Saturday, March 24, 2012

The Long and Winding Road will lead you to HideAway Haven

  The Long and Winding Road that leads you to HideAway Haven



The long winding road that leads to HideAway Haven will never disappear, so take some extra time and stop along the way. There are some pretty exciting and interesting things to see, do and eat. Half way between Perth and Williams is Riverside Roadhouse in Bannister. Take a break. Feed the Alpacas, browse through the shop for some jams, honey and other delicacies.































The Woolshed in Williams

The Williams Woolshed is an innovative, interactive and interpretive tourism complex presenting ‘a wool story’. The Woolshed combines sheep shearing, regional wines, food, entertainment, art displays, educational programs and retail wool products. There are so many little gift shops here with some very unusual and interesting ideas. Well worth spending some time here. Grab a coffee and something to eat from the Cafe.  The Williams visitor Centre is also located in the Wool Shed.


















The Kodja Place in Kojonup

The Kodja Place is the story of country Australia – as experienced by one farming community. Built around the theme of 'One Story, Many Voices', Kodja Place includes many experiences, including lose yourself in an amazing maze of Australian bred roses while you watch the evolution of the Australian pergola. Sit at the Noongar campfire, hear the stories, meet the people.

Kodja Place is a heartfelt attempt by one community to explore and present its common story. Created to strengthen reconciliation between the people that make up this community. 








I really enjoyed wandering through the maze. Each leg of the maze represents a decade of the twentieth century. Stories have been written to be placed throughout the maze. They follow the lives of three fictional women throughout the twentieth century. One is Aboriginal - a Noongar woman since named "Yoondi" by our local community. Another arrived from Italy early in the century ( many Kojonup families come from the Valtellina region of Northern Italy ) The third was of English origin.As in real life in country WA their stories intertwined over the century so that by the end of the maze the womens' stories begin to converge. It was like being lost in another time as I read each of the stories of hardship, love and triumphs.

Plantagenet Wines in Mount Barker

Stop at Plantagenet Winery in Mount Barker. You are now just 40 mins from HideAway Haven. Pick up some nice wine to enjoy when you are sitting on your deck tonight. Indulge in a bottle of their Liquor Muscat to sip on while you are sitting in the Jacuzzi tonight.





At the end of an enjoyable Long and Winding Road to Albany, arrive at HideAway Haven to relax and enjoy the memories of a beautiful 'Road Trip'.



Thursday, March 22, 2012

Good Cold Beer & Awesome Wood Fired Pizza

There is a new Brewery and restaurant in the Great Southern region. The Boston Brewery, Denmark's first craft brewery is serving their own brewed beers from head Brewer Fiona Geraty.. What an absolutely stunning location. The beers were icy cold and a great variety. We tried the tasting paddle of all the 4 beers before choosing one we liked. We ordered the Salt & Pepper Squid...best we have ever tasted and wood fired olives with Sour Dough. As we love our Pizza we couldn't wait to try their Wood Fired Pizza, Garlic Chilli Prawn, Satay Chicken with Coriander and the special of the day Chicken, Mushroom and Bacon with a delicious tomato sauce base. It didn't disappoint. The base was light and fluffy and the toppings amazing. A bit heavy on the red chilli but they were just a garnish and easily removed. Wood Fired Pizzas and A la Carte menu from the restaurant headed up by Chef Toby & team Every second Saturday there is live music. We can't wait to go back!!











Boston Brewery on Urbanspoon

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Degustation Dining with Russell Blaikie during TASTE Great Southern



Degustation menus are the latest type of gourmet experience. With a multitude of small portion courses on offer, diners can be more daring with their palate. We were expecting a night of taste bud tickling decadence. We enjoyed champagne - Parish Lane, Blanc de Blanc 2008 ~ Albany upon arrival before moving to the long tables where we indulged in 6 courses of food. Specially selected wines were matched with the food and it was all topped of with a scrumptiously decadent dessert. Thank's to Russell Blaikie from Must Wine Bar for wowing us with your culinary skills and talents and to The Rocks for the awesome outdoor venue. Local produce was used in all the dishes, from Ravenill Dairy, Ringwould Cheese, Mount Barker Chicken to all the wines that accompanied the meal.

