Berry, NEW SOUTH WALES
Airing Date: Jul 28th, 2003
What's not to like about Berry? It's located on the beautiful south coast of NSW, the air is clean and fresh and the streets are full of olden day charm.
It's the kind of town where rolling hills are filled with cosy cottages. And it's only a two and half hours from Sydney, it'll feel like a world away.
There are plenty of great places to stay, like the Drawing Rooms of Berry. With a name like that, it's easy to imagine an artist's retreat with paintings plastered all over the walls, but this accommodation is actually named after a rock formation on the hilltop called 'the drawing rooms'.
There are two different styles of accommodation making up the Drawing Rooms of Berry, catering for couples and groups. The three lodges each have two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and the three guestrooms have their own ensuites, balconies and a country style atmosphere.
If you stay in the guesthouse you'll have a chance to enjoy the amazing cooked breakfast. During the week there's homemade muesli, cereal, toast, fruits and honeyed yogurt. On weekends you get the full breakfast with poached eggs, asparagus, smoked salmon, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms and delicious pancakes drenched in berries.
One of Berry's biggest attractions is the Wakeling's Dining Carriage. The carriage, a 1962 rail caravan, was found in Nowra by the owner Tony. Nowadays the revamped carriage is pushed by three Clydesdale horses and guests can enjoy a tour of the quiet streets and a dining extravaganza all at once.
Before hopping on board, you select your meal from the Berry Hotel menu. It's a good idea to arrive half an hour beforehand so by the time Tony and his horses arrive, the first course is ready. Once on board with your first course, the horses take a journey through town before heading back for the second course. And while you stay on board enjoying the night atmosphere and local wine, a waitress delivers your next dish to your table. Then the obedient horses are off again, clip-clopping around town.
The facts:
Lunch on Wakeling's Dining Carriage costs $75 for two courses. Dinner costs $85 for three courses. The tours operate Friday through Sunday.
A night at The Drawing Rooms of Berry starts at $140 per couple per night midweek in The Guesthouse. A full weekend stay costs $360 per couple, including that fantastic cooked breakfast. The self-contained lodges cost $200 per couple per night midweek, or $500 for a whole weekend. Drawing Rooms of Berry
Tel: 02 4464 3360Wakeling's Dining Carriage
Tel: 02 4422 7098
