October 2006 Mount Wilson and Mount Tomah

Last month the Social Club had a very enjoyable day in the Blue Mountains, visiting the Mount Wilson and Mount Tomah areas.

First visit was to Sefton Cottage and its gardens for a leisurely stroll and morning tea. The gardens are wonderful, very reminiscent of the gardens encountered on a recent trip to New Zealand, with enormous rainforest trees, flowering trees and shrubs along with many annuals and perennials. There were shaded peaceful places with seats strategically placed under enormous Rhodendrums (in full flower) along the edges of the lawns. Morning Tea! Well we had another Devonshire tea forced upon us (life just gets tougher and tougher) there were also cakes, slices and biscuits (the owners had gone to a lot of trouble for us), consumed in these beautiful surroundings it was truly a delight.

Breenhold Gardens is a 45 hectare property with extensive Pine Forest wind breaks planted around the property, there are many other very attractive exotic trees and shrubs planted along the edges of gently curving country lanes, always beckoning the eye to explore a little further and see beyond the next corner. There was a very nicely laid out Stone Walled Garden with a central pond which had an attractive pedestal mounted Urn lazily dripping water into the pond.

Mount Tomah Botanical Gardens when after a short stroll through the upper gardens filled with flowering exotics, natives and kitchen garden we partook of lunch. Lunch was quiet enjoyable with everybody being satisfied with the fare, time allowed us the opportunity to chat with old and new acquaintances, always an enjoyable pastime. Then we descended to the lower gardens which had a vast array of Proteas and other exotics, there was a Swamp garden which included some flesh consuming Pitcher Plants, the setting (land scaping) is very well done and looks absolutely natural.

Afternoon tea found us at the Bellbird Echo Centre Café, in the Kurrajong Hills, we have visited this Café before, set in a rolling panorama, refreshments were made all the more enjoyable by the surroundings and vista. After Bellbird we called in to the Bilpin Fruit Bowl which gave us the opportunity to stock up on the famous Bilpin Apples.

Kathryn Whittingham  has submitted some excellent photos of this trip, I have given Kathryn's photos a pink surround to differentiate them from mine.

Thankyou Nadia, another excellent adventure for us organised by you.

Jim Sullivan