LUNCH AT A WINERY

 On Sunday, Chloe and I decided to join Sarah at the new church she has been going to this year..

Just before Covid she started going to this new church..

 

 Previously they went to Citipointe, but was finding it too big and too overwhelming with the kids.  

The kids program at their old church was great, but the kids didn't really want to go because it was too big, and they got lost in the crowds.  Also the kids were different each week, as with have a few services each Sunday, the same kids were not necessarily there each time Max and Willow were.

Sarah really didn't want to have a fight on her hand each week to get the kids to go to church, she wanted them to enjoy it and want to go...

New Heart in Rochedale meets all of their needs, with smaller numbers of children attending and with just the one service each Sunday, it is the same kids each week.

And because the church is smaller it is so much more friendly.  We had several people come up and chat to us on Sunday which was lovely.  The Pastor and his wife are also very approachable and very down to earth.

 

New Heart Baptist Church - Rochedale

 

After church we headed back to Sarah's place to drop my gear off.  We had decided that would all go our for lunch and thought it might be nice to head to Mt Cotton to the Sirromet Winery for lunch.

It was such a glorious day,  clear skies, beautiful weather and we knew the atmosphere there would be great....

We got there just after 11.30am and the place was already buzzing,  with lots of folk enjoying the wonderful weather.  There were picnic rugs scattered all over the lawns..

Lunch at the Cellar Doors - Sirromet Winery, Mt Cotton, Brisbane

 

Lining up to order our lunch before finding a table

 We were fortunate enough to get a table on the balcony of the Cellar Doors Cafe once we had ordered a couple of Pizzas and some beer battered chips for lunch.

Lining up to order drinks from the Bar

While the girls were lining up to get drinks from the Bar, I noticed some folk leaving one of the tables so the children and I made a bee line to it, so that we would have a table to eat from, as now of us had packed a picnic blanket to sit on the ground.  wasn't something we thought of at all...

 

 

 

 

 Lovely surroundings to have lunch in with bush all the way around us..  Hard to believe you were even in a city, never mind it being a capital city..

The girls bought drinks back..

Lime, Lemon and Bitters all round.

With the girls back now, it was a good opportunity to get the kids together for a group photo....

Sarah and Chloe - sisters getting together...

 

 It was hard to get Max to not pull a funny face so we had to try and bribe him to give us a nice pose , and when he did, we would then take some photos of funny faces...

 

Chloe wanted me to grab a few serviettes, so whilst I went to grab these, I also took the opportunity to take a few photos of our surroundings whilst we waited for our food to be delivered...

Looking up to the function rooms where the weddings are held

Lots of folk picnicing on the lawn...

Entrance to the Cellar Doors Cafe

Heading towards Tuscan Terrace Restaurant, Sirromet Winery...

Tuscan Terrace Restaurant...

It is such a lovely atmosphere here at the winery and you really felt like you were no where near living in the city.  It was great to see all the children enjoying sliding down the grassy slopes..

One of the things I love about this winery, is the live music each weekend.  It really does add to the atmosphere.  This visit was no exception and the performers this time were very good and sang lots of popular songs.  Some folk even sang along with them...

We still had a little wait until our meal arrived, but enjoyed our time together just chatting and catching up....

Max enjoying his drink..

Willow enjoying her drink

Chloe being crazy at Max's prompting

We were getting quite hungry as we watched others receive their lunch, so we were very happy when our pizzas finally arrived.  We had also ordered some beer battered chips for the children..

Willow was really enjoying her Pizza and Max loved the chips..

We were really enjoying the music, and Willow talked her Aunty Chloe into getting up and having a dance with it.  It wasn't long before both kids and Sarah and Chloe were dancing whilst I just sat back, enjoying the moment, savoring it an taking it all in.

After their little dances, we left the cafe area and went out to join everyone else on the lawn.  We got the kids to bring the Pizza boxes and I was keen to show them the grassy slopes and let them have some fun sliding down them..  Willow in particular really loved this... and the kids spent a good hour or more sliding...  Max grew sick of it before Willow and wanted her to go play on the playground with him.  She was more interested in sliding....

Both Sarah and Chloe had a go at sliding with the kids.

Joined by their Mum

Mummy having a go

Aunty Chloe gets in on the fun too...

Aunty Chloe having a slide

Max finally convinced Willow to go have a play on the play ground with him.  She was a little half hearted about it, but she does have such a kind heart.  She would much have preferred to be sliding...

A play in the playground..

The only way to get Max out of the playground was to let him know that we were heading back to the Cellar Door to get ice cream.  He loves ice cream, so there definitely was no whinging when
he had to leave the playground.  No melt downs today.

 

 

They were doing special Ekka Strawberry ice creams.  I am sure it was to make people feel like they hadn't missed out on some of the Ekka treats seeing as the Ekka had been cancelled this year due to COVID.

The ice creams were expensive $7.50 each.  Most expensive Ice creams I've ever bought, but we had promised the kids so there was no going back on our promises. 

 

Whilst the girls were lining up for the ice creams,  Max decided he wanted to go up the five flights of stairs to have a look out of the look out windows at the top.  Of course some one had to go with them, and in this instance it was me.  I did surprise myself, I made it all the way up without puffing and my knee only hurt a little when I came down.  

 

There was no sitting up there and savoring the view.  No sooner had we got to the top and Max had looked out one set of windows he was ready to come back down..  They bounded, almost ran down the stairs.  There was no way I could keep up with him..

At the top of the lookout tower...

The views from the top of the tower...

 We were back down before our ice cream order was fulfilled.  We had ordered 5 ice creams, so it was always going to take a little longer for our order to be fulfilled.

We got the kids to sit quietly on the steps whilst they waited.

Max was the first to get his ice cream, then followed by Willow....

Super happy with his big tall ice cream - he managed to eat it all too..

Willow's was enormous and needed a little cup to catch half of it..

Enjoying our ice creams..

Sarah enjoying her's also...

 Once Chloe got her ice cream we headed outside to sit on the grass and finish our ice creams before heading home..

By the time we were ready to leave it was after 3pm.  We have had such a lovely time here, and the kids really enjoyed themself.  Great place to come for a family picnic..  Will definitely be coming again.

Chloe also ran into Gerry, one of the Designers she used to work with at Cardno, and they had a lovely chat too.  The whole day has been perfect,   Perfect weather, perfect company, perfect atmosphere, perfect music, perfect setting, and perfect fun...  What more could you ask for...