Thursday, November 24, 2011

Summer Newsletter 2011

Summer Holiday Discount for Subscribers

We still have vacancies for the summer holidays although it will book up fast. Our prices are the same as last year and as a reward for being a subscriber use the promotion code MCCSP on our website for a 5 % discount.

Special Anniversary Gift for Subscribers

When you make a booking just tell us if it is your birthday or anniversary and that you are a subscriber to our newsletter. Then we'll give you a gift from our gallery made by Kees.

Last Minute Gift Idea

Looking for a last minute gift for someone who needs a break? A Milton Country Cottages Gift Voucher can be purchased for any amount. For example, you can purchase one night with wine and chocolates, 2 nights with a pottery lesson – there are many options. We send out the voucher with our brochures so there is a nice package to give the recipient.

We're in the News Again!

In February there was the article about us in the Sun Herald, The Age and The Brisbane Timesclick here to read the article.

Then in September the travel editor from House and Garden Magazine stayed here in the Kookaburra cottage – this story on a romantic stay in Milton will be in the February issue that comes out in January.

The pottery has had some attention as well. This week the channel 7 Sydney Weekender show filmed Kees at work and giving a lesson. This program will be shown on the 18th February 2012.

Why not have a go at making a pot yourself as a fun thing to do? Lessons are $40 per hour for 1 person and $60 for 2 people.

Shopping Mecca

Discover or re-discover the wonderful shopping and dining experiences in Milton. There is now a book shop and new gift shops. For more information on Milton go to www.miltonsouthcoast

Enjoy Great Food and Wine

So many fabulous restaurants to choose from in Milton!

  • Bucchus has changed hands with a new chef and a great new menu. It is also now licensed.

  • St Isidore has opened recently on Croobyar road overlooking a beautiful rural landscape. It is fully licensed and open Thursday to Sunday. The Tipsy Fig and Coastal Indulgence continue to provide top quality food and excellent service. The Tipsy Fig is now licensed but you can still BYO if you would prefer.

  • If you venture a little further from the Milton township there is Rick Stein's restaurant at Bannisters and the award winning Cupitt's Winery and Vineyard Kitchen is also well worth a visit. Bannisters Pool Bar is open 7 days from 6.00pm. This is a great place to enjoy a gourmet pizza, fresh salad, burger or seafood from you poolside sun lounge at the pizza and cocktail bar. They have live music on the first, third and fifth Fridays of the month and alternate Sundays.

  • What's to Eat gourmet deli is full of delights, from local and imported cheeses to cold meats, antipasto and Jasper Peel rustic breads. Why not order a special picnic lunch from them? We will collect it for you and put it into one of our picnic hampers. We have a 4 person carry bag hamper and a 2 person picnic backpack.

  • For something different in December and January visit the Clyde River Berry Farm and pick your own berries. Blueberries are a speciality.

  • Visit the district's three wineries:

  • Cupitt's is a short drive from Milton and is open 10.am to 5pm Wednesdays to Sundays.

  • Fern Gully Winery is at Termeil and is open 11.am to 5.30 pm weekend and school holidays.

  • Bawley Vale Estate at Bawley Point is open 11.am to 5.30 pm weekends and public holidays.

Gondwana Coast Fossil Walk

This is an exciting, enjoyable 2.5 hour activity conducted in a beautiful natural heritage environment that could add another dimension to your holiday.

Since last summer this walk has taken giant steps forward and attracted major sponsorship from Geoscience Australia. Mollymook geologist Phil Smart says that Ulladulla could become Australia's top geo-tourism destination on par with the English Jurassic Coast.

Tours are arranged for December and January scheduled to coincide with low tide.

Native Wildlife

At the suggestion of guests we are preparing information about the native birds and other wildlife on our property. Overseas guests are interested but guests who live less than an hour away have commented that we have different birds from where they live. Some examples are below, including the white headed pigeons that we see in our garden - Yatte Yattah is the southern most habitat for these beautiful birds.



