Sunrise, sunset (Mudgee, NSW)

Surprise dear reader, we are back, for one post only. I know I don't usually post when it's just a weekend away, but, well, it's Jayne's birthday trip and we are in NSW. Unusual outside of COVID season. Warning, this is a long post because it covers 4 days.

We opted against swimming this morning and took our time getting organised for the long weekend away. I was reading through the reviews of our "off the grid" accommodation last night. In all, 288 reviews with an average score of 5/5. Pretty tidy. Check it out, Gawthorne's Hut. One of the reviewers recommended visiting First Ridge wines. We'd never been there before so that would be our first target.

The traffic was light, heading out of the city and stayed that way, all the way to Mudgee. We needed to stop for petrol so Jayne did an internet check and discovered we could fuel up at Lithgow for $190.9 per litre, a saving of 0.29c per litre. The fuel price cycle has always been a mystery to me, but to have fuel cheaper in the country, where I had always been told there were freight costs, is even more confusing.

Somewhere over the mountains, the wind whipped up and the temperature dropped down as low as 7° and really struggled to get back into double figures, even as we reached the tablelands. Thankfully the fire was going at First Ridge as we dropped in for our first 'walk-in' wine tasting since COVID.

First Ridge Wines

First Ridge specializes in Italian grape varieties. We bypassed the frizzante style wines and prosecco and went straight to the still whites. They make a very nice Vermentino and Pinot Grigio, both of which accompanied us to our accommodation. The Rosé was beautifully dry in typical Provence fashion, and yes I know that is in France.

The reds were strong. The Sangiovese was light and flavoursome and the Barbera was billed as the "wine you need in your life". Agreed. We bought 3. Sadly for us, the one I was really looking forward to tasting, the Montepulciano, was sold out. The new vintage is yet to hit the tasting room. Maybe next week or the week after?

A nice welcome to Gawthorne's Hut.

It was a short drive to the Hut in Mudgee wine country. Near the old Frog Rock Winery for those of you with long memories. We successfully negotiated the two gates and the lock box that held the key and sought refuge inside. The weather had turned. the wind had picked up further and brought with it squalls of rain. The attendant at the servo in Lithgow had predicted snow for later in day. We won't get that here but it would not be pleasant outside. Time to light the fire.

Some of the locals.

Jumbucks -The Woolpack Hotel

Dinner, my dear reader, was at the Woolpack Hotel. They advertised an "Asian fusion" restaurant incomprehensibly called Jumbucks. It looked pretty much like old school Chinese to me and I have been craving the type of Chinese food I consumed as a youngster. So it was a 'no brainer'. The pub was packed, it was Joker night and the jackpot was over $6,000 (Cait would have been excited, reminiscing about Redfern Tudor days). There was a table of 'Karens' (sorry Karen, you are not included in this stereotype) who were consuming cocktail after cocktail and getting increasingly more vociferous.

Meanwhile, the restaurant, or adjoining room, was doing a roaring trade in take-away, a good sign. Perhaps. If you are eating Chinese from the '70s and '80s, what do you order? The options were many, but there was only 2 of us so we limited our order. Prawn toast, boneless lemon chicken, honey king prawns and special fried rice. And a bottle of wine from the bar that was at cellar door prices - nice.

The prawn toast was just like I remembered, thin, tasteless and served with a sweet and sour sauce that was coloured toxic red. An excellent start. The mains were enormous. Way too much for us and equally as disappointing. The boneless lemon chicken was the winner on the night although it could have done with more sauce. The prawns were not drowning in honey but in stodgy batter. The rice was good - no peas. That's a real bonus.

Anyway, I have been cured of my craving for Chinese. The wind kept up and ensured the temperature stayed down. We headed back to the hut to stoke up the fire and savour the complimentary red that awaited us on arrival.

The view down the valley, from the bed.

Gawthorne's Hut

The hut itself is beautifully appointed. It is in the shape of half an A frame. The sloping roof faces north and features 20 solar panels that are responsible for the powering of everything in the hut: fridge, hot water, air conditioning, lights and power. The main door faces east and is without blinds or curtains. From the hand made wooden king bed you can look east past the fire pit and bbq, across the dam and down the valley. An uninterrupted view.

The fire pit.

The southern wall shields the open plan bathroom and toilet. The western wall reaches up to around 5 metres at the apex. It begins as a blank wall to encompass the fire place and the kitchen area and opens out to 3 metre sliding doors/windows. There is a bar top with stools that overlook the grazing the cattle and the hills surrounding Mudgee. The glass extends into the bathroom where a full sized bath and rain shower sit next to each other. The glass here slides open to provide that outdoor feeling. There are blinds on these windows just in case you are concerned about the local cows checking you out while you shower.

