Morning Coffee in the Mountains. Our NewsTime Blog
Coffee time is perfect break to read about what others are doing in this fantastic slice of paradise in the wilderness.
January 31, 2014
Well, we are on our way. A completely new and different focus on food and lifestyle.
|
After giving the future its due consideration, I
hastened my thoughts back to the past. A time gone by that
was crowned in glory. Its virtues were extolled in the
local newspapers. Why do we cherish such memories?
It's a time of what we don't have now. Time.
The time to enjoy the sweet smell of the roses. A time when blemishes did not matter. It was the taste that counted. The apples from our 100 year old orchard are showing their age. The lichen reveals that timeless age. It clings to the trunks and entices your imagination. How many people picked the luscious apples from your branches. How many children could not resist and stole that bite of the beautiful red apple. |
 |
| The taste back then was what counted the most. The shape didn't affect the price nor the flavour. All the apples were different. Noti like today, all have to be perfect, all the same size, the same colour, and no consideration for the taste. The farm produce of today is genetically modified. To keep costs down we are told. To reduce spoilage. To reduce waste. |
 |
|
How mundane it is to wander the aisles of the sterile
supermarket, looking for ideas for the evening dinner.
How stimulating it is to wander down the pathways of your own vege garden picking a couple of lettuce leaf here, a few beans from over there, a few tomatoes, , a packet of pasta and your own stoneground bread from your wood fired oven. Picking a couple of strawberries, a few blackberries and freshly stewed apples. No you cant do this all the time The average householder simply does not have the time. Its all about living the dream.
|
____________________________________________________________________________
December 31st 2013
Next year we are kicking off our new range of experiences.
We believe that people expect experiences that changes along with the times, so we have a new line up of the unexpected.
Rebuilding the lifestyle of the past is a time consuming and herculean task.
Our aim is recreate the concept of the essence of farms of yesteryear of the Megalong Valley.
Good luck many say! Oh well, its worth a try. Back in the 20's, 30's.40's even the 50's you could buy farm direct produce.
No Coles and Woolies mega stores back then. Your corner store carried all that you needed. Fresh eggs, milk, vegetables. When new regulations came into force, you no longer could buy milk from the dairy. Eggs went through a marketing board. Farms became unviable, and with the advent of cars, people could get to other options for their employment. The demise set in.
But today there is a real focus on the paddock to plate. People want to feel the ground under their feet.
See the glistening ears of corn in the sun. Watch the chooks run in the grass.
We have a new page to document our journey ...Looking to the Future
______________________________________________________________________
Experience Morocco in the Mountains. Something really different for those Girlfriend Getaways.
Girls Getaways with a Difference
Get out your sense of Adventure and get on with doing something out of the Ordinary.
There is a plethora of things to do out there, but this is designed for you to do something that is really different.
______________________________________________________________________________
Nov 30th 2013
We have been offline for far too long!.
We have been spending a lot of time preparing our new concepts for our wilderness experiences. These new concepts promises to deliver what we think that people really come to the this vast and extraordinary region for. A chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of the fast pace of the city and to immerse yourself in our timeless land.
Way back an eternity ago, the Megalong Valley looked like this. Miles and miles of untouched wilderness that was abundant in nature. While we cant turn back the hands of time we can appreciate the changes and what once was. The best thing about the Megalong Valley is that it still is like a time bubble. Apart from the loss of the trees, the same atmosphere still exists with lots of fresh clean air and plenty of birds.
___________________________________________________________________________
June 30th 2013
There is nothing like taking an early morning winter walk. Brisk and refreshing, its perfect excuse to take along a camera! Forget the gym..
_________________________________________________________________________
May 30th 2013
Brrrr. There is a chill in the air and the fires are starting to get going. A perfect reason to take it easy and enjoy of fine drop of red wine. We have become addicted to Malbec after a recent trip to Argentina. The Central West wine region is starting to produce some really great varietals.
________________________________________________________________________
Our Morning Coffee Blog has been overtaken by the inclement weather that has reeked havoc during January and February. Despite our best intents our plans were put on hold as were encountered 6 inches of rain in one 48 hour period! Two inundations in one night will test even the most stalwart of optimists. But we have coped with this scenario for the past 20 years, so when the sun shines, so does our attitude.
After lots of cleaning away the debris the only thing that remains is repairing the roads. We will wait till climate change gets a little more settled in our region! Huge deluges from above do not partner well with granite roads, at around $12,000 to top off, it’s a waiting game.
Easter is just around the corner and this is the best time to be in the Blue Mountains. The trees are ablaze in colour, the mornings are now so misty, but burning off to superb weather…a real treat for early morning camera buffs.
___________________________________________________________________________
January 30th 2013
Xmas was an enjoyable break this year with over 40ml of rain. We had just erected one of our new Gazebos for our extravagant picnic projects and down it came along with the rain.
The first weekend of trading for the new year seems to set the pace. Temperature reached 40.
Times seems to repeat itself. Back in the early 1990's we had the same situation. All our dams dried up in a November, high temperatures, then down came the rains and flooded us out!.
_______________________________________________________________________
December 3rd 2012
The weekend is set to be a time of a gathering of friends with a birthday event for Fiona Mackenzie. Around 50 people will be spending time in the bush enjoying the fresh clean air. A morning bush breakfast feast is on the agenda. We look forward to welcoming the revellers..
The week that was...
Last weekend was hot. Really hot. But we have a great system of keeping people cool ala natural. We put in a water system between the trees to create a mist. Its like being in a rainforest. Lot of picnics. Obviously they were hot items last Xmas!
_________________________________________________________________________
Plenty happening this week. We're getting ready for a new direction next year and there is a flurry of activity. New plants have been bought for the birds garden. We hope to attract more smaller birds by planting plenty of bottle brush next to the new outdoor dining room.
Only one problem - the free ranging grazers The alpaca, sheep and horses who free range and graze here are of the opinion that we have just bought in lots of coloured dessert for them. How frustrating to find a plant brimming with flowers have been pruned Alpaca Style!
Went to Sydney for a few days. Now I can see why people love it at our quiet venue. Its so noisy in the city. you share every moment with everyone else. you cant enjoy a quiet meal or a moment for yourself. The only respite is the library.. Its mandatory to be quiet! But it is great to go to the city for a show at the Opera House. And ever better when you get back to the Mountains.
_________________________________________________________________________
Had a group of chefs from Korea dine with us. The Meat and Livestock Corp bought them in to see how Aussie organic meat is grown. Our cattle predominately are Brahman Cross breeds for filming purposes, but the Koreans said the meat is flavoursome!
They were served our range of meats Korean style on our chargrill .
_________________________________________________________________________
Spectacular landscapes abound in the Megalong Valley.
