Breakfast is served in the
original dining room which is furnished to reflect a bygone
era, and the old country kitchen still contains a few
surprises when Christine produces home made muffins,
pancakes and maple syrup and lashings of porridge, brown
sugar and cream on those cold foggy winter mornings for
which the valley is renowned.
The Gazebo is very popular
with guests who like to take their breakfast in the
sunshine, or have a barbeque on warm summer's
evenings. It is ideal for browsing the Sunday papers,
reading a favourite novel or simply soaking up the
atmosphere of Kangaroo Valley.
Laurel Bank is an oasis in
the middle of sprawling dairy country. It is also home to a
couple of sheep, two very friendly dogs called Whitby and
Georgie, and about twenty chickens that supply the very
fresh eggs which make their way to the breakfast
table poached, boiled and fried. Scrambled eggs and
smoked salmon is a speciality of the house.
A traditional B&B, Laurel Bank commenced operating
as a guest house in the early 1920's when it was itself a
dairy farm. The eighty year old milking shed still
exists, where James Nathanial Watson and his wife Sarah,
assisted by their nine daughters tended their herd. In
those days, weary travellers made their way in unreliable
jalopies along dusty dirt tracks. Today, visitors more
often gaze at the spectacular valley views from the comfort
of an air-conditioned car.