Withering Frights, the Blue Mountains and a 30th anniversary

When 12 women of a certain age head to the Blue Mountains to celebrate three decades of reading, rioting and ridiculous behaviour, it’s fair to assume the group members already know everything about each other.

Not necessarily.

Surprises prevailed during the Withering Frights book club’s 30th anniversary weekend at Blackheath’s Glenella — a delightful 15-room heritage guesthouse which was the venue for what was supposed to be quiet reflection and scholarly focus on books.

Not so, as Reading Retreats Australia discovered when they hosted the Withering Frights over three uproarious nights at the Federation Queen Anne-style former fine-dining restaurant built in 1905.

The reading retreat was featured in these travel pages last year when the Frights were looking for a destination to celebrate their 30-year-long shared love of books — and other crazy things. The stunning Blue Mountains location, just two hours from Sydney by train or road, made it an ideal destination for interstate visitors.

Who doesn’t get a romantic primary-school memory of Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth’s famous 1813 crossing when they approach the blue haze blanketing the mountains?

Who doesn’t get a bit misty-eyed when they hear the story about these mountains being home to the rare Wollemi pines, which thrived 91 million years ago and were thought to be extinct until 1994, when an off-duty ranger stumbled across a grove of them hidden among the steep cliffs and eucalyptus canopy.

All the more reason to base ourselves in Blackheath, one of four key charming villages known for its part in history along with pristine natural beauty and clean air, making it a popular destination for early pioneers seeking health and wellness in the fresh mountain air.

For around $2500 per person (not including airfares) our package included accommodation, two dinners, three breakfasts, a high tea at the famous Hydro Majestic hotel, free-flowing local wines, tours of Leura and Wentworth Falls, walks in the Blue Mountains and — the icing on the literary cake — a dinner with celebrated author and Weekend Australian columnist Nikki Gemmell. Each Fright was also given a gift bag of six newly released novels.

But amid the laughter, gossip, singing, jumping on couches, birdsong and music, one sound was strangely absent — that of turning pages in books.

Instead, the women unleashed their inner Catherine and Heathcliff on unsuspecting locals when the mountain mist lifted to reveal stunning views and a mix of forest and cliff-top scenery, the perfect setting for a group which named itself after Emily Bronte’s classic — and only — novel, Wuthering Heights.

Books were abandoned as the women roamed the Wentworth Falls loop track, trying their hardest to get a sneaky look at waterfalls while getting themselves into the occasional spot of bother (read: lost).

But if you think I am going to reveal any secrets here, no; what happens on book club weekends definitely stays on book club weekends. And I’m looking at you Patrick from Fret Buzz band, the Blackheath-based musos who got the septuagenarians rocking on Saturday night at the New Ivanhoe Hotel in a delirious frenzy of nostalgic J.J. Cale and Elvis classics. The New Ivanhoe Hotel is an art deco classic pub with friendly service, great chicken schnitzels and live entertainment.

Pretending to be groupies was just one high point for the Frights.

Others were the Friday night dinner with Nikki Gemmell, whose appearance was pure serendipity, as she joined the dots on three decades the club has been together with her latest novel, Wing, a modern-day take on Picnic At Hanging Rock, described variously as an explosive, contemporary literary thriller and a soul-stirring exploration of womanhood.

The Frights had just finished this novel and could easily have emulated the story of four teenage girls who go missing while on a camping trip, as they roamed the Blue Mountains, getting lost.

Gemmell’s commentary on womanhood, power, patriarchy and resilience dovetailed uncannily back to the first book the Frights discussed in their inaugural meeting in May 1995.

That was Helen Garner’s non-fiction book, The First Stone, about two Ormond College students who accused a college master of sexual harassment.

And then there is the novel which inspired the Frights’ name, Wuthering Heights, the haunting gothic tale centred on the cruelty and bad male behaviour of Heathcliff.

Did we discuss such things with Gemmell when we had her captive at the table?

You bet we did. Along with subjects like private-school parents, whether pockets are part of the patriarchy, the Archibald Prize, the fallout from Gemmell’s earlier novel, The Bride Stripped Bare — published anonymously in 2003— teal political candidates, newspaper ownership, whether she reads reviews on her novels, menopause, Adolescence and a host of other questions from the fan-girl Frights.

The dinner, held at Glenella in the vast dining room, was over way too soon. But, as the Frights discovered, the Blue Mountains are not just for literary hounds. There were plenty of other options for weekend visitors. Here’s just a few.

Markets

There are markets at every turn for enthusiasts, ranging from organic foods and collectables to local arts and crafts.

The Leura CWA Hall markets every first, second and third weekend of the month are a forgotten world, steeped in the comforting warmth of handcrafts, bacon and egg rolls and music.

