AustralianGourmetTraveller-June2018

Victoria

The glorious gardens, a slice

of rural England in regional

Victoria, include stands of elms,

avenues of birches, an orchard, rose

gardens and a “grand axis” view from

the restaurant over vines to cypresses.

Have the kitchen prepare a

picnic hamper to enjoy in the

grounds or at the beach – Point Leo

and Merricks are nearby.

Breakfast is a bufet of jarred

yoghurts, fruit smoothies,

baked treats, and cooktop casseroles

stocked with eggs, bacon, mushrooms

and mini snags ($27.50). At lunch and

dinner chef Paul Witherington keeps

things local and lush with, say, tartare

and charcoal aïoli or squid-ink pasta

with Flinders mussels and calamari.

The limited room-service menu is

available during reception and

restaurant hours.

Minibars are big on local

flavour, featuring Lindenderry

Estate wines, Mock Red Hill pear juice,

and Mornington Peninsula Brewery

pale ale.

WHERERed Hill, on the Mornington Peninsula, about an hour’s drive from

Melbourne.COSTFrom $320, without breakfast.AT A GLANCE40 rooms;

bar, restaurant, pool, sauna, tennis courts, free parking.IN ROOMFree WiFi,

smart TV, Bose Bluetooth speaker, some baths and balconies, pillow menu,

Molton Brown toiletries.BEST ROOMSGarden and balcony rooms are the

most spacious, with king beds, sofas and views over the gardens.

LINDENDERRY AT RED

HILL BY LANCEMORE

Interior designers Hecker Guthrie

recently made over this 1990s

estate on 13 hectares of gardens

and vines, reviving the 40-room

property. The work is confined

mainly to public areas, especially

the restaurant with its grey wood

panelling, Quaker-chic chairs,

forest green carpet and massive

arched window. Spacious,

comfortable but slightly dull

guestrooms retain much of the

existing detailing and furnishings,

albeit with a lick of fresh paint,

smartened bathrooms and

marble trim around fireplaces.

There are five guest lounges,

a heated pool, sauna, and

board games for indoor types;

outside there are tennis courts,

walking tracks and, beyond,

the bounty of the Mornington

Peninsula.142 Arthurs Seat

Rd, Red Hill, (03) 5989 2933,

lancemore.com.au/lindenderry

Small but important gestures

include vases of freshly cut

flowers from the estate’s garden,

a night-time aromatherapy ritual,

and stacks of good magazines.

After 35 years, Alla Wolf-Tasker’s

regionally focused restaurant

remains one of the best in Australia,

a masterclass in precise cooking and

top-quality ingredients.

Breakfast in the Lake House

restaurant is a highlight. A

spread of poached and fresh fruit,

baked treats and house-made jams

is teamed with cooked dishes that

include house-made crumpets with

sweet or savoury toppings (try the

maple syrup and bacon) and the full

farmhouse shebang. Return for lunch

or dinner to take advantage of the

superb cellar.

Gather for drinks in the Argyle

Library Bar or, in fine weather,

the lagoon deck in the company of

kookaburras. Both venues ofer superb

drinks lists and snacks such as anchovy

pastries and one-bite gougères.

WHEREAbout112km

north-west ofMelbourne,

an 80-minute drive.

COSTFrom $674, with

breakfast and lunch or

dinner.AT A GLANCE

33 studios and suites;

bar, restaurant, day spa,

pool, sauna, tennis

court, bikes, free

parking.IN ROOM

Free WiFi, balcony or

courtyard, some baths,

cofee machine, pillow

menu, Elemis toiletries.

BEST ROOMThe

two-bedroom Retreat

Villa has a kitchen, bars,

lounges, outdoor spa

and fire pit.

LAKE HOUSE

Drive through the gates and feel the tension leave your

shoulders. Lake House’s beautiful gardens, lake glimpses,

treetop mineral baths, tennis court, new infinity pool,

lauded restaurant and “lagoon deck” create another world,

a kind of Narnia for adults. Studios and suites, arranged

village-like, all have views of Lake Daylesford or gardens.

With plenty of interior space and maximum comfort –

sunloungers on the balcony, soft throws on the bed and

couch – it can be hard to drag yourself away. But there’s

the lure of the day spa, or perhaps a cocktail by the fire

in the library, enhanced by polished, personable service

that hits the sweet spot between relaxed and formal. A great

place in which to disappear from the real world.4 King St,

Daylesford, (03) 5348 3329, lakehouse.com.au

Lake House,

Daylesford.

180 GOURMET TRAVELLER

Lindenderry’s

Peninsula Lounge.

PHOTOGRAPHY LISA COHEN (LAKE HOUSE)