Jordans Crossing Gazette

An excellent day break from Bundanoon starts by hotfooting it up the expressway to Mittagong. Now driving on any expressway is never a great start, but believe me, it’s all good from there on. If you’re all adults, you might want to stretch the legs on the level walk circumnavigating Lake Alexandra and then move on. But if you have little tackers I imagine you could spend a lot of time here. There were a myriad of kids scootering around the lake, using the play equipment and feeding the copious waterfowl. If your child has a naturalistic bent, you can try to find the various species depicted on the chart and count the number of turtles vying for position on the protruding logs. Albertines Antiques is worth a reminisce (“Aw…my mum used to have those cups”) and a scrummage, before heading up Wombeyan Caves Rd. The first place we stopped was Tertini. “We’re all about the wine here” said sales manager, Robert. “We don’t do meals. We want to show people that we’re focused on what we do best”. They do supply excellent tasting plates however to compliment their wines and many people were partaking, assisted by helpful staff who clearly enjoy their jobs. Further along the road and by now we were really wanting something substantial for lunch. Lo and behold –McVitty Grove. There’s some very photogenic Hairy Cooz in the paddocks next to the driveway, but it’s the view from the restaurant - all the way to the Blue Mountains on a clear day – that is the piece de resistance of the trip. Lunch was nice too (and unlike some other winery restaurants, you can eat well without breaking the bank) but the wine was from Tertini. Clearly a good partnership. Since we were exploring, we decided to follow the Art Studio signs up Joadja Rd to see where they would lead us, which happened to be… an art studio in a whiskey distillery in a ghost town. OK – was not expecting that! While my husband made friends with Joadja Distillery owners Valero and Elisa, I inspected the beautiful art of Marlene Murray, Rod Smart and Wendy Hill. What a place this is! An ancient Austin flat-bed truck adds rusty charm to the field outside the distillery shed. Still upright chimneys flag the ruins of old residences scattered through the gully. According to Valero, the town owed its existence to the presence of shale oil, used to make kerosene. Over 1200 mostly Scottish miners settled here in the 1800s. They also made ‘sly grog’ so it’s good to see traditions being upheld. You can head toward home along Greenhills Rd, which affords some spectacular scenery, and, if you still have the energy, stop for a bit in Berrima. — Juanita Manahan With thanks to Neil Miller, who suggested this route. Wombeyan wandering Please check venue websites for opening times. day breaks December 2017 32 jcg