It was raining again this morning. It hasn’t stopped raining since we arrived in Australia a week ago. Apparently they haven’t had much rain at all around here either, that is, until we arrived. Perhaps we should get a thank you letter from the people of Australia. We brought the rain …..
In return, Australia has given me some nice hot chocolates to warm me up after being damp constantly. This morning’s hot chocolate was found in the beautiful town of Tilba.
Tilba is a little bit like a dream, the kind of town you see in movies but don’t imagine actually exsists. To get to Tilba you take a windy road up and down over gorgeous rolling hills and rocky cliffs, past fields of happy looking sheep and cows. Central Tilba has a population of 80 and Tilba Tilba (right next door) a population of 30. All this is in the shadow of Mount Dromedary (806m), considered sacred by the indigenous Yuin tribe that originally inhabited the area and then named by Captain Cook because he thought it looked like a camel. The little village of Central Tilba has a historic character which has been preserved and the National Trust classified the entire township in 1974. As you walk through the streets you will discover a two cheese shops, jewelers, leather craftsmen, and of course a healthy selection of cafes to host the constant stream of tourists.
Even in the rain we managed to walk by all the cafes before choosing one. I was in the mood for a good hot chocolate so we took the time to pick the café where we thought we would have the best chance. We chose Tilba Teapot because it was incredible cute and had a gorgeous balcony with a nice comfy sofa. From here we had a stunning view of lush green gardens. Rich even went in ahead of time to ask what kind of hot chocolate they had. “Cadbury” the man in charge of hot chocolates here said “ but I make it really well”.
I have never been a fan of Cadbury hot chocolate as those of you who read my blog regularly will have no doubt noticed. It is incredibly popular, but I find it too sweet. That is, until today. I now realise that maybe it had never been prepared properly. The man was so proud of his creation and rightly so. I don’t know what he did. Maybe the milk was better, or perhaps the amount of powder he used, or maybe it was the rain! Either way, it was a very enjoyable hot chocolate.
Verdict: Definitely worth the short detour off the main hiway to stop in Tilba. Make sure you grab a spot on that sofa on the balcony. Tilba Teapot Café, 17 Bate St., Tilba, Australia
