Lexus 39: Leading the Way Canberra

Issue 39

leading the way

C R U I S ING THE C AN B E R R A C O U NT R Y S IDE IN THE ALL - NEW R X 2 7 0 DAY S O F TH U NDE R LE X U S F LE X E S IT S M O T O R S P O R T M U S C LE S S O U THE R N c h a rms S e d uc e d b y s O U TH A F R I C A A CUT ABOVE A U S T R ALIAN - R AI S ED WAGY U TA K E S o n j A P AN l e xus A U S T R ALIA i ssu e 3 9 2 0 1 2

Print Post Approved PP255003/07431

i ssu e

39

2012

$8.95

ISSN 1835-8772

9 771835 877006

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LEADING THE WAY THE ALL-NEW LEXUS RX 270 GETS OUT OF TOWN FOR A GASTRONOMIC ODYSSEY IN THE CANBERRA COUNTRYSIDE.

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There’s something vaguely illicit about a place called The Poacher’s Way. The very name conjures images of ill-gotten gains, forbidden fruit and titillating contraband. But the only poaching that goes on here is likely to be free-range eggs, spiced pears in red wine or succulent duck breast.

The Poacher’s Way is, in fact, a collection of hand-picked premium providers of hospitality, award-winning winemakers, talented artisans and gourmet chefs all centred around Canberra and extending as far afield as Bowning, Collector and Bungendore.

My memory extends back to forays through this region when the bumpy old Hume Highway snaked and twisted through these lush paddocks. There wasn’t time to enjoy the view, or much else, as your concentration was focused on avoiding the snarling semitrailers that bullied their way between Melbourne and Sydney. The gourmet fare extended to extra lashings of instant mash, battered saveloys and mugs of ‘truckers’ blend’ instant coffee. Today it’s a whole different affair.

Not only am I liberated from the mobile scrum of prime movers, but my own transport is a far cry from the ‘three-onthe-tree’ transmission, noisy pushrods and carefully angled quarter vent windows for ventilation. Sure, it’s comforting to remember the good ol’ days, but who would swap a svelte, modern SUV with the credentials of the all-new Lexus

1 Horse power versus horsepower: some Burnelee steeds pose beside the RX 270.

RX 270 for a wallowing Trimatic station wagon? Under the bonnet of our 21st century steed sits a 2.7 litre twin-cam multivalve four-cylinder engine coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift. Surprisingly spirited, courtesy of the Dual Variable Valve Timing (Dual VVT-i), our ride is also supremely comfortable and safe on the road by virtue of the Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) system. Working in concert with the

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2 Frost flowers barb the wire enclosing the fields along The Poacher’s Way. 3 Black gold in the form of a gourmet trove of Majura truffles.

WORDS Rod Eime PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Benny

4 Dave Hogan rolls out a freshly shorn fine merino fleece from his prize flock.

5 The Way mapped out on the RX 270’s easyto-read monitor.

6 Sprinting along the back roads from one Poacher’s destination to the next.

road speed-sensitive Electric Power Steering (EPS) it seamlessly improves cornering stability.

Our RX is the perfect vehicle to revisit this now laid-back locale. Once hectic thoroughfares are more relaxed as the heavy-metal monsters divert via the new dual carriageways of the Hume and Federal Highways. We can dawdle and sightsee to our hearts’ content, meander the side roads, go off the beaten path and stickybeak the many attractions at our leisure and, thanks to The Poacher’s Way, we have plenty to choose from.

You could easily start from any corner of the rough triangle formed by the constellation of 25 stellar attractions sprinkled within an hour of Canberra and a little over two from Sydney.

We set off from Canberra proper after a comfortable night at the spanking new Aria Hotel in Dickson. The frost-laden mist still envelops the city as we pull into Leanne Gray’s Silo Bakery in Kingston to find the old butcher shop-cum-patisserie already alive with early morning patrons.

“When we first opened here 15 years ago,” says partner and former CSIRO biochemist Graham Hudson of their sea-change decision, “we were confidently told ‘Canberra doesn’t do breakfast’, so we set a few locals back on their heels straight away.”

It certainly seems such fast-breaking dishes as baked eggs with washed rind cheese, celery, walnut toast and local truffle have turned that dated misconception around. The coffee, too, is flawless.

The local truffles, it seems, are making quite a splash as Canberra gains another capital reputation as the centre of the country’s truffle industry, thanks to perfect climatic conditions and soil. These potent little fungi command almost $3,000 per kilogram – on par with some rare earth metals – and are so elusive they must be hunted.

That’s where Snuffles the wonder dog comes in. A talented American cocker spaniel, he seeks out the ripe truffles, and owner Sherry McArdle-English rewards him with a treat. Her farm in Majura ships produce all over the country.

