Thursday 4 August 2016

Day 81


A Coffee Experience
When I woke up today it felt as if I'd been transported back to Victoria while I was sleeping. It was only 12degrees inside Yemmy2 and my nice new thin blankets was totally inadequate! The doona will be back out tonight.
Our guide and Linda

It turned out to be a glorious sunny day though and we - Brian, Linda and me - took advantage of the 
lovely weather to visit Jacques Coffee Plantation and did the tour including a short film showing the coffee growing process and the history of the Jacques family involvement in Africa and on the Tableland. Despite Paul Keatings 'recession we had to have' that sent the family bankrupt and saw them lose everything to the banks, a further huge setback when Government employees sprayed - and killed - all their next trees just as they were ready for harvest, they picked themselves up and started over again.
Coffee berries ready to harvest
The coffee flowers have a very short life



It was a very interesting film and the  bus tour of the plantation that followed before we tasted some coffee liqueurs followed by a nice lunch


The pictures of the coffee berries and flowers were taken from the film - the harvest isn't ready yet and the flowers are only in bloom for about three days.





After lunch we visited the Golden Drop a winery that specialises in fruit wines and liqueurs - particularly from mangoes. We enjoyed tasting their product but not so much that we bought any as they were all quite expensive. 

A visit to Skybury - another coffee establishment that also grows and sells the lovely red paw paws - and we were ready to head for home in time for happy hour. 

Brian brought along a bottle of Mulled Wine and heated some in a microwave. It was labelled 'Gluewein' and is made from red wine infused with spices and citrus fruit and is quite a nice drop. I believe it was used a a starter before a day's fox hunting and also after a day skiing in the snow.





No comments:

Post a Comment