Nutting it out...

I wasn't too sure what to expect as I pulled off the main road, onto a dirt track, past some cows grazing in their paddocks. It reminded me of my childhood living on the farm, a wave of nostalgia washed over me and it was nice. I love being in the country.

I passed some cows that were free-ranging and bathing in the suns rays, before turning at the little sign to direct me to the Yarramalong Macadamia Nut Farm. What a spectacular place. Living here, and waking up to the beauty of the native surrounds and soft breeze everyday must be heaven!

The macadamia trees form a magical forest, one that you use to dream of playing in when you were a child, everything here is so enchanted.

The main house - which serves as the Firefly Bistro is modest and ever so welcoming. A small balcony overlooks the sloping hill side of the farm, whilst another, nestles you into the Australia rain forest/bush with tall tower blue gumtrees and the soft hmm of nature.

The staff here are ever so friendly and welcoming, making sure that all your needs are met. The food to pick from is light, tasty and, has a high attention to detail.

I could have sat quietly on the back porch for hours - if I brought a good book, or just watching nature do it's 'thing'. Then casually stroll through the farm exploring the enchanted nut forest.

When people talk about 'hidden' places to visit, The Yarramalong Macadamia Nut Farm is one of them.

I purchased some macadamias - how could I resist, and used them that afternoon in my Vegan Raw cacao truffles, and they tasted amazing!

 

Yum Cha on the coast!

Yes! It is possible to get Yum Cha on the Central Coast!

Dragons Door (near the cinemas) is hidden in the far corner of Erina Fair, and serves delicious parcels of goodness for lunch. A draw card for me for any Yum Cha experience is always the mango pancakes! YUM!

For two people we spent $47.

That's...
6 dishes
1 pot of tea (for 2)
1 Coke.

This is average, price wise, as far as eating out and Yum Cha goes in Sydney. It didn't help, however that there was one vegetarian and one strict non-vegetarian eating. Yum Cha is all about sharing meals. So, obviously this didn't happen.

The vegetarian options are limited, very limited. Basically there are two options, three, if you get them to make the broccoli dish without the oyster sauce. But the two that I had were filling and yummy!

I was told by Dean, my dining partner for the day, that the *cough* chicken feet (yuck) are yummy and so too is the squid.

Menu? Here it is...

Page 1 - Menu

Page 2 - Menu

*Guest Blog* - Gary in the valley

Ola Everyone,

So, I was asked to write a guest blog of my travels for Sarah or as friends like to call her “Foz”.

I wasn't sure how well I would go taking images of the area where I stayed, but, as Elizabeth Musser said  “An artist's eye can take the spiritual and bring it down to earth. Remember the eye is the window to the soul”

So in doing so I went on an expedition and in search of natural and spiritual beauty on the Central Coast.  I spent my first night 'camping' in a caravan (due to my lateness and cunning sense of direction), but there is nothing more peaceful then the sound on raindrops tapping on a tin roof. It’s enough to rock you to sleep.

Day two was not a day for camping, it was windy and the chill in the air would make you wonder, 'where has summer has been for the last 3 months?'.  But never the less, we put the tent up, ready for a night of slumber at Lake Munmorah National Park.

I camped at Freeman Reserve; the site provides facilities such as showers, toilets and BBQ’s, so I guess you could say its not in anyway living it rough, but 'camping in comfort.'

The environment: Tranquil. Nature at its best.  Open Skies, makes you appreciate there are still places out there without planes flying over or light pollution covering what is, a beautiful view of our galaxy. 

Sunday:

Bright and early, up at the crack of dawn, life is waking up. I know because the Kookaburras were the first to remind me that it was 6 am.  I took it as a sign that sleep was not going to be my best friend for the rest of the morning. So camera in hand, I went in search to of that “spirit” to capture and bring it down to earth.

I have to say, It’s so much more interesting when you don’t know what you are looking for. Your instinct is your best friend and sometimes you need to get down and dirty to capture a great moment.

Walking the beachfront was full of unexpected surprises (and I don’t mean just because part of the beach is registered as nude beach), I can say that nothing spiritual was found there.

But in my further exploration I found art scattered amongst the bay, washed up ship metal, shells, modified rock formations. So check out the beach off Freemans Reserve or even off the Frazier Reserve and you will not be disappointed. Whether it’s for a camping trip or just a cruise to chill by the water it’s a sight worth seeing.

Sunday wasn’t over though, I was invited to lunch with Sarah who took me to a place you could best describe it as a hidden paradise. The food was unbelievable, it’s a must, if you are in the area then take the opportunity to go to The Bamboo Buddha at Holgate.  On entry you will find you have entered tranquility.

After lunch and conversation that seemed endless, it turned out that my sight seeing was not over, The next step was to witness more of what the central coast has to offer, so leaving the restaurant, we head down towards Terrigal and Avoca to a place call Cocomo... Jokes! I mean Copacabana. I didn’t want to tell Sarah this but upon arrival at Copacabana all I could hear in my head were the lyrics  of Barry Manilow:

Her name is Lola, she was a showgirl

With yellow feathers in her hair

And a dress cut

Just cut down to there

She would merengue

And do the cha-cha

And while she tried to be a star

Tony always tended bar

Across the crowded floor

They worked from eight 'til four

They were young and they had each other

Who could ask for more?

At the Copa, Copacabana

The hottest spot, north of Havana

At the Copa, Copacabana

Music and passion were always the fashion at the Copa

They fell in love, love

Sing along if you know the words!

I know, raised eyebrow!

With tune in head we walk down the beach where we got to see apartments that were not in the average price range, but had opportunities of taking photos of the cliff that they resided on.  Copacabana is and has the element of amazing, even though I have not stayed there I do recommend it to be a place to visit or even stay the night. After a hot day of adventure it was time for a swim, so to end what was I can describe as unpredictable and plentiful day. The warm ocean water was the a calling for a well deserved dip.

