Back On the Road and in my Happy Place
Leaving our property for any length of time is always a fraught affair. Organising a house sitter for our two ginger cats, completing the garden ‘to-do list’, cleaning, washing and packing and organising a ride to the airport at 5 am (thank you to our neighbour Micheal Hayman)
I did manage to muck up the direct flight to Melbourne, consequently, we had wet a day in Auckland, visiting dear friends and lunching with Holly, Asher and Emme.
My 15-day tour around the outskirts of Melbourne started on the 6th of April but, the 5th was our grandson Charlie’s 3rd Birthday and anything with wheels was a hit.
This is my second tour of the Victorian region and this year, my group is much smaller. However, working with 6 is rather lovely and after meeting at the Iconic ‘Cullen‘ hotel, then returning to my favourite French restaurant Entrecote (which was heaving on a Sunday night). Our first day started with a delicious breakfast at the Italian café Otre before meeting our Chauffeur driver, Mayer, and his lovely small coach, in which we are all very comfortable.
This time, my tour starts on the Mornington Peninsula, which helps form one side of Port Philip Bay. It is a popular summer holiday destination for Melbournians and is inundated with wineries, golf courses, surfing beaches and very lovely towns like Sorrento and Portsea.
We started with a visit to the historic garden at Heronswood House where the garden is being transformed and sadly, the house is being used by a rather unimaginative and tired looking café.
A pizza lunch at Montalto vineyard was fun and as we dodged the rain showers, we managed to walk around quite a few of their Sculptures. Hotel Sorrento was home for the next two nights and although the original hotel is still recognisable, they were in the midst of renovations and upgrading. Our rooms faced the swimming pool and although Mary braved the water the rest of us were pathetic. I have to congratulate the Sorrento hotel for their service and friendly staff. Nothing was a bother and our experience was very positive.
Our full day on the peninsula was taken up with a couple of hours shopping before a long lunch and wine tasting at Pt Leo estate.
What a beautiful building whose convexed-shaped windows accentuated the view out to their stunning array of Sculptures and onto Philip Island in the distance.
We started with a wine tasting and the Sommelier loved the fact that we came from Central Otago, then onto a beautifully executed lunch which I think enhanced the produce of the region beautifully and was cleverly designed by the resident chefs.
Mayer’s local knowledge was invaluable as he provided a tiki tour past the many resorts, beaches and small villages that are dotted over the end of the peninsula.Over the next week Point Leo Estate was the beginning of many delicious meals, and 2 days in the Yarra Valley provided pleanty of excitement - including driving through the impessive Black Spur Forest, the tasty tapas accompanying a Gin Tasting at Four Pillars in Healesville, followed by Chandon wine tasting !! a gorgeous shared dinner at the very smart Meletos, to simple scrumptious filled baguettes in the Country Produce Café n Mansfield.
My tours are heavily about gardens and a return visit to Cloudhill in the Dandenong ranges was just as good as in 2023, even better for seeing a Lyrebird. Over the road we enjoyd a Japanese lunch and within a km is the Dandenong Botanical Gardens. However, this year I bought my group here specifically to see the Australian Garden designed by Philip Johnson for the Chelsea Flower show in 2013. He won a gold medal and best in show that year – a massive achievement. The garden has been recreated 20 times its Chelsea size here in the Botanical garden and it was outstanding. A fabulous asset to the Victorian state.
The next day we visited Matt Reed at Antique Perennial’s and with a personal tour of the Nursery in Kinglake and then on up through stunning Australian farmland to Ralph Bristows Barwitian garden outside Mansfield which was I must say, two visits made in heaven for me.
Both Matt and Ralph are extolling the naturalistic planting style using an amazing collection of flowering perennials, grasses and trees. Matts Nursery is a lesson in dedication. They have a garden beside the nursery that emphasises how useful and creative planting with perennials can be. Whereas Ralph’s light-filled 3 acres packed with a huge variety of perennials was nothing more than outstanding. As we drove through the dry barren landscape I wondered how this garden could possibly be what it was. But what an informative 2 hours we had with Ralph and Nicky as they shared their garden knowledge.
My Garden mind is in overdrive. Philip and I can both see what we need to do to improve on our Tarras dry bank . I can’t thank these boys enough for their time and shared knowledge. We just need to get them to New Zealand.
XX Judith
