Wanna Win a Weekend Getaway?
By Chris Peken
Fresh farm eggs – direct from the chook, garden-grown tomatoes, mushrooms with garlic, haloumi cheese, along with your choice of herbs from the herb garden ‘ with toast and fresh coffee. That’s close to my ideal breakfast (country sausages available for you carnivores!). When I can cook it up, with all ingredients provided for me, and sit with the company of my choice in a beautiful valley, horses in the next paddock, and contemplate weather to bush walk, wander the local historic village, visit a vineyard or three, or just sit in the sun with a good book’it doesn’t get much better than that.
If you are like I, and the majority of city-slickers, you love our cosmopolitan, culturally rich, ascetically beautiful harbour city. But as much as we love Sydney we also know that for our mental, physical and general well-being you need to escape its hustle and bustle on a regular basis. If you can do that while enjoying the sort of culinary comforts described above then what’s not to like.
Enter the historic and picturesque town of Wollombi, the studio retreat of Yango Bend, with its delightful hostess with absolutely the mostess ‘ Linda Booth. Less than two hours from the CBD and at the beginning of the Hunter Valley’s ‘wine trail’, Yango Bend is what in Europe they would call a ‘farm-stay’, in this case a studio apartment that Linda has built away from the homestead (and attached to the shed). A queen sized bed, pot-belly fire, galley kitchen, satellite TV, a selection of DVD’s, CD’s and videos ‘ Yango Bend is set up for cozy weekends away; either as a base for exploring the local valleys and historic Wollombi or the Hunter vineyards, or staying in and enjoying everything laid out and provided for you. With the Laguna Trading Post, a general store converted to include a wine bar and al fresco (but undercover) restaurant just down the road, we happily sampled their dinner fare and enjoyed the company of locals and visitors alike while listening (and tapping our feet) to some excellent local musicians. At the end of our weekend Linda even sent us away with handfuls of garlic chives and oregano that currently thrive in our garden at home!
And the best news is saved for last. One lucky couple can win a weekend away at Yango Bend courtesy of The City News. All you need to do is register on our website ‘ www.alternativemediagroup.com ‘ and not only will you be able to get our weekly news emailed to you but you automatically go into the draw to win this weekend away. Think of the brownie points you will score from your partner by surprising him/her with that news! What are you waiting for’