On Arrival
Black Olive & Gruyere Toasties
Albany Rock Oysters Natural
Parish Lane Blanc de Blanc 2008 - Albany

First Course
Frenchman's Bay Blue Manna Crab & Chive Croquettes with Salsa Verde
Harewood Estate Reserve Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 ~ Denmark

Second Course
Mt Barker Chicken Liver Parfait, Riesling Jelly & Toasted Brioche
La Violetta Das Sakrileg Riesling 2010 ~ Great Southern

Third Course
Ringwould Goat's Cheese Tart, Confit Tomato, Jamic Yabby & Shapland Greens Salad
Plantagenet Chardonnay 2010 ~ Mount Barker

Fourth Course
Slow Braised Butterfield Beef Cheek, Bathgate Heirloom Beets, Denmark Farmhouse Fetta Whip, Eden Gate Micro Herbs
Howard Park Scotsdale Shiraz 2009 - Denmark

Fifth Course
Citrus Creme Brulee, Raspberry Sorbet, Sesame Snap
Sliverstream Cane Cut Chardonnay 2009 - Denmark











Saturday, March 10, 2012

Albany's newest AAA rated 5 star Hosted Luxury Accommodation


Albany, Western Australia – March 6, 2012 – Achieving a AAA five star rating is a significant dream in any accommodation provider’s career. For Maggie Van Santen and Becki Shaver, achieving this goal is a dream come true.
This weekend, AAA inspectors visited HideAway Haven and were very impressed with the building, facilities and extra services provided for Becki and Maggie’s pampered guests, resulting in a five star rating in the Hosted Accommodation category.
Five stars in this category means luxury appointments offering an exceptional standard of facilities, furnishings and guest services.
According to the AAA website, 85% of travellers use the star rating system when choosing a place to stay. In addition, 94% of travellers rate cleanliness as the most important aspects of a star rating. HideAway Haven’s cleanliness rating was assessed at 100%.
Hostesses Becki and Maggie excel at exceeding guest expectations. HideAway Haven is the only hosted accommodation in Albany with a full kitchen and a Jacuzzi that sits under the open skies, where, on a clear night, guests can be mesmerised by a trillion stars.
HideAway Haven’s special packages, including the new ‘HideAway Infusion’, are exclusively available for guests, and the gourmet breakfasts are raved about by everyone who samples them.
Significantly, HideAway Haven was also awarded an Eco-Friendly Star Accreditation (Green Star). Accommodation providers must demonstrate energy efficiency, waste minimisation and water management strategies in order to be awarded this honour.
Becki's response when receiving the 5 stars “I am absolutely ecstatic with receiving the AAA 5 star rating. This is definitely an acknowledgment for all the hard work, passion and love we have put into HideAway Haven. We are thrilled to be recognised for the exceptional services we provide for our guests.” 





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'The HideAway Infusion' - Food, Passion & Creativity



'The HideAway Infusion’ – Food, Passion and Creativity

Albany, Western Australia – March 5, 2012 – Travelling usually involves exploring the best a region has to offer, from sightseeing to local wildlife. So why not plan an unforgettable vacation that revolves around the best of an area’s food and wine experiences?

Albany, on the south coast of Western Australia, is one of Australia’s most undiscovered, but exciting wine and gourmet food regions. The mild weather and abundant sunshine provide the perfect setting for a relaxing short- or long-term getaway.

Whether you are a gourmet cook, foodie or just someone who enjoys eating, you will enjoy the brand new ‘HideAway Infusion’ holiday package, brought to guests by HideAway Haven and Sharp Infusion.

This unforgettable experience allows local celebrity chef Daniel Sharp to share his passion for local, fresh and organic produce, and hostesses Maggie and Becki to show why HideAway Haven is an AAA rated 5 star hosted accommodation and was the big winner at the ACCI Business Awards 2011.

The ‘HideAway Infusion’ package has been carefully created to showcase the highlights and hidden treasurers on offer in Albany.

The culinary journey begins with a guided tour at the local markets. Daniel will show guests around the markets where they can taste local produce; sample amazing regional wines and purchase fresh organic ingredients for dinner.

Guests will then explore the region with Daniel and visit local wine-makers and food producers. The local farmers and wine-makers will be happy to talk to guests about the joys and challenges of growing their produce in the region.

Back at HideAway Haven, Daniel will work together with guests to use the ingredients purchased during the day in order to create a dinner to die for.

There is a lot to be excited about in this once in a lifetime package designed for the health-conscious and experience-seeking traveller.