Denmark 2010 - Denmark Cheese Factory

Cheese. Need I say more? The factory has a wide range of hard and soft cheeses including goats cheese. You have the opportunity to taste every single variety that they make. My personal favourites were the Moroccan spiced fetta and the baked ricotta with chilli. There is also a great range of smallgoods, fudges, jams and chutneys.
Essentially it is a one stop shop for everything you need to a delicious picnic. If you are lazy like me you can order a platter to either enjoy on the factoy verandah or take-away. We had the platter for one with a side of dolomades and farmhouse bread. The platter included crackers, 3 different types of cheese (brie, chilli harvarti, fetta), olives, sundried tomatoes, salad greens and cold meat slices (proscuitto, salami, pork roll). It was finger-licking good and was plenty for two.
www.denmarkfarmhouse.com.au

Denmark 2010 - Bartholomew's Meadery

The Meadery is located around 10 minutes west of Denmark. The meadery breeds bees and collects the honey to make all sorts of honey goods including; ice-cream, beauty products, honey wine and a midn boggling range of different types of honey. Honey wine is made from the fermentation of honey instead of grapes. Metheglin is the name of their mead and it is my absolute favourite wine. It is made with raw honey, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and fresh rosemary and can enjoyed cold or slightly warmed.
www.bartholomewsmeadery.com.au

Denmark 2010 - Nornalup Teahouse

Nornalup is a "blink and you will miss it" sleepy town around 40 minutes west of Denmark. It is well worth a visit for the Nornalup Teahouse, a cosy house with wooden floorboards, because the food is exceptionally good.
The mushroom bruschetta was a generous plate of oven roasted cherry tomatoes, grilled peppers, garlic field mushrooms dressed in a basil and nut pesto. What made this dish so good was that the thought and care that went into it. Everything tasted so fresh and the delicate flavour of the grilled haloumi cheese was preserved by serving on a side dish, so as not to be overwhelmed by the strong flavour of the vegetables.
Andy had the fish and chips. This was another simple dish but I can honestly say it was the best fish and chips I have ever had. The fish was covered in a golden, crispy batter and tasted fresh and was very juicy. The chips were golden and crunchy on the outside and sof and buttery on the inside. There was not a hint of oil sheen. Perfection.
www.nornalupteahouse.com.au

Denmark Dec 2010 - Skyhouse Retreat

It's been a while since I last entered a post. Not for lack of travelling, just lazy I guess.

The skyhouse is more like a treehouse of 3 levels made with recycled timber with lots of glass walls. Every room has a stunning view of the surrounding bushland. Staying there we felt like a modern day, yuppie version of Tarzan and Jane. The treehouse is located in bushland on the side of Weedon Hill. At the top of the hill is a collection of very large granite boulders called the Magic Circle. You can walk there via a short steep track fom the backyard.

There may be some truth to the name Magic Circle as the surrounding trees certainly seem magical. They bristle with the wind and make a deep rustling noise. Bird species abound and together with the buzzing of native bees, natures sounds make for a relaxing symphony. We felt so chilled out there.

The rythym of our day was to rise with the sun, make the fire, eat breakfast then return to bed to sleep for another couple of hours. We would then go our for a drive to see the sights and have lunch. We would return early to cook dinner and drink (lots of) Mead.

I highly recommend Skyhouse Retreat as a place to stay in Denmark. Further info can be found on their site: http://www.skyhouseretreat.com.au/

Rockin' it old school

We had such a fun day today.

We had a tour around Christchurh in a Model A Ford. We felt like royalty and I couldn't resist doing a queen-like wave at a passer-by.

We then went on a punt down the Avon River: http://www.punting.co.nz/christchurch-punting.html All the duck families were out. The mummy duck and her gaggle? Usually 5-7 little fluffy ducklings.

We enjoyed the Avon River so much we decided to hire a canoe each to paddle about in. I really thought that I would like canoing but it sucked. It is hard work and not to mention the getting in and the getting out of which is never graceful.

After all the water sports we checked out the museum which was very cool. They have an asian art section which has the most beautiful vases I have seen.

The City of Churches

We are in Christchurch.

Andy just got a new tattoo at Southern Ink. It is awesome and I really want another one but I don't want to look like Roseanne Barr.

I am starting to miss home which I know is crazy but I can't help it. I miss my friends.

I did see a creatively named alcohol store that puts a smile on my face when I get too sad - Beaver Liquor - LOL!

I love this city. So many beautiful buildings.

We are off to have some sushi.

Chilly Bin

Today we took the scenic route down to Te Anua then to the Milford Sound, which is actually a fiord.

We stopped at a waterfall to have a BBQ, then took a boat cruise out on the Sound.

It was awesome! It was however exceedingly cold ~ 5c.

We saw puppy seals warming themselves up on the rocks. It was like the water was too cold for them as well.

We are starting to get a bit sad because we will be leaving Queenstown on Sunday.