Megalong Valley

One of the places that the locals had said we must visit is the Megalong Valley and in particular to have lunch at the tearooms. From our house here on top of the valley we actually look right down into it but it wasn't until today, when we decided we must explore that we realised just how deep and expansive it is.

After a visit to the Blackheath Growers market we headed off down into the valley. The vegetation changes quite quickly and it even begins to look a little like NZ bush. Well the understory certainly had tree ferns and much more greenery than anything else we have seen. The canopy of course is still gum trees so from our view looking down on the valley you don't see all this lush vegetation. We stopped off on the way back to do a short loop track at Coachman's Grove, which showcases this bush up close.

 

We went along the valley until we came to the end of the seal. At this point there is an historic cemetery site, and it also where the Six Foot Track crosses the road. This track takes you from Katoomba to the Jenolan Caves (another spot on our must do list) and was the original bridle path and is now a popular walking track. We decided to stretch our legs and walked along this track for well over 2km. From here we got some good views, and were very close to a local vineyard.

We then headed back along the road to the Megalong Tearooms. These tearooms have been here for over 50 years and a browse of their website is well worth a look. http://www.megalongtearooms.com/history.php

We ordered our lunch and were able to sit outside, under the shade trees in the extensive outdoor dining area. Stephen thoroughly enjoyed his homemade chicken pie while I enjoyed a toasted sandwich. We completed our meal by sharing one of their famous apple pies. As we left Stephen commented that he would like to return to try the beef pies which is high praise indeed.

Driving back in a westerly direction we were able to see back up onto the cliff edge at Medlow Bath, and see the Hydro Majestic (grand old hotel which dates back to the 1800s). There has always been a close relationship between the hotel and the valley with the original owner growing his vegetables in the valley and then taking them to the hotel on a gondola type system. It will now be interesting to look back down on this valley from the cliff edge and try to spot the places we explored.

Note the Hydro Majestic high on the top of the cliff. This is just a few hundred metres along from where we are staying in Medlow Bath.

 

 

 

 

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Happy Birthday Jessica

Not being able to be with Jessica this year for her birthday we decided to celebrate anyway. I found a recipe for a chocolate cake (Nigella's recipe http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/old-fashioned-chocolate-cake-119 ) I only made half the mix as she sandwiched two cakes together and I didn't think we needed that much. In hindsight I could have made it all as it was a beautifully moist cake. As I didn't have commercial sour cream I used cream and a squeeze of lemon juice and it worked very well. Jessica also tells me sour cream in the UK is much thinner than what we get in NZ so maybe my substitute was closer to what the recipe asked for. I cooked it in Stanley and other than it sinking a little in the middle it really was a delicious cake. I iced it using just a butter icing (Nigella's looked abut rich!) and decorated it accordingly.

That evening, after talking to Jessica on the phone, we lit the candles, sang happy birthday and had a toast.

 

As for the birthday present we bought that on line and had it delivered to her directly. Very easy but I can see why our postal services are suffering. There was no cost re postage though a UK postie did deliver it so someone must be paying for the service.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA

 

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Lithgow

The name Lithgow has a familiar ring to it. Probably because the school I used to teach at was once called Lithgow and of course there was a street in the area called that too.

Anyway Lithgow was where we headed in Sunday, after a stop off in Blackheath to look at the market day being held in the local public school. One jar of blackberry jam, and a coupe of stems of bay leaves going for free, we headed off up the road to Lithgow. I had been once before, long ago, with my sister Joy. She had been staying with some relatives of her partner Peter at the time, and they actually lived there for a while too. Peter's father also had a restaurant in Medlow Bath and he went to school in Blackheath so it is a small world.

 

Stephen was keen to have a look at the coal powered stations, and in particular Mt Piper as it had an Expo/information centre. It was easy to find as it was well signed but getting in and out was more of an issue. There were big locked gates and the security guard had to be buzzed to let you in, and of course the reverse in the way out. That is where we struck trouble. It took three calls up before the gates were finally opened for us. Not sure what went on there it maybe it is because they don't get a huge number of visitors. We were the only ones there at that particular time though it did look as though it was more set up for larger groups like school children. The displays were all very informative and and interactive and it was good to get on overview of the history of the area. Further information can be found on their website at http://www.pleasetakemeto.com/australia/blue-mountains/mt-piper-power-station-energy-expo-9080587

We then headed back to Lithgow but being a Sunday afternoon there was very little open. We got ourselves some take-away lunch and drove to Hassans Walls, the highest scenic lookout (1130m) in the Blue Mountains. it provided us with magnificent views of the Hartley Valley and Blue Mountains escarpment. However it was blowing a really cold wind so we ate our food in the truck, before venturing out to take in the views. It is certainly a place that was well worth visiting.

 

 

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Can he sit still?

One of the reasons that we decided to come over here to Medlow Bath this winter was because Stephen had offered his skill and labour last year when we were sailing with Helen and Rob in the Greek Islands. It also meant that we had somewhere to 'winter over' that wasn't quite as cold as the bus or Clyde. A list was compiled of possible jobs that thought they would like done and so here we are.

