Sunday 28th May 2017 - Eat Your History Autumn Harvest Festival @ Rouse Hill House and Farm

This is a first time event I am attending therefore I am unsure of what to expect.

It only runs between 9 am and 3 pm today with the first shuttle bus leaving Riverstone train station (unsure where yet) at 8.55 am.

In order to get there by 8.55 am I would have to catch the 6.41 am bus to Chatswood Station and connect onto the 7.09 am train direct to Riverstone Station which takes around 1 hour and 49 minutes. Arriving at Riverstone train station at 8.39 am according to trip planner.

I missed the bus so had to catch the next one at 7.05 am and connect with the 7.39 am train direct to Riverstone on the Richmond line. It is a very long trip ( upto just under 2 hours direct then onto a connecting shuttle which is another 15 minutes or approx 7 km from Riverstone train station) so I bought some snacks with me. Water is essential of course.

No wifi , power points or toliets on the trains therefore hopefully I won't need to use them. - it is just like going to the Blue Mountains which is a 2 hour train trip - NOT!

Let's hope I don't get stuck out there as there is no public transport to and from Rouse Hill House and Farm.

To be continued.

What a perfect day to be out and about on a farm (although it became a little windy in the early afternoon). After arriving at Riverstone train station. The first thing I noticed was that it was an old long narrow 2 platform train station with a a railway crossing at one end of the train station. To get to the other platform you have to walk to one end of the platform and wait until the train has left the station in either direction and cross over the train tracks.  There are electronic gates controlling pedestrians which only open automatically when it is safe to cross but even with these I felt unsafe.

First thing I did was was look for where the shuttle bus might stop as there was no signage or people around to ask. There was only one other person waiting at the station entrance therefore I asked him if there was suppose to be a shuttle bus going out to Rouse Hill House and Farm for the Autumn Harvest Festival and if so which side of the station did it stop on. He was also going to the event deciding not to drive but take the free shuttle from the station as parking was limited around the farm and advised me according to the Rouse Hill House and Farm website under Events there was another bus due around 8.25 am but he didn't think it would be on the otherside of the station as there was nowhere to stop there. This was the logical stop. I agreed. I was aware that I had missed the 8.55 am shuttle bus but unaware that there was actually a schedule online available so I Googled it and downloaded it. He also mention that maybe the sign doesn't get put up until the second shuttle bus arrives. We wait  and yep he was right. The second shuttle arrives on time and we alight the old restored 1970s single decker rounded blue and white striped gorvernment bus with a driver and assistant on board - one who puts the shuttle bus sign up outside of Riverstone train station. The guy that was waiting with me for the shuttle bus asks me how I knew that was the shuttle bus? I advised him that for these events they always use these types of buses. For the Spring Festival in September at Elizabeth Farm they use the green and white striped ones although they use multiple buses that run more frquently rather then just one bus every half an hour doing a loop betwwen Riverstone train station and Rouse Hill House and Farm.

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Arrive at the Visitors Centre around 10 am and first thing is to have a look around inside of the indigenous display of native plants and grab an information brochure which includes a map of  Rouse Hill House and Farm and what's on at Rouse Hill House and Farm. We were one of the first people to arrive on the free shuttle bus. The car parks were already filling up. There was no one on the 8.55 am shuttle bus.

Photos attached.

First stop a walk uphill towards the main house and event area via the resident Rouse Hill House and Farm cows , calves and bulls including a visiting bull who kept being bullied by the alpha bull who permanently resides there. The calves were only a few weeks old but were already very large. The alpha bull towered over all the other bulls in the paddock. We stopped to have a closer look over the fence and ask questions about them. It was feeding time and kids had the opportunity to feed the bales of lucerne to them. It is quite a sight seeing a herd of cows bulls and calves along the fence beside a main road with cars speeding by.

Photos attached.
Apologies having trouble uploading photos
Let's try again.

Next stop the main event area further up the hill past the main house . The first outbuilding tour (which I mistakenly called outhouse tour) was about to start at 10 am and was about half an hour long. Although these ran throughout the day we were advised to go on this one as they would fill up later on in the day and we may not get to go on one therefore I decided that "we" should do this first. They asked for a name so I just gave them my surname to register for the tour. Were given a flourescent sticker with a cursive "R" on it to stick onto our jackets. Our volunteer guide then informed us of a few safety rules - not to touch any fencing as they are electric fences and not to walk in front of him as there may be brown snakes (very venomous) slivering around in the long grass. Our guide was very informative and took us around most of the outbuildings except the stables as it was unaccesable for the day (reason unknown) all along the way giving us a history of each building and the Rouse family.

