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Trevor Pepys samples the Apollonian Hotel Sunday roast
Way back in the mists of time, when the historic Apollonian Hotel had only recently been moved from its Gympie goldfields home to the shores of Lake Cootharaba at Boreen Point, a winter Sunday afternoon often meant driving out to the Lakes district, top down on the Jimney, Bay City Rollers tartan scarf flapping in the breeze, tonguing for a few cold beers and a Sunday roast like mum used to make.
Filling in for mum at the barbecue pit on those glorious sunny afternoons was a young councillor named Bob Abbot, a mere notion of the man he is today, but already trademark smiling behind a bushman’s beard and a mop of black hair. When not burning the pork, Bob might grab a mouth harp from his rucksack, and join the wandering minstrels in the garden to belt out a bush ballad or a 12-bar blues.
Ah, those were the days, my friends, and if the detail is not quite how you remember Sunday roast at the Ap, put it down to Trev’s fondness for an icy cold tap beer on a sunny Sunday arvo. But Big Bob definitely had the tongs, no dispute about that.
So when one of the brood suggested an impromptu convoy of stretch Hummers to transport several generations of Pepyses upriver to Boreen for a gargle and a graze, Trev could hardly contain his enthusiasm, even if it meant pretending to enjoy kicking the footy around on the lawn with the grandbrats.
There was, of course, a fly in the ointment. It being the first weekend of the school holidays, not to mention pre-lockdown, the place was packed. And not only that, but it being the lead-in to the Origin thrashing, the Maroon hordes were already thronging the bar, eager to pour neck oil on the open wound of Queensland’s abysmal performance in the first, knowing in their heart of hearts that it was only going to get worse in the second.
Undeterred, however, Trev forcibly removed a few ne’er-do-wells from a terrace table where he could keep an eye on the barbie-queue (see what I did there?) and still warm his butt at the hearth from time to time. Once the security men had calmed the kerfuffle and ushered the riffraff to a table in the Siberian section of the enormous grounds, and the brats were sorted with a group of kids already kicking a ball around, Trev ordered a low-ranking family member to scurry to the bar and fetch him a Japanese Lager ($9) while he surveyed the offering and was soothed by the mellow sounds of one Fiona O’Shea.
Everything and nothing had changed about the Apollonian since Trev’s last visit. The gardens have grown up beautifully around the old hoop pine and cedar building, and the trees curl magnificently around the eating and entertainment courtyard. The service is still sloppy with a smile, and the bush kitchen churns out rough and ready roasts at a rate of knots, which is still not fast enough. In short, it’s still wonderful.
Trev and the missus opted to keep it simple and share the groaningly Big BBQ Plate ($25) of two meats, a house salad and baked potato with sour cream. We chose the beef brisket and the pulled pork, foregoing the chicken. Others in our mob went with the chook, and on a snatched taste test, perhaps got the better of the deal, the beef and pork having been cooked beyond distinction. And still others chose the beef and pork tacos ($10) which were an absolute winner.
In memory of the good old days, Trev stuck with the lager all afternoon while the missus was having her biannual alcohol-free-day, which resulted in a win-win since the considerable savings on wine consumption could be used to offset the Hummer rental.
The verdict: As a wise man once told Trev, if you go with low expectations, you will never be disappointed. The inside kitchen fare might be another matter, but the barbie offering is no culinary masterpiece. Still, it more than makes up for quality with quantity, and let’s face it, you don’t drive that far to bunt, so get into a few frothing ambers, eat your roast, loosen up and love it! Trev did.
Apollonian Hotel, 19 Laguna St, Boreen Point. Phone 5485 3100.