It was an evening of great conversation covering the last 60 years and into the future. Andy Aitken, Roddy Crouch, Dave and Tamar Freed, Chris and Mandi Mather, Mick and Sammy Reid.

The food, wine, and service were excellent - from one who prefers empty plates lingering on the table to premature removal whilst some are still eating. 

Thanks to the team at The Lord Dudley, and thanks to my friends for our continued friendship, some of which just reached 60 years, and all of whom remain amongst the nicest people I've ever met. Sammy and I delighted in seeing you all again.

Unbelievably, we enjoyed a cracking evening for eight at the Keg and Brew in Foveaux Street, Surry Hills, and were so absorbed in our discussions that we failed to take a single photo to record the occasion - well not entirely, I took a few photos of the pub..!!!

The roll call was Andy Aitken, Roddy Crouch, Rob Green, Phil Hosking, Paul Kotala, Pete McEvoy, Mick Reid, and Dave Werner. 

It was great to see you all again, guys. Until next time...
 

What a cracking lunch at Potts Point Hotel. Great to be back in Sydney, and to catch up with Gibbo, Millsy, Dwane and Dave, with a cameo phone call from Simmo.

Mona

Our first (and probably last) visit to Denny's.

My first beer selection, the Sierra Nevada pale ale, proved a winner.

Relaxing and quarantining in the desert, watching the presidential election debate.

Well it simply wouldn't be right,

'twould be simple effrontery,

if we didn't down a well-chilled pint

at the oldest pub in the country.

What a way to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. I love you, Sammy.

So we return to this fabulous bar to introduce our new friends Kev and Sandy to Michael et al, and who should wander in but Chris and Lou from Brisbane. Extraordinary....

After a shared generous plate of nachos, my dessert of choice was the chocolate-coated peanut butter ice cream, not so much a delicacy as a three-course meal (once you include the cone). I was literally incapable of eating another thing for the rest of the day.

Lester and Collette are the delights who run this place. Lester was full of great information and advice about travelling destinations, funny as hell, and could not help us enough with our needs whilst visiting overnight.

For travellers, there are plenty of grassy spots for caravans and camper vans, two potable water taps, a skip bin for rubbish, and use of the toilets during cafe trading hours.

Following an excellent lunch, we wandered around Hobart's waterfront, from one pier to another along Constitution Dock.

If you're in the area, make a point of visiting Waddamana Power Station, which is now a museum. Allow a couple of hours - it has a fascinating story behind it, and much of it remains untouched since it last operated. Instead of 'Where's Wally' you can play 'Where's Sammy' - hint: last photo....

A little poem I wrote of our splendid Day Five:

Day Five

And on her seventh day, she hit the hospitality circuit....

A great lunch of small plates and cocktails, with sustenance on tap for the baby.

The old beer garden has come a long way since the '70's, and is now an absolute delight. The food was excellent, the live music was superb. I had the pleasure of dining with my aunt, my wife, my daughter, and my granddaughter, and dancing the afternoon away with my granddaughter, now three, who really had her groove on until she fell asleep in my arms. Pretty much a perfect Sunday afternoon for this bloke.

The Golden Sheaf Hotel, Double Bay, Sydney, Australia.

A near perfect winter's day, in the beer garden of one of Sydney's finest pubs, with family and friends. It doesn't get much better than this.

Right next door to Co-Op Toyota, this is an excellent location for that lazy breakfast. With a Japanese infusion into the menu, the options are many and varied.

Just fabulous, this little gem in North Hobart/Ryde is warm and inviting, immaculately presented, and well serviced. The food was also excellent and promptly served. One of the tidiest pubs we've ever visited, with dedicated and friendly staff.

The character simply oozes from this old pub, resplendent with roaring open fireplace (with a bowl of self-serve complimentary marshmallows on the mantle). The service from Hayden and the team was friendly and thorough, with an impressive suite of ales and ciders on tap.

There's a cracking story behind the property which now forms The Kempton Distillery. 

This was a case of a generally exceptional experience, including warmth, humour, delight, failure, pathos, and redemption.

Callington Mill delivers a high quality environment, quality decor, exceptional presentation (paper napkins notwithstanding), quality food and beverages, and generally fabulous service.

We were very pleased with our choices of kingfish, cauliflower arancini, and citrus tart, all of which were a delight and ably supported by the Frogmore Creek sparkling cuve and sauvignon blanc.

The distillery's whisky tasting paddle was a treat, and in this lucky instance included a bonus fifth half-shot to invite me to taste one of the more peaty products. The whiskies are mostly international award-winners, and whilst expensive by the bottle are well worth tasting. They are indeed of international standard.

Generally flawless service was marred by us staring at our completed mains plates for nearly half an hour (only resolved by us signalling for attention), however our compensation on noting this to staff was the whisky paddle being immediately comped without any request by me - a most reasonable and gallant response.

