A Tipple Among The Lavender

Sun Herald

Sunday March 16, 2008

Chris Hopper, The writer was a guest of Tourism NSW and Cedar Creek Cottages.

Deep in the Hunter Valley, Chris Hopper raises a glass to some simple rural pleasures.

Driving up the F3 freeway towards the Hunter Valley I found myself singing: "Travel all over the countryside, ask the Leylands, ask the Leylands, travel all over the countryside, ask the Leyland brothers."

Where were those Leylands when I needed them? I'd never heard of Cedar Creek Cottages and my seven-year-old son thought Wollombi sounded more like a type of possum than a place. And I hadn't even brought a map. All I knew was a weekender lay ahead for us with a farm in the backyard, a vineyard at the front door and an old-style timber cottage in which to kick back, relax and enjoy the Australian countryside.

Thankfully, once we'd left the freeway the journey was well signposted as we headed deep into wine country, and from there on there were no more concerns.

Our first experience of Wollombi seemed more like a taste of Provence than Aussie bushland. We stopped for lunch at the delightful Lavender Gate Farm, a rustic cafe that could have been straight out of provincial France. We made our own wood-fired pizza and wandered through the rows of lavender plants. Unfortunately the members of a Porsche car club, whose voices were as loud as their cars, had the same idea, spoiling the atmosphere ever so slightly. The sweet scent of lavender lingered, remaining with us for the next two days as we made our way further down the winding Wollombi road to our destination.

Cedar Creek is a 220-hectare property with seven hectares of vineyards, 40 head of cattle, more than 200 deer and its own cellar door, Stonehurst Wines.

It has been owned by the one family for generations, beginning with three Napoleonic war veterans sent to escort the convicts to NSW in 1824-1825. Sergeant George Goldsmith and two others all applied for a land grant and each was given 100 acres (40 hectares) to establish a farm. Thus Cedar Creek Cottages were formed.

The property's six cottages have been beautifully rebuilt by current owner Daryl Heslop who has run the property with his wife Philippa for 28 years.

Our two-bedroom cottage, the Gatekeepers, sleeps up to eight people, while the others are more suited to couples.

Each is fully self-contained and has modern conveniences such as air-conditioning, spa bath and a home entertainment unit including DVD player. A fireplace and large timber veranda overlooking the vines give the place an authentic country feel.

The Stonehurst vineyards are made up of semillon that was planted in 1995, a small plot of shiraz planted in 1999, and about four hectares of chambourcin and chardonnay planted in 1996.

Unfortunately, the unpredictable weather led to the current harvest being written off due to an infestation of mould. But the grapes were ripe for picking and we were able to savour some delicious bunches used for red wines.

After we'd explored the property, and got lost several times down by the water, we headed about 10 kilometres down the road to the sleepy village of Wollombi. Situated in the middle of the Maitland to Broke section of the convict-built Great North Road, the population peaked way back in 1860. Like many inland villages, Wollombi gradually declined but in the past 20 years it has become a haven for boutique gourmet foods and farmstays.

The charming St Michael's Catholic Church was built in 1840 and moved by locals, stone by stone, to its current location after the 1893 flood. When the Catholic Church decided to sell it off in 1991, locals, including the Heslops, were outraged and got together to buy it. Today they are still hosting trivia nights to pay it off. After grabbing the key from the local convenience store we had our own personal tour of the church.

The wineries of Pokolbin are within 30 minutes' drive of Wollombi and include well-known labels Lindemans, Tyrrell's and McGuigan, plus dozens of smaller boutique vineyards. After an enjoyable two days spent relaxing and exploring, who needs the Leyland brothers?

TRIP NOTES

Address Cedar Creek Cottages, Wollombi Road, Cedar Creek. Phone (02) 4998 1576.

Rates Weekend: $189 per couple per night. Midweek: $149 per couple per night. Extras: $49.50 per person.

FIND TIME TO

* Make your own wood-fired pizza at Lavender Gate Farm, Wollombi.

* Taste the famous Dr Jurd's Jungle Juice at the Wollombi Tavern. Phone (02) 4998 3261.

* Relax with a massage: masseuse Lynn Wall comes to the cottages. Phone

(02) 4998 3277.

VERDICT

Why you'd go You want to be close to the Hunter Valley vineyards.

Why you wouldn't The tiny flying bugs that invade the cottages after dark.

© 2008 Sun Herald

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