Search Results for: kangaroo valley

What has been happening through Autumn?

April 26, 2017 by Fran Leave a Comment

So many things seem to have happened since we last spoke that it is hard to think where to begin. If i was a better write than I am I would write in a nonlinear fashion, dropping crumbs all over, then bringing them all together at the end. Like a literary masterpiece. However, you don’t have Hemingway. You have me.

In the spirit of seeing as much as we can, within Australia, a couple of weeks ago we took an early mark from work, and headed downtown, to our usual car hire place, and from there headed off to Kangaroo Valley. Somewhere new. For a couple of nights.

In Friday afternoon traffic, Kangaroo Valley is almost 3 hours south of Sydney, in an area called Shoalhaven. We have been down this part of the world previously, having once spent a great weekend in Jervis Bay with friends. Kangaroo Valley is a little further inland, through the picture postcard village of Berry. And if you know of Berry, you know of the “Famous Donut Van” in Berry. Needless to say, we got ourselves acquainted.

Talking of “famous” food outlets, Kangaroo Valley has it’s own. Not wanting to be outdone, there is the “World Famous Pie” shop, something I was not going to miss. And my oh my. The pie was outstanding. Best I have ever had. Period. If it wasn’t for the pre-holiday health kick I am about to embark on, I would have brought enough home to fill up the freezer.

Despite the name of our home for the weekend, ironically, we saw very few kangaroos. Not as many as we see when we visit our favourite spot in the countryside, Mudgee. I had been teased with the prospect of seeing wombats in the wild, but despite trying to make myself invisible, and wait for them to come out in the evening, the reclusive little blighters never showed their cute, fat little faces.

Our accommodation was a perfect little cottage, called “The Hammock”, with an open fire that we got roaring in the evening. The temperature drops a lot when the sun goes down, and when I saw the open fireplace I was in my element. I am not sure what it is about fire, but getting it started becomes an obsession. Then keeping it going becomes hypnotic. Hearing the fire crackle, feeling the heat, watching the flames, with the alcoholic effects of a few large, full bodied, glasses of red wine (bought from the local winery, some 20 minutes from the cottage) it was a heavenly evening.

We were soon back in the real world, back in the city life, so why not make the most of it. As we had been away so recently, we decided to remain closer to home for the Easter break, and instead booked one of our famous city “staycations”. We seem to be getting around most of the hotels in Sydney, and Easter saw us staying at the Old Clare Hotel, in Chippendale. On the site of the old Carlton and United brewery. For UK readers, it is where your Fosters lager used to come from. The area has gone, and is going, through massive regeneration, and is fasting becoming one of the places to be in Sydney.

The hotel is on Kensington St which has become a restaurant hot spot, which also incorporates “Spice Alley”, a fascinating blend of old and new, housing numerous excellent Asian eateries. Definitely worth a visit, if not an overnight stay, if you are in the neighbourhood.

And with all the eating and drinking that has been occurring, virtually non stop since Christmas, there has been the inevitable addition of a few pounds around the waistline. If you love food and fine wine as much as I do, who said bon vivant?, you will know that it is not a one way street. You have to put the effort in to keep from blowing up like the Michelin man.

I continue with my gym work, and weekly 5 a side run out, but have added something else to my repertoire. Dynamic Pilates. Yup, you heard right, I have started doing pilates. The kind where you lay on what looks like a torture bed. Or something you may have read about in 50 Shades of Grey. All springs and straps. With less pleasure. I’m assuming about the pleasure, of course, having had no experience of anything you may have read in any of EL James’s “best sellers”.

It is amazing how fast an hour passes when doing pilates, focussing the mind, breathing in tune to the exercises, compared to time spent on the treadmill in the gym. I’m not afraid to say I loathe running. Unless it is on a football pitch. Running, for runnings sake is not what i was created for. And the time I spend knocking out a few kms on the treadmill seems to drag in comparison.

That said, needs must. So, for the next few weeks, my aim is to shift my “winter coat”, in time for my European summer. Alcohol canned (which means abstention, not drinking tinnies) for a month. Exercise upped for the month. And no treats in between (after I have eaten all my Easter chocolate).

