Acting Tourism Manager Jenny Falconer said that the new system allowed visitors to have free internet access within the VIC if they were travelling with their own laptops or other devices.

Tourism staff said the free internet access has been really helpful to those visitors who are trying to organise their future travel plans by booking accommodation, tours and transport arrangements prior to reaching their next destination.

For more information contact the Goulburn Visitor Information Centre on 1800 353 646.

Now in its 17^th year the Bald Archy Prize is as popular as ever, with this year’s exhibition being particularly relevant three weeks prior to a federal election. Tony Abbott, Peter Garrett, Wilson Tucky, John Howard and Bob Hawke will feature prominently among other well-known Australians. Admission: $5 adults, $3 concession and $1 students. Open: 10am-4.30pm seven days.

The Bald Archy Prize 2010 Exhibition runs from 30 July to 29 August 2010.

For further information Ph: 02 48621077 or visit www.milkfactorygallery.com.au

The Journeyman at Bowral won the Restaurant of the Year for the whole South Coast Region, AND the award for the best Contemporary Australian Restaurant. There were nine restaurants nominated in the Contemporary category, including three from the Highlands, being, The Journeyman, Eschalot and Josh’s Café from Berrima. Stone’s at Eling Forest also won its category, Best Restaurant in a Winery. Classical Thai Cravings at Mittagong was a nominee in the Thai Restaurant category, and Vin Santo at Mittagong was nominated in the Italian Restaurant Category.

Restaurant & Catering Association uses a tough and rigorous judging procedure to decide which restaurants will be granted an Award for Excellence. It starts out with customers voting for their favourite restaurant. The restaurants that receive the most votes are included on the list of nominees. Just to be included on the list in an honour. All the restaurants on the list are visited anonymously by trained reviewers. These reviewers have a standardised judging form and they rate every element of performance, from the telephone booking through to the farewell at the door. Food, service and ambience all receive a rating to give a final score.

For more information please phone Tim & Deb Pratt at the Journeyman in Bowral on 48 61 2442.

Throughout the three months in French oak barrels, the Sauvignon Blanc underwent partial malolactic fermentation and extracted delicate rose petal, stonefruit and citrus aromas to develop into the striking Fumé Blanc.

“The palate shows great persistence, a silken texture, lemony flavours and fresh acidity”, says Louise Horsley manager of Bluemetal Vineyard.  “It will match perfectly with soft cheeses”.  This Bluemetal Vineyard Signature Fumé Blanc 2009 is currently available from the Bluemetal Vineyard Cellar Door, the Bowral Hotel and online at www.bluemetalvineyard.com @ $24.99 per bottle.

Bluemetal Vineyard is one of the region’s leading vineyards, given a rating of 4.5 stars in the latest 2011 James Halliday Wine Companion and in addition to wine tastings, offers a gourmet local produce café and charming cottage accommodation.

Bluemetal Vineyard received a recent accolade from James Halliday for its Fumé Blanc, 2008 – 94 points and 5 glasses, along with an additional note of ‘exemplary winemaking’.

All of Bluemetal Vineyard’s wines are available to taste at the cellar door from 10am-5pm Thursdays to Mondays inclusively and the full range of Bluemetal Vineyard’s wines are available in the online store accessed through www.bluemetalvineyard.com

Bluemetal Vineyard and Café | 112 Compton Park Rd, Berrima, NSW 2577 | 02 4877 1877

Owner, Susan Bruce, said the decision was by popular demand.

“We are truly grateful to all of our wonderful customers who have been enjoying our food and friendship here for many years, and we are now pleased to be able to offer them the option of dinner – by candlelight, in front of the roaring potbelly stoves – in the true Poachers tradition.”

Bookings for dinner will be essential and private functions still catered for.

