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28 Traveller WEEKEND EDITION AUGUST 23-24, 2014 The Sydney Morning Herald

REVIEWW

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Nina Karnikowskifinds the spaces wideopen, inside and out,

near MUDGEE.

THE LOCATIONTo begin with a terrible travelwriting cliche, Horizon Mudgee isnestled in the hills. But considerthat Mudgee is flanked on threesides by the Great Dividing Range,that its name means “nest in thehills” in the Wiradjuri Aboriginallanguage and maybe the clichebecomes acceptable. Either way,this geometrically designed houseclad in dark cedar is surrounded byundulating hills upholstered withvineyards and pastures, eightkilometres from Mudgee town.

THE SPACEHorizon’s interiors are sleek andminimal. There are two large livingspaces with super high ceilings,one encompassing a lounge andopen kitchen, and the other a morecasual entertaining space. Theglass doors in both areas flood thehouse with natural light and openonto Horizon’s well-manicuredlawns and hilltop infinity pool,which would be a sublime spot to

spend a summer afternoon. Thesingle-digit temperatures thiswinter weekend, however, call forthe central heating to be crankedup, both fires to be lit, the beanbagsto be fluffed and the sparklingmerlot to be cracked.

COMFORTHorizon is big enough that myhusband and I, inner-cityapartment dwellers, at first rattlearound like a pair of M&Ms in a tin,not quite knowing what to do withourselves. We poke through eachof the four bedrooms, admiring thebrightly coloured artworks andspectacular views of the hills theyeach have, before deciding toindulge in a bath in one of the threebathrooms. Once we gather thecosy blankets strewn about theplace and stoke the fire, the chillyconcrete floor in the lounge areasbecomes much more forgiving (thebedrooms are carpeted). Wedecide to pass on the hugeflatscreen stashed behind the

wooden panelling in the mainlounge room in favour of sometunes on the stereo.

FOODHorizon has a well-appointedkitchen and three enormous diningtables to choose from, butMudgee’s fabulous food scene seesus ignore them completely. Wecommence our food safari at Roth’sWine Bar, tasting local wines andmunching thin-crust pizzas whilebopping away to live music. Roth’shas one of Australia’s oldest winebar licenses, and some ofAustralia’s most hilarious bar staff.The next morning it’s breakfast atAlby & Esthers, a cute hole-in-the-wall coffee shop by day, wine bar bynight, which serves up spicy house-made chai tea and locally roastedYarrabin Rd Roasters coffee.Saturday night sees us at PipeclayPumphouse at Robert Stein’svineyard, where chef AndyCrestani works his magic on adelectable three-course dinner. By

the time Sunday brunch rollsaround at the Butcher Shop Cafe –an ex-butchers shop that serves upold-school breakfasts – we have toundo our flies in order to sit down.

GOING OUTMudgee is one of Australia’s oldestwine regions and the birthplace ofAustralian chardonnay, so it’sworth the pilgrimage just to fill upyour cellar. Logan is a perfectstarting point. Sit yourself on thecouch in the glass-walled tastingroom with uninterrupted viewsover the vineyard, grab a cheeseplate (Logan’s has honeycomb on it,phwoar) and a glass of pinot andyou won’t want to leave. Well,maybe only to head to Skimstoneacross the road, which has quitepossibly the cutest cellar door inthe country. Stroll Mudgee’s quaintmain streets (Church and Market)to check out the art deco glassworkon the shopfronts and gemsincluding Juliet Horsley and Lofthomewares, before heading out theother side of town to Lowe organicvineyard. Owner David Lowe hasset out a “wine walk and cycle trail”that guides visitors – glass ofpreservative-free pinot in hand –past the winery, the pigeon house,the nut orchard and more. If youhave time, take the hour drive outto historic Rylstone, whereChinese-born artist Na Lan drawsvisitors from across the state toher yum cha and tea house 29 Nine99, with what might be Australia’smost delectable dumplings.

HOW TO GET THEREMudgee is 260 kilometres (about31⁄2 hours’ drive) west of Sydney.Take the Great Western Highwaythrough the Blue Mountains,following the signs to Mudgee.

THE VERDICTA sleek, modern hideaway in thehills, with ample room for thewhole family.

ESSENTIALSFrom $750 a night on weekends,two-night minimum stay.637 Castlereagh Highway,Burrundulla. Phone(02) 6373 3623. Seehorizonmudgee.com;visitmudgeeregion.com.au.rThe writer stayed as a guest ofMudgee Region Tourism.