Tumba – The Road Trip

It began in the summer with a sausage roll from the new bakery in Hervey Bay.

‘This could be the best sausage roll I’ve ever had,’ said Sarah.

‘Hmmm,’ I mused. ‘That’s a big call, but I think the one from the Tumbarumba Bakery is better.’

(Author note: I consider the sausage rolls from Tumbarumba Bakery are the best. End of.)

‘I wouldn’t know,’ said Sarah. ‘It’s been too long since I was there.’

I won’t bore you with the ensuing conversation. Was the last time she was there Grandma’s 90th birthday? No, it couldn’t be that – Grandma was 90 in 1994, and Sarah wasn’t even a twinkle in my eye. Maybe it was the Doughty family reunion? Even so, she couldn’t have been more than four or five …

‘How long has it been since you were there, Mum?’

‘Ummm …’ It would have had to have been six or seven years, I supposed. ‘Too long.’

My father (number six of eight) was born and bred in Tumba, as were his parents. His grandparents arrived with their parents (my great-great grandparents) sometime in the late 1800s. To Dad, even today, Tumba is home so when I was a kid, we visited regularly, the six of us (plus corgis) piling into the station wagon for the long drive. Back in those days, on those roads, it was seven hours from Sydney, ten or eleven hours when we lived in Merriwa (in the Hunter Valley north of Sydney). For those years we lived in Bombala, it was a relatively quick hop across the mountain – just a few hours – Dad calling in at Cooma to pick up snow chains in winter.

Mum would pack a loaf of white bread sandwiches—vegemite and cheese or Devon and tomato sauce—and an insulated flask full of weak cordial. Dad didn’t like to stop unless he needed petrol, so it was all managed on the go, with us kids in the back trying to pour out the cordial and pass it through to the front without spilling it.

In the summer we’d swim in the local pool (always freezing), run wild down the lane behind Grandma and Poppa’s house, and eat slices of watermelon almost as big as our own heads. In winter, we’d huddle under a weight of blankets and try and get dressed in bed before making the dash up the cold hall to where the fire was on in the kitchen Grandma and Poppa had lived in since the early days of their marriage in the 1920s. We’d drive out to Laurel Hill or further to find snow – a couple of times going to Khancoban or Selwyn for proper snow.

Yes, it had been too long.

A plan was made. Instead of Melbourne, Cairns or Queenstown, this year we’d go to Tumba for our annual girl’s winter week away. We’d fly into Sydney, pick up a rental car, overnight in Canberra, and head to Tumba for four nights before reversing it all.

The timing of our trip—a week after losing Kali—was perfect. The country air gave us both time and space to heal.

In a week that was full of highlights, here are the highlights of the highlights – in visit order.

Long Track Pantry, Jugiong

Jugiong (halfway between Canberra and Tumbarumba) used to be on the Hume Highway – the main road linking Sydney with Melbourne – but was bypassed many years ago. Long Track Pantry, a country store and cafe, has become a destination and the perfect road-trip stop.

The cafe specialises in local, seasonal produce and the wine shop next door sells wine that has mostly been produced in the surrounding areas.

We stopped for lunch both on the way down and back – and while there picked up supplies for a cheese board.

Ladbroken Distillery

While buying wine at Long Track we were told that Ladbroken Distillery was a must-do while in Tumba. ‘If you’re only there for a few days, drop in first,’ the shop assistant told us. ‘They’re only open on weekends.’

Doing as we were told, Ladbroken was our first stop in town.

This is a family business with a fabulous story behind it (which you can read here … you know I’m a sucker for a good story) and they make an equally fabulous gin.

The bar is seriously bougie, but we did our tasting outside near the wood stove while Robbie talked us through the product and explained the notes to look for. A true creative with great ideas and inspiring energy, I could have chatted with her for hours.

Ladbroken Distillery is open 10am -5pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday – and they even offer an equally luxe cottage you can rent. You’ll find the details here.

Sarah bought a couple of bottles of specialty gin, but I couldn’t resist bringing this one home …

Johansen’s Wines

Tumbarumba was defined as a Geographical Indications (GI) Wine Region of Australia relatively recently – in 1998. While the conditions are said to be similar to that of Burgundy, the vines here are at risk of the occasional dusting of snow and really have to work hard to produce grapes – which results in flavourful wines.