Looking back at the hut.

The temperature went as low as 3° overnight but the hut is well positioned to keep the warmth it draws in from the afternoon sun. I also had the slow combustion fire burning all night so we didn't feel cold at any stage.

The view from the breakfast bench.

The hut became light not long after 6:30 am. Sensibly Jayne had closed the blinds on the northern wall. They are low to the floor and allow you to see out the window when in bed, but this is where the sunshine comes from after it peeps over the top of the hill.

Plenty of solar power.

It was 3° outside at 7 am but the temperature felt like -1° due to the wind chill. As we had nothing really planned for the day except lunch, a lazy morning around the fire seemed in order. It was quite nice to be able to relax and do nothing; the last trip away did not afford that luxury.

After Jayne evicted the resident ants who had muscled in on our bread overnight, we breakfasted on toast, farm fresh eggs and plunger coffee. The latter two ingredients supplied as a part of the stay.

Our Chow - The Mudgee Catering Company

A late lunch at Our Chow was scheduled for 1:30 pm. The reviews had all been positive, but again, it was something on the road in to Mudgee. We had never stopped on the way in because we were heading to accommodation and we'd never paused on the return journey because we were heading for home. Much like First Ridge Wines, I think we need to pay more attention to what lies on the road to Sydney.

There were still a few tables occupied when we arrived and more people followed after we were seated. They passed the coffee test with flying colours. The food, a BLT and cheese soufflé were huge and delicious. The BLT arrived with a steak knife and this was not overkill. We booked for tomorrow morning so we can sample their scones.

Preparing the nest for the coming season.

Back at the hut, the fire was still burning slowly away and the temperature inside was most pleasant. Although too soon for snacks, it was champagne time and, as it is Jayne's birthday, a bottle of Larmandier-Bernier Rosé de Saignée was produced from the fridge. The sun was shining but the wind was still gale force and we sipped our bubbles inside by the fire.

The wind continued and the fire burned while we swapped to red wine and made use of the Bluetooth speaker. Finally we broke out the cheese, biscuits, prosciutto, capsicum, you know the drill. The Bluetooth speaker kicked on through playlist after playlist as the clouds scudded across the sky and obscured the stars. Maybe tomorrow night.

An unexpectedly beautiful sunset.

The fire burned itself out overnight but the morning arrived without the wind that has buffeted us for the last few days. Another lazy commencement to the day watching the neighbouring cows and listening to the birds until it was time to head back to Our Chow for our brunch of scones and coffee. The coffee was still up to standard and the scones were good but I've had better. As the weather had improved, we sat outside on the verandah to avoid the the two large parties inside. The children attached to the people inside wandered out at various stages to kick around the many soccer balls that littered the grass area. The World Cup might be lost but the Matilda effect lives on.

Another visitor. It was a busy tree.

Interestingly, Our Chow shares its premises with Burrundulla Wines. The family that operate the winery maintain they have been there since 1821. This morning Our Chow was packed and we watched people come and go while we enjoyed our scones, the sunshine and the still conditions. But no-one, not one single person made their way into the winery side of the building. We have never tried their wines so I am not in a position to comment, but by sheer weight of numbers and curiosity you would expect some trickle effect from one side of the building to the other, but no.

Look closely, he's emerging from the nest.

Then it was back to the hut where we have to make the life changing decision about what to do in the afternoon. Do we head back into town for lunch/dinner or do we stay at home, light the fire, drink wine and generally laze about? It's a tough one. While pondering this, the wind has picked up again so there is little chance of an outdoor fire again tonight.

Time to head for home.

We whiled away the afternoon sipping on a Chardonnay and playing Scrabble. To the death. As we did in our younger days. The games were always closely fought and this was no different. The sun dipped, the bottle was emptied, the fire was lit, indoors. The outdoor fire was contemplated briefly as we watched the kangaroos and wallabies on the hillside. The air had a definite chill so it was back inside to enjoy the last hours in the hut.

Not quite as spectacular as last night.

The sunrise this morning was best observed from down within the covers of our bed. There was mist across the valley and just enough colour in the sky to drag me from the warmth for a photo opportunity. Today's title Sunrise sunset is from Fiddler on the Roof from 1971. I was going to hyperlink it but no-one needs that in their life.

A misty Mudgee morning.

It didn't take long to pack and we drove into town to the Mudgee Bakery for a brekky pie before we headed for Sydney and the traffic, sirens and jackhammers. I rate their pies. We'll be back to Mudgee and Gawthorne's Hut and the bakery and the wineries. Probably not to Jumbuck's though. We love Mudgee and have been constant visitors since the 1970's.

And that is about it. The next trip is late October through to mid-November when we're travelling in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Until then.