Lunch at The Muddy Duck

26 August 2019 / Words by Patrick McBride. Photos by Patrick McBride and Giulia Schiemer

Sunday 31 July2019

The Merino Café at Gunning was kept busy with coffee, tea and food orders for 30 mins with the arrival of 13 MX-5s and one Renault for a pit stop on the way to lunch at Murrumburrah. Less than an hour into our run to the Muddy Duck in Murrumburrah, the strong call of wild coffee was enough to pull on the brakes and cruise into downtown Gunning for 'a fix'. Some enjoyed refreshments at tables in the sunny courtyard, others in the warmer interior of the café.

It had been a brisk winter morning that saw us depart the Hall Lay-by at 9.30 am and drive in split convoy along the back roads to Gunning; thanks go to Norm and Roz Barker for leading the second group.

After finishing our morning tea and snacks, we continued along the Hume Highway and Lachlan Valley Road to our lunch destination at the Muddy Duck Café, now located in the Light Horse Hotel in Murrumburrah. Outside it was sunny but chilly so we settled in gratefully to the spacious period dining room warmed by an open fire. The meals were excellent even if slow to arrive. In fairness it should be mentioned we were a half hour earlier than our nominated arrival time.

After pleasant dining and chatting we made our separate ways home, choosing our own routes.

(And as always there’s a few who just don’t want to go home, LOL, so it was coffee in Yass on the way back. GS)