Wine Tasting In The Hunter

Sunset in The Hunter.

Everyone knows that Australia makes loads of wines, and quite decent ones at that. Go anywhere in the world, and you can find a Penfold's, Jacob's Creek or a Wolf Blass. To be fair, if you do live outside of Australia, you're probably not really getting the good stuff - as we keep that for ourselves - that and if you live in Spain or France, where they have their own big industry, Australian wines are competition. I do love a good cheap French wine with some brie and fresh, crusty bread, sitting in a park in the sun and scoffing it all down - mmmmm!!

My favourite kind - drink now!

Back on track - I will stick to Australia! Most people have heard of The Barassa Valley in South Australia (just near Adelaide in fact), and it was also mentioned in previous blogs. This is the main region in Australia, and probably makes the best wines. There is also the Yarra Valley in Victoria, which I've never visited. The Hunter Valley is New South Wales' answer to the Barossa, and lies 2.5 hours north of Sydney, not far from Newcastle. In fact, The Hunter Valley was the first region in the country to be settled for wine making, and the first Australia wine was exported in 1822. The region is just outside the country town of Cessnock (with a population 20,000), has over 120 wine prodcuers and produces many wines from grapes such as Shiraz, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon.

A lovely case for your favourite bottle.

Two of my friends from the UK (Harry and Ania) were over visiting, staying for two and a half weeks at the end to their 9 months gallivanting around Asia, before heading back home. These are the same 2 friends that I went to Nepal with, and also taught in Spain with. They had already taken me to their first (and mine believe it or not) Aussie Rules game ever, and so we decided to do a bit of wine tasting together. Before leaving, we made a pact - no spitting! We would be swallowers all the way! Well, you're one of the other, and no one likes wasting good wine!

Wine barrels at McGuigan's.

Sound advice!

Some of the local wildlife.

Driving overnight, we made it up just in time to see an absolute ripper of a football match between Australia and Chile. Just to clarify, I call it football now, instead of soccer, as I have spent many years in the UK and Europe and it's just a habit. Although the result wasn't a good one for Australia (and we have since lost our 2nd game, effectively putting us out of the World Cup), we played a brilliant game, way above what our world ranking says. After the slightly disappointed ending to the game, it was a great start to our day - 10am and our first winery! Our first stop was Wynward Estates - and we were greeting by 2 lovely girls serving sparkling Chardonnay with cheese and crackers! Great way to clense the palet, and unfortunately not done by any other winery on our tour. Wynward - points to you! The wines were also lovely, the staff friendly and knowledgable, so much so that the next day we went back and bought some of their lovely Merlo (and had a few tastes just to make sure!).

An old bottle at Drayton's.

Nice glass, shame about the wine.

Not recently...

We visited about 5 other cellars, and I could talk about all of them, but I wont. McGuigan's was a little disappointing to be honest though. It was our last stop, and promised to be good as we there was a big cheese shop attached to the main building. We didn't get any cheese with the wine, the wines were mostly white (I'm a reds man), and staff a little annoying and seemed not to actually want us there tasting. Losers - didn't buy there! Drayton's on the other hand is worth mentioning. It is also the place where we had lunch - a lovely spot of Angus beef with a hearty Shiraz. We were taken down into the cellar, and tried all of their wines (some twice!), before moving onto their ports! I've never had a bottle of port sitting at home, but when someone offers me some, I rarely refuse. Light and dark port, both lovely and warming, but my real favourite was their White Chocolate Liqueur. It was that good that when we went back the next day, I had to try it again, then ask for a try of their dark chocolate one, then another sip of the white, just to make sure... I did buy one, so I wasn't being that cheeky!

Makes me sing Johnny Cash...

14/10 = don't bother with the ambulance, call the undertakers!

On the wine tour, the bus also took us around to chocolate shops and other places for us to spend our tourist money, but one stop that was definately worth it was a condiments store. Known for their chilli, said the bus driver, you will find some hot hot chilli. Bring it! Wandering around, I tasted their olives, oils and mayonaises too... and then I came to their chilli. A very big range for such a small shop, so I was spoilt for choice - so I decided to try one called "Ring 'O Fire." Let me tell you - aptly named! With only a small dip of the bread into the chilli, less then a fingernail's worth, my ring was on fire... it does exactly what it advertises. so I had to get some! The jar is about 300gs worth, and will probably last longer than me! There were other chillis as well, including wasabi chilli, and some even had a rating - I didn't even go near the 15/10 one... how is that possible!!

