Sounds on Sunset at Sundowner Tiona near Pacific Palms

On the weekend we drove up to a place called Tiona on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales for a small boutique music festival called Sounds on Sunset. About 15 minutes drive South of Forster and 10 minutes North of Pacific Palms, Tiona is renowned as a great wedding venue having an outdoor wedding facility/ chapel called the Green Cathedral. This weekend there was no wedding, it was all about the music.

Token photo of Forster, a place I used to visit with my family for the Ironman Triathlon:

The festival was held at the caravan park which offered all sorts of accommodation from basic camping, backpacker cabins, right through to a cottage where you could have a spa and a comfortable bed for two. Entry was $25 which included free camping and BYO. Cheap!

The headline act was The Snowdroppers and the bands that played were mostly local and it was a great vibe for a few drinks by the water with what seemed like a few hundred friends.

The festival ran throughout the day and ended with a fantastic sunset over the lake. A note for next year, bring that jacket again because it was pretty chilli after dark. I didn't get great pictures but the ones I did are below. Enjoy. 

Schnitzel lunch at Wynyard Station - The Occidental Hotel, Sydney

I rolled up for lunch to an old favourite, The Occidental Hotel or as the locals call it, 'The Oxy'. I needed a quick feed for lunch and the menu, although not extensive, was very cheap and what would normally be expected from an establishment with a front bar, colourful patterned carpet, and tiles up the walls.

This is the menu as seen on the street and on the table:

And the meal. Whilst it wasn't he best I have ever had, the meal was pretty hearty and for $12 I couldn't complain. Also the beer was very cheap so for under $20 I got a quick fix and I was on my way. Until next time Oxy!

The Addictive Pie Shop, North Haven, NSW

I was on a road trip back from Port Macquarie a couple of weeks ago and I needed a quick fix. I landed up at 'The Addictive Pie Shop' at North Haven. I did take some pics and I want to tell you about it. The pies have always been a favourite of mine. People on the North Coast rave on about freddo's pies... and local pie shops.... that are very good, but this is a staple that almost deserves a special trip.

I had the pepper steak. I have some photos. Enjoy.

The Corner Restaurant in Port Macquarie

I went up the coast and visited Port Macquarie again over the weekend. One of the long standing favourite restaurants for people who love a decent eating out experience is The Corner Restaurant. It sits under the Macquarie Waters Hotel and I ducked in for a quick bite to eat with a friend and I must say the food is really well done. The lunch menu is excellent, probably slightly expensive but you definitley get what you pay for through good food and service.

According to a few people I spoke to, they all rate it as the best in town. It actually has the atmosphere that ties itself to a nice dining experience unlike the many badly run cafes in Port Macquarie.

Both of us had The Angus Steak Sandwich which is served on sour dough. Delicious. Perfect lunchtime snack and the chips which were probably deep fried thrice were yummo! I got a couple of pics below. Enjoy

Pro tip: Ask for the steak to be cooked rare if that's your thing.

The Angus Steak Sandwich ($20):

The Menu:

The details:

The Corner Restaurant
11 Clarence Street
Port Macquarie NSW 2444
02 6583 3300

Cheap Healthy Lunch In The City? Banh Mi Again...

I work in the North end of the CBD and have done for quite sometime. I have found the cheap eats, the decent food for good value and the outrageously expensive. The food I think is by far the best value in the city is Asian food. And I think after my extensive research I have found my favourite cheap eat.

You may think I have an addiction to Asian food. I think it probably has something to do with living in a city that’s population is now almost one-fifth Asian ancestry. Also I went on a little tour around Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong earlier this year and bought the taste for the food back with me.

The Hunter Connection has about 40 little eateries in their very busy food court of which about 5 of those are Vietnamese food. I have now tried each and every one in there but I keep going back to the same family run pork roll shop.

Phuong Vietnamese Pork Rolls

Hunter Connection Food Court

George Street Sydney

Price tag is right:

Pork Rolls $4

Chicken Rolls $4.5 (pictured)

Then there is all the other exotic variants, meatballs, bbq pork etc at $4.5

As I have written in the past I have had quite a few Banh Mi from around the city and beyond. I do think these are one of the best.

I guess the debate is are these actually good for you? Are they a healthy option to eat, well, almost every day?

There is no doubt a lot of salt (aka flavour enhancer) in the sauces they use. And there is also the mayonnaise.  But I guess one of the good things about is the massive dose of salad and the protein you get to feast on. Also I am a big believer that a bit of chilli actually helps you digest food so I am going to say it is healthy enough. I will ask my doctor next time I go in for a checkup. Hopefully I don’t have high blood pressure from all the salt and msg.

Renkon Japanese, Crows Nest - Yummo!

Renkon Japanese

82 Willoughby Road 

Crows Nest, NSW

Tuesday night was date night this week and we landed back up at Crows Nest for dinner. After a quick toddle around we decided to try somewhere new. We were actually heading for Guzmen Y Gomez which has been a favourite takeaway at the moment, but we stopped just short of that on Willoughby Road - Renkon Japanese.

Like a lot of little restaurants in Crows Nest I hadn't even noticed this Japanese eatery before. It was pretty quiet and it looks like this place makes it money from the takeaway trade so I wasn't scared off by the lack of people sitting down.

For 2 mains, 2 entree's a beer and an ice tea it was $40. That is pretty damn cheap. I will let the photos do the talking but in summary it was super quick (almost ridiculously quick) and decent food for the money we paid. This is definitely worth checking out if you are in the area. 

Maybe it is just my experiences in the past, but the other thing to mention about Crows Nest Japanese is it tends to be quite expensive - this was a nice change. Enjoy the pics...