Townsville-Airlie Beach Tilt Train. A 275 km Scone Free Zone.

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Sconquest

Quiet, comfortable and enjoyable travelling on the Tilt Train and much faster than the Sunlander. The omnipresent sugar cane is never far away and  the mountains follow our journey south.  Somehow, I managed to travel in between meal times. Dining was by a Galley car which didn’t open or a trolley service that didn’t come. Worst of all I had to stay in my seat and couldn’t venture to the dining car for an occasional cuppa, snack or chat. Fortunately, there’s still the ipod and my audiobook and a few leftovers to tide me over. The great picture above is from Quensland Rail Media Images, here’s some more.

 

My Tilt Train left Townsville at 3.30 pm and arrived at Proserpine at 6.50 pm where the waiting bus connection travelled to Airlie Beach, half an hour away. Dinner time, Hooray!

>>>>>If your quick and book by July 24, Queensland Rail have 40% off trips taken between 1st Aug and 15 Sept 2011.  Look what else I found>>>>> High Tea on the Sunlander! as well as a 5 course dinner with chef Andrew Mirosch then 2 nights on Hamilton Island and a master class with Andrew before flying back to Brisbane. The Queenslander Master Class departs Brisbane Oct 13. Wonder if they’ve considered having just the High Tea ?

Posted in High Tea, Queensland, Specials, Townsville, Train Trips, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ready, Set, Go! A CWA Scone Mix!

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Sconquest

A Supermarket Surprise!

Laucke Country Womens Association Scone Mix 1.2kgLook what I found in the local supermarket flour aisle! It’s made by Laucke Flour mills  in Strathalbyn, South Australia and costs about $A 5.50 and has two 600g packets. On Laucke’s website they have a whole lot of recipes using the scone mix. To a 600g packet you just add 280 ml water. Here’s the instructions.

Plain Scone Recipe
600 g Scone Mix (1 packet), 280 ml water. Use these
amounts for all recipes unless otherwise specified.
Plain Scone Method
Combine Scone Mix and water. Country Women
know that excellent scones require more moisture
and kneading than is common practice. Knead the
dough until soft, smooth and sticky, and you will be
rewarded with softer, moister scones that stay fresher,
longer. This is more easily achieved in a Mixer with a
dough hook. Scrape on to a floured board to rest for
5 minutes, where the dough will lose any stickiness.
Dust and roll out to about 3 cm thickness. Cut the
scones, and place on to a lined baking tray so that,
when baked, the scones will support one another as
they rise. Gather and combine the dough trimmings by
hand, mould, and let rest again for 5 minutes. Repeat
rolling, cutting. Bake in an oven preheated to 210°C for
approximately 15-18 minutes, or until scones are
golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack

Check out the variations. There are apple & apricot, french scones, Olive & Fetta, Rich Damper, apple & macadamia, chelsea, pumpkin, cheese& bacon, pancakes, honey & macadamia, spinach & fetta, sun dried tomato & anchovies, pikelets and lastly, sweet crust pastry.

Is there any excuse not to give it a go? Enjoy!

Posted in Recipes, Scones, South Australia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Wallaman Falls, Qld. Chasing Butterflies, Rainbows & Scones!

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Sconquest

Rainbows among the Sunshine

After yesterday’s sconelessness we were hopeful for better luck today. Sadly, the Rainforest Inn was closed after their hectic day yesterday and the Heritage Tea Rooms at Herveys Range looked fantastic but were in the wrong direction. Built in 1865 as an Inn, it’s North Queensland’s oldest heritage listed building and they have Prize Winning Scones. Here’s the menu.

  

Never mind, it’s a beautiful day for a picnic at Wallaman Falls, in the Girringun National Park west of Ingham. The Falls were magnificent with rainbows arcing off the spray. We were so lucky to be there just at the right time. See for yourself!