Wine barrels.

Never keep it bottled up!

Interesting tea towels.

I was however a little surprised about the fact that most wineries here in The Hunter actually don't grow it - they bring it in from other regions around Australia. Some from Orange and Mudgee for example, other from Victoria and South Australia. It was surprising, but then again when I looked around, there was empty land with just grass growing, not vines. The Barossa is different - all you can see is grapes growing in any place that there isn't a house, building or a road. I expected the same from The Hunter, but apparently the weather here isn't as perfect as slightly further down south. Still, there was the Ivanhoe winery that did grow all their own stuff, and my it was tasty! Stopped back in there for a few bottles the next day too. After all this wine tasting however, one does get a bit thirsty, and there's nothing like a cold beer for a hard earned thirst from drinking all day. We had dinner in a great pub in town, a huge serving of schnitzel (which was acutely shaped like Australia - no joke!), and a few more pints to top that off. Completely satisfied with our trip overall - next wine tasting will have to be in the Barossa, or France even!

Sunset over one of the 6 courses in the region.

As a small side-note, while tasting (drinking) wine, we decided to see how many words we could come up with for 'drunk' in English. There are plenty of words for bodily functions in English, and the same goes for putting liquid into our bodies in excess. 25 was how many we came up with and wrote down, but we came up with more at the time, but due to being slightly tipsy (1!), didn't write them down immediately! A few choice ones were: trolleyed (this is quite often when you are actually drunk enough to get in a trolley and be pushed by your mates), slaughtered, hammered and bladdered (for when there is just no more space for liquid left!).

Queens Birthday Weekend

Sydney's Vivid Festival.

Last week it was the Queen's Birthday long weekend - a great day to be part of the Commonwealth for 3 days! Now, I'm no Royalist, nor do I hate the old biddy (Sweaty Betty as I lovingly call her), I just like having an extra sleep in! The Queens Birthday holiday was first celebrated in Australia way back in 1788, and has been done every year much to everyone's delight, but on different dates every year, but always for a long weekend!

The Vivid lights on the Opera House.

Loads of things are happening in the city for this weekend, as it is also the Sydney Vivid Festival. Having been living overseas for the past decade (actually its been 2 years home in the past 10...), I had never heard of this festival before. I headed down to see what it was all about! It is basically a light and music festival all round the city - from lasers shows on the CBD's glass towers, to neon lights on the Bridge and a cool light show on the Opera House. It was very cool - and everyone and their dogs were there too, mobile phones (and bloody iPads) in the air, instagramming and facebooking away.

The Bridge from The Rocks.

The coolest part of the festival, apart from the great food and music, had to be the Opera House. During the day, this unique building glows in the sunshine, displaying it's million white tiles (1,056,006 to be exact!) in true Aussie pride. During the Vivid, it becomes a blank canvas for the creative people of the city to do what they will with it! From splattering paint to butterflies and moving bubbles, the Opera House steals the show once again. All over the city as well, there were installations of various types - all a play on light and music. The time I went down to see these, it was a Saturday night and far to busy to get close.

Market stalls at the Vivid.

Well, that was Saturday, and so there was still Sunday and Monday to be enjoyed. I decided to head to Taronga Zoo for the Monday, as it's been years since I'd been there. The Zoo, is right on the Harbour in the suburb of Mosman, and has some of the best views of the city. It's not cheap to visit (but is any zoo?), included in the price of your ticket is a ferry trip across the harbour and a cable car ride to the top the zoo. The Zoo was opened in 1916, and has changed so much over the years, and still is. You can still see some of the original buildings, but where concrete and steel enclosures once stood, new, open and natural enclosures now hold the animals.

A Sulphur Crested Cockatoo - the iconic Australia bird.

View of the city from the ferry.

To you too budy!

