9 minute read
Yule lov e the Carrington Hotel
Yule love the Carrington Hotel
WORDS BY DORIAN MODE. PHOTOGRAPHY BY LYDIA THORPE
Why not celebrate Yuletide in the Blue Mountains this winter?
The stock market’s crashed. The gramophone’s on the fritz. The Dunny Man has broken a leg. So why not take a leaf out of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s racy new novel and Charleston your way up to the leafy Blue Mountains? For this trip we stay at the glorious Carrington Hotel. What’s especially appealing for seniors about the Carrington is it’s right on the doorstep of the train station at Katoomba. (It’s one of the reasons we sometimes shout my car-less/careless mother-in-law a gift voucher to stay for her birthday/Mother’s Day.) Indeed, for less mobile seniors, if you’re patient, call the hotel on your mobile and the porter will pop over to the station to fetch your bags and chaperone you to the hotel. Moreover, it’s handy for car-less seniors in general because all the cafes and antique shops are only seven zimmer-frames from your marbled doorstep.
Opened in 1882 as The Great Western, this Grand Old Dame – along with Raffles in Singapore and Chateau Lake Louise in Western Canada – was one of the jewels in the Empire. It soon became a popular summer retreat for Sydneysiders in their sweaty victorian tweeds and copious girdles. Renamed 'The Carrington Hotel' in 1886, in honour of the Governor of New South Wales, Lord Carrington, the hotel was extended by subsequent owner, F. C. Goyder who added the grand dining room.
Later sold to James Joynton Smith in 1911, who commissioned the magnificent stained-glass facade, The Carrington rapidly became a popular honeymoon destination. Coincidentally, Joynton Smith also introduced rugby league into Australia during that period. If you look
carefully, the stained glass facade of ‘The Carro’ has what suspiciously looks like a rugby league ball as its centrepiece. A private joke perhaps?
With the ubiquity of the motor car in the 1960s, long distance travel became more accessible for Australians. This saw Blue Mountains tourism decline. The Carro was eventually purchased by developer Theo Morris in 1968. By then the old gal was looking tired. She finally closed her doors in 1985 and remained derelict for some years. (Indeed, one caretaker used to practice archery down the corridors.) But in 1998 the Grand
Old Lady of the Mountains reopened her doors after eight years of Botox and tummy tucks. Fortunately, by then the Blue Mountains had once more become a fashionable holiday destination. This time as a winter retreat: enter Yuletide.
As we arrive on dusk we find our room has a charming view of Katoomba Street. Gazing out the heavy sashedwindow (with original turn-of-thecentury handblown glass) we see distant mountain glimpses, framed by a galah-pink sunset. Before heading out for dinner we enjoy drinks downstairs in the hotel bar. Above us is the most breathtaking Parisian-cafe-style stainedglass dome. The novelist in me imagines the earnest conversations under this dome over the century: will there be another war with the Germans? Will the Wall St crash affect Australia? Will Clive Palmer ever win a seat in the
senate? Flanking said dome is a bespoke mezzanine gallery. This was built for The Duke and Duchess of York to hover over the royalist throng when they last visited the hotel in 1927. Newspapers at the time report the royal couple being impressed with the Blue Mountains, with the Duchess telling journalists that “the clouds are wonderful”. It was reported that the future monarch agreed with his wife and “nodded in his passive manner”. When I recall the film/ play The King’s Speech, I find this casual observation rather moving.
Mrs Pictures imbibes the bubbly and I’m downing delicious black gold from the Carro’s micro-brewery 1 from a long tap at the curling bar. The porter’s quite strong,” the barkeep whispers. ‘Yes I saw that when he fetched my bags,’ I whisper in reply. ‘It’s “6%”, he adds, nodding at my glass. ‘Glad you told me. I better have another pint,’ I smile, slapping my snow-ringed glass on the bar.
The atmosphere at the Carrington saloon is perfect; from the trickle of Chet Baker crooning Jerome Kern’s ‘Look for the Silver Lining’; to the soft light of the dome painting the room in pastel hues; to the veiled conversations in cosy fire-lit corners. The Carro is indeed a national treasure. While these hotels are legion in Europe they are rare indeed in Australia. We adore the creaking staircase and the turn-of-the-century Otis lift - one of the oldest working lifts in Australia – with its sliding brass cage. (Why on earth would you stay in a McHotel franchise for the same money?)
Seniors Special Package
Retirement and Leisure Package This special package is only available for Australian Seniors Card holders**
$410.00 per room for two people $360.00 per room for one person Valid Midweek only INCLUSIONS • 2 nights accommodation in a Colonial Room • Cake of the Day or Devonshire Tea for two • Continental buffet breakfast each morning, served in The Grand Dining Room • Two course dinner for two, at the award winning Old City Bank Brasserie (1st floor of The Old City Bank building at the bottom of the drive) on one night. • Package is strictly valid midweek only (Sunday to Thursday) and is not valid long weekends or special events. • P ackage is valid for 2 guests and includes one dinner and one cake of the day/
Devonshire Tea for Two Adults.