  

By the falls was a picnic area and shelter where we had a splendid picnic in the sun, provided by Hidden Valley Cabins who had even made us some cookies. Unfortunately, we were unable to descend the gorge via the Jinda Walk. Now that would be exercise! Instead we did the first part of the steep walk and found ulysses butterflies which was absolutely wonderful. Amazing how there’s new growth on what’s left of the trees after the cyclone. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and concerned about the area, the flora and Fauna. At times we drove slowly to be careful of cassowarys crossing by. He’d also been our platypus guide and his friendly, thoughtful manner made our trip most enjoyable. We were fortunate to have a happy, friendly group to share the day with.

  

Now it was crocodile time. Back down the mountain to Ingham and onto the highway with the mountain vista ahead and behind us. Time Time still for a detour through the cane fields to an embankment by the river opposite a sandy bank where the crocodiles like to sunbake. Patience, then slowly and surely one mounts the bank. Now, don’t slip off that bank. Scary stuff.

    

After the long drive back up the mountain we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset. The magic of the rainbows on the waterfall will stay with me forever.

Posted in Attractions, Queensland, Scones, Tour, Townsville, Waterfalls | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hidden Valley, Qld. Close Scone Encounters at Paluma!

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Sconquest

so Near but so Far!

  

Off again, this time to Hidden Valley Cabins. Nice to have a 9am pick up from Townsville and explore the city sights including Castle Hill. From here (if it’s clear) there are  magnificent 360 views to Magnetic island and all about from the nearby lookouts. There are several walking or running tracks which are steep but still very popular. Heading North West towards the Paluma National Park we came to Little Crystal Creek near the bottom of the range.  The road and stone bridge were built in the 1930’s and there’s It’s a delightful place to stop for a picnic, byo thermos & scones, and climb over the rocks up to the waterfall and rock pools.

   

If Little Crystal Creek looks familiar then this photo might help. It’s the Lennox Bridge at Glenbrook, NSW that was built in 1833 and is Australia’s oldest bridge. There’s a striking resemblance, isn’ t there?

As we climb up the mountain range we come across areas drastically cleared by cyclone Yasi while others nearby are untouched. Strange. At times, this offers us tremendous views to the ocean that aren’t normally within sight, as well as scenes of devastated plantations below. The mist descends as we get higher into the rainforest and we’re getting a bit peckish as we head for lunch at the Rainforest Inn Paluma. Amazed to find they’re inundated with patrons but it’s a long weekend. I spy some scones which look pretty good so we place our lunch order and will return a while later.

  

Just imagine the views to the coast from nearby McClellands Lookout or after walking up to Witts Lookout through the misty rainforest. Today, if your patient the wind gives you tantalizing glimpes of the coast.

  

Back for lunch and our tasty wraps but we seemed to be surrounded by others enjoying scones. Was there time? I should have asked. Can you imagine our dismay when a plate piled high with scones was brought to us and it wasn’t ours? It was behind me and I didn’t even see them coming. Everyone thought I had ordered them. Oops, their mistake and they were speedily whisked away. Maybe tomorrow???? Raining now so after a brief stop at Paluma Pottery,  its onto the gravel road and Hidden Valley Cabins. This is a leading eco certified resort, where the family who own it do their utmost to make your stay as enjoyable as possible, while at the same time working hard to remain climate neutral. For this they deserve as much support as possible. They were extremely welcoming, friendly and accommodating, even looking for hot water bottles on this very cold night.

Hidden Valley Cabins Entrance

It’s unusually cold, so we rug up and head off before dusk to nearby Running River to look for platypus. As they’re very shy we needed to be very still and patient. We were rewarded by some platypuses that came quite close up to us. It was surprising how small they were. Australian Geographic recommends this as one of the best spots to see them.

Platypus found in Running River  

After a welcome dinner, we retire to our cosy cabins ahead of a very cold night. Tomorrow we’re off chasing butterflies and rainbows at  Wallaman Falls.

Posted in Attractions, Maps, Queensland, Scones, Tour, Townsville, Waterfalls | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

itunes apps for baking scones recipe and CWA e-books.

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Sconquest

iPhone Screenshot 1

Haven’t explored itunes for scone recipes before. I  found a very nice looking app for baking today, which had a scone recipe. The Photo Cookbook-Baking for $5.49. Reviewers seemed very happy, give it a try and let me know.There is a Quick & Easy Cookbook too. Also found an app for the Hummingbird Bakery– cake days.

