This was published 13 years ago
Magical Manderley, Leura review: One for the books
Stuff of dreams ... Magical Manderley is close to restaurants.
Bruce Elder is charmed by an elegant guesthouse in the Blue Mountains.
How do people choose names for guesthouses and bed and breakfasts?
The owner and operator of Magical Manderley in Leura, Robyn Piddington, loved the book and the movie and decided to name her property after the haunting opening line of Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel Rebecca: "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."
It is wonderfully romantic and evocative and, as du Maurier was to write: "Whoever lived within its walls - the peace of Manderley could not be broken or the loveliness destroyed. The flowers that died would bloom again another year, the same birds build their nests, the same trees blossom."
It seems like an entirely appropriate description of the two apartments located behind a gracious 1915 Blue Mountains house only a block from Leura's main street. A combination of attention to detail and luxurious Roman-Tuscan touches ensure this particular Manderley is ideal as a romantic getaway only minutes from some of the Blue Mountains's most compelling attractions.
This is accommodation for couples. The apartment upstairs, which is slightly more expensive, is known as Treetops, and downstairs is the Terrace. We head upstairs and find ourselves looking out through trees on a spring garden alive with flowers and birds. Below is a courtyard with a Tuscan-style statue of a girl pouring water. It is as though du Maurier wrote the scene.
The secret to this beautifully presented property is luxury and elegance without ostentation. Nothing is overlooked and no expense is spared to ensure each guest feels indulged. There are fresh flowers in the lounge room. The mustard-coloured walls feature Romanesque pictures of ancient urns and statues. The couches and the king-size bed are elegant and comfortable. The kitchen has every conceivable accessory and the black granite breakfast bar is ideal for serving snacks and meals.
But it seems foolish to cook at Manderley when this area of the mountains offers an excess of good restaurants. At the top of the Leura Mall is the ever-reliable Silk's Brasserie. Just down the road is Darley's Restaurant in the grounds of Lilianfels, awarded one hat in the 2011 SMH Good Food Guide.
We opt for a short drive to dinner at Ashcrofts in Blackheath, also awarded a hat in this year's Good Food Guide, with delicacies such as Umbrian rabbit fricassee with pork and veal fricadelles and vanilla-bean custard with spun toffee.
When we return it has turned cold (as it does in the mountains) and a mist is hanging over Leura village. Not surprisingly, the heating in Treetops is efficient and the two-person, 36-jet hydro spa bath is tempting. Wrapped in fluffy dressing gowns, we curl up on the couch in front of a flat-screen television and choose from an interesting and eclectic collection of DVDs. On theme, we watch Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation of Rebecca with Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine and Judith Anderson.
Watching this movie again, we're reminded of the irony of naming any property Manderley. In spite of the romantic connotations, the novel is more Gothic horror than sweet romance with du Maurier's Manderley being the home of Mrs Danvers, one of literature's most infamous female villains. The plotline reveals that Maxim de Winter actually hated his first wife, Rebecca, and, rather disturbingly, Manderley burns down at the end of the story.
After a deep sleep without dreams (why dream of Manderley when we're already there?) we debate a range of desirable options for breakfast.
The emphasis on privacy at Treetops means you may prepare your own breakfast; the fridge contains bacon, eggs, wholemeal bread, butter, plunger coffee and an array of juices, spreads and jams. Or you can mooch up the road where an excellent breakfast and the bargain of the district can be had at Cafe Josophan's at 187a Leura Mall. If you've slept in, the cafe serves high tea - excellent mini-sandwiches, wonderfully indulgent chocolate and blueberry scones and a small selection of Josophan's fine chocolates - for a modest $22 a person.
Then, if you care even a smidgen about your health, it's time for a long walk. For the brave and energetic there is nothing to compete with the 896 steps of the Giant Stairway into the Jamison Valley, followed by a peaceful walk along the valley floor. If you're exhausted by that, take a trip back up to the top on the Scenic Railway. The joy of the mountains is that you eat splendidly and salve the conscience with vigorous walks of breathtaking beauty.
Weekends Away are reviewed anonymously and paid for by Traveller.
VISITORS' BOOK
Magical Manderley
Address 157 Megalong Street, Leura.
The verdict Two elegant and beautifully presented apartments designed for romantic weekends for couples.
Price Weekend stays cost $460 in Treetops apartment and $380 in the Terrace (two-night minimum); midweek costs $190 a night in Treetops and $170 in the Terrace.
Bookings Phone 4784 3252 or 0417 286 533, see manderley.com.au.
Getting there Leura is 115 kilometres from the centre of Sydney. At Leura, drive down Leura Mall, turn left into Megalong Street.
Perfect for Couples wanting a romantic and quiet place only a block from the shops and restaurants at Leura Mall and close to the many attractions of Leura and Katoomba.
Wheelchair access Yes in the Terrace, no in Treetops upstairs.
While you're there Walk through the rainforest at the Leura Cascades; descend the Scenic Railway and complete the 2.8-kilometre boardwalk in Jamison Valley; visit the Bygone Beautys Treasured Teapot Museum, with its 3000 teapots, across the road from Manderley on the corner of Megalong and Grose streets.
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