Thursday – eat, drink and be merry for today we dine!
Waking up to another day in paradise and after lying in bed listening to the ocean and the birds I realise that today we lunch at Branka House. Mmmm now there’s a happy thought.
To keep you on the track – we have or will dine at several spots on this Pacific jewel and I cannot remember what days we did what unless I took photos. You are lucky – there are just a couple I missed out so I will just put them on a day that fits so that you can share with me the joys of dining. However, today is not one of them. We definitely Branka Housed today.
We have dekkie brekkie in the fresh morning air and take things easy just ambling around like big old bears waking from hibernation. The usual breathing in exercises on the way up the drive and we are on our way – for coffee at the Tropicana of course.
Deciding to explore a little bit before lunch we head off to Hundred Acres,now there’s a familiar place – do you know what story that comes from? There are HUGE fig trees lining the roadways making a wonderful canopy across the road.
Stopping to investigate we realise they are even bigger when standing beside them. The roadway is so quiet and with the green covering of the trees it’s like we have stepped into another world.
Even on a morning that is heating up, the coolness of the canopy is incredible and seeing we are in Hundred Acres , we expect Winnie the Pooh and his friends to come strolling down the lane any time now! Did you guess?
We check out the restaurant ‘The Homestead’ and it is definitely placed on our dining list.
Next stop Branka House. The house was once the home of Brancker Hunn Nobbs (???) and now is a connoisseurs restaurant.
The house stands on the site of the small Longridge gaol and an underground cell where prisoners were once held is used today as a wine cellar.
It’s a wonderful old building full of charm and old world character and in no time we are seated and ready for another good time.
We are lucky to secure an intimate section of the verandah away from the crowd that has taken up residence around the corner on the enclosed part.
Before we even get settled there are decorative bottles of water placed on the table and we are asked if we would like a drink. Obviously our reputation has not travelled this far afield. We smile and say yes please and in no time at all we are toasting good health – good friends and good times.
The food is scrumptious (even though I cannot remember what I had) and we are all feeling even more relaxed than when we started. Any more relaxed and we would be on the floor.
The main meals are served with plate decorations of marigolds, nasturtiums and lavender – all of which you can eat but I wrap mine up in the serviette to take home.
We stay for quite some time just enjoying the ambience of the place and then decide we better make a move or we will be asking if they have accommodation! Down the road are some convict ruins so we do a little explore – not too much – before heading home and the customary Nanna Nap which we definitely need.
No more photos for the day as I can barely see out the camera!
We arrive back home and commence to navigate the driveway down to the house. IT3 is doing a sterling job considering and everything is going OK until a black chook flies out from the bushes on the left and nearly lands on the windscreen. Talk about a heart starter – we all scream and it’s a wonder that we manage to stay on the drive and make it to the bottom in one piece.
I bet that bloody chook does that as his party piece for all the guests! Getting inside we all head for one spot – the fridge and the wine! After the initial shock of the event – we end up in gales of laughter and this scenario lasts until we crawl into bed – about 4 hours later!
Highlight of the day: the attack of the chook!