Friday, September 23, 2011

Milton Country Cottages Welcomes Spring

Milton Country Cottages Spring 2011 News

Spring has definitely arrived at Milton Country Cottages!

The sound of the birds and the perfume from the port wine magnolias fill the air.

Spring Offers at Milton Country Cottages

Wine and Chocolates - Specially for subscribers we offer a spring special of a box of 4 luxurious artisan hand-made chocolates from Kiama cacao and a bottle of wine. This offer applies until the end of November and includes school holidays.

Mid Week Special Deal - Pay for 3 mid week nights (Sunday to Thursday inclusive) and the 4th night will be free. This offer includes the wine and chocolates but does not include school holidays.

Loyalty Offer - If you have stayed here before tell us when you book and we will give you a lovely gift of crystal glazed pottery from our gallery.

Please mention when you book that you are an email newsletter subscriber. These offers only apply to booking made directly with us by phone, email or through our own website.

Winners

Congratulations to our email newsletter subscribers Noel and Cristine Andrews who are the latest winners of 2 free nights in one of our cottages. Stay subscribed to our newsletter and you could be our next winner!

Spring Happenings Around Milton

  • 4 and 5 November 2011 - Ulladulla Harbourfeast food and wine festival

  • 4 November – Ulladulla Harbourfeast Opening Dinner at Cupitts winery. Rick Stein will be participating in this event.

  • 5 November - Harbourfeast at Ulladulla Civic centre and surrounds: Celebrity guest Andrew “ET” Ettinghausen; Live music changing on the hour; Gourmet dishes from local restaurants; Wine and food tasting, local products; Demonstrations for cooking, winemaking, winematching and beermaking; Short films; and much more, including a stand with our own pottery. For more information go to www.harbourfeast.com.au

  • 25th September until the 8th October - Celebrate Spring at Cupitts Winery. Cupitts winery is hosting the 2nd annual Ripe Sculpture exhibition. The 2011 Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide gave Cupitts rave reviews in numerous categories.

  • September 30-October 9 - Ignite!!! 10 days of artistic Bliss! For 10 days the beautiful Milton Ulladulla district comes alive with culture for 'EscapeARTfest' offering a smorgasbord of art exhibitions, music, film, photography, literature, gourmet delights, workshops and plenty of family friendly events. This year there are over 30 exhibitions. Check out the website www.escapeartfest.info for all details.

New Cottage Names

Sometimes just having number was confusing so we have named our cottages after the abundant wildlife on our property. They are now called Kookaburra Cottage (2 bedrooms) and Lyrebird and Wren (1 bedroom cottages). The former garden pavilion is now called the Garden Cottage. Each cottage is now described separately on our website and our booking calendar now has 1,2 and 3 night price options for each cottage. This makes it easier to book on line if you stay longer than one night.

Friday, July 1, 2011

July News, Winter Packages, Gifts

Winter Wine and Cheese Packages

It's July and thoughts turn to warm times by the fire at Milton Country Cottages.

For subscribers to our newsletter we have a terrific winter wine and cheese package:
Book directly with us and treat yourself to cosy nights in front of the fire with our weekend winter package. This includes a gourmet breakfast hamper, firewood, complimentary port, bathrobes, bath products, slippers, a bottle of wine and a tin of hot chocolate. $410 per couple for 2 nights or $550 for 3 nights in a one bedroom cottage with double spa bath. An additional $20 per night for 2 people for the two bedroom cottage with garden spa bath. This package is also available as a mid-week package at lower rates – please contact us for details.

Exclusive Extra for Our Newsletter Subscribers

We are now offering an extra to our winter package exclusively for our Newsletter subscribers at no extra cost - a delicious cheese platter with Carol's home made quince jam and a gift of pottery made by Kees for all direct bookings of 2 nights or more until the end of August. And the best news is these offers include school holidays! Please mention that you are a subscriber when you book.