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The RX makes light work of the short drive to suburban Deakin where Susie and Martin Beaver have occupied the purpose-built Beaver Galleries, where a constantly evolving exhibition of bold and contemporary art is on display and sale, since 1984.

While the exhibition space is open and airy, a peek into the storeroom gives an idea of the amount of works waiting for their moment. I think about how much art I could fit in the Lexus’ generous 446 litre boot space: that’s about the capacity of a decent refrigerator.

“Over 30 years both artists and buyers have looked to us to represent them all over the world,” says Beaver as she surveys the objects sitting neatly on the floor or jutting out of shelves and racks, “it’s all about relationships built on trust, confidence and experience.”

With that mindset, it’s no surprise to learn the couple has owned Lexus vehicles for most of their business lives.

Our Lexus beckons us for the next instalment, but not before a roasted pear, prosciutto and blue cheese salad in the adjoining Palette Café, buzzing with art and coffee lovers.

The fog is quickly lifting and the warming sun make its presence felt as we follow the Barton Highway’s smooth tarmac north. The RX relishes the opportunity to extend itself, the confidence-inspiring double-wishbone rear suspension and fully independent MacPherson struts in front keep the chassis comfortably snug against the road.

Keeping us comfortably snug inside are the restrained leather-accented interior and 7 driver’s seat, which comes with 10way power adjustments and three memory settings to provide perfect positioning every time.

If you stop for a stint in the saddle at Burnelee Excursions on Horseback, you’ll appreciate all the more the science of upholstery applied to the Lexus cockpit. Before heading out, we stop to admire the agility of lonesome Dave Hogan as he manhandles an entire mob of sheep to harvest the prize merino fleece he shears from their backs. This is hard work, far removed from simply guiding the wheel of the RX 270.

We get to unleash our own horses on the half-hour drive up to Hall, climbing the hill to Geranium House, which overlooks the wide valley all the way to Canberra. Ten years ago Susan Butt turned her back on a science degree to open the 54 hectare day spa which offers the latest thalassotherapy techniques, using mud, albeit very special mud.

Butt works closely with neighbour Susan Bruce, who turned her family’s grazing property first into a commercial meat smokehouse, then an award-winning cafe and winery, Poachers Pantry. After a platter of delicious meats – lamb prosciutto, kangaroo and wood-smoked chicken thigh – interspersed with local olives and sun-dried tomatoes, and accompanied by a glass of Wily Trout Pinot Noir, you’re ready for a long afternoon of pampering and aromatherapy.

Wine has been made in the Canberra District for 160 years; what’s more, there are 34 full members of the Canberra District Wine Industry Association, of which an elite eight form part of The Poacher’s Way circuit. Utilising the unique range in temperature, vineyard elevations and varying soil types, they produce such varieties as sangiovese, riesling, chardonnay, pinot noir and shiraz. Here’s where it helps to have a water-sipping co-driver because I can’t bear to spit out such exceptional wine, especially the unusual cool-climate, medium-bodied shiraz that is one of the signature varietals of the Canberra region.

We are tempted by the Wily Creek and Lerida Estate Pinot Noir as well as Tim Kirk’s Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier.

“I’m pretty excited about our ’12 vintage shiraz,” says Kirk, swirling a glass in the dim barrel room, “we’re

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getting this into top restaurants all over the world and we regularly sell out.”

But the competition is hot and Capital Wines at Gundaroo is not being modest about The Ambassador Tempranillo, especially when served up with one of the delectable tasting plates in the Epicurean Centre abutting the old Royal Hotel where gun chef Kurt Neumann serves up a storm in the pinnacle restaurant Grazing.

Over at Mount Majura Vineyard you can take the Gumboot Tour of the vineyard for a ‘down and dirty’ look at grapes in their element, then retire to a platter and tipple in the sit-down tasting room. Annemaree Schafferius at Tallagandra Wines at Gundaroo is proud of their 2010 Jack Sibley Tempranillo, a bold and colourful blend of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc named after the vineyard’s late founder.

As the sun slowly sets on a crisp Sunday evening, two things become abundantly clear. While we are ready to head home, reluctantly leaving several of The Poacher’s Way stops for next time, the eager RX 270 could comfortably keep going for the whole week and more.  The Poacher’s Way thepoachersway.com.au Country Guesthouse Schonegg schonegg.com.au Flint in the Vines shawvineyards.com.au Italian & Sons italianandsons.com.au

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7 Winemaker Tim Kirk savours his Clonakilla 2012 vintage.

8 The RX 270 eats up the kilometres while touring Canberra’s surrounds in style.