December 2012

Season's Greetings from The Buckland!

Are you looking for the perfect last minute Christmas Gift without having to face the crowds?

With the festive season only a coupel of weeks away why not surprise the special person in your life with a gift certificate for a romantic getaway?
Gift certificates are available for accommodation packages or any amount you specify and are valid for 12 months.
Purchase online or call us on 0419 133 318.
Gift certificates can be dispatched instantly by email or, if you prefer, sent by snail mail either directly to the recipient or yourself.

Alpine Valleys’ Wine Picnic, 14th and 15th of January 2012

Awaken your senses with a weekend of delicious regional food and exciting cool climate wines from our spectacular Alpine Valleys.

On Saturday, savour the region's innovative wine styles and and delicious food on the leafy banks of the Ovens River in Bright. Wander through the stalls, dangle your feet in the cool mountain waters and relax to live music into the night.

On Sunday, the Alpine Valleys wineries, restaurants and farm gates throw open their doors to welcome visitors to a range of special events. Explore the Valleys and discover live music performances, special cellar door releases, al-fresco lunches, wine and food matching, tours, a beer-fest and much more. Take advantage of the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail and cycle between venues, or enjoy the scenic drive along Victoria's Great Alpine Road.
For more information visit http://www.alpinevalleysvignerons.com.au/events/details/10-alpine-valleys-wine-picnic.html

We still have some vacancy for this weekend. Hurry up and call us on 0419 133 318 or make your booking online now!

The secrets of Mt. Buffalo and twilight dinner at Ringer Reef Winery

Join MIck and Jack from Hedonistic Hiking on Sun., 22nd Jan. 2012 to discover the lesser-known trails of Mount Buffalo.  This 12 km guided hike takes you off the beaten track to a secret spot with fabulous views down to the valley.  Learn about the flora and fauna unique to this beautiful granite mountain. Swimming opportunity in Lake Catani.   After a rest at The Buckland, you will be taken up to Ringer Reef Winery for a wine tasting and tour of the vineyard and then, as the sun is setting, have a fabulous dinner on their terrace with a range of Ringer Reef wines included.   

What's Included?

- 2 nights accommodation in one of our studios with daily full country style breakfast - Fully guided walk with experienced guide.
- Fantastic picnic lunch prepared with local fresh produce.
- 3 course dinner at Ringer Reef winery including wine and talk by wine maker Bruce Holm.
- Transfers from The Buckland

Total Package price is $ 950 per couple in one of our studios, add an additional night for only $200 (incl. breakfast), call 0419 133 318 to book.

The Bright Rockabilly, Ink and Oil Festival will be held again on 3-4-5 of March 2012.

• - Rockabilly Music Festival with 10+ live bands and DJs
• - Rock ’n Roll Dance Lessons & Competitions
• - Vintage Flea Market
• - Swap Meet
• - Fashion Shows & Pin Up Competition
• - Melbourne Sultans Hot Rod Club Show 'n' Shine

Now take the Polka Dot Dress out of the mothballs and get ready to Rock 'n Roll.

Here is our special Rockabilly Package:

3 nights accommodation for two in one of our studios incl. daily full breakfast,
2 weekend passes for all festival events,
Tons of fun

and only $ 999 per couple, call 0419 133 318 to book.

Visit the Bright R.I.O. website for more information and full event program.   

Fine Wining and Dining in February and March

Our Lazy Lunch Italian Style on the 18th of February still has a few spots left, but we are fully booked for accommodation. If you’d like to join us for the lunch we can help you find alternative accommodation. Just give us a ring on 0419 133 318.

If you missed out on our Lazy Lunch in February, how about an ‘Exclusive Degustation at Dusk' in March?

Boyntons' exclusive and intimate degustation at dusk on the terrace will feature head chef Eddie Huynh’s exquisite food, matched with unique Feathertop wines. Limited to 12 guests, this event is part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
At dusk as the sun sets behind Mount Buffalo, a degustation dinner will be served under a canopy of vines on the terrace of Boynton’s Winery. Head chef Eddie Huynh will present a french and japanese inspired menu that is not only exquisite to taste but each dish a delicate art form. Matched with Feathertop Wines, winemaker Kel Boynton will present a wine matching experience to remember, talking through some of his most celebrated creations.

We offer a special package for the occasion including:

• 2 nights accommodation (Fri & Sat 16th and 17th of March 2012 or Sat & Sun, 17th and 18th of March)
• country style breakfasts at our breakfast lounge on both mornings
• Dinner and wines at Boynton’s on the Saturday
• Transfer to Boynton's and back to The Buckland

Total package price$ 1,050 per couple in one of our studios (add $70 to stay in No.5), you can add an additional night for only $200 (in a studio). Call 0419 133 318 to book.

Chef Eddie Huynh offers private degustation dinners for groups of 6 to 8 throughout the year. So bring your friends, stay @ The Buckland and enjoy a unique and very exclusive dining experience! Call 0419 133 318 for more information.

Happy Festive Season and Best Wishes for 2012 !

Hope to see you again soon ... 

