Enjoy a rainy weekend in comfy Kiama

WET weather couldn't dampen Brian Johnston's spirits on a cosy getaway in Kiama.

crooked river wines

THE wind howls, enormous fig trees creak alarmingly, and rain batters the farmhouse windows.

I've sloshed through mud, been snuffled by the wet muzzles of calves, and seen cows being milked.

Now I'm snug in the kitchen and, in spite of the weather, feeling content.

I've no idea why people complain about rainy weekends. In Kiama, rain is just an excuse for an indulgent indoor getaway.

My afternoon starts at Crooked River Wines on a hill just above Gerringong, cupped between hills and a storm-tossed ocean.

The cellar door has a beautiful outlook over the vineyards, though owner Brian Jackson steals the show.

"Food, wine, ambience and stories to tell, that's what we're all about here," he says as he plies me with wine. Add humour as well, and you have a very enjoyable cellar door stop.

"You know how our Black Top Cabernet Sauvignon got its name? Because the bottle has a black top," hoots Brian, sloshing some into my tasting glass.

Feeling merrier than properly warranted by my wine tasting, I head into Gerringong for a strong coffee.

The recently opened Old Schoolhouse Cafe obliges, tempting me into an accompanying caramel.

Owner Kirsten McHugh has made a lovely interior out of the 19th-century schoolhouse building, just the spot to linger on a wet day.

Kirsten grows her own tea on a plantation near Berry, but her chief interest is cheese.

She produces in-house feta, haloumi, quark and crescenza, a variation on a north Italian soft curd.

Though these make appearances in some of the cafe's salads, tarts and mezze plates, I buy some to take away instead, saving my appetite for dinner later at The Blue Swimmer.

This is five minutes along the road in Gerroa, and has an adventurous menu featuring the likes of quinoa, cumquat and zaatar, perfect for gourmets and Scrabble players alike.

I spend the rest of the afternoon at The Pines, a dairy farm with a spectacular outlook of the Kiama coast.Owner Kel Grey's family has occupied this land since 1854.

Curious discussions about Canadian breeds and milk yields ensue as I admire cows with poetic names such as Icefyre Dream and Ripley Snowball.

I'm staying just across the yard from the milking shed.

Kel has converted the original farmhouse into self-contained luxe accommodation that adds mod cons to Federation style.

Original features include fireplaces and stained glass, but families or friends will be happy to gather in the chic, contemporary kitchen.

It's a great spot to wind down at the end of the day with a glass of Crooked River port. After all, as Brian Jackson tells me, any day that finishes with port tends to have been a good day.

Brian Johnston was a guest of Kiama Tourism. Follow his travel blog at www.thoughtfultravelwriter.com

Go2 - KIAMA

Getting there: Follow the Princes Highway south to Kiama, about two hours from central Sydney.

Staying there: The Pines is on a dairy farm on Saddleback Mountain Rd, just above Kiama. It has two queen bedrooms and a twin bedroom, large dining, kitchen and living areas, and beautiful gardens. Ph 0449 914 063.

Eating there: Crooked River Wines, ph 4234 0975. The Blue Swimmer, ph 4234 3796. The Old Schoolhouse Cafe, see , ph 4234 0050. Local Feast provides gourmet hampers. Ph 0423 689 344.

More: kiama.com.au

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