rubywoo

My workmates threw me a hens party at Clyde Park on the weekend.

We had a two course meal - wood fired pizzas and dessert. The pizzas were fantastic, although a few people didn't like a few of the options (smoked salmon, duck, lamb etc... I'm not fussy though, they were all amazing!) The dessert was divine too, I could have eaten a few more servings! Plus the wine was the perfect accompaniment.

There was live music playing there on Sunday, and even though it was swelteringly hot outside, it was quite cool inside, and there were plenty of fans blowing. The decor is lovely too - quite rustic and natural.

Seeing as I live so close by, but had never been before, I'll be taking my family and friends along there - I'm sure the view from the deck would be even more spectacular during winter when it's all green hills (instead of summer's scorched brown).

We discovered this wine spritzer at a local market (in Shelford, near Geelong) - they sure must travel far and wide! We bought two bottles of the Ned Kelly Red "Heavy" longnecks for $10 ea, and they are delicious!

We're by no means red wine drinkers (in fact, I don't really like the stuff at all) but this spritzer is so good, I'm looking to buy a case of it online.

The only downside is struggling to find stockists - apparently it's held by independent liquor stores, but they don't specify which ones, so we'll probably just place an order online and get it delivered.

Well worth the try if you spot it at a market!!

Very reasonably priced food, wonderful service. Queues for the sandwich bar can get quite long, especially during workers' lunch break. They have a good range of cooked meals, plus sandwiches and sweets.

The decor is quite dated, and it's pretty small inside, but we've never struggled to get a table (I think most people get their food to take away). Cafe Lorae does attract the older crowd for some reason - probably the home style cooked meals and cheap prices!

We've stayed here twice (once two years ago, the other time just this past weekend). We returned because the location is great - right near Southern Cross station, it's a decent price for a two bedroom apartment, and the price is very reasonable.

Some little things let this place down: there was no DVD player remote, there were plenty of marks and peeling paint on the walls, and only two towels in our room despite them knowing four people were staying.

The only real downside, though, is that the rooms can be very noisy, especially at night with the trams rumbling past. On our first stay we had a corner apartment which was much more noisy than the apartment we had this weekend, which looked out over the building next door. It's probably not the place to stay if you are a light sleeper, or are planning on having a hangover!!

The salon is in a beautifully restored period home, with matching decor, and is bright and sunny with great natural light inside. There is a separate, more private room for ladies getting their hair and makeup done for events, plus a great plush couch for any entourage, which is a lovely touch.

The ladies at this salon are really lovely and friendly, and pricing is great (a ladies cut is from $40). They can book out a little in advance so best to make an appointment.

The only thing I would have liked was to be offered a tea, coffee or water while having my treatment done!

We hired Bent Stems to do the flowers for our wedding. They were fantastic to deal with (both over the phone and in person), and we had multiple appointments with them to discuss our options - something they were more than happy to do for us!

I was really amazed at the value - around $25-30 each for bunches of flowers on our reception tables, and $10-20 for buttonholes and corsages for the family. They looked absolutely fantastic on the day.

Delivery and setup was included as well, which saved us a lot of worrying and running around on the day!

We ordered macarons for our wedding from Cake, which were fantastic (not a single one was left at the end of the reception!). They worked with us on colour schemes and flavours, and were very flexible.

The interior of the bakery is just lovely - very kitschy and cute, and the presentation of their cakes and desserts is fantastic. There's only a few tables, and we were there on a Saturday morning and they were full.

There is a little kiddies play corner so they can keep themselves amused while you enjoy a coffee. They also stock a decent range of baking supplies like patty cake cups and also T2 teas.

Eagles Rise has the most amazing view - you can see all the way to Geelong down the valley on a clear day, and the cellar door is an old Sunday School building decorated inside with local photographs and maps from the region.

My favourite of their wines is the Pinot Gris, and my dad loves the Shiraz. Their "wild wines" are all naturally fermented, and great tasting. They also stock old fashioned lollies and chocolates if you've got a sweet tooth.

My fiance and I stayed here for a week getaway. The cabins are located on a beautiful spot high above the Brodribb River - the view from the verandah looked over the valley and farmland behind.

Our cabin was well appointed, and we made great use of the log fire seeing as we were there in the middle of winter! The kitchen was really well equipped, so we cooked some of our own dinners ourselves.

It's only a quick bicycle ride into Marlo (BYO bikes), where there is a pub (with great meals and an amazing view), and a corner store where you can hire kayaks for a few hours (highly recommend this!)

The cabins are down a very rough dirt road - so be prepared for some bumps and pothole dodging along the way!