Photos attached

After the outbuilding tour I decided to head for the market stalls to buy some specialty items. It was a good idea as several of the food stalls ran completely out of produce by 1 pm. I purchased a loaf of seeded sour dough first as I really needed some bread which was on my grocery list to buy. I wanted some cultured butter too but was unsure whether to purchase now or later. I decided in the end not to purchase any as it may not survive the long trip home even in my cooler bag as it was quite warm today. I also purchased an African cucumber which I spotted was for sale at the Sydney Living Museum stall. It was a spiky looking fruit?vegetable? apparently tastes just like a cucumber. I wasn't sure about the snake zucchinis as they didnt look like they would be good through my sprializer or bush lemons which were described by one stall attendant as being "more feral" then normal lemons and that people had purchased the bulk of before I arrived leaving only the not so attractive ones left for purchase.

I also purchased a bottle of sparkling bush tonic - all that was left as most of the cordials made up in all flavours had sold out leaving only concentrated bottles of flavoured cordials for purchase. Bargain why purchase a cup of flat flavoured cordial for $4 when you can have a full bottle of sparkling flavoured cordial for $8. It was a hot day and it was easier to carry a bottle of something to drink rather then an open cup with a straw. I just asked for a straw and empty cup. Ice optional.

I also purchased a booklet listing seasonal produce thtoughout the year - very helpful for budgeting and grocery shopping.

Then I tasted some Bilpin honey - raw honey in its honeycomb but didnt purchase any .I purchased a small bottle of  non alcoholic apple cider (only apple available - much more choice in alcoholic) . I also tasted some vegan chocolate slice but didn't purchase any instead opting to purchase 100g of my favourite dried fruit - dried mulberries.  I love munching on these. If you haven't tried these I recommend you do. I first discovered these in Canada at a bulk foods store many years ago. I tried the Inca berries as well but wasn't so keen on them - a bit tart - maybe next time. I did expect to see a little more fresh produce but there wasn't any except for potted herbs and greens. Instead there was a few sausages and small goods, a lot of oils, cutneys, jams, preserves, conserves, dukkah, marmalades, marinated soft cheeses and kitchen gadgets and accessories. Food began to run out by 1 pm there buying early was good planning. (Back up sausage sizzle and cafe I found down near other car park at Aboriginal Cultural Centre near Guntawong Road - quite a walk from main event area)

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Next was the the chickens ( real and fake) and the horses on the farm - yes more animals and a quick lunch break whilst having a look at what else was on and whether I wanted to attend any of them. Besides "Meet the Rouse Hill House Cows" , "Outbuilding Tours" and "House Viewings" (which I did at the end of my day at Rouse Hill House and Farm) other tours and workshops included "Composting and Worm Farming" and "Raising Backyard Chickens" - neither of which I attended. Food demonstrations included "Reducing Your Food Waste" and "Making Bone Broths". Talks included "Food Heritage" , "Comforts and Cures" and "Kitchen Thrift". I did not end up attending any of the talks or food demonstrations either as some clashed with tours.

Photos attached. Apologies problems uploading photos yet again.

Apologies once again I am getting really frustrated with blogger - it just lost the last 3rd of my blog and all the photos I tried to upload.

Photos reuploaded

Final activity of the day House viewing which is by gold coin donation. Blue plastic shoe covers were orovided to stop the amount of dirt entering the house and protect the fragile original carpet. Large bags to be left outside - although cloaking was mentioned somewhere on the website it was unavailable. Itens not to be touched inside the house and we were not allowed to go upstairs. Viewing extended outside of the house to the gardens which featured the bathhouse potting shed and a summer house. Most important question was where was the kitchen? Apparently not for public access - hidden behind the house it was behind the first of 4 locked wooden doors. Each of the 4 doors was a different room Kitchen Scullery Larder and Pantry. Opposite these were 2 other rooms the wet room or laundry and the drying room - both of which were open for oublic viewing. Next to the laundry was a built in oven which looked like it had been used to bake bread in the past however when opened it contained  2 full metal loaf tins of assorted plates. The story tells the last Rouse member to live at the house upto 1993 was a very eccentric old man who was a collector/horder hence the collection of plates in the oven. He also apparently painted the kitchen dark brown and the oantry room is a storage room of conatiners of all sorts - possibly a junk room?

Photos attached  reuploaded

It was all about the chickens , walk back down to the Aboriginal Education Centre near Guntwong Road car park and the visit to the old school house complete with original school bell and pole. Then final house viewing before walking back down to the Visitors Centre, a quick toilet stop and catching the 1.40 pm free shuttle (no I wasn't the only one on the shuttle) back to Riverstone station to connect with 2.15 pm train back to Chatswood and breaking the long trip by getting off at Townhall station and connecting onto an M40 bus directly home instead of having to connect from Chatswood on the next bus back in the opposite direction. Home around 4 pm.

Rating 8/10. Long but enjoyable day out for fanilies with kids or anyone curious to visit a farm. People movers between car parks and event areas available on day for less mobile people. Good backup of a sausage sizzle and cafe at the Aboriginal Education Centre near Guntawong Road car park as some stalls ran out of produce by 1 pm sausage sizzle cheaper alternative for families with kids if they did not bring a byo picnic lunch with them. Things to see and do along the way to event area. Note as per website enclosed shoes must be worn as the property is quite large requiring a bit of walking and there is uneven terrain around the property.