Pub grub that really hits the spot

 Triabunna has been in focus recently with the opening of the magnificent Triabunna Barracks - luxury restored heritage accommodation just over an hour north-east  of Hobart.

Triabunna is a sleepy little fishing town with its own small fleet on the edge of sheltered Spring Bay that is the gateway and departure point to Maria Island National Park. 

It is a town rich in local history that offers a range of coastal holiday experiences.

It is also, surprisingly, home to a rustic country pub that could easily be called a "gastro pub". Someone in the kitchen here is extremely talented. 

There's a friendly country welcome, typical Tassie pub decor and a good list of Tasmanian wines from local producers including Freycinet Estate, Spring Vale and Milton.

There is a very good salt and pepper squid with garlic aoili ($12) and the the Scotch fillet ($32) comes medium-rare as ordered and is extremely tasty. 

It is when you step away from usual pub grub territory that you are really rewarded. 

Take the three pulled pork croquettes (above, $12). My wife, who has Dutch heritage, proclaims them as "just the right texture" - like her Mum used to make. 

The star dish of the night, however, is the spicy goat curry with rice and pappadums (below). 

It is sensuously spicy, seriously delicious and worth at least twice the $18 you pay. 

There are some other off-piste choices to explore next time: maybe chorizo and sweet potato arancini, karaage octopus with Japanese mayo and peppers, or ratatouille with harissa, brown rice and gremolata.

As a Michelin inspector would say "well worth a trip". 

Summer dinner hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 6pm-8pm and lunches are served Thursday-Saturday noon-2pm. 

Best to phone ahead, however. You are in the country. 

See https://springbayhotel.com.au. (03) 6257 3115. 

Check out Triabunna Barracks here: https://www.gourmetontheroad.com/2021/11/how-1840s-ruins-were-transformed-into.html         

Travel writer pivots into the accommodation business

Who would know more about curating the perfect holiday cottage than a professional travel writer? 

The River Haus – a luxe cottage in the historic river port town of Morpeth in the Hunter Valley - is the creation of travel writer Sheriden Rhodes and Tom Szecsodi, a property developer, who live in nearby Newcastle. 

The River Haus, due top open in December, is described as a "luxurious sojourn melding old and new" – it it just over two hours’ drive north of Sydney. 

The River Haus is set behind a white picket fence, is close to the Hunter River and overlooks the historic St James Anglican Church. 

Guests can stroll to Morpeth's heritage-listed main street, picnic on the river bank and dine at the lauded Boydell Cellar Door and Restaurant (which is just 50 metres from the back gate).

The country cottage accommodates up to four guests and has been designed with couples in mind and boasts a wood fire. 

There’s a fully equipped farmhouse kitchen, Nespresso coffee machine, Bosch dishwasher and stove, Smeg kettle and toaster, leather lounge, ducted air-conditioning, 65cm Smart TV and JBL sound bar.

Two identical guestrooms offer queen size iron beds with AH Beard mattresses, blackout blinds, quality linen and antique wardrobes. 

A separate office-cum-library (along with fast wifi throughout the house) allows guests to work from home. 

The outdoor entertaining space leads to a private rear garden complete with fire pit where guests can gather with glass of wine in hand. 

“We love Morpeth, Australia’s second-oldest river port," the couple says. "This quaint riverside town offers old school pubs, local artisans, sandstone buildings, cafes, the historic Arnott Bakehouse and a rare timber truss road bridge which spans the Hunter River. 

"You can take a carriage ride pulled by Clydesdales, shop at farm gates and taste award-winning small- batch wines. 

“We hope guests staying at the River Haus feel refreshed taking walks down country lanes, breathing in fresh air, sleeping on cotton sheets and waking to bird song and the peal of church bells. We also hope our new venture sheds light on Morpeth’s storied past and its significant role in the development of the Hunter and the fledgling colony.”

 Bookings from $525 per night (minimum two-night stay) through Airbnb.

 See riverhaus.com.au

A sparkling new idea at Tapanappa

Terre à Terre Wines today opened the DAOSA Tasting Room at the Tapanappa cellar door in the Piccadilly Valley of the Adelaide Hills this afternoon. 

The DAOSA tasting room is located at 15 Spring Gully Road, Piccadilly, and will be open from 11am to 4pm every day, with bookings highly recommended. 

The tasting experience will feature the DAOSA sparkling wine range from the Piccadilly Valley, as well as a selection of Terre à Terre wines from the Crayères Vineyard in Wrattonbully. 

The tasting flight showcases premium Australian sparkling wine alongside fine whites and reds for a $25 tasting fee, refundable on purchases over $90. 

A new wine club, Club Terroir, will allow members to access special release and museum wines, at preferential prices in the DAOSA tasting room and online. 

The Tapanappa cellar door features an open space and a veranda with a superb view over the Tiers Vineyard, which is the oldest vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. 

Once a month, Terroir Selections, Xavier and Lucy Bizot’s wholesale distribution business, will showcase some of its latest imports by the glass in the DAOSA Tasting Room. 

“Terre à Terre and DAOSA are very young fine wine brands that have grown exponentially in the top on-trade in Australia in the last few years," say the couple. 

"We are now keen to bring our wines directly to the consumers, and explain in our DAOSA Tasting Room the philosophy behind our unique wine styles.

"It will also be great to work collaboratively with Tapanappa."

The Tapanappa cellar door is the closest cellar door to the Adelaide CBD other than the Penfolds’ Magill Estate. 

It is all a family affair with Tapanappa owned and operated by wine industry legend Brian Croser and wife; Lucy's parents and Xavier's parents-in-law. 

See www.terreaterre.com.au/ and www.terroir-selections.com.au. 

Sleeping by the docks on the bay

Marriott Hotels has opened the doors to Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands. 

