The calm during the storm

 

We all have our moments of anxiety, when the bustle of the crowds and the roar of the traffic gets a little too much. In the build-up to Christmas these worries can become more acute, with travel arrangements to make and presents to buy alongside those contradictory work and family commitments.

If the seasonal pressure is getting to you, bring a little perspective back to our needlessly tense and preciously brief lives by watching this short clip. Better still, book yourself some quiet time at Riverbend Cottage.

 

Just follow the sign

 

Riverbend Cottage is very easy to find; leaving it again is the hard part!

We are just 1½ hours by car from Canberra and 3½ hours from Sydney. Turn off the Kings Highway on the Batemans Bay side of Nelligen Bridge at one of the two turn-offs (marked # 1). At the junction (marked # 2), turn down Bridge View Road and follow it all the way down to the end of Sproxton Lane, at the bottom of which you see a blue sign that reads "RIVERBEND COTTAGE".

Drive through the open gate and along the pond and turn right before the horseshed. Welcome to Paradise!

 

1. Caravan Park   2.Steampacket Hotel   3. Cemetery   4. Fire Station   5. Catholic Church   6. Mineral Display   7. Anglican Church   8. Old School   9. Picnic Ground   10. Old Post Office   11. Nelligen Cafe   12. Community Hall   13. General Store   14. Old Steampacket   15. Tennis Court   16. Sunlit Waters   17. "Riverbend"

 

To print the map, click here

 

Riverbend's "Pizza Hut"

 

We're all set for a long hot summer! And there's no better way to spend it than by sitting in the shade of the newly-built "Pizza Hut" while enjoying the views and the cooling winds off the river.

 

 

And, yes, a pizza and a cold drink is part of the service!  ☺

 

Under reduced management

 

Padma's mum is seriously ill and Padma will need to fly back home to Surabaya to look after her during which time Riverbend Cottage will be under reduced management.

I have already donned my new uniform, so don't expect any tiramisu or baked cheese cake or other culinary treats while I am in charge.

 

Happy Anniversary, Michelle & James!

 

Michelle and James have chosen Riverbend Cottage to celebrate their tenth Wedding Anniversary.

Padma baked them a cake, put a bottle of bubblies on ice, and also ask our Balinese masseuse Lanny to come and give them both a relaxing massage in the peaceful setting of the "Clubhouse" by the pond.

Happy Anniversary, Michelle & James!

And thanks for the kind words you left in our guestbook:

They say first impressions last and what a fabulous first impression we had. Greeted with such open hospitality as soon as we'd driven thru the gate. Thank you for your generosity. Absolutely nothing has been missed, from your beautiful Black Forest cake (Padma, it was yum!) to the freshly made dumplings to the champagne and anniversary card, down to the kitchen provisions you supplied. We would have wanted for nothing more. Our expectations have certainly been exceeded. We feel so fortunate to have discovered this gorgeous piece of Paradise on the Clyde River that you so luckily get to call your home. The tranquility is priceless. I said to James yesterday afternoon that it doesn't matter what words we use to try to describe this place to our friends and family. They simply won't understand its beauty until they've experienced it. We were blessed with the weather and feel that it made our break absolutely perfect. We already can't wait for our next trip back to Riverbend. Michelle & James Dapto, Wollongong

 

Can you pick the REAL Chinaman?

 

Li Lin, his charming wife Li Yin, and their son and keen angler Jacob were with us for what have been the warmest three days so far this spring.

If you can spot the REAL Chinaman in the above photograph, we are happy to give you a dozen dim sims next time you stay at Riverbend Cottage ☺

 

The Lin Family from Sydney

 

They must've enjoyed their stay because they wrote in the guestbook:
"Peter and Padma, our family had a wonderful time staying at Riverbend, from the quiet nature of the area to the easy access to the river. Thank you for being very generous and understanding, catering to our needs. It is a shame we could not stay longer!!"

 

(in case you wondered: the Chinese characters mean "Thank you!!!")

 

A bird fancier's view of Riverbend

 

Anthea and John from Canberra spent three sunfilled days at Riverbend with John, an amateur ornithologist, hunting down the birdlife with his camera.

As he wrote, "These are the birds I saw on or from your property: Pelican, black cormorant, little pied cormorant, silver gull, eastern great egret, royal spoonbill, grey teal, chestnut teal, wood duck, black duck, Australasian coot, purple swamphen, sulphur-crested cockatoo, galah, King parrot, rainbow lorikeet, masked lapwing, grey fantail, brown thornbill, superb fairy wren, and a small water bird that I saw only once, and then not clearly. I think it was an Australasian grebe (also known as “little grebe”). They dive and stay under water for quite a while."