One particularly touching interaction for the Frights was to come across Brazilian man Marcos Thorne-Barbosa, who was deep in satisfied concentration over his crochet project, surrounded by crocheted animals — giraffes, turtles, ducks, mice. Somehow he seemed to have imbued each lovingly crafted animal with his own gentle personality and sad eyes. The Frights fell in love with him and raided the little store with gifts for their grandies.

Outside the 1950s building we stopped by Nev’s Record Crate, run by Neville Sergent, a man whose mouth waters at the sight of vinyl. Here the Frights, in another moment of serendipity, picked up a $5 soundtrack of the film Wuthering Heights. And this one starred the best Heathcliff of all — Timothy Dalton, which got the Frights gushing.

Vintage and op shopping

Whether you’re searching for a pair of Mollini boots, a fluffy pale-blue jacket, a lambswool jumper, a pair of London Boy track pants normally retailing for $230 or a pair of sparkly sequinned boots, you’ll find it — or something better — at Red Cross, Anglicare, Sweet Charity and Leura Vintage. All are ideal places, on the quaint old streets, for a fossick. And the Frights came away decked with the bounty listed above.

High tea at Hydro Majestic

It’s almost a cliche to have a high tea in the Blue Mountains. But if you are going to succumb you may as well do it in grand white-tableclothed style with a pianist tinkering away nearby. The views of Megalong Valley from the classy Wintergarden restaurant of the historic heritage-listed building, which once operated as a health retreat, are spectacular.

For $70pp (bubbles at $15 a glass) there’s three tiers of sandwiches, pastries and homemade scones with cream and jam. Afterwards you can tour the building and soak up some of its varied history.

Side-B Vinyl Bar, Blackheath

The beauty of travel is stumbling across the unexpected. And that’s what the Frights did when wandering around Blackheath on a Saturday morning.

Peering through the window of this cute little cocktail bar we discovered a heap of vinyl among the mid-century decor and vowed to come back later when the bar was open.

Owner Michael O’Brien was behind the bar overseeing a live jazz trio and said there was no room at the inn.

But some friendly locals let the Frights share their table and, two negronis later, we emerged with a couple of new mates and warm fuzzies all round.

Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mt Tomah

At an altitude of 1000m, these gardens, specialising in cool-climate plants, are the highest in Australia and the only ones in the world located within a World Heritage-listed area.

Take the Gondwana Walk on the south-east edge of the gardens and you’ll not only get spectacular views and, maybe, a peek at 150 bird species, but it’s also one of the few places to see the Wollemi pines which were around when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

The Wollemi pine is one of the world’s rarest and oldest tree species and was presumed extinct until 1994 when it was rediscovered in a rugged canyon in the Wollemi National Park. The exact location of these wild pines with dark green foliage and bubbly black bark remain a closely guarded secret, but the species has been successfully propagated, with the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden playing a crucial role in saving this “living fossil” from extinction. Definitely one for the bucket list.

Chris Darwin

Almost as exhilarating as the Wollemi pines story is the discovery of the little known fact that Chris Darwin, the great-great-grandson of British naturalist Charles Darwin, is a Blue Mountains resident and a passionate guide of the area.

Sydney Bespoke Tours offers the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the “father of the theory of evolution” with Chris Darwin in a guided tour through the Wentworth Falls trail with a two-course lunch included.

Chris and his wife Jacqui and their three children live in Glenbrook and founded the not-for-profit charity The Darwin Challenge, with the vision to help humanity adapt to the realities of the 21st century, and have created a mobile app to encourage people to eat a meat-free diet.

Chris is available to take groups on a half-day or full-day walk in which he weaves the story of Charles and wife Emma’s Blue Mountains visit in 1836 as part of the HMS Beagle journey.

thedarwinchallenge.org

RoseyRavelston Books, Lawson

This labyrinthine store is a warm, welcoming haven stocking fiction, non-fiction and second-hand books. It’s also a safe place for anyone regardless of gender, sexuality, religion and politics. Dogs, too, are welcome. Echo, the 16-year-old Labrador of owners Zac and Cath, thumps his tail to anyone browsing for a treasure such as Ronnie Wood’s biography or Gough Whitlam sayings — both of which were snapped up by the Frights. There is also a section devoted to books written by refugees so their plight is never forgotten and the bookstore donates 50 per cent of profits to charities supporting refugees.

There’s much, much more to explore in the Blue Mountains and the Frights vowed to be back soon. But we’ll do it a bit sooner than for our 60th anniversary when we’ll all be approaching 100. But beware the Fret Buzz band. We will still be rocking the dance floor.

fact file

+ Expect to pay $2300 per night to book the whole Glenella house with 15 bedrooms on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It has a policy of a two-night minimum and there are seven en-suite bedrooms on the main floor.

+ Reading Retreats Australia has another retreat coming up at a luxurious country estate in the Yass River Valley for two nights on September 12-13, which starts at $1499 per person. readingretreatsaustralia.com.au