The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days

Looked in the Food & Wine e-books and was very surprised to find both the original and second Country Womens Association Cookbooks for $19.99 each. I think the buttermilk scone recipe is in the original one. Certainly easy on the shelf storage this way, but sticky fingers may be a problem. Unfortunately, no Commonsense Cookery Book here but there were plenty of others.

The Country Women's Association Cookbook 2 Country Women's Association Cookbook

Posted in Books, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

taste.com.au A veritable smorgasboard of scone recipes!!

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Sconquest

From the taste.com.au web site making perfect scones and a smorgasbord of scone recipes below that you can try. No pumpkin scones here but I wouldn’t mind the vanilla bean scones with mixed berry jam!

Make perfect scones

Make perfect scones

Learn the secret to light and fluffy scones so that your next afternoon tea will be perfect!

Step 1: Mix the dough until just combined (do not over mix). Don’t knead or it will become tough and heavy.

Step 2: Use a pastry cutter dipped in flour to cut scones from the dough. Don’t twist the cutter, or the scones may not rise evenly.

Step 3: Arrange scones, side by side and just touching, on a lined baking tray. This will keep the sides straight and even as the scones cook.

Related recipes

Posted in Recipes, Scones | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Taste.com.au Scone Recipes including Buttermilk Scones.

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Sconquest

While in Queensland I met a fellow sconquestor who had won competitions with his buttermilk scones.  Now I’ve found a buttermilk scone recipe for you to try with variations as well as lots of other scone recipes at the taste.com.au site. Reviewers seemed happy so see how you go!

Buttermilk scones

Buttermilk Scones 

Makes 16

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cups self-raising flour
  • 2 tablespoons caster sugar
  • 60g butter, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • jam and whipped cream, to serve

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Grease and flour a 8cm-deep, 19cm (base) square cake pan.
  2. Place flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  3. Make a well in the centre. Add buttermilk. Using a flat-bladed knife, stir until dough almost comes together. Place on a lightly floured surface.
  4. Knead gently until dough comes together. Press out to a 3cm-thick round. Dip a 5cm round cutter into flour to prevent dough sticking. Cut out scones. Gently press leftover dough pieces together and repeat to make a total 16 scones.
  5. Place scones, touching, in prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until light golden and hollow when tapped on top. Serve with jam and cream.

  • Variations:

    Spiced date scones: Add 1/3 cup finely chopped dried dates and 1 teaspoon mixed spice at the end of step 2.

  • Basil and parmesan scones: Add 1/4 cup finely chopped basil leaves and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese at the end of step 2.
  • Bacon and chive scones: Cook 4 chopped shortcut bacon rashers. Add at end of step 2 with 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives.


Posted in Recipes, Scones | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lemonade Scones Recipe. Give it a try.

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Sconquest

Remember the lemonade scones on the Sunlander train from Cairns to Townsville. I’ve found a recipe at taste.com.au that the reviewers seem happy with. Give it a try and see what you think!

Lemonade Scones

Makes  8

Ingredients

  • 300g (2 cups) self-raising flour, sifted
  • 55g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) thick cream
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) lemonade
  • 40ml (2 tbs) milk

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Lightly grease a baking tray.

Place the flour, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the cream and lemonade and mix to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured workbench and knead lightly until combined. Press the dough with your hands to a thickness of about 2cm. Use a 6cm round cutter to cut out 8 scones, place on baking tray and brush the tops with some milk. Bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Serve warm with your favourite jam.

Posted in Recipes, Scones, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

Townsville, Queensland. A Surprising City.

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Sconquest

Townsville turned out to be the ‘capital’ of Northern Queensland and is half way between Cape York and Brisbane. As the train came into Townsville, it was surprising to see how large it was and how long it took to get through the suburbs. I had no idea there were over 170,000 people here ,and also in Cairns, but Townsville is the economic hub of the coast with all sorts of industries besides tourism. Here’s the In Townsville site for a useful brochure with plenty of maps and information.