And if you can’t make it to the Smokehouse Café its more than likely you can experience a taste of Poachers in your own home – The Poachers team has been expanding the availability of the smokehouse’s selection of gourmet smoked goods and they are now available in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and the NSW Southern Highlands at Thomas Dux, Harris Farm Markets and IGA supermarkets, as well as selected speciality delicatessens (visit www.poacherspantry.com.au for a full list).

To keep up-to-date with what’s happening at Poachers Pantry visit www.poacherspantry.com.au and join the mailing list.

For restaurant bookings – day or night
P: 02 6230 2487 or E: unwind@poachers.com.au
Poachers Pantry
Nanima Road, Hall ACT 2618

Tours will be held at 9.30am, 11.30am and 2.30pm.

Visitors can expect to see a range of new and old varieties of mushrooms. Conducted by Managing Director Dr. Noel Arrold, the tours will include the history of the tunnel’s development and information about the mushrooms now growing in the 650 metre long tunnel. These include the popular Enoki, also knows as Enokitake, Golden or Winter mushrooms, as well as Woodear, King Brown and Oyster.

Other varieties include Chestnut, Shimejii, Shiitake, Swiss Brown, Nameko and Shimejii.

Cost per tour is $25 per person and includes a punnet of mushrooms. The tours are not suitable for children under 14 years.

For enquiries and bookings visit www.highlandsfoodiegroup.com.au

 The National Gallery of Australia has announced that Masterpieces from Paris: van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and beyond will be extended by a further two weeks. The exhibition will now be on show in Canberra until Sunday 18 April.

Ron Radford AM, Director of the National Gallery of Australia said, “The response to Masterpieces from Paris has been extraordinary and we are very grateful to the Musée d’Orsay for their generosity in allowing us to extend the time that this exhibition will be on show at the National Gallery of Australia.

“It is very rare indeed to be able to extend an exhibition. To be allowed to keep these works of art in Canberra for an extra two weeks is marvellous and a unique opportunity.”

This extended period will provide significant additional viewing times for the Australian public to see these works of art before they travel to Japan.

The Gallery is also introducing new initiatives to extend opportunities to view the exhibition and to attempt to reduce waiting times experienced, particularly on weekends. From now on, additional daily ticket sales will be limited to assist with managing visitor numbers.

Opening hours will be extended on weekends for the final month of the exhibition. The exhibition will be open throughout Easter with extended hours on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday until 9pm. For the last two weeks of the exhibition the Gallery is introducing timed entry and limited capacity sessions every day. Visitors can purchase a timed entry ticket to ensure the best possible viewing experience.

The National Gallery is also working with our caterers and partners to introduce additional entertainment and outdoor catering to improve visitor comfort and enjoyment while queuing.

Timed entry tickets for 6 April to 18 April are on sale NOW through Ticketek.

Be captivated by van Gogh’s Starry night 1888 and Bedroom at Arles 1889, Gauguin’s Tahitian women 1891, Cézanne’s beloved Mount Saint-Victoire c 1890, and many other celebrated works of art by artists such as Georges Seurat, Pierre Bonnard, Claude Monet, Maurice Denis, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Édouard Vuillard.

“Never before have so many masterpieces been brought together in one exhibition in this country,” Ron Radford AM, Director of the National Gallery of Australia.”

On show in Canberra only, from 4 December 2009 – 5 April 2010. For more information and to purchase your tickets www.visitcanberra.com.au/paris

Owners Fiona and Ian Vanderbeek will open their Suri Alpaca stud farm this October Long Weekend to locals and visitors.  Fiona said “we have been carefully planning and developing our entry into tourism with the support of Tourism Southern Highlands. It has taken us 7 years to establish our award winning herd and property.  Our 1½ hour working farm tour will give visitors an op portunity to learn all about our suris, enjoy a walk around our farm set in a beautiful secluded valley over looking the southern end of the Blue Mountains and get up close to plenty of suri including baby alpacas (cria).  It is especially a great family day out.”

