Who doesn’t love an open fire?
When it comes to winter time, it’s one of the most charming experiences, especially on a getaway or a long lazy lunch. It’s the crackle, the warmth and a great spot to huddle together.
RETIRE TO THE CLUBROOMS
Any die-hard golfer isn’t going to give up their outdoor activity just because it’s winter. But the thought of a roaring fire waiting in the club rooms helps make the 18 holes a little more tolerable. Down on The Bellarine you have your pick of fires to warm up to.
Rain, hail or shine you can guarantee to get your game on at Lonsdale on the Bellarine Peninsula. The Club welcomes non-members, green fee players, social golfers and corporate golfers to use the course and club facilities. Lonsdale Golf course is open 7 days from dawn until dusk. The Links Bistro is open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday and dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. Over winter, the extra large roaring fire that will be lit daily in the Clubhouse.
WARM YOUR INSIDES BY THE FIRE
Sip on a coffee, slurp a soup and sit by the fire. Gather around a fire with a bunch of friends over a long lunch to see you through the winter cold. From the Moorabool Valley, through Geelong to The Bellarine, there's a roaring welcoming fire around every corner.
Saltbush Fine Foods is an eclectic mix of all things food. It hosts a provedore featuring local produce such as olive oils, tomatoes, lettuce, honey and condiments. As well as products from further a field such as truffle oil, Italian pasta & sauces and much more. There are daily tarts made and served with salad and plenty of sweet options including the ever so popular Portuguese custard tarts. The open fire creates a lovely atmosphere for a cosy foodie stop.
Circa 1902 Queenscliff (formerly The Queenscliff Inn) is a contemporary restaurant combined with charming old world guest house accommodation in the heart of Queenscliff. Circa 1902, positioned on the sunny side of the street, provides comfortable and affordable bed and breakfast style accommodation in newly refurbished rooms. Lunch and dinner is available from Wednesday to Monday offering the best produce the region has to offer. Local wines and beers complete the menu which features a tasty array of tapas and share plates. Great coffee (some say the best in Queenscliff) and scrumptious home-made scones/cakes complete your Circa experience.
CURL UP FOR A SLEEPOVER
Head out for a romantic getaway or toast marshmallows with the family this winter. Perhaps cook on the open fire or curl up with a book all day in front of it. Take your pick with these accommodation venues but be sure to have enough wood inside to get you through the night, because nobody wants to be the one to step outside to collect more.
Built in 1875 Seaview House is warm and friendly with traditional guesthouse charm and ambience. 14 rooms all with ensuites. Premier rooms feature queen sized beds with delightful French and Oriental style quilts; handmade in Queenscliff. The Deluxe Suite is attractively furnished and has a private balcony, large bathroom complete with Victorian claw-foot bath, TV/DVD player and fridge. Seaview has two guest lounges, one upstairs with delightful views of the town. In the downstairs lounge guests can relax in front of the open fire.
Twomey's Cottage is a quaint 1880's Victorian fisherman's cottage that boasts an open fire place and gas heating. The Cottage features two bedrooms, and sleeps up to five. The Cottage has the charm of yester-year and is within walking distance of to all of Queenscliff attractions.
Benambra B&B was built in the 1870s. Each room is individually decorated and all rooms are ensuite. The downstairs sitting room features an open fire which is great for relaxing and enjoying a glass of wine. The formal lounge room has an open gas fire and is a perfect place to relax. On arrival, enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with some homemade goodies. Start your day after a good night's sleep with a sumptuous Benambra breakfast.
It all starts with a little mid-week musing. Before I know it, I’ve conjured up a weekend getaway to recharge, get down to the sea and delve into The Bellarine’s hidden treasures and legendary food and wine experiences. My mind trip looks a little like this …
SATURDAY
5PM FRI Check-in at Point Lonsdale Guesthouse and mentally adjust our clocks to downtime. We’re a pebble’s throw from the beach and lighthouse, but that can wait. We’ve got two days. Tonight is all about dinner.
7.30PM FRI We’re keen to check out the brand new Hotel Q – in what was the Royal Hotel, a familiar old landmark on the drive into Queenscliff. I see briny-fresh seafood and local wine. Maybe just two – early start tomorrow.
6.30AM SAT Up with the sparrows! A stroll to the lighthouse to see it like we’ve never seen it before – at dawn. Amble the pier, mingle with anglers, glimpse a big ship making its way through the treacherous waters of The Rip. Ramble around to the ocean beach, bury our toes in the sand and ogle early morning surfers doing their thing.
8.30AM SAT Across to Barwon Heads for breakfast at Annie’s Provedore & Produce Store. The Eggs and Avocado dish is the stuff off dreams.
11AM SAT Yikes! Time to tick one off the bucket list: a one-hour SUP lesson with Paddle Life Barwon Heads. The pipe dream: gliding elegantly across the river. Reality: lots of falling in and belly laughs.
1.30PM SAT Tuckered out and starving, we head to Little Red Fox Eatery at Banks Road Vineyard (Marcus Hill). Chickpea and Pumpkin Curry for me, Pork Belly for he. A glass or two of Pinot Noir and a lazy afternoon soaking up the views before loading up the boot with cellar door fare.
5PM SAT Back at the guesthouse, loll by the pool, watch the shadows grow long. Snooze (just a little).
7PM SAT Feeling chilled out and fancy-free, we opt for fish and chips (yes, from the paper) on the foreshore. Bare feet and breezy. Just how we like it.
SUNDAY
8.00AM SUN Breakfast at our digs – good, old-fashioned scrambled eggs, toast, coffee and chatter. We grab the papers (and a takeaway latte) and head to the beach to sprawl on the sand and trawl through the news that’s fit to print.
10.30AM SUN Saunter the boardwalk at Queenscliff Harbour. Spiral up the 42-metre observation tower for amazing views. Poke around the Queenscliffe Maritime Museum, making time to take in the volunteers’ fascinating tales of couta boats and sea pilots.
1.30PM SUN First stop on the scenic route homebound: Portarlington Bakehouse for coffee and almond croissants.
2.30PM SUN An afternoon devoted to sampling and stocking up on glorious fresh produce to carry home. Pop into Little Mussel Café for a kilo of fresh Portarlington mussels (and maybe some house-made smoked mussels). At Manzanillo Grove, chat with Len and Renate about their award-winning olive grove. Flip-flop between garlic-infused olive oil and balsamic reduction. End up getting both (plus two vak paks of olives for good measure). Meet the makers (and the goats) at Drysdale Goat Cheese (first Sunday of the month). Add Saltbush Shev and Bellarine Blue to the weekend’s loot. Time for one last stop on the way home to shoehorn half a case of the new Yes Said the Seal limited release wines into the already brimming boot.
And then the bubble bursts, the daydream dissolves and I find myself back at my desk, wide awake … clutching a half-empty bottle of Flying Brick Draught Cider. How did that happen?
