Brisbane, QLD


Friday, July 6, 2018

A COUNTRY DRIVE

During our four day trip to the Southern Highlands, Carol and David took us for another drive around the district. We stopped in the little village of Robertson for morning coffee. The coffee shop was an old cheese factory converted into a coffee shop and cheese and souvenir shop.
 The old cheese factory.

Inside the old cold room and factory.

 I love the character of the old country houses. This one had the typical verandah and even the owner having a nap in the winter sun.

 A bit further down the main road we came across the "Big Potato", which was a bit worse for wear. It was quite a laugh really. Many Aussie towns have large statues of the products they are famous for. I have seen the big orange, the big banana, the big mango, the big cow, the big prawn and here we have the big potato. What next?

We continued our drive through a beautiful National Park to see the Belmore Falls. When we got there we found the pathway was closed due to damage to the lookout from a past bushfire. That was a disappointment.

 So we continued on to find a winery for lunch. Carol had done the research and found a delightful one at Mount Ashby Estate.

This was the driveway to the Cellar Door and restaurant.
It was a sunny, peaceful area.

 Inside was full so we sat outside in the warm sun. 

We chatted with Carol and David

and had a delightful lunch of Barramundi and Creme Brûlée .
After that we drove back to the hotel for a rest and that evening we had a dinner in the hotel's posh restaurant because it was my birthday. 

19 comments:

  1. Hello, looks like a fun trip. The winery is beautiful. I like the house and the big potato. Enjoy your day and weekend!

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  2. what a wonderful birthday trip. I love that restaurant and would have chosen out in the sun also. really like the little house with the white picket fence to... cheese is one of my favorite foods.. we have the BIG things here in USA also...

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  3. Nice tour you made. I agree with you a big potato, what is the point of that, it is only huge and ugly.

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  4. That big potato got my attention. So did barramundi which I will now google as it is a new food for me. Glad you had such a very special BD.

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  5. I like the way they have converted the old cheese factory and given it a new life. Caught the owner napping on the verandah, what a great photo. Sounds like you had a fabulous birthday.

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  6. Thank you for taking us on this pretty tour. I have a fantasy of living in an old home, they always have so much character. Love the look of this area. The big potato is a hoot.

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  7. Wow---your trip must have been fantastic. Love the "Big Potato".... ha...

    I was hoping to see the waterfalls. Maybe you can go back sometime....

    Love the home with that big front porch...

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  8. That is a big potatoes. Looks a nice area.

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  9. Travel, scenery and good food. What more could one ask?

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  10. A happy belated birthday to you Diane.
    That winery/restaurant looks so pretty from the outside. I'd never heard of the big potato, but there it is! Quite funny.

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  11. Happy birthday. I like all the places you show here.

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  12. As soon as you mentioned big sculptures representing an area I immediately thought of the big prawn. When I Googled it and found out where it was I realised that I could never have seen that one ie the one in Ballina so where have I seen a giant prawn? Oh dear. I'll be wondering that for ages. Talking of verandahs I couldn't understand why many of the old houses in New Zealand had the verandah on the 'wrong' side of the house ie on the South side. It would appear that it was a while before it dawned on some settlers that the midday sun was in the Northern sky not the Southern one. Seems crazy but is apparently true.

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  13. Your kids spoiled you!! A wonderful Birthday. I keep frozen Barramundi in a lemon sauce from Whole Foods --because sometimes I am too lazy to cook and even too lazy to go out for dinner! It is delicious. I should have bought a bottle of good Australian wine to make it a real slam dunk.

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  14. Oh yes that Big Potato has to take the prize as the worst big thing of the lot. And if I remember rightly it sits forlorn and all but abandoned to add to the mystery of why it was ever created.

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  15. Lovely tour and photos - loved the concrete spud! Happy Birthday!!

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  16. Great for posh on your birthday! What an unusual but neat place to have a coffee shop. Love your travels

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  17. Wonderful birthday adventure, Diane. Thanks for sharing the photos and I wondered if the potato one was made of, certainly it was not potatoes!

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  18. I hope you had a great b/day with Carol and David.
    That area of NSW is just so picturesque but I think I would have
    chosen not in winter to go there...........too bloody cold!
    Colin

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