Cloudland, Costumes And Crazies

Cloudland is a venue with function rooms, bars, bands and a restaurant. It is a really interesting space with a roof that opens up to the sky.  It has a bit of a 1920's vibe going, with lots of spectacular lights, chandeliers, sumptuous couches and a water wall.  It is situated in The Valley, which was once home to prostitutes, homeless persons, crooked cops and drug dealers.  I have a feeling there are still a few of all of those around if you look hard enough.

looking up

The Valley is great if you are under 25, and looking for some fun. We felt like fish out of water as we walked up to the venue for the awards night we were attending.  (Mr P. was up for some building design awards). But that may also have been because we were dressed in 1920's gear.

Mr P. doing his gangsta impersonation 

a motley crew :=) of gorgeous friends 

the menu

I am not a fussy eater, people!  Honestly!  I will eat just about anything presented to me; I have even eaten tripe, and chicken hearts, and veal when I was vegetarian.  But sadly I went home hungry this night.  I would have to say this meal was one of the worst I've (not) eaten.  So, 'nuff said about that.

the lamb

the pork belly

the cute English croupier

Yes folks, there were roulette tables, and vingt-et-un, and whatever else you play at casinos.  Such fun!  I stood around just loving this fellow's accent, and expertise with the cards.

the chicken

the rib fillet 

Funny story: Mr P. is disabled and can't use a knife so I was cutting up the chicken for him.  The waiter very kindly noticed and asked if we wanted it to be cut up for him.  Yes please!  The funny part is the chicken came back as beef.  Yes miraculously his chicken had been reborn as cow.  Oh how we laughed and we laughed...

macadamia tart

sticky toffee pudding

gorgeous lights

more gorgeous friends

looking up at the glass ceiling - tables reflected above 

It was a great night!  And why did I mention crazies?  Because going to The Valley on a Saturday night is an exercise in craziness. There are just hundreds and hundreds of barely dressed girls (in Winter!), and drunken people everywhere, all trying to get into the trendiest clubs. Now that they have introduced ID scanning, the queues are even longer. Thankfully, not my worry:=)

Cloudland - 641 Ann Street, 

Fortitude Valley

Ph: 07 3872 6600

Tweed Regional Art Gallery Dinner

Art galleries are like cathedrals to me.  I feel at peace, and at one with the world.  And naturally, since we love the Tweed region, we head down to the gallery there every few months.  Recently, we drove down for a dinner with Meg Stewart the writer, who gave a talk on Margaret Olley the painter.  Meg is the author of a biography of Margaret, whom she met up with regularly while writing the book. It was a fabulous night, and well worth the long drive there and back on a Saturday night.

cane sugar burning off in the fields

You drive through lots of sugar cane fields on the way, and they were doing the burning off in some of the fields that day.  As you drive past the sugar mill, you can see the clear white smoke coming out of the stacks, and smell the odd sweet scent of it.  

the smoke is actually pure white; and mostly steam 

Meg about to give her speech  

And there was dinner!  Delicious food prepared by a local restaurant - Mavis' Kitchen who also run the café attached to the Gallery.  

we had beef

Everyone at our table had pre-ordered the fish dish so we both had beef.  There were a number of lovely ladies at our table, one of them a Gallery guide, another Margaret.

the gorgeous Margaret, one of the Gallery guides 

an ever so pretty tiramisu   

and a pavlova nest

  

hubby and the lovely Ingrid who is the curator of the Margaret Olley Centre  

The Gallery really is a must if you are ever in the area.  It is such a beautiful region of Australia.  I know I have mentioned this place a few times but I am just so enamoured of it.  I'm sure anyone who visits would also love it.   

looking out to the hinterland from the Gallery   

Northern Rivers New South Wales - Our September Roadtrip

Well folks if you know one thing about me apart from loving food and cooking, you will know I adore the Northern Rivers region of NSW.  Mr P. and I head down there half a dozen times a year to visit friends, chill out amongst the gorgeous scenery, and eat local, delicious produce.

This year we tried out an Airbnb place in Bangalow, and headed to the Sample Food Festival.  Sadly no celebrity spotting this year unless you count Ben O'Donoghue, tv chef and Brisbane restaurateur.

how gorgeous are these leaves in the BnB garden?   

gotta love a Chinese Lantern   

self-explanatory

take a look at this 

This sunflower is amazing.  It was the solar power for the Festival; engineered by Southern Cross University; a gorgeous looking and sustainable source of power.

Kombis seem to be all the rage again lately   

This is the Kombi that belongs to Tridosha, my fave salt providers. It's funny how all the old Kombis disappeared in the 80s and now suddenly they have all reappeared.  Where were they hiding for the last 30 years?

fabulous stiltwalker girls  

These girls were so fabulous!  How clever is that.  I can't even stand on a stepladder without getting vertigo, but these lovelies were way up high on their stilts.  I was very impressed.  And what about those dresses?

berry coulis and very pretty chocolates 

There are lots of great artisanal producers here, and lots of passionate growers, chefs and all-round artistic, creative people. Aren't those chocs so pretty?  From the Byron Bay Cacao company. Yep, worth a drive down my friends. 

looking out from Tweed Art Gallery to Mt. Warning  

The views from the Gallery are so calming and inspiring.  And we have a politician to thank for this incredible building on this former plot of (gorgeous) farmland.  Doug Anthony and his wife Margot donated the land and helped get the Gallery designed and built. Luckily it is only an hour and a half from Brisbane so we can head down often.

Lennox Head on the left, and a Bangalow sky on the right 

We saw so many whales heading up the coast that weekend, and beauteous clouds gleaming and waving their silken, fluffy tails at us.  Have I told you I am a certified cloudspotter?  Not an "into the straitjacket" type of gal, but a member of the Cloud Appreciation Society, member number 18,000 odd.  Yep guilty as charged - a real geek.

a panoramic view looking out to sea from the Hinterland   

beautiful Spring day

Mr P. and I have driven around much of the region, but this time we found something new: a small graveyard amongst the fields in Clunes.  I don't think anyone has been buried here for some years. The graves are split into very definite religious affiliations: never the twain shall meet, clearly.

The bright yellow building is a little hall in Coorabell; the yellow car is Mr P. driving away from the Gallery, and the boat (bottom left) is a dragon boat heading onto the Tweed River for a race. Seems to be a bit of theme here with all the yellows and blues.:=)  

     

this was a most delish and tasty spicy calamari at the Festival 

The queue for these was long, but worth the wait.  So tender, so tangy with the finger lime dressing.

the Bangalow Showgrounds

And for my final shot, here are the Showgrounds under a truly glowing sunny day with very beautiful blue skies.  The wind was blowing in the trees, music was playing, and altogether it was a magical day surrounded by local food and produce and happy eaters.