Extra charge applies for more than 2 guests per package • Packages and prices are subject to change without notice
Rock Pool Everglades
you can stand a teaspoon in, we watch light shining through the tracery of bare branches and across the biscuit-coloured stonework of the gardens. Even in the winter months seniors will enjoy these historic gardens as the chill lays bare the garden’s structure. Winter bulbs include crocus and daffodils, while pansies, jonquils and daphne blur the garden in muted colour. Less mobile readers may wish to call ahead and chat with staff about access. There are some steps folks! However, garden staff may be able to collect you from the top entrance if you are patient and give them some notice. (Psst! you may wish to time your visit
Breakfast is nostalgic in the grand dining room with its Art Nouveau statues and stained-glass doors, gently lit by the creeping morning sun. I imagine too, conversations of families breakfasting here over the decades: ‘Mum, they have American cereals here like Coco Pops and even pineapple out of a tin!’
Post brekkie we make a beeline for Everglades. The gardens are run by those good eggs at The National Trust (psst! members enter free). We soon find the historic house to enjoy a Devonshire Tea with lashings of thick cream and homemade jam. As we drink that wonderful old school CWA-style tea that
with the rhododendron festival and visit the gardens at Blackheath.)
The following morning these hungover flappers checkout of the glorious Carro to enjoy a river cruise at the foot of the mountains (see fact box below). We can’t wait to return to the Carrington Hotel. It’s a national treasure.
The Goon Show LIVE! Dinner and show Remember the fabulous Goon Show from 1950s radio? This dinner and show package will be held in le Salon Grand at the Palais Royale, Katoomba, each Saturday night from June 29 to July 20, with a special afternoon tea on July 14. Peppered with one-liners, the high energy show will feature a plethora of characters including the world’s most famous idiot Eccles (yes, even more infamous than Neddie), the squeakyvoiced boy-scout Bluebottle (who reads his stage-directions out loud), Major Dennis Bloodnok a devout coward, and Miss Minnie Bannister the sexy senior citizen who lives in sin with crumbling, fumbling old man Henry Crun. TICKETS: $135 Saturdays, $80 Sunday afternoon tea, seniors and group discounts available. Bookings and details: www.goons.com.au.
Nepean Belle river Yuletide luncheon cruise, Jamisontown This renowned heritage-style Nepean Belle paddle-wheeler will be festooned with festive decorations and guests will board for luncheon to the strains of popular carols against the picturesque backdrop of the Blue Mountains escarpment. Tuck into two-course Yulefest fare with all the trimmings, beginning with a shared platter of succulent roast turkey with fruit seasoning and tender roast pork with apple sauce and gravy followed by a dessert platter of festive favourites all washed down with your choice of freshly brewed tea or coffee. COST: Monday to Friday – $59 adults, $53 seniors, $39 teens (13-16 years), $20 children (3-12 years); Weekends – $65 adults, $58 seniors, $39 teens, $25 children. Bookings: nepeanbelle. com.au or 4733 1274.
Great Dental Care and Then Some
From their beautifully restored heritage cottage opposite Terrigal Lagoon, Drs Tony and Lisa Appleton have created a practice that offers a wonderfully successful blend of ‘old’ and ‘new’.
In the patient lounge the beauty and heritage features of the property can be enjoyed whilst relaxing in plush sofas with the latest magazines to read and a choice of complimentary drinks served up by Amy, the practice’s friendly patient co-ordinator. The verandah offers alternative seating with comfortable cushions, planting and views of the Gunyah’s lovely cottage garden. The two treatment rooms and sterilizing suite are all equipped with the latest equipment and technology, a reflection of Tony and Lisa’s commitment to provide only the highest quality of dentistry.
The practice is deliberately small and intimate. Only one patient is booked at a time to ensure each receives the full and undivided attention of the caring and supportive team. We treat our patients as we would like to be treated ourselves, and this 5 star customer service is at the centre of all we do.
Gunyah Dental is a family owned practice, ensuring continuity of care – our dentists are here to stay and have a vested interest in ensuring that the practice maintains its high reputation. With 60 years of experience between them, plus the back up support of an excellent team, Tony and Lisa are very well qualified to provide an extensive range of dental treatments of the highest quality, in the shortest time possible.
We offer flexible appointment times and an emergency service for our patients, with 24 hour telephone access to speak directly to our dentists.
We are delighted to provide gap-free treatment for DVA Gold Card Holders.
The practice has its own car park, which includes dedicated disabled parking and easy access to the practice via a gentle ramp.
If you would like to see what Gunyah Dental can offer you, please take advantage of our FREE initial consultation offer for readers of this magazine, or simply pop in for a chat. We are very proud of our practice and would be delighted to show you around!