With 189 guestrooms and a rooftop infinity pool, Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands is designed to be a resort-style property just minutes from Melbourne city centre. 

The first international five-star hotel in the harbour suburb, it is located within the retail, leisure and entertainment precinct. 

The centrepiece of the hotel is the sky-high water feature, a 28-metre wet edge rooftop infinity pool, serviced by an adjoining bar with panoramic views across Melbourne's CBD skyline, Bolte Bridge, Port Phillip Bay and Hobsons Bay. 

Marriott Area Vice President for Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Sean Hunt says: “The opening of Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands marks a significant milestone for us. 

"It's the first Marriott branded hotel we open in Australia in 20 years and the first five-star hotel in the Docklands precinct. We now operate a portfolio of seven hotels in Melbourne and 27 in the country.

"Despite an uncertain time through Covid, we are seeing the growth and confidence in travel re-emerge and we look forward to being a part of the revitalisation of the travel sector throughout Australia.”

Designed by DKO Architecture, Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands has room interiors "bathed with abundant natural light". Each features quality bedding, high-speed wifi, a 55-inch LCD TV, a walk-in shower and a curated 'Made in Melbourne' bar fridge.

Guests can choose between four distinct culinary experiences. 

Archer's is an up-market eatery with Australian cuisine; Ada's offers light snacks, soft drinks and cocktails; laneway café Corsia serves European-inspired light meals by day, switching to espresso martinis and local wines by night while Sunset House is adjacent to the rooftop pool and features casual dining and entertainment.

The hotel also has the first 'M Club' executive lounge in Australia. 

“We are excited to finally open our doors to guests and help them get into their best headspace for success with our forward-thinking, refreshed and refined style," says general manager Girish Talreja. 

"We look forward to establishing our hotel as a must-stay hotel for both locals and visitors to the city thanks to our unrivalled dining outlets and spectacular rooftop pool and bar.” 

See www.marriottmelbournedocklands.com 

Wine trend-setter heads straight to funky town

• 
  
  
• Kevin McCarthy has been an influential winemaker for decades, at labels including T'Gallant and Quealy, and as a pioneer of pinot gris/grigio styles in Australia.
• Now the self-proclaimed "wine rebel" is branching out in a new direction with a range of alternative varieties from Mildura under the MANDI label. 
• The labels tell the story of these out-there skin-contact wines; they look as if they were drawn by a stoned graffiti artist in a Melbourne laneway. 
• Taught by the masters in Alsace, France and Collio, Italy, McCarthy has always been a risk-taker. 
• At T’Gallant, on the Mornington Peninsula, he released his first pinot grigio and the Aussie Pinot G revolution was underway.

• Kevin McCarthy started T'Gallant with his wife, fellow winemaker Kathleen Quealy, back in 1988. His daughter. Celia, is the MANDI marketing manager, keeping things in the family.

• McCarthy continues to combine the best of old world tradition with Australia’s culture of innovation, be it a natural approach, extended skin contact, or establishing a new variety. 

• For the past 20 years he's travelled Victoria and South Australia looking for special vineyards. He considers the Murray-Darling, unsung workhorse of the Australian wine industry, the most important region for him outside of his Mornington Peninsula home.

• The initial MANDI releases (all $25 or under) are a a fresh and vibrant 2021 pinot grigio (obviously), a wild 2021 fruilano and a funster 2021 sangiovese. 

• Coming in 2022: picolit, ansonica, favorita fiano garganega, refosco, ribolla and moscato giallo. 
  

• MANDI, spelt in capitals for extra street cred, celebrates the natural sunshine and limestone soils of Mildura - with a punk edge. Fruit is sourced from two of the best vineyards in the region: Chalmers and Pasult. 

The cellar door will be in funky Fitzroy in Melbourne: a Gertrude St space shared with Art, Design and Fashion. 

“Simply put, the Mildura region is not only a wonderful environment primed to produce wonderful, unexpected wine - it’s also a place of genuine spiritual and cultural importance to us," McCarthy says. 

"A world of zeal and interconnection between us locals and our friends over the oceans, all working to keep our diverse stories and traditions alive, together.”

MANDI is available via Mandi.Wine for delivery Australia wide, as well as at Blackhearts and 
Sparrows, Wine Republic, Armadale Cellars and Different Drop. 

Sydney Opera House adds new creative space

There are more reasons than ever to visit the iconic Sydney Opera House. 

The Opera House will open its new Centre for Creativity on January 4, 2022 - a space that has been purpose-built for hands-on creative experiences inside the building.

The new centre will increase year-round participatory performances, workshops and installations, in line with the Opera House’s commitment to engage new audiences on site, in schools, and in homes across Australia and the world. 

It is one of the final projects in the Opera House’s Decade of Renewal, funded by the NSW Government (who do occasionally get something right). 

“The Centre for Creativity will be a place for everyone to set their creativity free" says Opera House CEO Louise Herron. 

"We will offer programming and experiences based in design, engineering, dance, singing, storytelling and drawing to appeal to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds - and, very importantly, they will reach people wherever they are." 

The Centre for Creativity’s inaugural program (January-March 2022) is curated by the Sydney Opera House’s Head of Children, Families and Creative Learning, Tamara Harrison and features a mix of free and paid activities that will go on sale to the public from Friday. 

It will open with House Warming (January 4-16) a free, tactile and participatory installation from award-winning Sydney artist Rosie Deacon, filling the space with a forest-like environment made of colourful, recycled materials. 

Adults, children and families will be able to explore, interact and add to the installation, creating a living site-specific work.

Not my scene, but there you go.

The centre comprises a larger room which can host groups of 50-60 for workshops and 80-100 people for seated experiences when at full capacity, and a second room designed for small group work. 

# Image: Daniel Boud