VILLAGES along the New England Highway have tourism down to a fine art, with one business attracting painters from across the globe.
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The Art Shack Gallery, in Baldocks Road, Wallabadah, has hosted famed pastellist Lyn Diefenbach and Colley Whisson at their cabin-style farm accommodation.
Rustic on the outside, modern and light on the inside, the bed and breakfast is so called because it has an adjoining art gallery and the accommodation is frequently booked by artists doing workshops organised by the Wallaby Art Group.
For more information, phone 6746 5606.
Family owned business Stone and Co has just opened its new premises; the old Tattersalls Hotel in Murrurundi.
Sue Stone and John Cockburn along with daughter Abbie Ahmad-Stone and son-in-law Adam Ahmad, will continue to renovate the historical building while keeping the doors open to clientele.
Tatts has been converted into a vintage shop with a studio for artisan workshops.
Stone and Co stocks furniture, vintage wares, the occasional antique, gifts, Italian linen clothing, jewellery and accessories and homewares.
More information at stoneandco.com.au
An award winning restaurant and boutique accommodation awaits guests at the Willow Tree Inn.
Built in 1913 and refurbished in 2010, the hotel and a number of the guest suites features pressed metal ceilings.
Rooms and suites have been refurbished with an eclectic mix of furniture and furnishings.
Graze Restaurant, part of the hotel, has menu staples including award winning Colly Creek Steaks and New England Lamb Shoulder.
Willow Tree Inn has 16 rooms and suites, two guest cottages and four King Lodges. Phone 6747 7711 for more information.
Gourmet pies made with local Colly Creek beef and Demeter mill flour are the order of the day at The Plains Pantry.
The family owned gourmet grocer opened its doors in December 2015 and showcases a range of local gourmet products, coffee and home made light meals.
The Plains Pantry on the the New England Highway Willow Tree is open seven days.
COCKIES and graziers should check the radiators in their four-wheel-drives after driving through winter paddocks, according to All Terrain 4X4 owner Graeme Eden.
They can become clogged and lead to overheating.
Mr Eden has owned the Willow Tree garage for about eight years; there are two mechanics on site and an office worker.
They specialise in four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Excellence in learning is the motto at Wallabadah Public School.
Located in Martin Street, the school is community based, from kindergarten to class 6.
The school seeks to ensure maximum parent and child participation, overcome isolation and ensure each child gets the best education possible. There is a high level of participation among pupils in sport, music and leadership opportunities.
A LIFETIME’S ambition to own a homewares and coffee shop has just been realised by Kirilee Kuskopf.
She has just taken over La Chikky Cottage, in Willow Tree, in July.
The shop is known for its clocks and painter timber ducks and now Ms Kuskopf has opened up the sunny courtyard for coffees.
“There is also a coffee lounge and larger dining room inside, where new and regular customers can have fantastic coffee, homemade cakes, slices and light lunches.”
The shop has been steadily accruing new stock, especially handbags and clocks.
Check out specials at La Chikky Cottage’s facebook page and share your La Chikky experiences on Instagram.
Jute and Honey owner Jennifer Hemmings started the business more than six years ago, partly as a way of keeping recycled goods out of landfill.
“Our core business is upholstery, however, we provide an opportunity for customers to source some unique second-hand wares,” Ms Hemmings said.
“I’m a collector at heart and I use every opportunity when I am out of town to find treasures for the shop.
“I love to find quirky pieces that can either be recovered, repurposed, restored, revamped or reclaimed.
“We also sell a few fabrics off the roll, we have a selection of fabric books and hangers from fabric houses around the world, that customers can dream about for their next upholstery project.”
The unusual name comes from the “jute” used as webbing in chairs and the “honey”, for everything else, including selling local, Loomberah Gold Honey.
“I tend to work on treasured pieces that have been handed down the generations or old finds from thrift stores,” Ms Hemmings said.
She is assisted by Willow, who “brings a breath of fresh air and a young set of eyes to the business”.
Jute and Honey is in Murrurundi.