Steve & Tom's Offroad Cycletour Across the Snowy Mountains

[stevage11]

I've posted a bit about this trip, but finally written it up as a proper blog post: http://steventuring.wordpress.com/2014/ ... mountains/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[il padrone]

Nice account of your journey.

For lunch in Bruthen always go to Le Cafe at Applespice Cottage. By far the nicest place in town, although the Bull-ant Brewery is mighty tempting too.

[stevage11]

Ok, I'll know for next time. I've actually been through Bruthen quite a few times, but it seems to have gone seriously downmarket. And now there's all this really tacky bright yellow advertising signage crap in front of most of the eateries. And yes, of course we stopped at the brewery - our only booze of the whole trip, which is a pretty serious indication of how hard it was!

[Tim]

Bruthen has stepped up considerably from the days when it was just a timber-milling outpost prior to the Lakes Entrance bypass road going through.
The food in the pub is good, though the building looks a bit tired, the brewery and cafe are both good and the bakery aint bad either.
It's a helluva lot better than it used to be. It's quite a nice little town when you get to know it, just not quite as sophisticated as Lygon St (which suits me).

[il padrone]

Yeah Tim, when it comes to the choice between Bruthen and Nowa Nowa, Bruthen has the best pub (by a long stretch) and great cafe, and Nowa Nowa has the best caravan park (by an equally long stretch).

"We've got 5-star facilities you know"

[Tim]

"We've got 5-star facilities you know"

No worries Wally.

"We serve all fresh local produce", "Booking for seven, no worries, I can seat 200"-quote; Nowa Nowa Pub manager.
(If you don't mind waiting an hour and a half, after we've served the bikies)

[FatGuts]

Nice. Awseom part of my back yard.

We are off to Moruya tomorrow overnighting at Majors Creek.

I am looking forward to it, temperature it right, planning on two punts down into Araluen on Majors Creek/Araluen Road and a swim with beer in the Deua River. Sag wagon back to the pub for a feed.

Should be fun.

[stevage11]

Bruthen has stepped up considerably from the days when it was just a timber-milling outpost prior to the Lakes Entrance bypass road going through.
The food in the pub is good, though the building looks a bit tired, the brewery and cafe are both good and the bakery aint bad either.
It's a helluva lot better than it used to be. It's quite a nice little town when you get to know it, just not quite as sophisticated as Lygon St (which suits me).

Hmm. Bruthen was actually the very first food spot of my very first Australian cycle tour, back in 2008. Then I seemed to recall a spiffy gluten-free organic cafe, which is still there, but is just a generic blah cafe now. (Not that I actually particularly like organic/gluten-free, just saying...)

Don't get me wrong - I still like the town, it just felt decidedly less fancy and gourmet on this visit than it had previously. And the cafe parma was really impressively bad. It's hard to make a side salad offensively bad, but they managed. :/

[il padrone]

Hmm. Bruthen was actually the very first food spot of my very first Australian cycle tour, back in 2008. Then I seemed to recall a spiffy gluten-free organic cafe, which is still there, but is just a generic blah cafe now. (Not that I actually particularly like organic/gluten-free, just saying...)

That'd be Le Cafe at Applespice Cottage. We first ate there in 2003 and it has not really changed too much since then - certainly the food and service is just as good, and they had gluten-free meals on their menu.

[Tim]

stevage11 wrote:Hmm. Bruthen was actually the very first food spot of my very first Australian cycle tour, back in 2008. Then I seemed to recall a spiffy gluten-free organic cafe, which is still there, but is just a generic blah cafe now. (Not that I actually particularly like organic/gluten-free, just saying...)


That'd be Le Cafe at Applespice Cottage. We first ate there in 2003 and it has not really changed too much since then - certainly the food and service is just as good, and they had gluten-free meals on their menu.

I think stevage11 might actually be referring to the cafe and foodery next door to the bakery. ip, we parked our bikes in the driveway in between the bakery and the other not-so-good cafe on the morning we headed out for Swifts Creek. I don't think any of our mob ate from there.
I think Applespice is as good as it's ever been. Better coffee than the bakery, friendly service and good food.
On a similar note, I just don't think the tourism, food and accommodation people in East Gippsland have ever really been able to get their act together as well as say Victoria's west coast ie. Great Ocean Road or other places like Daylesford.
Some are excellent and some are terrible, and many are inconsistent. There seems to be a take-it-or-leave-it sort of attitude.

[stevage11]

> I think stevage11 might actually be referring to the cafe and foodery next door to the bakery.

Yeah, that sounds right - just to the right (west) of the bakery. Looking at Streetview, I was definitely confused - Le Cafe is the gluten-free place I had previously been (in 2008, and maybe 2011). So I retract all comments about Le Cafe changing

[Tim]

Ah good, glad that's sorted.
The slander action has been retracted.

[slaw]

Ah good, glad that's sorted.
The slander action has been retracted.

Yup, that's right Tim. That cafe was better a few years ago. Pity Applespice wasn't open that morning we were there. We stopped there a couple of weeks ago on our way driving back from the NSW and had some delicious scones with their homemade jams and "lashings of whipped cream".

[il padrone]

Slaw, we enjoyed a long lunch there on the last day of our tour