All in all, this was a delightful experience, and I would happily return. Congratulations to John Ibrahim (not the Sydney identity) and his team for adding such a high quality establishment to the already delightful town of Oatlands.

In the historic Tasmanian midlands town of Oatlands, The Kentish Hotel stands proud. Built in 1832 in what is now the most in tact Georgian town in Australia, this heritage listed country pub is the beating heart of the community it serves. Boasting a bar, restaurant, cafe and accomodation, The Kentish is the perfect place to grab a drink, dine on deliciously fresh Tassie produce or settle in to a cosy room for the night.

The Albert Pilsner on tap is well worth a try.

Only 30 minutes from central Hobart lies the town of New Norfolk, one feature of which is the delightful historic property of Glen Derwent. Weekends usher in the opportunity for Devonshire Tea or High Tea. Rob and Liz will take excellent care of you. The scones were freshly baked to order, and Sammy declared her gluten-free ones as excellent as I found mine. The jams are to die for, especially the raspberry.

We dined here with friends, then twice we returned for lunch. Each experience was a treat, with funny and attentive staff, high quality food, and a fine selection of beverages. The ambience is perfectly suited to the location, with a modern mountain decor including two roaring fireplaces (when the weather demands) complete with leather lounges.

The menu is upmarket pub, including a terrific seafood chowder and exceptional desserts. The staff were diligent in attending to Sammy's gluten and lactose intolerances.

In addition to the many dining and hospitality options at Great Lake Hotel, Miena Village also offers a general store with fuel, motel style accommodation, both powered and unpowered caravan sites, toilets and showers and potable water, and substantial general car parking. This is a genuine hub.

We're probably visiting a fourth time, should our travel itinerary come to fruition.

Our thanks to James, Nicki, Declan, Shane, Deirdre, and all for your attention and quality service.

This was so much fun in very chilly conditions with our friends John and Annette, and Pete and Debbie. Finger foods, a few drinks, and a dance to a fabulous local band.

This is a delightful stopover as you journey through Tasmania's west.

There are some establishments where you dine on reputation of the chef, or on the local ingredients, or simply on location or brand. Marrawah Inn is where you dine on love - the love injected by Mark and Michelle into their staff, their customers, their community. 
 

We dined here for a few nights, tasting lamb shank with mash and vegetables, garlic prawns on rice, grilled flake with chips, and various desserts including Eaton Mess, and Affogato. Delicious, delightful, generous, and served with the proprietor's warmth and charm. Count us in, we'll never again visit the north-west of this State without visiting the Marrawah Inn.

Well that's a surprise, dropping in to buy a couple of bottles of pickled onions, and finding a cafe restaurant in full flight, chock-a-block with tourists and locals alike. We'd already fed ourselves, so I ordered a coffee and we shared a lemon meringue tart. This tart was truly sublime, and was voted by us both as the best we'd ever tasted. The staff were fun, the pickling factory is viewable behind glass windows and on screen. A fabulous start to our journey from Devonport as headed north-west.

What a location, what a venue, what service, what meals...!!! Quality abounds at Drift Beachside Brunch, Devonport. 

What a pleasant step into the fully renovated environs of The Sir George hotel, built in 1852 on its current site after the original pub was washed away in the floods.

Apparently the property was purchased and renovated by a Sydney mother-daughter partnership. Additions included an exceptional wedding venue with multi-cabin accommodation. We understand the property was subsequently sold, with the new owners maintaining the grounds impeccably.

Recently my mother-in-law (MIL) celebrated her 80 something a few years off 90th birthday and we were tasked with finding a birthday cake. There aren't too many places to buy a cake in South West Rocks so our options would be very limited.....One bakery, IGA and Coles.  The bakery didn't sell any birthday cakes (is a bakery even a bakery if it doesn't bake cakes), so off to IGA it was. If you've ever been to SWR you'll know that there is a cute cafe opposite IGA so we thought perhaps they might have cakes.  We walk in and there are two, yes 2 giant cakes that look divine. We ask if they will sell the whole cake (sorry if you went for coffee and cake that day and had slim pickings but we were desperate) .....and yes they would for a price.  SOLD!! My husband asks which one I prefer, and I reply it doesn't bother me as it's not gluten free so I won't be eating it.  Since having 3/4 of my bowel removed due to Cancer, I've become very Gluten intolerant so I normally don't get to enjoy the birthday cake. The lady responds, this one is Gluten Free as I made it. Happy days kids I get to enjoy cake with my MIL.

Other family members who participated in the ritual of birthday cake eating had no idea it was Gluten Free and it was the best....so far... Sponge and Gluten Free cake I've ever had.

I wonder whose Birthday is next ?