Young – So Frank

Iandra Castle – a heritage listed estate

Goes To - Fran - December 8, 2015

A mere 26 kilometers North of Young; in Greenethorpe, New South Wales, is Iandra Castle. Yes, you read it right; a castle. Surrounded by golden canola fields during spring and grazing sheep throughout the year, Iandra Castle is a unique part of Australia’s heritage (listed in the New South Wales Heritage register in 2005).

During Spring, the canola fields provide a golden backdrop to the estate

Although known as a castle, Iandra is actually a homestead. It resembles a castle though, with turrets, detailed glass windows and beautiful gardens. It was built between 1908 and 1910 in the Federation Romanesque style which is known for embracing Australiana themes and for the use of its verandas.

The view of the castle from the gardens

The first time I visited the estate, I didn’t estimate enough time. The picturesque drive from Young (in particular during Spring) has you making a number of stops along the way to capture the landscape and appreciate the view. This, combined with a multitude of interesting and period rooms within Iandra, and the flowering gardens, turn this place into a photographer’s delight.

The gardens give the estate a beautiful and picturesque feel

The estate has reduced in size to approximately 3000 acres (12 km²), from the original 32000 acres and the main areas to explore are the castle, gardens, and original workers’ cottages.

The view from one of the Verandas at the castle

The rooms are decorated with period pieces

The castle has some stunning glass stained windows in almost every room, with intricate flower patterns typical of the era. As you roam in and out of rooms you can’t help but imagine yourself in the period, your back seems to straighten and you walk with presence and your head held high.

The delicate patterns in the glass stained windows depict australian flora

Since that first time, I have been fortunate to be able to return, this time armed with the knowledge that I would need a whole lot more time to properly explore the building and surroundings.

I am enchanted by the gardens. There are butterflies everywhere, sampling the large varieties of flowers that paint the garden with colour and provide an overload to your olfactory sense. You can take a picnic and sit among the roses, lavender, orange trees, the lawn, under the large trees, or just on the veranda, and take in the view – the choice is yours.

The lavender attracts butterflies that dance from flower to flower

Iandra castle holds open days throughout the year (at other times you must make an appointment). There are four published dates at this point for 2016 – 27 March, 24 April, 12 June and 2 October. The entrance fee assists with restoration, ensuring that this heritage listed estate remains open for all to appreciate.

The flower beds at Iandra Castle attract bees and butterflies

What you need to know

Iandra castle is located at Cnr Tyagong Creek Road & Gerry Bang Road, Greenethorpe NSW 2810
To contact Iandra Castle or check opening dates visit www.Iandracastle.com.au. The next open day is Sunday 27 March 2016.
If you can’t make it on an open day, contact the estate keepers on 02 6383 9241, 0429 455 409 or kershaw101@bigpond.com
The entrance fee is payable in cash – take correct change to avoid being turned away as there are no eftpos facilities. $10 for adults and $5 for children.
Take a picnic, and enjoy a leisurely afternoon on the grounds
Parking is onsite – drive in through the main gate, and you will be shown where to park.

Four coffee shops to try in Young

Eats - Kaet - November 24, 2015

From coffee beans roasted on site to cafes in picture perfect settings, finding a great cup of coffee in Young is not too hard.

This is the So Frank guide to coffee shops in Young, NSW.

Art of Espresso – beans roasted on site

Art of Espresso

A spot for the coffee enthusiast, Art of Espresso roasts their beans on site, using organic fair trade beans. Ask the staff what blend they are serving that day – it is normally the signature Kombi Blend. You can also stock up on freshly roasted coffee beans to brew at home.

Address: 35 Main St, Young NSW 2594

Open: 7:30am – 4:00pm Monday to Friday & 7:30am – 1:30pm Saturday

Closed: Sunday and Public Holidays

Website: Art of Espresso

Art of Espresso on social: #artofespresso Facebook – Instagram

Kettle and Grain Cafe – picture perfect coffee break

Kettle & Grain Cafe

Located in the original Young Primary school, the natural sunlight and mismatched decor will have you smiling as soon as you enter. Kettle & Grain Cafe use Ona Coffee beans; see the blackboard menu for coffee-based smoothies and check the counter for the home made muffins and cakes – they are delish!

Address: 2 Campbell St, Young NSW

Open: 8:00am – 4:00pm Tuesday to Sunday (kitchen closes 3pm weekdays & 2.30pm on weekends)

Closed: Monday

Website: Kettle & Grain Cafe

Social: #kettleandgraincafe Facebook – Instagram – Twitter

Wilders Bakery – cherry pie with your coffee

Wilders Bakery

Opened in 1950, Wilders Bakery is a landmark on the main street of Young. Seating is available upstairs, so take your cup of coffee and slice of cherry pie with cream and sit on the outdoor verandah to take in the view. The Wilders Bakery serves what all good country bakers should – fresh bread, meat pies, baked goods, and family size cherry pie to take away.

Address: 207-209 Boorowa St, Young NSW

Open: 6:00am – 5:30pm Monday to Friday & 8:00am to 3:00pm Saturday & Sunday

Website: Wilders Bakery

Social: #wildershappiness Facebook – Instagram

Coffee menu with coffee types and prices

Wilkies Cottage Cafe – coffee and home made treats

Wilkies Cottage Cafe Pantry

The Wilkies Cottage Cafe Pantry coffee beans are sourced from Picco Rico. Besides coffee, they stock a wide variety of local produce – including relishes, pickles, jams. So there is plenty to look at if you are ordering your coffee to go.

Address: 196 Boorowa St, Young NSW

Open: 8:00am – 5:00pm Monday to Friday & 8:30am to 4:00pm Saturday & 8:30am to 3:00pm Sunday

Social: Facebook – Instagram

Unless noted, each cafe serves food and take-away coffee.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Tips:

See the Visit Young website for full details of events and accommodation
Pack a cooler bag and leave some room in your car to bring home some local produce.
Tag your photos & tweets: #VisitYoung & #YoungNSW

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sharing a unique perspective on the modern, urban & rural life in Canberra and the surrounds.

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