with those stunning rich flavoursome French sauces. It was a perfect start to my tour and provided a memorable experience that we will remember for a long time. 

Day 1 . 

The impressionist painters of France called “ Monet and Friends’ is the new interactive  Art experience at the Lume in South Yarra. The hour long light show performance was amazing and enthralled us all.  We had previously been to Van Gogh and this didn’t fail to impress. 

Taxis are the best mode of travel for my tour group and they can whisk you through the city with no hassles, arriving within time for our long lunch at ‘Supernormal’ in Flinders Lane.  This  Japanese fusion restaurant came with plenty of recommendations  from our Melbournite friends.  After 3 hours we knew why and certainly enjoyed every dish from our banquet menu.

My idea of a walk in the gardens after our lunch close by,  was both really pleasant and a lesson in frustration as the taxi’s that I was so impressed with in the morning, didn’t turn up and we wasted time waiting –  Annoyed and weary, Bronwyn and I trammed back to the hotel in the rush hour . Certainly…. ready for a wee drink at the bar!!!

Anyway day 1 was fun, my group literally know everyone’s names and we have begun and are ready to head off on our adventure.