Chris Gorman finds a great place for a midwinter break
I like the word rustic. It makes me feel relaxed, warm and comfortable. Our accommodation in the Blue Mountains - they call it the "Milking Shed" - has the same effect.
We are staying at the Old Luera Dairy in the Blue Mountains, a 90-minute drive north of Sydney. With a log burner, beautiful crockery and the smell of freshly ground coffee, the property reminds me of old family holidays staying in gites in France. We don't have a bedroom, we have a hayloft - albeit one with a luxury double bed. The bath is an antique claw-foot thing; paintwork peels artfully off the doors, all perfectly in keeping with the luxurious nature of the "Milking Shed".
We have come to stay in the Blue Mountains in midwinter and for the first time since my move to the Southern Hemisphere four years ago, I'm getting that midwinter Christmas feeling. The beautiful town of Leura even has a Christmassy feel to it similar to old Suffolk villages I lived in back in the UK. At one point, we even have a total white out, except it's not snow but very thick fog that shrouds the region.
For our first day, we're at the Lilianfels luxury resort in the most stunning location beside the cavernous Jamison valley with jaw-dropping views across to the mountains. The 85-room hotel has the feel of an old English country manor and - to this Englishman's delight - it even has a full-size snooker table.