Sabine, Eddie and The Buckland Zoo

stay@thebuckland.com.au
www.thebuckland.com.au
Tel: 0419 133 318

For updates on news, last minute specials and seasonal offers, follow us on

September 2011 Update

Spring, my favorite time of the year, has finally arrived after a long, wet winter!

Read about feasts, romantic escapes and, for the first time, about modern art in the valleys:

Time and Place

Seven sisters by Gabriella Possum

Bright Art Gallery is showcasing a unique exhibition of modern Aboriginal paintings in an exhibition titled 'Time and Place'. About 30 paintings and a selection of artifacts from many parts of Australia are on display, including a rare possum skin cloak by Vickie Couzens.

The exhibition includes works by Billy Doolan, Craig Charles, Luke and John Cummins, Faith Thompson - it is the "little sister" to a larger exhibition of works by the same artists, currently held in Italy.  

I have seen some of the pieces in a sneak preview and they have absolutely blown me away. The paintings are mostly large canvasses and some of the colors on display are simply stunning. I am told that some pieces have never been shown in public. Even if you always thought that Aboriginal art is not your thing, this exhibition may change your mind!

We are already fully booked for the opening weekend, but the exhibition is on show daily from Sept 10th to October 8th, so there are plenty of opportunities for you to visit the exhibition, whilst enjoying a few beautiful spring days at The Buckland.

Spring Special

Book 2 or more nights to stay before the end of November and we' ll give you an additional night for free. Offer available Sundays to Thursdays in one of our studios. If you can't stay the extra night, why don't enjoy a late check-out instead. Check availability online or call 0419 133 318  to book. Some conditions apply. 

More Lazy Long Lunches…

Boynton’s Feathertop will have one of their long lunches on Oct 8th starring guest Chef Adam Pizzini of Rinaldo's in Wangaratta (formerly Dal Zotto Winery in the King Valley). Tickets are $150 per head including 6 course lunch & matched wine and bus transfer from and to the The Buckland.
Stay the weekend at The Buckland, and we’ll give you the Sunday night free of charge as a bit of a treat.
The total package price for 2 (or 3) nights in one of our studios including the Long Lunch at Boyntons is $940.

Hurry, only two package left, call 0419 1333 18 to book. 

Lazy Long Lunch Italian Style

Our (almoust traditional) long lunch will be on again on the 18th of February 2012 and we are offering the same special package as this year:
• accommodation Friday, Saturday and Sunday night (17th, 18th & 19th of Feb.)
• daily country style full breakfast
• lazy lunch on Saturday with matched locally grown and imported premium Italian wine.
• guided walk and picnic on Mt Buffalo on Sunday with Jackie and Mick
• a very late check-out on Monday or, if you have the time, you can stay the Monday night free of charge.
The total package price in one of the two remaining studios is again $1,399 /couple.   

Celebrate spring and ....

… spoil the one you love with 4 nights accommodation in a luxury studio with a bottle of chilled Prosecco, quality chocolates and a bunch of roses on arrival. Then calm the body and mind with 2 x 1 hour massages in your accommodation.  
4 night stay - $1,245 per couple all inclusive (normally $1,540)
Valid until 23rd of December 2011, some conditions apply. Call 0419 133 318 to book. 

Cosmo off to greet more guests ...

(image courtesy of our lovely guests Ron & Bez Race) 

Cosmo joined The Buckland Team earlier this year. His initial job description "second in charge of security" did however not quite suit him: nobody was fooled by his obvious lack of interest in guarding the place and since enthusiastically greeting everybody is much more his thing, he is now in charge of "customer meet & greet".

We have over the years made a few exceptions by allowing some 4 legged guests to stay at The Buckland with their humans. So far we never had any problems, which is why we have decided to invite our repeat customers to bring the pooch. Make sure though that you make arrangements with us well in advance so that we can ensure that only ever one 4 legged guest is visiting at the same time. Some conditions apply.  

Hope to see you this spring!
Sabine, Eddie and the Zoo @ The Buckland

Winter 2011 update:

Snow has arrived early this year with Mt. Buffalo sporting a snow cap as early as May. Autumn was particularly color full this year. The plentyful summer rains gave the decidious trees in Bright and the whole Alpine Valleys a real lift. The valley are still lush and green all around inspite of heavy frost in the mornings.

Escape to a romantic winter retreat:

The winter special this year again offers an additional night free of charge for any bookings of 3 or more nights in one of our studios. Check our Specials & Last Minute page for more information and pricing

Our website will receive a make-over in the near future:

But before we tackle the re-lauch of www.thebuckland.com.au with up-dated image galleries and a sleek new surface, we recently had a bit of fun creating a website for the romantics in all of us: www.romanticgetaways-victoria.com.au showcasing The Buckland's 5 romantic getaways with new image galleries and links to our facebook page and tripadvisor reviews.

Romantic wood fires for a very romantic setting:

Everybody needs a break! That's a fact, no matter what your boss says.  You bring the favourit person in your life, we provide the romantic setting. Book your winter escape now!