The central coast is full of adventure and undiscovered territory.

Art is all around us and needs to be captured. Take the opportunity to go and capture life at it’s best, and live in the moment. Never say “I wish”. Always live in the moment and say “that was a great experience”.

There is so much to discover, make your way up north you won’t regret it. 

Gary

Bamboo Buddha

Copacabana

 

 

Lake Munmorah National Park

 

High Tea at QVB

Everyone loves a little bit of luxurious indulgence, every now and then. What better way to indulge than a high tea in the Queen Victoria Building (QVB) Sydney.

The QVB is located in the centre of Sydney. With connecting thorough fares to all the major shopping districts (Pitt Street Mall, Myre, David Jones, Westfield and Center Point) the QVB is like the shopping heart of the city pumping underground avenues to all the high labeled brands and bargain shopping. Its arteries snake their way out through the underground train station (Townhall) and can easily transport you to the other side of the city (trains are frequent at about 3-8 min per train, depending on the direction - see Cityrail for details)

The QVB was the original shopping mecca of Sydney - home to the Sydney markets. The building was erected and complete close to 1890. The buildings elegance stirs as sense of what the 'old times' where like and a romance tenderly sashays it way through the corridors and is mimicked in the architecture.

If you are in Sydney around Christmas time, swing by the QVB and marvel at the massive Christmas tree that stands proudly in the centre of the building which is beautifully decorated is the finest Christmas trim.

The Team Room is located on the 3rd floor, take the old elevator to the top floor and you will find your self in high tea heaven. You will be greeted by the Host when you walk in then shown to your crisp white linen table by your personal waiter.

The tea menu is extensive and (for a tea lover) somewhat overwhelming! As we were indulging we went for the crème de la crème Champagne Afternoon Tea.

The tea ware is elegant Royal Doulton, and one can't help but feel a little posh sipping tea from the tea cup and conversing over the tiered cake stands full of mini sandwiches (made with organic breads and gluten free bread), mini morsels of sugary goodness, melt in your mouth macaroons and warm fluffy scones with thick fruit preserve and for those who dare, clotted cream.

After 90 minutes of indulgence, its nice to know you can stroll around Sydney afterwards, window shopping, and walking off all those delicious treats.

What types of high tea experiences are on offer? (These prices were taken from the website at the time this was published)

Traditional Afternoon Tea         39
A set selection of finger sandwiches, petit fours, sweet and savoury pastries, scones with 
preserve and clotted cream, tea or coffee  
Tea Selection included.  Tea for Connoisseurs additional $2      

Sparkling Afternoon Tea          44
A set selection of finger sandwiches, petit fours, sweet and savoury pastries, scones with 
preserve and clotted cream, tea or coffee and a glass of Australian sparkling wine   
Tea Selection included.  Tea for Connoisseurs additional $2

Cocktail Afternoon Tea          51
A set selection of finger sandwiches, petit fours, sweet and savoury pastries, scones with 
preserve and clotted cream, tea or coffee and served with a cocktail    
Tea Selection included.  Tea for Connoisseurs additional $2

Champagne Afternoon Tea          57
A set selection of finger sandwiches, petit fours, sweet and savoury pastries, scones with 
preserve and clotted cream, tea or coffee and a piccolo of French champagne  
Tea Selection included.  Tea for Connoisseurs additional $2

Gluten Free Afternoon Tea         
A set selection of finger sandwiches, petit fours, sweet and savoury pastries made with 
buckwheat, quinoa, chickpea flour and almond meal, tea or coffee.

Fernwood High Tea

Personally, if I had to choose between pretty dresses and sparkling diamonds for a day or, bungee jumping off a bridge into water and then dirt bike riding around sand dunes... I'd pick the later. But there is just something with me and 'high tea' that I just can’t pass on - Its super girly, incredibly dainty and somewhat sophisticate, all of which, I am not.

One Saturday, we strolled along to Fernwood High Tea at The Junction, Newcastle NSW. When I say it’s hidden... it is, nuzzled in a main street in suburbia, you may just well drive past it if you're not careful. The two story cottage oozes character and offers guests a 'shabby chic' decor welcoming. Everything is trimmed and draped with lace and vintage materials. Teacup sets poke out from gardens, pot plants and side tables. Attention to detail is the key to any high tea and Fernwood High Tea is very hard to fault.

The layout of the high tea is brilliant. There were four of us there, and we had our own private room, beautifully dressed and full of character. There were two other groups of people there also, each with their own private dining section - One outside in the romantic garden, the other inside in a separate room next to ours.

For me, what separated this high tea experience from others was the food and the order in which is came out. There were more savoury than sweet, which is perfect as we were there around lunch time (and I tend to be sugar free, so I prefer savoury) Each time a course came out I couldn't help but let out a little giggle - everything came in little tea cups or vintage glasses, brilliant!

The courses were managed really well - Allowing enough time to eat and chat. The service was prompt and friendly and the atmosphere was welcoming and relaxing.

Fernwood High Tea also have a Bed and breakfast attached, I look forward to staying there one day.

They were able to cater to my veggie-head Gluten free diet; everything was amazingly tasty and surprisingly filling.

What does it cost? At $38 a head it’s pretty good, I think it is spot on the money! The attention to detail, the quality of the food and the amount was all perfect.

How do you get there? The Junction is located in Newcastle, we drove - It’s about 2.5 hrs north of Sydney. You could catch the train to Newcastle and then bus into the junction, but I recommend a taxi or driving.

Thank you for having us Maria, at Fernwood High Tea.