With the village's general store closing six years ago and its watering hole closing its doors two years ago, late in 2015 farmers Ian and Helen Cathles transformed part of their rural retreat into a country cafe to serve the visitors who flock to this pretty valley.

"It gives visitors somewhere to eat," Helen says. "Otherwise, it's a 45-minute winding drive into Yass."

Wee Jasper, located 50 kilometres to Canberra's north-west, is a haven for campers, boasting not one, but three of our region's most popular campgrounds. Nestled on the banks of the Goodradigbee River (whose trout-laden waters feed Lake Burrinjuck), and a stone's throw from the subterranean wonderland of Careys Caves and the Hume and Hovell Walking Track, Wee Jasper also attracts adventurous day trippers.

While the Duck 'n' Fishes isn't likely to earn a chef's hat in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide (not yet, anyway), it doesn't aspire to do so. This is classic country fare and what it lacks in sophistication, it more than makes up with country charm. Oh, and did I mention the peaceful waterside ambience?

It is also kid-friendly. On the verdant lawns (thanks to good summer rains) that reach down to the lake, the kids (OK, and big kids) create cubbies out of driftwood, scoot around in toy cars and play hide and seek among the trees. This is fun the good old-fashioned way.

Although Cooradigbee is an oasis on a still, sunny day, over lunch, the Cathles, who run several thousand head of sheep for super-fine wool production, explain that farming this valley is not for the faint-hearted. After the 2003 fires ravaged Cooradigbee, a freak hail storm dumped so much ice on the farm, it "created mini avalanches, which washed all the exposed top soil and kilometres of fences with it – tumbling all the way to the valley floor below", Ian says. Apparently, animals were found floating on patches of ice in the dam three days after the storm. Really.

Our friendly hosts also explain the rocks that run in striking vertical lines across the paddocks and into the dam hold evidence of fish from 400 million years ago, when this was part of a tropical ocean and fish with armour on their heads, bodies and even their eyeballs ruled supreme.

"Fossils from this very spot take pride of place in the British Museum of Natural History," Ian says proudly.

If you can tear yourself away from an iced coffee on the comfy cane chairs on the deck, take a wander around the 1909 homestead of pise (rammed earth) with its original timber ceilings, floors and cedar architraves. You'll also be surprised by Helen's eclectic collection of furnishings and textiles, which includes a purple velvet Turkish sultan's caftan, a samurai vest, and a marble-topped and lined French commode table.

The menu isn't bad, either. It features all-day breakfast (you can't go past the farm-fresh poached eggs and the corn fritters) and wide range of burgers and pies to boot.

Sure, Duck 'n Fishes isn't a cafe for the Braddon hipster, but if you are after country fare in a spectacular setting, then beat a path to Cooradigbee Homestead. You can book out the whole cafe for a special soiree, but I reckon it's worth the drive just for a coffee. See you there.

Fact file

Wee Jasper: This pretty village is a 60- to 90-minute drive from most parts of Canberra via Yass (or Uriarra Crossing along a partially sealed road).

Duck 'n' Fishes Cafe: Cooradigbee Homestead, Wee Jasper. BYO, but it expects to be licensed from early March. Open 3pm to 10pm, Thursday to Friday, 11am to 10pm on Saturdays and 9am to 4pm Sundays. Best to call ahead for latest opening hours, directions and to book. Ph: 02 6227 9686.

LOCAL SECRET

Shock and Awe

While the magnitude-3.2 earthquake that centred on Wee Jasper, but was felt as far away as Queanbeyan, this month, didn't result in any significant property damage, it did prompt readers to ask if previous tremors in our region have left any visible damage to man-made structures.

This column is aware of two photos that document minor earthquake damage in our region.

The first is the St Matthews Anglican church in Dalton (about 50 kilometres to Canberra's north), which had its cross knocked crocked by a magnitude-4.0 earthquake in 1984. Maybe it was a sign?

The second photo features the now demolished Cranleigh farmhouse, which was built in the 1920s on land now bounded by Kingsford Smith and Southern Cross Drives in Latham. The large wooden posts prominent in this historic photo were apparently added to provide support after a Canberra quake on an unknown date.

If you have any photos of earthquake damage in the region, please send them to the address at the end of this column.

A trio of celebrations

It is not often this column indulges in personal messages, but special occasions warrant exceptions. Regular readers of The Canberra Times would be aware that George Barlin, of Mawson, a good friend of this column, blew out 100 candles to celebrate his landmark birthday recently (p10, February 14). Iris, George's wife of more than three quarters of a century, marked her personal centenary just weeks earlier on January 27.

This column had the pleasure of meeting the Barlins two years ago while researching a story on the history of 2CA. George, the first employee of the station, explained how, in the 1930s before Canberra airport's control tower, between playing songs, he would direct planes into the airport from 2CA's transmission station on Radio Hill in Fyshwick (Hidden Fyshwick, November 22, 2014).

The landing procedure was astonishingly simple. "I'd tell the pilot when he was directly overhead the station, he'd then head toward Tharwa, do a U-turn and touch down," explained George, who with no weather instruments also had to estimate the wind direction, speed and visibility. "It really was a case of wetting the index finger and sticking it out the window of the studio," he said.

However, it got a little more complex when it was foggy and George would wait outside the station to let the pilot know when he was right over the top of him.

"Often I couldn't hear anything, and was left wondering where the plane was ... and then the phone would ring and one of our listeners would report that he was flying over their house somewhere else in Canberra," said George, who would then immediately relay the information to the pilot.

Next month, the dynamic duo will mark their 78th wedding anniversary. Wow. As a society, we are quick to elevate our sporting stars to hero status, but for me it's folk such as the Barlins, who have been an integral part of weaving the social fabric of our city, who deserve such a lofty title.

CONTACT TIM: Email: timtheyowieman@bigpond.com or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie St, Fyshwick. You can see a selection of past columns at: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/by/Tim-the-Yowie-Man-hvf8o

WHERE IN CANBERRA?

Clue: Passed by thousands of Canberrans on their weekday commute.

Degree of difficulty: Medium.

Last week: Congratulations to Jennifer Kerr, of Bruce, who was first to correctly identify last week's photo (inset), taken by Debbie Cameron, of Ainslie, as Sound System, Jim Lambie's psychedelic installation located on the floor at the entrance of the National Gallery of Australia. Cameron, who reports that "after the shock of seeing the new floor, loved looking at the squares of patterns and the combinations of colours", beat a run of readers, including Ann Smith, of Curtin, Erica Thorp, of Macquarie, and Nicholas Crowther, of Kingston, to the coveted prize.

While Crowther reveals he was reading this article online "just three minutes after walking into the gallery", prompting him to "email off the answer ASAP", his actions beg the question as to why he was perusing these pages rather than appreciating the masterpieces on display in the gallery. Obviously, he is no art aficionado.

The colourful installation divided readers. While Zak Harding, of Farrer, reports "it's not to everyone's taste, but I love it", one clever cultural institute insider fired off this thought-provoking gem: "It's the godawful foyer of the gallery, an installation buggering up the beautiful polished concrete".

How to enter: Email your guess, along with your name and address, to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday, February 20, 2016, with the correct answer wins a double pass to Dendy cinemas.