Story by Tess
What to do with Weather this Fowl
Adventure in Tumbi Umbi, Central Coast, NSW, AU
Tumbi House is tucked away on a mountain overlooking Tuggerah Lake. On our way to the accommodation, we stopped at a lookout and walked the the Pearl Beach to Patonga track, enjoying lunch at Pearl Beach. The view from the lookout was unbelievable, with the hushed quiet and whistling wind feeling almost sacred.
The drive to the house was gorgeous. I hadn't spent much time on the Central Coast and can't wait to get back and explore some more! The wind was howling and the rain falling when we arrived but the house felt cosy and warm despite its large size. We were greeted by Fiona and Dean and shown how to feed the chickens – for the kids, the chickens were the best part of the entire weekend. For the adults, it was the gorgeous kitchen, indoor fire and deep bath. Oh, and that view! The first thing we did was light the indoor fire, which was prepped and ready to go, and make a hot chocolate. Then we sat by and watched as the weather took it up a notch.
We woke the next morning with adventure in our hearts and mud on our boots! We drove down the mountain to a gorgeous cafe called the Green Tangerine, which had great food and what was probably the best hot chocolate we've ever had. We had a little wander around, then then grabbed supplies from Burnt Honey Pantry before retreating back to the house, the mountain and the fire. We sat playing cards and chatting by the fire for a couple of hours, then I took some time to unplug with a bath while the kids went downstairs for board games and foosball. I could hear their laughter echoing up the stairs. In the evening, we ventured out in the rain to Terrigal, a gorgeous little town with heaps of options for dinner. We nabbed some handmade pasta and then, you guessed it, retreated back to the mountain.
On our last morning, the sun shone for an hour and the hens came up to play. We got to hand feed them and made brekky with the eggs, herbs and toast supplied by our lovely hosts. It was the best part of the weekend according to the girls. We ventured home feeling happy and rested.
The drive to the house was gorgeous. I hadn't spent much time on the Central Coast and can't wait to get back and explore some more! The wind was howling and the rain falling when we arrived but the house felt cosy and warm despite its large size. We were greeted by Fiona and Dean and shown how to feed the chickens – for the kids, the chickens were the best part of the entire weekend. For the adults, it was the gorgeous kitchen, indoor fire and deep bath. Oh, and that view! The first thing we did was light the indoor fire, which was prepped and ready to go, and make a hot chocolate. Then we sat by and watched as the weather took it up a notch.
We woke the next morning with adventure in our hearts and mud on our boots! We drove down the mountain to a gorgeous cafe called the Green Tangerine, which had great food and what was probably the best hot chocolate we've ever had. We had a little wander around, then then grabbed supplies from Burnt Honey Pantry before retreating back to the house, the mountain and the fire. We sat playing cards and chatting by the fire for a couple of hours, then I took some time to unplug with a bath while the kids went downstairs for board games and foosball. I could hear their laughter echoing up the stairs. In the evening, we ventured out in the rain to Terrigal, a gorgeous little town with heaps of options for dinner. We nabbed some handmade pasta and then, you guessed it, retreated back to the mountain.
On our last morning, the sun shone for an hour and the hens came up to play. We got to hand feed them and made brekky with the eggs, herbs and toast supplied by our lovely hosts. It was the best part of the weekend according to the girls. We ventured home feeling happy and rested.
Things We Did
- Hike
- Lookout
- Café
- Bakery
- Farm
We started our weekend with a hike along the Pearl Beach to Patonga track. Starting at Pearl Beach, this track winds its way up to the top of the mountain then down the other side to Patonga. There were plenty of flowers, given it was spring, and as you leave Pearl Beach it's more rainforest and caves before opening up to beautiful views. At the top of the walk is the Warrah Lookout, where, even on a cloudy day, you can see for ages! A chorus of cockatoo calls kept us company on the way back, echoing through the valley. We then hiked back and had lunch at Pearl Beach – bring your togs if the weather is nice as the beach is beautiful.
We popped into Spoon Bay on the second afternoon of our adventure when there was a brief break in the weather. Definitely want to come back here on a beautiful day, but even with the wind and rain, the view was gorgeous. We spent half an hour watching a sea eagle ride the wind.
The Green Tangerine is a gorgeous eatery. With an incredible mural down one side, the inside was warm and toasty with delicious things to eat and drink. The highlight was their hot chocolate, complete with toasted marshmallows, crumbled biscuits and whipped cream. When it came out, the look on the kids' faces was hilarious. The staff are super friendly and the food was delicious; think waffles, or home-baked Mexican beans and toast with a great selection of pastries and good coffee, though the winner was absolutely the hot chocolate, hands down.
We wandered along the street looking at gorgeous shop fronts until we found one that stood out. We popped in and it was a cornucopia of treats. The breads, pastries, sandwiches and cookies all smelled divine. The lady running it was lovely and there were lots of great little features the pantry had that added so much character. The cats on the shelf were my favourite.
This was the highlight of our trip. On the Sunday morning, before we had to head off, the sun came out for about an hour so the kids let the chickens out. The chickens followed us up to the house, so the kids fed them bits of toast while I followed along with my camera and coffee.
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Where we stayed
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