The ferry trip is definitely a highlight of the zoo trip. It is a great way to see the city and the harbour from a completely different angle, one that can only be seen from the water. From Circular Quay you slowly chuck past The Opera House, and get a wonderful view from the deck - and this is truly when you fully realise the sheer size of the building. The original design on the building was a quick sketch by the Danish architect Jørn Utzon in 1955, picked from 233 entries from 32 different countries. Construction was started in 1958, and finally ended in 1973, costing 14 times the original estimation of $7m and 10 years later than expected. There were scandals, union strikes, elections and even the resignation of the designer, but I think it was worth it. Utzon recieved the Pritzker Prize in 2004 for his work on the Opera House, and it was also made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.

The city from Taronga.

Jumped off the ferry, and got into the Gondola lift that takes you right to the top of the zoo, making it easy to walk down at the end of the day. The lift gives you a great birds-eye view of some of the animals too! The zoo is on a big hill, so it's best to start from the top, as walking around the zoo all day is hard enough without having to slog it out to reach the top for an animal feeding. Animals, animals and more animals - really spoilt for choice here. I tried to see them in order of a general route, and also to line up the keeper shows and feedings. First stop was the reptile house - as good a place to start as any! From huge snakes like the Boa Constrictor to the even bigger Anaconda, to tiny little tree frogs and geckos. My favourite reptile would defiantly have to be the Chameleon. When I was in Barcelona, I was that close to buying one on the Ramblas... but next time I'm there, he's mine! I mean, what other animal changes colour, has 2 toes and completely independent eyes??!! Coolest animal ever! And, I think they would be cheap to keep as well - eat a few bugs here and there - and no expensive vet fees - how can you go wrong with a Chameleon?

The coolest animal ever?

You looking at me?

We're just good friends, nothing more!

Heading downhill to the African part, towards the Giraffes Gorillas and other G animals. The Giraffes at Taronga zoo have the best real estate in town - a wonderful panoramic view of Sydney. Not like they need to be at the top of the hill with those necks of theirs! Elegant, graceful and calm - all words you can use to describe a giraffe... but did you know they have a purple tongue? A few more interesting facts about these bizarre but cool looking animals. A female giraffe gestates for up to 15 months, and when the baby does drop, it literally drops, snapping the umbilical cord in the process, and then stands up at a height of 6ft (180cms) tall - ouch! Ok, we all know what 'necking' is right? Yup, that's downing your beer in one go... well for male giraffes, this is not the case. First of all because they don't drink beer (that I know of), and second their neck is too long, and they can't reach it with their hands (feet). Seriously though, giraffe 'necking' is actually when 2 males swing their huge necks at each other in combat, not usually killing each other, but sometimes resulting in injuries. Now here is the most interesting thing - after combat, the males will caress each other and rub necks ("sorry mate, I really do love you..." "I know mate, me too!"), but this can lead to mounting and climax between the guys - apparently 94% of observed couplings in one study took place between 2 males...

Life is tough!!

You scream once more kid, and you're dinner!

The big cats were next, and they did not disappoint in the least! The weather wasn't fantastic - a little overcast and drizzly - so you would expect cats to be sleeping. Well, this was not the case! As I walked into the viewing area, a huge (I mean huge!!) lioness was at the glass and staring everyone down! There were more than a few little kids who started crying and their parents had to take them away. They will never look at a cat the same way again, and I don't think they will be pulling their tails either. I couldn't see the male lion, but the 2 girls were just fine - big, furry and they were just so gorgeous I wanted to take them home and cuddle them on the sofa all day - even if I did get my head bitten off at dinner time! The tigers were slightly less active, just lazing around, not looking too happy about the weather. Although I didn't expect a song and dance out of them, they didn't even stand up - just laying about yawing... typical cats!

Yup, a zebra and penquin...

This be my kingdom!

Although we missed the chimpanzees and the orangutangs, we did manage to catch a quick glimpse of the gorillas out and about. At first, I could only see the two females, who were sitting out of the rain. Then, just as I turned around to leave, the big silverback came charging out to assert his dominance. Huge forearms on display, he stood there, fists on the ground, chest out, staring down at his human cousins. An awesome sight! Gorillas, I find, to be the most human, and the most off-putting. I mean this in a good way - Gorillas are our closest relative (apart from the chimp), sharing 95-98% of our DNA, and this makes their movements, behaviour and just the way the sit there and look at you quite unnervingly human. One gorilla event learnt sign language - a sign of how intelligent they are. I wish of mine is to see these incredible animals in the wild, which I'm sure is high on many other people's list too.