Like the ones produced by Johansens. While the cellar door was closed for winter, we were staying on the property, so we were able to arrange a tasting. As well as ordering several bottles to be sent home, we grabbed their newly released sparkling and pinot noir to enjoy with some cheese and bickies around the firepit. (Note the rather shameless product placement below right…)

Speaking of which, the cottage we stayed in – Glenburnie – was on their property and was everything we could have hoped for. It sleeps six people with two queen beds and two singles, but Sares and I were perfectly cosy, and with a wood-burning stove in the lounge, we were toasty and warm.

One of the best features for us, however, was the views … and we loved sitting around the fire pit.

For more information, head here.

Catch-ups

Sares and I had some long overdue catch-ups with relatives, but we also got to see my friend Debbie. She’d just come back from holidays and was heading away again the following day so Sarah and I were grateful she was able to squeeze in coffee and cake at a local cafe with us.

Speaking of which …

Nest Cafe

‘Is that ridiculous horse still out the front, Joanne?’

The question came from my mother, who, she repeatedly says, thinks the sculpture of the upside-down horse out the front is ridiculous. Perhaps the horse means something I don’t understand? Whatever the meaning, I can’t say I disagree with her. The cafe, however, is fabulous, and if you’re ever in Tumba, you must eat here – we did … twice … and not just for the mulled wine! The food is very good indeed. The Ottolenghi-inspired char-grilled broccoli salad (me) and trout with potato cakes (Sarah) we had on our last visit was memorable – and Sarah couldn’t help but order an espresso cheesecake each time we were there.

Oh, and it’s not just a cafe – there’s also a cinema and they regularly hold special foodie events and book launches. You’ll find them here.

Courabyra Winery

Over the years, I’ve heard so much about Courabyra Winery that we had to book lunch here. We weren’t disappointed by either the food or the wines.

They’re open from Thursday to Monday; you’ll find more information here.

(Note to self – next time I make apple crumble I’ll deconstruct it as it was served above.)

Sculpture Forest

I told you about this place a couple of weeks ago and it’s a real highlight of a visit to Tumba. You’ll find my post here.

The Road to Tooma and Paddy’s River Falls

In 1931, the Southern Cloud, one of a handful of aircraft flying between Sydney and Melbourne, disappeared. It was considered one of the great mysteries of its time until its wreckage was found 27 years later in the Snowy Mountains not far from here.

There’s a whole section of the local museum (also worth a look) dedicated to the mystery and the discovery (and it makes for fascinating reading), but this lookout on the road to Tooma tells you a bit more about the changes to civil aviation safety that came from the tragedy. The views across the Snowy Mountains to Mt Kosciusko are stunning.

Sadly, the pub in Tooma was closed (and is for sale … anyone?) so we took a pic of the sculpture outside it and headed back to town via Paddy’s River Falls.

Speaking of sculptures, when we got back into town we noticed a new one had been erected (they are literally everywhere – some good, some not so good, some hmmmm) on the corner where the old commercial bank used to be but where there’s a new-ish cafe now.

Where we also ate …

I don’t have the pics, but we also enjoyed good meals at the Union Hotel, Chinese at the Bowling Club, and one of the best tasting and perfectly cooked steaks we’ve had in a long time at the Elms Motel (below).

And the sausage roll that started it all?

Some of my clearest memories of my grandfather – who passed away when I was 10 – are of him coming home from the workshop (he was the town builder and the town undertaker back in the day) mid-morning with sausage rolls for us to share for morning tea. If I close my eyes, I can still see Poppa wearing the hat he used to wear to work, standing in front of the kitchen fire, a cigarette balanced on his bottom lip.

Because of this I’m prepared to admit nostalgia might have been a teensy bit at play and the bakery has, of course, changed hands in the intervening years (my sister-in-law and I (half) joke that we should have bought it last time it came on the market). In any case, I gave the sausage roll a score of 8/10, while Sarah rated it a half point below that. Her problem was a gap between the pastry and the meat, but it was late in the afternoon. What can I say, she’s a tough marker.

The meat pie, though … very, very good. 9.5. And, for an almighty big call, Sarah declared it better than our previous favourite road trip pie – the ones from Federation Pies at Tenterfield. As for the marble cake and Neenish tart – Sarah is still raving about those.

We’re already planning to come back next winter and this time (hopefully) bring my husband.

If you want to know more about Tumba and the rail trail which is bringing so many more people to town, head over to my friend Debbie’s blog.