Friday, December 17, 2010

Recycled Real Estate

I am fairly sure almost every town in Australia has one................an abandoned Bank of New South Wales [now Westpac] building.  Thankfully, when the decision was made to relocate the bank business to an instore branch in the town's drapery store, the building was purchased by one of the local businessmen.  It is now used for several purposes, ie recycled.    The front area of the building is office space, the upper floor a living area - 'apartment', and the back of the building had a huge make over, giving us a much needed coffee shop.  Of course, due to it's location, without the 'sandwich sign' many visitors would pass by without knowing where to find it.

The entrance has been given a cool look with the addition of a water feature and some greenery, whilst the plant lined walkway through to the back is a delight.  The new cafe proprietors have put their own stamp on the business, making it a pleasant retreat from the summer heat, and a welcome warm spot on a cold winter's day.   







I very rarely have the opportunity to spend some time there, but did so recently and thought I would share these few photos with those who read my blog.  Those who know me, know I am passionate about my local town/area, and feel it is worth sharing.  It is only a small, quaint country town, but the business people are always friendly and welcoming to visitors.  We do have an enormous amount of through traffic due to the town being at the crossroads of two much used country 'highways', ie the Warrego and the Leichhardt [I use the term highway very loosely here.............don't get too excited!!].  One can dine inside, on the verandah, or in the open under the large umbrellas.  The dining area faces the north, which of course is our most pleasant side here in the Southern Hemisphere.

I ordered the carrot cake with beloved coffee of course.  Thankfully, the serving was not too large, and I didn't have a guilt trip all the way home.  I am trying to convince my husband that a small gathering of our family and close friends at this venue [for morning tea] may be a nice way to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary next month..................  We shall see.  

13 comments:

DIAN said...

Linda, thanks for the tour of the coffee shop: the garden looks so inviting and restful and the carrot cake - now is that my favourite cake or second to the boiled fruit cake? Anyway it looks delicious. I think the family gathering there sounds ideal. No dishes for you and no matter how the house looks!!!!

Radka said...

Hi Linda, I love the look of your coffee shop, it looks very nice, I would not mind having my 40th wedding anniversary there (mine was last month, just a very small affair at home). You are lucky yours is in the summer:)And I love a carrot cake, by the way:))

Jensters said...

A great looking coffee shop and Carrot cake 'my fav' with a latte.....CONGRATULATION on 40 years wedding anniversary next year some achivement. x

Julie T said...

The coffee shop looks great....
I like your photo by the way.... nice to "see" who I chat to on the phone.Happy 40th.

fabriquefantastique said...

nice way to 'recycle' a handsome bank.

Karyn said...

Carrot cake is full of carrots so it must be healthy ( at least that is how I justify it!!!). Yours looks yummy; wanna send some down to me??
The cafe looks like a perfect place to spend your anniversary.

DIAN said...

I missed the photo - looks great - I was too busy looking at the cake.

shirley said...

What a lovely oasis in the summer heat this would be. The cake looks yummy, and it would be a great venue for a celebration...hope you make it.

Stitching Lady said...

DH wants to know how much a slice of this yummy carrot cake costs in AU$ - he estimates 5 (five). We love coffee houses and such ones especially. Nobody beats us - we had 48 years in autumn!

Iceni UK said...

Linda it's lovely to see you.
The cafe looks a great place to celebrate your 40th anniversary with family and friends.

The cake looks tasty and yummy.
We had 51 years in March:)

Robin Mac said...

I had to scroll back up to see you have a photo now! Lovely looking coffee shop - I always loved passing through your township, we used to have a cuppa at the picnic area on the bank of the river, but we don't go down that way any more unfortunately. Cheers, Robin

Linda said...

Hi All, thank you so much for showing such interest in our little country coffee shop. It is a beauty, no doubt about that. Also thank you for the lovely anniversary wishes, and for noticing the profile photo.

Anneliese, I don't know how much the carrot cake serving was exactly, but I seem to remember that I paid $9.00AU for both cake and coffee. The cake is very nice, but I prefer one I make myself which has crushed pineapple in it. Oh, and congratulations to you and your husband on your years of marriage, well done.

Anonymous said...

Linda, how nice to learn a little more about where you live. The cafe looks to be a very inviting spot and I would think that it would be a perfect venue for your anniversary.

I do like the photo you have posted of yourself. I always seem to picture online friends in my mind and I was wrong with my mental picture of you, not that I can say what I actually had manufactured. It is nice to meet you face to face. LOL

I am geared up and ready for Christmas with all of my children & grandchildren. We prepare turkey as our traditional Christmas meal and the duty of cooking the big bird is always left in my hands. As so many of us we eat way too much but hey, it's Christmas!

FYI I have just purchased a new laptop and should have it all set up in early January. Perhaps then I can send you a few photos of what I have been sewing.

Best Wishes to you & your family for a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous & healthy New Year.

Cheers,
Linda A