I could get it if I wanted to!

Have the kids gone yet??

There are many other things I could talk about regarding Taronga Zoo. I still think it is one of the best zoos in the world. Although many people have differing opinions on zoos, it's cruel on the animals for example, I do honestly that zoos play a vital part in education and preservation. It is true that we wouldn't need zoos if the human race were more responsible, but unfortunately that is not the case. Until that time, we have to support our zoos, protect out environment, and grow up and little so something is left. I will leave it at that, as it's getting far too serious for this blog. If you haven't been here yet, you should. Great day out for everyone!

Outback Road Trip - Homeward Bound

Ok, so it has taken a while to get the last holiday post up, but it's been a busy couple of weeks... enjoy it though now that it's done!

Wind farms on the coast of Victoria.

The time comes in all trips, whether they be a weekend getaway or a one year round the world extravaganza, to start heading home. Usually it is too soon, and you're not ready to leave your holiday fun and sun yet, and face the real world of work. For others it's the final end to a great time, and they need the routine that a 9 till 5 offers... phaw to that! GIve me eternal holidays!

The 12 Apostles at sunset on the Great Ocean Road.

I left Adelaide and aimed to get to, and see, the Great Ocean Road on the same day. This is no mean feat - a good 700kms and about 9 hours of driving. Not the longest I've ever done (this would be the 1600kms from Adelaide to Sydney I did in one go back in 2002), but still a tough old drive. I left at 6am, bright (sort of) and early with high hopes. I did make it, my right foot slightly stiff and sore, but just in time to catch the sunset, and the multitude of tourists with iPhones and iPads trying to photograph the sunset.

The 12 Apostles.

Some of the remaining Apostles.

The Great Ocean Road is the most famous road in Australia, apart from maybe Ramsay Street. It's home to the 12 Apostles and a beautiful winding coastline that really does just represent Australia. The 12 Apostles are limestone stacks on the coast, and were originally part of the cliff face, but have become separate due to wind and water erosion. The Southern Ocean is a harsh neighbour, and there are now only 8 remaining Apostles - the last collapse was in 2005. Eventually new 'stacks' will be formed from the coastline as these one disappear all together.

The harsh wind and waves of the Southern Ocean on the Great Ocean Road.

Loch Ard Gorge is a 3 minute drive from the Apostles, and apart from being beautiful, it has a horrible tale. In 1878, The Clipper "Loch Ard" was just about to complete it's 3 month journey from England to Melbourne. Sadly, not far from it's destination, it ran aground - and all but 2 of it's 54 passengers drowned. The two survivors were a 17 year old Irish woman, Eva Carmichael, and 15 year old Ship's Apprentice Tom Pearce. Tom actually saved Eva from drowning, and was hailed a hero. It really is a beautiful but deadly strip of coast.

The Great Ocean Road - absolutely stunning!

Crazy hook-turns!

A real risk...

After the Great Ocean Road, I hit Melbourne in the morning. I've been to Melbourne a few times, and enjoy it every time! It's clean, lovely to look at, and there is always something happening. I must mention a few things about Melbourne that I don't think I will ever get used to. Firstly, there are the trams - cool to look at and ride, a novelty almost I think, but they are fairly silent, and sneak up on you if you're not careful - death on tracks... maybe I do have a slightly irrational fear of them for some reason. Apart from this risk (in my head), the trams force drivers to do very bizarre "hook" turns. Nowhere else in the world does this happen - and the Melbournians love to be the only ones that have something that no one else does. To turn right, you must go in the far left lane, wait in the middle of intersection until your "hook turn" light says it's OK to go, then you swing around in front of everyone from the far left, and pray you don't hit a tram! I will never get used to it!

Banksy-esk street art in Melbourne that could very well be Banksy!

I have 2 friends that I would like to mention - my friend Syd and Mel. Now, both of these ladies are beautiful, intelligent, and love a party at night, but do they get along? Unfortunately they don't - they are always trying to be in the spotlight, down-playing each other at every turn. In my opinion, Syd is naturally more beautiful, yet slightly older, but Mel, not to be outdone, has gone a little over the top with glitz and glamour, and never fails to talk herself up and gatherings - no one likes too much make up or a big mouth! She believes she makes better coffee, has more style, and also looks European, as well as just being cooler. I like both of them to be honest, even though I was friends with Syd first. I also can't tell one that I like the other - that is just asking for trouble!

