Millthorpe

I hadn't made any hard plans for the remainder of my weekend after the floral workshop. I wanted to leave it open to serendipity and see what happened. I figured that I'd probably find my accommodation, grab something for dinner and spend my Saturday night editing all the photos I'd taken that day. Belinda had a far better idea and suggested we meet for dinner at Tonic in Millthorpe with Libby and their friend Nicole. Not wanting to shun a first class meal and good company...I immediately said yes.

It was a short drive to Millthorpe where I found the beautiful little studio I'd booked, tucked away at the end of a garden path.  

(Photo from For 2)

For 2 was filled with so many thoughtful details including a bottle of wine and nibbles, plenty of beautiful books to pore over and breakfast & coffee all set for the next morning. The studio was stylishly decked out and filled with high quality linen making it so cosy and comfortable.

 I happily collapsed on the couch and unwound for an hour before dinner...relishing the late afternoon without the usual demand to feed hungry boys. 

At twilight I strolled down to the main street...it reminded me of the passage in Wind in the Willows when Mole and Ratty passed through a village on their way home from an adventure and found the street quite still, all inhabitants tucked up inside eating dinner or warming themselves by the fire. Millthorpe had that same kind of feeling...everyone tucked up in their homes as I wandered down the main street to Tonic. 

Dinner was a complete delight...Nicole, Belinda and Libby have known each other for years and the conversation flowed fast and free as incredible seasonal dishes came out one after the other. I realised as I watched these amazing women interact, that I've missed these kind of moments. After my dearest Rach died, I found myself avoiding social gatherings. I kept to myself a lot, I stopped investing in real life catch ups with friends who were still here, preferring to maintain my friendships online. Saturday night inspired me to put myself back out in the real world more often.

Chef Tony Worland, (who happens to be Nicole's hubby) came out and joined us at close of service as we were tucking into dessert and coffee. My sides were aching from laughter by the end of the night. Tony and Nicole have created an absolute gem with Tonic. Such a feast, such impeccable service from the staff and such warmth and welcome for a fine dining establishment. I bid everyone goodnight then wandered back to my little studio feeling perfectly content. Not quite ready to curl up under the covers, I spent a couple of hours editing my images from the day before finally falling into a deep and undisturbed sleep. Sunday morning involved a sleep in and breakfast in the sunshine. I sat on a garden bench, watching the birds flit about and the magnolia blossoms sway in the breeze as I savoured each slow spoonful of berries and yoghurt. 

It was a lovely, gentle way to ease into the day.

It was such a splendid morning that a wander through the streets with my camera was an absolute must! Bels recommended the Millthorpe Providore for the best coffee and, as ever she was right, it was amazing. That small town cliche of everyone knowing everyone proved true for Millthorpe as I observed locals chatting animatedly to each other while I waited for my order, but it came across in the best way. It left an impression of real community and it made me want to stay and be part of it all. 

I spent a while exploring the streets, admiring the gorgeous heritage architecture and rambling gardens. There is so much character imbued in this village and I'm keen to return with my family to stay longer and discover so much more.

My first port of call on the way home was a quick stop in Carcoar to see Belinda and thank her for inviting me to take part in the magic. We enjoyed one last chinwag before I continued on down the highway in search of fields of gold.

This weekend away was everything I needed. 

Wide open skies, country roads, time to think, creative souls, beauty and purpose, nourishment and friendship. I got to challenge myself with my photography and spend time in the company of truly wonderful people.

When can I do it all again?

Winter Long Weekend - Booroowa & Carcoar.

Are you the kind of person who hears about an event that you know you'd love to go to but you find yourself missing it each time it comes around? It happens to me quite regularly. I make a mental bucket list of places or events I'd love to see but the list seems to grow longer with very few getting crossed off!

Well...this weekend I broke that habit by organising a little family roadtrip through the Hilltops Region. Hurrah to me! 

Iandra Castle had one of their open days on Sunday so I figured it would be great stay in nearby Young Saturday night so that we could make the most of the weekend, tripping about the countryside exploring the region. Every foodie spot, every point of interest, every little town was selected based on Instagram accounts that I follow and the weekend turned out to be a truly lovely little adventure.

We set off early Saturday morning and made our first stop in Booroowa for coffee at the Pantry on Pudman and a wander around the town.

Then it was onwards north through Cowra to my favourite little village of Carcoar in the shire of Blayney. First things first...a wander up the street to stretch our legs and have a sticky beak at all the gorgeous heritage homes. It was here that we found ourselves a friend...or rather, Jack found himself a friend by the river whom we dubbed "Carcoar Cat".
Carcoar Cat followed us from the bridge all the way up the street and back again. It was adorable! 

 A pub lunch at the Royal Hotel was in order after our stroll.

 

Then I popped across the street for an entirely delightful catch up with the wonderful Belinda in her homewares store Tomolly. One of my instagram muses and a beautiful soul, it was so lovely to give her a hug hello and have a good chat in person. 

 

I could have whiled away the whole afternoon in conversation but the boys were keen to do more exploring, so, with a bag of Tomolly goodies in my hand we bid farewell and headed up the hill to the old train station to walk the disused line up to the abandoned tunnel. Thanks for the tip Belinda...it was brilliant fun! The boys were in heaven! The 281m tunnel built in the late 1880s was thrilling to walk through without a torch.We were able to see quite well until we hit the halfway mark. At that point we could see the faint light coming from each end of the tunnel but when we looked down we couldn't see a thing. We just kept our stride to the same spacing as the sleepers and hoped we wouldn't run into anything. It was peaceful and still and cool in the tunnel...until Harry got going with some very realistic train sounds that bounced off the curved walls and reverberated in my ears. Happiest kid on the planet! I hope the boys end up with fond memories of these little adventures. They'll be locked away in my memory as some of the loveliest times in my life.

I adore the view of the village from up on the hill, made extra special with winter woodsmoke wisping its way up into the air from chimneys.

When a biting chill hit the air we hopped back into the car and headed south to Young as the sun dipped down behind the hills, arriving at our motel just in time for dinner. 

More adventures in my next post.

xx Em