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"Getting There"
The Age, Melbourne 

There is a theory that there aren't many original ideas left in the world, but Rosemary Carrick, Alison Harbick and Kiyoyuki Eguchi seem to have hit upon a beauty. They have opened the first Japanese ryokan in Victoria.

Ryokan inns are traditional places of renewal and rejuvenation in Japan. In the Japanese tradition, guests are expected to leave their shoes at the door before stepping into this world of Japanese tranquillity.

The ryokan is best described as minimalist. The simple charms of soft tatami matting under your feet, delicate rice paper shoji screens, serene private Japanese gardens and soft cotton yukata robes make this an unusual guesthouse.

The seven ensuite guest rooms are sparsely furnished but carry an air of Japanese authenticity. The rooms have small Japanese pebble gardens with bamboo water features and there are sliding screens and fresh ikebana flower arrangements in each room.

Each morning, the owners roll away your futon and replace it with a low table and two chairs that are no more than a few centimetres above the tatami matting.

The essentials are there for tea and coffee-making (the tea is green, of course), and a CD player with CD selection is provided. Some, but few, concessions have been made to Western tastes, including spa baths, central heating, double glazing and fabulous soft white sofas in front of an open fireplace in the central dining area.

The meals at Shizuka Ryokan are a highlight. The culinary adventure of the ryokan starts at the breakfast table where guests have the choice of traditional Japanese or full Australian breakfasts. The Japanese breakfast has a tantalising assortment of dishes from miso soup, rice, ocean trout in teriyaki sauce, spinach in sesame dressing, seaweed and cucumber salad and pumpkin stewed in sake and soy sauce. The Aussie version includes scrambled eggs and salmon, cereals and pancakes.

The four-course Japanese dinner can be served in your room or in the central dining area. It includes sake, sushi, miso soup, tempura and undonsuki, a white noodle dish with salmon and prawns.

The romanticism is heightened with indulgences such as in-room shiatsu or aromatherapy massage and there are plans to soon introduce more pamperings like facials and body wraps.

- Robert Upe