Cafe in Melboune.

Old-School Barber's - note the foot marks.

Confused? Let's get back to talking about Melbourne then... When you walk around Melbourne, you know it's clean and organised, very much an Australia city, with the usual CBD and sprawling suburbs. There is the Yarra river, the busy port, and of course it's towering buildings, but there another side to Melbourne. It has a artistic feel to it - from Victoria Markerts, where you can get more than 20 kinds of sausages from one store, Greek food, Asian food, to it's small backstreets and cafes. Streets that in most other cities would be where the rubbish bins are kept, and no one goes (except the odd kitchen worker for a ciggy break), in Melbourne they are busy, filled with coffee and cake smells, and some great street art. There are tall buildings in abundance in Melbourne, just like Sydney, but they seems to be taller, every stretching up, trying to out do everyone else in some kind of architectural competition. The Casino is a popular attraction, and it's worth a walk inside as well - just be careful after 8pm if you're walking in front of the building - huge jets of flame shoot out from pylons on the waterfront (right near where people walk) as part of a fire show that goes every hour till midnight. Great way to get a suntan in winter!

The Sky's the limit in Melbourne.

The great Phar Lap.

National Gallery of Victoria.

One more thing of note. There are a few museums in Melbourne, and though it was a very pleasant, sunny say, I did pop into 2 of them. I was slightly disappointed with the Melbourne Museum, as it cost $10 and nothing really interested me - apart from Phar Lap. Phar Lap was Australia's (and possibly the world's) greatest racing horse, until he died in 1932. NO one knows if it was poison or not, but arsenic has always been suspected - all sorts of stories and conspiracies are told about his death, included death by Mafia in the US. His body is here at the museum, but his heart is kept in Canberra - and get this, his heart weighed 6.2kg, compared to a normal horse's heart which weighs 3.2kg  - no wonder he was quick!

The Thinker - Ancient and Modern.

The National Gallery of Victora is a great museum, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not having much time, I jumped in on a 1 hour (free, just like the entrance price!) guided tour of the most popular bits. From the history of forks (which to be honest, really didn't do it for me...), to Roman and Greek busts, to landscapes and the Masters, to modern stuff like Picasso. Although there was no Dali or Freida Carlo (anyone who paints a self portrait and over-does the 'monobrow' with pride is great in my books!), there was something from every era and style. You can't beat free culture really, so it is a must if you're visiting - they also have a cool water-wall outside (which I had to touch), and if you look from the outside in, it turns the city street into a classic Monet!

Instant Monet! The National Gallery of Victoria.

So, back in Sydney, and back to reality. As much as I love travelling and getting about, I love that feeling of getting home from a trip, chilling out, and just relaxing. Home is a wonderful thing, and 'home is where the heart is,' but home needs a sofa to really feel like home!

A sunset farewell from the city of Melbourne - Love ya Mel!

Outback Roadtrip - Adelaide Leg

The Iconic (new!) Adelaide Oval.

Do you know how many people have asked me "Why Adelaide?" and to be honest, I would ask someone the same question if they'd told me they had just driven 1800kms to Adelaide on purpose. Well, I'm going to talk about Adelaide, and some of the reasons why many people born there leave quick smart - but also some of the good things too!

Sunset at Port Adelaide.

 The registration plates in New South Wales say 'The First State.' The plates in South Australia say 'The Festival State.' You can't argue with NSW being the first state, but I will argue with the other one. I must say that SA is more like 'The Grey State,' and I'm not talking about the colour of people's houses - Adelaide could be called 'The Florida of Australia.' Everything is slower, and people have dinner REALLY early! Now, Adelaide is in a different time zone to NSW, QLD and VIC, only by 30 mins, but that 30 mins back in time feels like you're in the 1930s, and everyone is at least 30 years older than you. Positive side to this... cheap bus fares?

The Holden factory in Adelaide - soon to be closed down.

Adelaide on the River Torrens.