 

Our holidays are taking on a familiar pattern. The DIY stores seem to be our first port of call. It was no different last year in the UK. Tuesday morning saw us down at the local Mitre10 in Blackheath ordering enough underfloor insulation for the entire house. We would have to say it is the most cluttered and overstocked Mitre10 we have ever been in. We had been alerted to this fact on Sunday when we met Janie. Janie is a creative person and she had written a song about getting lost in this exact store. It had been part of a local revue a few short years ago and she had us in stitches when she sang it for us.

 

Wednesday morning saw the insulation being delivered and he has made a start at installing it. The first part of the house is easier going than the older section will be is, as it has plenty of room underneath. I have a feeling I may be roped into to help with parts of it!

 

 

 

Some materials to make a start on the carport were also purchased and Stephen has made a start on this project as well. Four post holes have been dug and the posts concreted in place.

 

 

 

Just in case he feels he isn't busy enough he has had the chainsaw running. There is a huge blue gum lying out the back and it needs to be cut up. Later when Rob and Helen return for the second week of Helen's school holidays the boys will use the communal log splitter to make more manageable sized pieces for the wood-burners. The firewood stack is also communal so it will be good to put back more than we have used during our stay.

 

 

 

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Sugar and salt

I have done it again! And I can't quite believe it. Yes believe or not I have mixed up the sugar and salt when baking and it is not a pleasant result. Way back in 2001 on our first visit to Israel to see our friends Shirley and Rami was the first time I did it and my excuse that time was that I couldn't read Hebrew. On that particular occasion I was making up of my signature rolled pavlovas. The egg whites along with what I thought was sugar beat up beautifully and it was only as I was licking my fingers that I was alerted to the fact that I had used salt instead of sugar. There were a lot of laughs and the story has been told many times. So today when I thought I would try making some muffins in 'Stanley' I did it again. We had the fire roaring in the fire box and the oven got up to 180 degrees, hot enough to cook my muffins. You can imagine my distress as I licked my fingers after filling the last of the muffin pans to realise that history had repeated itself. The excuse this time? Well I can't blame the label was in Hebrew. Not my own kitchen? Certainly there was no label on the large plastic container the salt was in. I had for some reason assumed it was sugar and really didn't look much further. A lesson or two is to be learnt here I would say. When working in someone else's kitchen take your time and always lick your fingers!

Anyway I wasn't going to let all that heat go to waste so the mixture was discarded, the muffin pans washed and I started again. I am quite pleased with my first attempt at baking in 'Stanley'. I have learnt that I need to turn the dish while it is baking as different parts of the oven are hotter. Hence the very brown, almost burnt ones, closest to the firebox and some very pale ones at the front and furtherest away from the heat. Next time will be better. And I am very keen to try some bread so watch this space.

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Stanley

I am fast making friends with Stanley, our combustion stove in the kitchen here in Medlow Bath. I know my mother would be horrified as she would see its close similarity to the coal range she was brought up with and i know she never wanted to use one again. But I see it as a way of being less reliant on electricity and I love to see the kettle just on the boil, and the soup pot simmering away all day. It also keeps the kitchen warm during the cold winter months. Maybe I would be so enamoured if we were here in summer and it was our only way of cooking. Fortunately we also have a gas range as a back up.

I am keen to try using the oven to bake in. I should imagine the fire box will need to be cranked up to get things hot enough as the temperature seems to sit at 100 degrees, but I am sure we can manage that.

 

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Blue Mountains

The place we are going to call home for the next month or so is at Medlow Bath, a small hamlet in the Blue Mountains. It is situated on the Great Western Motorway 115km west of Sydney and is 1050m above sea level. For all those petrol heads we know, you pass through Medlow Bath on the way to Bathurst.
Helen's family built the house as a family home in the 1950s and when her parents passed on Helen and Robert have used it as their holiday home. It is a well resourced house and property that is bordered by Australian bush and it and some magnificent views down into the valley below. The house has three bedrooms, several living spaces and two wood burners to keep us toasty warm. One of the wood burners is 'Stanley' a slow combustion stove in the kitchen and I think I am going to enjoy using him for cooking, so watch this space. This is a very close knit community and a pot luck tea was arranged on Saturday with so that we were able to get to know our new neighbours (and vice versa). They area very diverse group ranging in age from 40 - 80, and with some having lived here nearly 60 years. We were made to feel very welcome and can see we will enjoy some very social times while we are here.
Our closest shopping precincts are Blackheath (4km further up the mountain) which provides a more upmarket experience, and Katoomba (5km down the mountain) that is bigger and has the more basics like Coles, medical centre and hospital.
There appears to be lots to do and see in the area so we are looking forward to exploring some of the sights and walking many of the tracks. We made a start today by walking to Blackheath on the track alongside the railway line. It is an absolutely beautiful day here with wall to wall blue so it made for an enjoyable first day's outing

For further information about the area click on this link. Some of our photos will follow at a later date.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medlow_Bath,_New_South_Wales

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