 

Castle Hill is the red rock monolith in the heart of  Townsville and a great place for panoramic views or exercising the calf muscles on the walking tracks. The locals seem to be very keen on this or the 2.2/4.4 km walk along the Strand Promenade with it’s wonderful views of Magnetic Island, especially at sunset. A Ferry takes you out to Magnetic island and runs more frequently in peak hours. Here’s the timetable as well as details and a map with all the island walking trails. Like most places along the north queensland coast the foreshore is beautifully landscaped with pools, beaches and picnic areas but it’s dangerous to swim there at times because of  stingers, particularly between October and June.

Imagine how wonderful it would have been to come into this old railway station above. Now Townsville has a new station which is a taxi ride from the city. Here’s an ABC article on the old railway station with pictures. Soon after our arrival, a few of the passengers including myself, were looking a little confused, as there were no taxis anywhere. Eventually we worked out that there was an intercom by the ticket office that allowed you to ask for a taxi to be sent out. Must be a scary lot around here.

 

My accommodation at the Hotel Ibis was fine and close to everything so I was able to walk my feet off after sitting on the train all day and there were plenty of options for eating. I knew I wouldn’t starve.

Imagine my surprise to find HMB Endeavour here when I thought I’d left it back in Sydney. It’s currently circumnavigating Australia. Imagine learning to sail and being part of this journey! (Wonder how many sea sick pills you can take  in a day?) The Endeavour was at Reef HQ, the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium  which is the world’s largest living coral reef aquarium. I visited the Museum of Tropical Queensland but it wasn’t the same with dead corals when you’ve been snorkelling and seen them alive, perhaps I should have gone to reef HQ. However, the Museum had an excellent display of the HMS Pandora shipwreck of 1790. The nearby Maritime Museum also had a display on the wreck of the Yongala in 1911, which is now a popular dive site off Townsville, and shows how difficult it was for those living by the sea in earlier times too. Now for another walk along the Strand to find a coffee and some food and check out the winter coats on the sculptures. Great fun.

 

Looking forward to travelling north west up to the Paluma Range to stay at the Hidden Valley Cabins, visit the Wallaman Falls and hopefully find some scones.

Posted in Queensland, Train Trips | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cairns-Townsville, Qld. Pikelet or Scone Class on the Sunlander Train?

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Sconquest

All aboard the Sunlander for Townsville & Beyond.

  

Up early again for breakfast & the beginning of my railway adventure. Queensland Rail has two trains that run from Cairns to Brisbane. The Sunlander is a traditional train with seats, overnight sleepers and dining cars while the high speed Tilt train is all business class or economy seating. On the Sunlander, an economy seat all the way from Brisbane to Cairns, will cost $240 & a first class/twin berth $450. There’s also the premium Queenslander class for $780 which includes meals. The Tilt train costs about $275-$344. Keep an eye out for holiday packages or Rail Passes  from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast or elsewhere in Queensland. The Distance between Cairns & Townsville is about 350km and the Sunlander takes over 7 hours so it is not a fast train. The tilt train also leaves at 9.15am but arrives at Townsville an hour earlier at 3.30pm. Here’s the timetable. The difference doesn’t matter much if your going to Townsville so it probably depends more on what train is running on which day, and if you prefer the older style where you can go to the dining car whenever you feel like it.

     

Cyclone Yasi has left traces of it’s destruction along the way but the Queenslanders prefer to get on with business as normal. Besides a few bananas and trees there’s not much scenery besides the sugar cane fields along the way. I guess it’s not a very exciting drive either as the tracks and highway tend to run alongside one another, so best to just take the train, recuperate, read a book or listen to an ipod and enjoy the sunshine.

  

Even though I had not had any success with scones in Cairns, I was still hopeful of finding them on the train. At morning tea, the menu was announced and I was shocked to hear picklets with jam & cream not scones!! I went to investigate and discovered that the Queenslander Class has it’s own dining car & have fresh scones made and served on the train. Woe is me to be in pikelet class!

It makes sense given the space limitations to have pikelets but I managed to find out that the chef was very proud of his scones which were made with lemonade. Mmm, need a recipe. Now which would you prefer, the pikelets or the scones? At least I fared better than on the XPT to Melbourne when I missed out completely!

Posted in Queensland, Scones, Train Trips | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment