This was published 13 years ago
Idle Time cottage, Jamberoo review: New twists to cottage life
Spacious ... the weatherboard cottage was renovated two years ago.
Cork-removal issues aside, Harriet Alexander finds plenty of mod cons to appreciate at a south coast retreat.
WE'VE found a colander and a grater, knives, pans, tea towels and a giant measuring cup. But no corkscrew. We're stinging for a drink after 2½ hours with a screaming infant in a hatchback but there's no waiter's friend to be found.
There's nothing for it but to call Ron, Idle Time's genial manager. "Is there a corkscrew?"
"There should be."
"So would it be ... in the drawers?"
"Should be. Unless the last person nicked it."
I turn around to find my husband brandishing a knife in one hand and a bottle of shiraz in the other. He has a demonic smile and his eyes appear to be gleaming crimson. He disappears.
When he re-emerges, his face and white T-shirt are splattered with red and the knife is wedged in the neck of the bottle. "Disaster," he says.
Well, not a total disaster. He may be muttering "Out, damned spot" but the wine is delicious, if a little textured. It is almost time for a second glass when there is a knock at the door. It's Ron. With a corkscrew.
It has been a chastening start to our stay at Idle Time, a weatherboard cottage on a 25-hectare horse-spelling farm just outside Jamberoo south of Sydney.
The house is spacious for our small family, with a bedroom on each side of the front hall and the rest devoted to an open-plan living, dining and kitchen. Renovations were completed two years ago but the inside is so spotless, the work could have been completed yesterday. There are also two TVs, which seems a lot for a house that sleeps four. Ron says the one at the back of the house has high definition and is in a nicer room because it gets more sun. That's for people who take the farm's name very seriously.
On the night we arrive, we're dismayed to find there are no curtains or blinds and the bedrooms face due east. There goes any hope of the baby sleeping past sunrise. Yet it is lovely to wake to find a wall of trees behind us and sun streaming on to the front porch.
To improve the shining hour, we explore the property. There can be up to seven horses in residence but this weekend there are just two, plus Penny the Shetland pony. We find a wood barbecue, a tennis court, a gym and an orange tree heavy with fruit. Most people's first association with Jamberoo is the action park - a water park and small theme park - but we decide to pursue gentler activities, such as rainforest walks and fish and chips at nearby Kiama.
Jamberoo is halfway between the coast and the escarpment to the southern highlands. The landscape is green and undulating, with glimpses through to the sea and hills studded with Moreton Bay figs, coral trees and cabbage palms.
We spend the morning at the Illawarra Fly, a walkway 25 metres above ground, just below the rainforest canopy. It should be a good place to see wildlife but we see none. The following day, we see a lyrebird, a bowerbird and a tiger snake in nearby Minnamurra Rainforest but for now, it's ferns, trees and views to Wollongong. Later, we take in more views at Saddleback lookout.
Back at Idle Time, we fire up the barbecue but when my husband turns the steaks, they are still pink on the cooked side. There is no going back for a man who believes firmly in turning only once but, luckily, we have another disaster. The grill falls into the fire, taking the steaks with it. They come out perfectly cooked. And with no humiliating calls to Ron.
The writer was a guest of Idle Time and Tourism NSW.
Trip notes
Where
Idle Time, 382 Minnamurra Lane, Jamberoo. 0423 632 969, boutiquetravel.com.au.
Getting there
Follow the F6 to Wollongong, continue south and follow the signs to Nowra. Turn right on to the Illawarra Highway at the roundabout before the Illawarra Regional Airport and follow the signs to Jamberoo.
How much $300 a night or $150 for a separate flat.
Style statement Little old lady outside; modern woman inside.
Perfect for Horse lovers.
Don't forget Tennis racquets.
Shame about Poor bathroom drainage. It's wet feet all round.
Kudos The peaceful location.
Take the kids? If they don't mind sharing a double bed.
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