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Weekend road trip to Young

Goes To - Kaet - October 22, 2015

When the team at Visit Young suggested So Frank do a weekend road trip to Young, to go to the Cherry Blossom Long Lazy Lunch, we jumped at the chance. With cherry trees blossoming, golden fields of canola, some history and a castle – we planned a picturesque three-day adventure to explore the region.

History

Young is a significant township in Australia’s history. Originally called Lambing Flat, it was a gold town, and the location of the Lambing Flat race riots between European and Chinese gold miners in 1861. It was also the first location in NSW to have electric lighting installed in the streets and housing. The history is visible as you explore the town.

The Lambing Flat Folk Museum provided an eclectic mix of the history of living in Young. From the Lambing Flat Riots ‘Roll Up’ protest banner, to vintage farm equipment, ephemera from town dances and Cherry Festivals. While some exhibits at the museum change, others are on permanent display. You can easily spend a few hours pondering the different rooms. Look out for the three-legged chicken and vintage dentistry display.

Black bucket - Young F.B 1876

1876 gold panning equipment at the Lambing Flat Folk Museum. Young, NSW

We visited the Chinese Tribute Garden about an hour before closing time on the Saturday afternoon. The gardens, which are located next to the historic Chinaman’s Dam were established to recognise the contribution the Chinese community has made to Young. It was a serene and picturesque spot, with a lot of park benches to sit and reflect.

The Visitors Centre provides maps for a Heritage Walk. We had planned on completing the whole Heritage Walk but did not allow ourselves enough time. So on the Sunday afternoon, we decided to explore the main street and do part of the Township Walk. The street was quiet, as most shops are closed on a Sunday afternoon. This meant we could take our time taking photos and reading about each of the different heritage spots.

Museum

Marking the distance in Young.

Eat & drink

..the sweet handmade delights from Poppa’s Fudge & Jam Factory provided our taste buds with an ‘OMG’ moment

We ate some amazing food on our trip, drank some great coffee and enjoyed fabulous wines from the Hilltops Region. From the local produce served up at the gorgeous Kettle & Grain Cafe, to Spanish tapas at The Country Providore Cafe, cherry pie at Wilders Cafe and takeaway pizza from Carmelos, our taste buds were never disappointed.

And for our coffee and sugar fix – local roaster, Art of Espresso was a definite favourite – and the sweet handmade delights from Poppa’s Fudge & Jam Factory provided our taste buds with an ‘OMG’ moment.

We stopped by The Young Visitor Information Centre, which acts as a cellar door for Hilltops Region wines; picking up some wines for our weekend away and a few extra to bring home.

There were a lot of other places we didn’t get to fit in on this trip. It seems there is a pub on every corner, and the blackboard specials outside – were county town prices, averaging between $10 – $15 a meal.

The 'OMG' fudge from Poppa's Fudge & Jam Factory

The ‘OMG’ fudge from Poppa’s Fudge & Jam Factory

Fruit picking

Young is the Cherry Capital of Australia. We learnt that cherries are the last stone fruit to blossom, but the first to fruit! Cherry picking season starts at the end of October and lasts through to the end of December. Along with road side stalls, some orchards let you pick your own fruit to take home. The Cherry Festival is held on the first weekend in December, with a full weekend of activities, and the announcement of the Cherry Queen.

Cherries are not the only fruit in town. You can also pick strawberries, grapes, stone fruit, apples and citrus fruit. Grab the map from the Visit Young page to find out where you can pick-your-own.

Our trip

The Visit Young team booked the delightful Young Cottage for us to stay in. With three bedrooms, lounge and kitchen – it was a great spot to base ourselves for a few days. On the Sunday night, it gave us homely space to order in a pizza, open a bottle of red wine and start sorting through all our photos.

We also visited Iandra Castle and Taubman & Webb Trading Post – which we will share soon.

There are a lots of photo opportunities from the orchards, roadside farm shops, heritage architecture and don’t forget the canola fields in September and October. The drive from Canberra takes just under two hours (depending on the number of photo stops you make). Oh, and a tip from a local – there are no traffic lights between Canberra and Young.

Paddocks of canola

Golden canola fields, as far as the eye can see.

Tips:

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Cherry Blossom Long Lazy Lunch

Lifestyle - Kaet - September 30, 2015

When a unique opportunity is presented to you, you don’t question it. You just say yes.  This is how we found ourselves sitting in a cherry orchard for the annual Cherry Blossom Long Lazy Lunch in Young.

We started our day at the Young Visitor Centre, sampling some Hilltops Region wines and meeting our fellow diners. With a chilled bottle of Moppity Vineyards, Lock & Key Pinot Chardonnay in hand, we boarded a bus for the short scenic drive to the Young /Harden border arriving at the Batinich Cherrymore Orchard.

Rows of cherry trees

Batinich cherry orchard

It was a beautiful scene – a very, very, very long table set up in between the rows of cherry trees, with white snowball blossoms emerging from the branches. White tablecloths covered the trestle tables, with baskets of vegetable seedlings at each end as table decorations.

The Long Lazy Lunch is a fundraiser for the National Cherry Festival – Cherry Queen entrants, and the region came out to support them. The Guest of Honour for the event, the Consul General of the Republic of Croatia, Mr Hrvoje Petrusic – recognises the significance the Croatian community had in establishing the cherry industry in Young.

Platters of food.

Local produce line the tables.

With a pie crust so soft it melted in your mouth.

With Canberra jazz band, ‘As Famous as the Moon’ providing the background music, we enjoyed produce from Young and Canberra expertly prepared by members of Hilltops Harvest. Highlights of our meal included a homemade olive dip, spiced sugar plums, baked ricotta and smoked chorizo. And the main feature – cherry pie with cream; with a pie crust so soft it melted in your mouth.

We loved chatting to our lunch companions. We learnt about the different crops grown in the region and the importance of cherry farming to the Young community – bringing in tourism, seasonal workers and for the export market. This is why Young is renowned as the Cherry Capital of Australia.

Plates of cherry Pie

The main feature – Cherry Pie

The location was spectacular. With crops blossoming at different times, the view across the orchard was picturesque, and you can vividly imagine the flavours of the cherries that these trees will grow.

Signpost reads - Fine Food and Wine, Cherry Pie and Cherry Juice.

Photography: So Frank

The Cherry Blossom Long Lazy Lunch is organised by Visit Young. With event tickets selling out quickly, we recommend you follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, to find out about this and other regional events before they sell out.

 

The So Frank team was invited to the Cherry Blossom Long Lazy Lunch as a guest of Visit Young.

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