Adelaide is a small city compared to Melbroune and Sydney (1.2, 4 and 4.5 million respectively), but it's not really that small - twice as many people as Glasgow for instance. The first time I went to Adelaide (I drove from Sydney again... what is it with me and driving huge distances!?) was in 2002, and I blinked and missed the city centre. Sydney and Melbourne both have large CBDs, with towering office buildings, busy streets and so many people walking around and things happening. Adelaide's on the other hand is only 10 km² (but with a very large urban sprawl), 1 main shopping street (Rundle Mall), and a handful of major skyscrapers - nothing compared to Melbourne's huge erections (yes Mel, don't try so hard!). This may seem 'less' of a city, but Adelaide does have it's advantages - quieter neighbourhoods and more houses, less hustle and bustle, and just an all-round chilled-out feeling. Ok, the law allowing you to grow and smoke marijuana for personal use helps.

Semaphore and the beach in Adelaide.

Home of Aussie Rules in S.A.

The tram in Glenelg (wow a Palindrome!)

Traffic. We, as Sydneysiders, know what that means, but ask an Adelaidean, and they will have a different answer all together. In Adelaide, a traffic jam is 5 cars and a red light. The speed limit on all roads is no more than 60 kph, even on the 3 lane main roads in and out of the city, which makes it feel even slower. These roads are the product of Adelaide being a planned city. It was founded in 1836 as the first freely settled province in Australia. Built on a grid system, it works quite well, but since it's founded the city has sprawled to 1,800 km², taking in the satellite cities such as Elizabeth (home of Australia's Holden car company). So now the roads feel abandoned, like it was planned for more people, or just over-planned. It hasn't quite got the dullness of driving in Canberra (another planned Australian city, but full of politicians...), but it's right up there!

Grapes... I prefer mine in liquid form please!

as far as the eye can see...

A Lutheran church in Tununda.

Now, just outside of Adelaide is the famous Barossa Valley. Everyone's heard of it - it is THE wine region in Australia; the La Rioja of Down Under. Now NSW and VIC may say "we have wine regions too," which is true, but it's not the Barossa! Settlers first came to the Barossa in the 1840s - first British settlers, then soon after came the German settlers trying to escape religious persecution. They first started with agricultural endeavours, then soon turned to wine growing - and they didn't look back! Home to some of the world's most famous wine brands such as Penfolds, Jacob's Creek, Yalumba, Wolfblass and Peter Lehmann, the Barossa attracts so many people from around the country and overseas as well. Apart from the wine, it is such a beautiful place to drive along the small, winding roads and just enjoy the countryside. Small towns dot the Barossa, all with their own country charm. No time for wine tasting this time I'm afraid - I was the only driver, and I don't spit perfectly good wine out! I managed to pop into Tanunda and see some friends that I hadn't seen since my UK Working Holiday Visa time - wow, 8 years already!! Great to see you again Corey and Ramona (and Keo and Molly), let me know when you come to Sydney!

Jacob's Creek is no more than a trickle... sorry, but it's true!

Highway sunrise.

Sunrise in the hills.

I spent a little bit of time in Adelaide and the surrounds, but unfortunately time was short - work gets in the way. I needed to start heading back to Sydney. I decided to go via the Great Ocean Road and Melbourne, and although I'd done this drive before, I thought it would be great to revisit some lovely parts of the country. Before hitting the south coast of the country, I passed through Mount Gambier. You've probably never heard of it, and I don't blame you. It is a nice town, friendly people, quiet streets, with a little something extra - the town is actually in a region with the youngest volcanoes in Australia. When I say young, they are still extinct though. The Blue Lake is one such volcano, and is filled with the bluest water you've ever seen. Just outside the town, you park and walk up a slight incline, and there is is. No tourist shops selling souvenirs, no ticket to buy to see, it's just there - great.

My Gambier's Blue Lake.

Mt Gambier was the last place I visited in S.A., the next part of the journey took me to The Great Ocean Road and Melbourne. I'll leave that for the next post I think! Adelaide was good - a nice, relaxing time. It is good for a weekend away, quiet walks, some wine tasting, and retirement. I can't knock it too much - if you like the quieter and more convenient side of life (and what could be more convenient than a drive-thru bottle shop every second block!), then this city will make you feel right at home!

Sunsise over the Adelaide hills on the morning I left - what a lovely farewell!