Eat-in Menu

Enjoy dinner in your cottage in front of the fire on cold winter nights without having to cook. Order delicious gourmet home made meals from The Kitchen in Milton. All made wherever possible with locally sourced ingredients. There is the convenience of having the food there when you arrive, but more than that - the food is great! Just ask and we'll send you the menu and order form. As long as you give us 3 days notice - no fee for this service for our subscribers.

Movies

In the cooler weather with the longer nights our movie library is always popular, and, of course comes at no extra charge. Recent additions include The Topp Twins and Milk.

Milton Theatre

Did you know that Milton has its own 200 seat historic theatre? It was used for movies until about 12 years ago and has been refurbished. It is now used for live theatre, community performances and as a recording studio. Coming events include James Blundell, Vince Jones and Bruce Mathiske. More information and a gig guide available at www.miltontheatre.com.au
Please ask us if you would like tickets as we can arrange this for you.

Free Nights

The winner of our annual 2 free nights prize will be announced in our next newsletter.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Milton Country Cottages Winter 2011 News

It's nearly winter and our thoughts turn to cosy nights in front of the wood fire at Milton Country Cottages, perhaps with a mug of hot chocolate, glass of wine, a gourmet cheese platter?

Special Winter Weekend Wine and Cheese Package

Book directly with us* and treat yourself to warm times on front of the fire with our winter package. This includes a generous breakfast hamper, firewood, port, bathrobes, candles, bath products, slippers, a bottle of wine (red, white or sparkling) and a gourmet cheese platter with Carol's home made quince paste. Weekend rates, including school holidays are $450 per couple for 2 nights and $600 for 2 nights in a one bedroom cottage with a double spa bath. An additional $25 per night for the 2 bedroom cottage with garden spa bath.

Also available as a mid-week package at even lower rates and as one weekend night with a 10% surcharge. Please contact us for details.

*Book either by direct email, phone or though our own website booking system. The system may give you a different price but the package rate will apply to the package.

Hot Chocolate Offer

For every direct booking this winter we offer a tin of Vittoria Chococino.

Delicious Food to Eat-in

Too cosy in to go out? Enjoy a delicious eat-in dinner in the warmth and comfort of your cottage. We offer delicious food made from fresh local produce by The Kitchen in Milton. Just ask and we'll send you a menu, place your order with us and it will be in your cottage when you arrive. Selections include curries, pastas, soups, quiches, dips and desserts.

The menu has vegetarian and gluten free options. A service fee of $5 applies and at least 3 days notice is required.

Movie Collection

In the cooler weather our extensive movie library is very popular and comes at no extra charge. We continue to add to our collection.

The Hip Village of Milton

How long is it since you visited Milton? Even if it wasn't too long ago you'll notice changes. There are ever more different and interesting shops opening with increasingly varied fashion, home wares and gifts. Try The Tipsy Fig or Bacchus for a fantastic lunch or dinner, Pilgrims for vegetarian food so good that non-vegetarians love it, or Coastal Indulgence the best coffee and made-on-the-premises cakes. Or have a night out at the Milton Theatre. Information about the theatre and up-coming performances can be viewed at www.miltontheatre.com.au and if you would like to attend we would be happy to arrange tickets for you.

Newspaper Review of Milton Country Cottages

On February 20 there was a review about us in the Sydney Sun Herald, The Age and the Brisbane Times. This was the initiative of the papers and we initially only expected it to be in the Sun Herald. As the reviewer stayed here in mid 2010 the pricing is a bit out of date but we would like to share the article with you so click here to read the review online.

Pottery

Kees has been making noddle bowls because they were sold out and next will be mugs because there is only one left! Many of our guests enjoy a lesson the wheel - $40 per hour for one person and $60 per hour for 2 people. Let us know if your stay is for a special occasion and you will receive a small gift from our gallery as a memento of your stay.

Shoalhaven Coast Wineries

Winter is a great time of the year to enjoy a glass of wine and there are a number of excellent wineries in the Shoalhaven area.

The Shoalhaven Winter Wine Festival will be held on the June long weekend, 10th to 13th of June. For more information about out local wineries, including a timetable, map and events, please go to www.shoalhavencoastwine.com.au