Wish me luck friends.

P.S. voting in Australia is compulsory for all citizens, which now includes me of course. So this month also saw me casting my first ever vote here in Australia, in the local by election. This Yorkshire lad is already making his contribution.

P.P.S. In the last couple of weeks, the government has announced sweeping changes to how you achieve citizenship. Seems I got in just in time!

Swan Valley – WA’s oldest wine region

June 7, 2021 by Fran 1 Comment

As the heat increased, sweat pooling around my eyes, I wondered how much longer this would go on for. How long I could go on for. It was getting hard to breathe. It felt as though we had been in here for hours. Close your eyes, I told myself. Breathe slowly.

“Smell the cedar?”, asked Victoria? “How good is this? This is what we paid for.”

Paid for? Yes, indeed, we had paid for this experience. Having our own sauna, small and, rather aptly, wine barrel shaped, outside the room we were staying in was definitely a benefit.

Swan Valley Retreat

The Swan Valley Retreat is nestled in the Henley Brook area of the valley, some 25 minutes drive from the city of Perth. Having just two rooms makes Swan Valley Retreat an exclusive staycation. One that we had to wait 5 months for, due to the demand of the people of Western Australia holidaying at home. In truth, we don’t have that many options. Holiday here this year remains as relevant as it was over a year ago, when the pandemic hit. And so it was, we found ourselves checking in for a couple of nights in May.

The retreat’s only two rooms are quaintly named Cabernet and Merlot. Separated by a day spa, each room has a large outdoor seating area, perfect for that first, and second coffee of the morning. There is a private spa bath (jacuzzi) for lazy afternoons. On arrival we were presented with a fabulous looking platter of meats, cheeses, and fruit, together with an icy bottle of bubbles. A perfect way to start our relaxing weekend.

Swan Valley Wine Region

Thankfully for those of us based in WA, we have world class venues and destinations literally on our doorstep. And the Swan Valley region is one such location. The home of WA’s oldest vines, and the second oldest wine region in Australia, Swan Valley has been growing grapes since 1829. The warm Mediterranean climate is perfect for white wines such as verdelho and chenin blanc, whilst the reds of shiraz, grenache, and petit verdot are as good as you will taste.

Sittella winery, Swan River — Sittella winery, Swan Valley

There are some great food options to go with your wine. Sittella winery is one such option. It has a restaurant overlooking their vines and we indulged in a very good lunch which included dishes of lamb rack and grilled barramundi. We complemented the meal with Sittella’s wine, starting with a glass of the excellent bubbles, the sparkling chenin blanc, followed by an rather tasty cabernet sauvignon.

High tea at Cottage Tea rooms — High tea at Cottage Tea Rooms

High tea in Swan Valley

Sunday speaks more to high tea, and where better than Cottage Tea Rooms, advertising “the best scones in the valley”. And who am I to argue? Granted, I do spend a lot of time searching for the best high teas in Australia. And the little warm delights served up were delicious. What I would give for places in Australia to provide authentic clotted cream, yet this is a minor criticism.

Something nobody can criticise about the Swan Valley is the sheer number of quality eating and drinking options. Mandoon Estate offers not only a cellar door for tasting, a fine dining restaurant, a brewery, and an outdoor “Garden Bar”, but also, its very own hotel, “The Colony”. You could happily spend a weekend at Mandoon Estate without ever leaving the vast grounds.

Breweries seem to have proliferated in recent years in WA, and Swan Valley is no exception. In addition to the one at Mandoon Estate, there is also Mash Brewery, Elmar’s, Henley Brook, Duckstein, and the newest member, Bailey’s Brewery which sports the tagline, “It is simple really”. And it is. With them all offering quality brews and food, all you need to do is decide which to visit. And my advice would be to book ahead. Despite many options, and them all being quite large, they book out very quickly.