The suri is a member of the alpaca family producing rare and exotic fibre, used to produce some of the most luxurious yarns and fabrics in the world.  Products made from Birrong Suri Alpaca fibre, such as scarfs, gloves, shawls and yarns are now on show and available from the Mittagong Visitor Information Centre.

Tourism Southern Highlands, Executive Manager, Steve Rosa said “we are excited to see this new tourism product become available as it compliments our agritourism strategy to develop and position the Southern Highlands as a region that can provide leisure tourists with unique farm experiences whilst also providing special interest groups with the opportunity to undertake educational and technical tours.”

To get close up with the 80 plus cheeky, friendly and dreadlock looking white suris at the Birrong Suri Alpaca Stud advance bookings are essential and must be made through Tourism Southern Highlands Visitor Information Centre at Mittagong on tel 4871 2888 or online www.southern-highlands.com.au.

For more information about Birrong Suri Alpacas visit their website www.birrongsurialpacas.com.au or call them on 02 4878 9310

With an overall tally of two Gold, six Silver and 16 Bronze medals, the Southern Highlands has certainly stamped its mark on this annual Wine Show.  In all there was a total of 129 wines representing 18 different varietals from 22 commercial producers judged and 53 medals being awarded, with almost half coming to the Southern Highlands.

A special congratulations goes to Southern Highland Wines at Sutton Forest as the recipient of two gold medals, for their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, winning Best Red Wine, and Best Wine in the Southern Highlands Region.

Other local winners were:

Centennial Vineyards

• Bronze – 2008 Centennial Old Block Chardonnay
• Bronze – 2008 Centennial Woodside Sauvignon Blanc
• Bronze – 2009 Centennial Bong Bong Classic White
• Bronze – 2008 Centennial Woodside Pinot Noir
• Bronze – NV Centennial Methode Champenoise

Cuttaway Hill, Mittagong

• Bronze – 2009 Cuttaway Hill Sauvignon Blanc
• Silver – 2008 Cuttaway Hill Chardonnay
• Silver – 2009 Cuttaway Hill Pinot Gris
• Silver – 2006 Cuttaway Hill Merlot
• Silver – 2005 Cuttaway Hill Laurence Chardonnay Pinot Noir

Diamond Creek Estate, Mittagong

• Bronze – 2006 Diamond Creek Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Joadja Vineyards, Berrima

• Bronze – 2009 Joadja Chardonnay

Maytree Vineyards, Canyonleigh

• Bronze – Maytree Vineyards Chardonnay

Sallys Corner Wines, Exeter

• Bronze – 2008 Sallys Corner Chardonnay
• Bronze – 2008 Sallys Corner Blush Rosé

Southern Highland Wines, Sutton Forest

• Gold – 2006 SHW Cabernet Sauvignon – 2 gold for this wine
• Silver – 2009 SHW Oldbury Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
• Bronze – 2006 SHW Shiraz

Tertini Wines, Mittagong

• Bronze – 2005 Tertini Riesling
• Bronze – 2006 Tertini Pinot Noir
• Bronze – 2006 Tertini Reserve Pinor Noir
• Bronze – 2008 Tertini Reserve Noble Riesling

Verwood Estate, Canyonleigh

• Silver – 2009 Verwood Estate Chardonnay

Receiving a gold or silver medal is a truly exceptional achievement and very few wines achieve this level.  It is an indication of the improving quality of wines made in the Southern Highlands that has seen an increased percentage of wines achieving this gold or silver status.

However Wine Judge, Christian Gaffey reminds us “A bronze medal means it is a very sound wine that shows all the hallmarks of the variety . even bronze medals are an exceptional achievement which means the wines are faultless – showing the true expression of the variety”.

The Kiama Regional Wine Show holds its judging to an very high international standard which puts it on a level playing field when comparing results with national shows such as the Royal Sydney Wine Show and overseas judging events.  A medal will only be awarded at the Kiama Show if the judges are confident that it would receive the same level of achievement at an international show.