A
few days before the weekend, I was pleasantly surprised when Alexandria and
Dexter invited me to visit his parents and go for a drive to visit country
towns close to the Blue Mountains.
Alex
and Dex were fitting out their recently renovated house and were seeking
suitable vintage items that will match with their home décor. They knew that I
was keen on visiting country towns to browse in the small shops so they
graciously invited me on this outing.
Alex and Dex invited me on a visit to Leura
That
morning, the drive to Blacktown was about 30km with a stretch on the motorway
to reach his family home.
As
we alighted from the car, we were enveloped by the aroma of fragrant spices
from someone’s kitchen. When the front entrance opened and we were welcomed in
by Letitia, Dex’s mother, it was confirmed that the aroma was coming from their
kitchen.
Dex’s
father, Anthony, came out to be introduced and quickly returned to the kitchen
to put the final touches to the Lamb Biryani as he was the chief cook. 
Freshly cooked Lamb Biryani [Left]
His
reputation as a good cook preceded him because I was duly informed ahead of our
visit. I was pleased when he announced, “Another 20 minutes.”
Yummy!
This meant that we should have the privilege to savour his freshly cooked Lamb Biryani
in a short while.
Meanwhile
it was a pleasure to get acquainted with Letitia, fondly called Letty, as she
shared about the culture and heritage of their family with its origins in Goa,
India. 
A serving of Lamb Biryani
to be topped with a dollop of yogurt
Alex
and Dex had invited Letty to join us on the outing to the country towns so
after enjoying an early lunch of Lamb Biryani, dotted with tender pieces of
lamb, drizzled in yogurt, we set off on a drive into the hills.
After
a brief discussion between Alex and Dex, they decided that we should go to
Leura, a charming town in the Blue Mountains, located about 100km West of
Sydney.
Dubbed,
“The Garden Village” and the “Jewel in the Mountains Crown,” this destination
is famous for its boutique shopping streets that offers a quieter, more scenic
alternative to neighbouring Katoomba.
Charming old buildings in Leura
Even
though Leura is located about 985 meters above sea level and the weather should
be cooler, on that bright summer’s day of our visit, the temperature soared to
above 40 sweltering degrees. Whew!
While
it may only take a few minutes to walk from one end of the main street to the
other, the scorching heat and the steep gradient combined to encourage visitors
to pause at the ice-cream shop to get their icy treats.
From
the number of crowds milling about, it was clear that such touristy mountain
towns with shops for antiques, vintage and preloved items, are a magnet for
visitors, especially on weekends. 
Down the main street in Leura
I
observed that visitors – many like us – escaped into the interior of the shops
for a brief, cool respite from the heat outdoors. Whew!
As
we browsed around, the merchants cannot help but noticed our sweaty (Read: wilting)
looks. And one even welcomed me to move closer to the air-conditioner blower to
cool down for a bit.
While
we were in Leura, Alex and Dex decided that we should also visit nearby
Katoomba, renowned as the most visited town in the Blue Mountains.
The Post Office shop in Katoomba
So
Dex drove us to Katoomba where we explored the charming shops in search of some
vintage treasure.
We
followed the sign into the Katoomba Post Office building which housed an
eclectic array of vintage collectibles and memorabilia.
Outside,
a poster reminded visitors to look out for the Vintage Post Mistress.
And there she was, seated behind one of the counters, all dressed up,
accessorized and wigged in 50’s vintage glamour.
A sign seen inside the
Wayzgoose Cafe in Leura
She
probably took pity on my wilted looks and invited me to take a seat close to
the vintage vinyl record player – playing a vintage rock ‘n roll song – and
rest for a bit!
Shopping
and browsing in such intense warm weather, was very exhausting and when it was
time to pause for some refreshments, we discovered that most of the cafés were
nearing closing time or already closed.
So
we headed back to Leura and went to the Wayzgoose Café for drinks and pastries.
It
was good to sit down after exploring the country towns. I did not realise how
parched I was until I tasted my fresh juice and almost finished it in one gulp.
Inside
this cosy café, I spotted some clever but sarcastic signs put up as part of the
décor and was amused by them.
After
our refreshment break, we enjoyed a smooth drive back to Blacktown to drop
Letty home. She graciously asked us to bring some takeaway Lamb Biryani back
for Malcolm and Yeen to enjoy. [I was pleased that the takeaway portion was
enough to share with us at dinner!]
Look! Its Sticky Date Pudding again!
On
the return drive, there was the usual weekend traffic and when we reached home,
Yeen was busy in the kitchen, not only preparing dinner but also making another
Sticky Date Pudding!
Then
after dinner, she announced that the pudding was ready and we should eat it
while it was warm. This was enough of an invitation to help ourselves to a
portion each, drizzled with butterscotch sauce, a fitting end to an eventful day
visiting hilly country towns.
#MyJohorStoriesTravelogue
#MyJohorStoriesJanuary2026
