Attack Of The Lazies In Yurt Country

Sun Herald

Sunday October 23, 2005

Danielle Teutsch

A potbelly stove and a good red are fine companions, Danielle Teutsch writes.

A FEW years ago I was invited to a wedding at The Cedars, a horse and cattle breeding farm in Kangaroo Valley.

It was a heavenly place, all rolling green hills and ringed by great sandstone cliffs where silence was punctuated by the bellowing of a cow.

After a memorably misty ceremony on the lawn and a reception in a marquee, the bride and groom retired to a yurt - not a real one made of animal hide, but a delightful wooden one in a secluded position with gobsmacking views.

It gave me a hankering to return one day and check out the yurt for myself. Ringing the day before a long weekend to see if the yurt was vacant was probably optimistic in the extreme. And, yes, of course it was booked. But there had been a cancellation at the Dairy, a one-bedroom cottage on the same property.

Greg, the owner, said we were welcome to check in and leave whenever we wanted. Now you don't get that sort of flexibility in an uptight hotel. So it was a done deal.

We rolled in at roo o'clock, that dusky time when marsupials come out to graze on the lawns, to find the key in our cottage door and all the lights on.

First impressions were that it was big; simply but tastefully decorated in blond wood and white canvas, with enormous glass windows that showed off that view to perfection. Plus, our immediate neighbours were some handsome Shire draughthorses that are bred on the property.

It's self-catering at The Cedars and a peek in the cupboards showed there is everything you could need in the kitchen. But we couldn't be bothered making a mess so we took the sensible option of going to the pub in Kangaroo Valley for a very decent sirloin steak served with a mountain of chips.

Back at the house, we fired up the potbelly stove and considered the after-dinner entertainment options - Scrabble, a 1500-piece jigsaw puzzle or dominoes.

The dominoes was a no-brainer. The hosts had thoughtfully left both a bottle of red wine and a Toblerone bar for our consumption too. Only one small gripe - some curtains in the living room would have made it cosier.

The bed is big and comfortable with 100 per cent cotton sheets. A tip for those who like to sleep in: bring an eye mask. By 7am the light was blinding in the bedroom despite the curtains having been drawn. But I guess a working farm is no place for city-type laziness.

We attacked the farm eggs they had left us (luckily we had thought to buy some bread at Bowral on the way down). They were small, with rich yellow yokes, and utterly delicious. Also provided were jam, coffee, tea and milk.

The morning's entertainment was provided by a host of bower birds gorging themselves on masses of flying ants which had suddenly decided to descend on the back fence in plague proportions.

For those who are ornithologically inclined, there are more than 60 bird species on The Cedars. You won't necessarily see them, but you'll hear them, trust me.

There were great plans to go on a canoeing trip down the Shoalhaven River but you may find, as we did, that once settled at The Cedars you won't really want to move much.

We trekked down to Barrengarry Creek instead, about 25 minutes' walk from the house into a shaded gully past a herd of cows and a black snake basking in the sun.

The creek water is icy cold but still nice for a dip, and it's worth the walk just to see the enormous staghorns along the banks.

Then it was time for more lazing around to take advantage of Greg's offer of a late check-out time, until hunger eventually drove us out after we had boiled up the last egg.

There's not much wrong with The Cedars, if you like beautiful scenery, privacy and discreet hosts (we didn't see them once). One of these days, I'll be back for the yurt.

FIND TIME TO

? Go horseriding. Phone 4465 1912.

? Go canoeing down the Shoalhaven River. Kangaroo Valley has two operators hiring canoes and kayaks.

? Visit Tallowa Dam and go fishing.

? Drop into Fitzroy Falls for magnificent views of the Morton National Park.

? Stop into Bowral's Gumnut Patisserie for a lemon tart, then browse some antique shops.

TRIP NOTES

Address: Bunkers Hill Road, Barrengarry, Kangaroo Valley.

Bookings: 4465 1147.

Website: www.cedarscottages.com.

Rates: $240 a night for either the Dairy, a one-bedroom cottage or the yurt. Group accommodation also available. Check the website for more details.

VERDICT

I wish it was my second home.

Why you'd go: For the heavenly views.

Why you wouldn't: You can't live without TV and you have a cow phobia.

© 2005 Sun Herald

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