Outdoor spa at Swan Valley Retreat — Outdoor spa, perfect for stargazing

Reflecting on a great staycation

Suitably fed, we retired back to our accommodation at Swan Valley retreat. With a bottle of that excellent Sittella sparkling chenin blanc we watched the last of the day’s light turn to a carpet of stars from the private outdoor spa that comes with the room. All we had to do was sit back and work out the plan for tomorrow. Where would we have lunch after starting the morning in the sauna. Would we opt for hop or vine? In the Swan Valley you truly are spoilt for choice. No sweat.

Hunter Valley wine tour with Kangarrific Tours

January 19, 2013 by Fran Leave a Comment

Like wine? Then come with me on a Hunter Valley wine tour with Kangarrific Tours.

Australia is a country blessed with good wine growing regions, a fact probably borne out by the amount of wine that gets exported, ending up in the supermarkets of the UK. From the Margaret River in Western Australia, Barossa Valley in Adelaide, South Australia and the Hunter Valley, outside Sydney.

The Hunter was where we were visiting, and after a search on the internet we found Kangarrific Tours. A relative newcomer to the tour scene, Sam of Kangarrific had already started to build up a solid reputation as somebody who provided an excellent day out. We would see.

We got picked up in the Central Business District (CBD) of Sydney at around 8.00am, ready for the drive north, across the famous Harbour Bridge and up to the Hunter Valley region.

First stop was at just after 9am, for morning coffee at the Australian Walkabout Wildlife Park, in Calga on the outskirts of the Central Coast. Entrance fee being included in the very reasonable $99 full day trip price, we were able to get up very close and personal with some of our favourite Aussie wildlife. Stroking the Koalas, petting the Kangaroos, and keeping a wary distance from the Emus. This is the sort of place you could spend much longer at be we had somewhere to be and at around 11.15 we got to Lovedale, home of the Hunter Valley Chocolate factory. A chocolate lovers dream. Yet still not the highlight of my day. My reason for coming today was just around the corner, the grapes. Or more specifically, the stuff that comes from fermenting them.

Meaning “hillside”, Warraroong winery was the first we visited. A boutique winery giving us the opportunity to sample wines that you wouldn’t find in either the bottle shops, or the big supermarkets, in Australia or overseas. However, for $10 they do ship to Sydney. Hmm, hold that thought.

Whilst here we got to try some very good Semillon Sauvignon Blanc (2010 on the Tin Soldier label), Long Lunch white, a 2009 sparkling Moscato, a 2010 Merlot and a Shiraz, finishing with an exquisite Sticky Semillon dessert wine. The day had officially started for me.

And so we were off to winery number 2. Much more mainstream, Tempus Two is the sort of winery that does supply the places you are more likely to pick up a bottle of wine on the way home to have with the evening BBQ. A very corporate affair, the winery incorporates the excellent “Smelly Cheese Shop”, where we had the opportunity to taste some delicious, locally made cheeses. We were then set free in the deli/shop and I succumbed all too easily to the lure of parting with my dollars. That said, the cheeses I had picked up would no doubt be perfectly complemented by the Tin Soldier Shiraz I had purchased earlier.

In the afternoon we had winery number three, Wynwood Estate. Another boutique winery it was here that I tasted, and thoroughly enjoyed, a wine I hadn’t had before. Originally grown to blend into Shiraz, Chambourcin was now being made and sold as a wine in its own right. And a bloody good wine it is too, evidenced by my immediate purchase of a bottle. We also sampled a 2012 Verdelho, a white wine that sits somewhere between a Semillon and a Sauvignon Blanc. Another purchase was in the form of a Plum Blossom Shiraz, lighter in style than a usual full-bodied Shiraz, so much so that it can be lightly chilled. Finishing at Wynwood with a dessert wine, an Old Jack Muscat, I was starting to feel the effects of lunch and the amount of wine we had imbibed. Had there been a hammock knocking about, I could have happily had a snooze in the early afternoon sunshine.

However, we had somewhere else to be and off to the only brewery in the Hunter we went.

The Hunter Beer Company, located at Potters Hotel Brewery resort is open to the public between 10am and 5pm, seven days a week for tastings. Sam, the amiable and very knowledgeable owner of Kangarrific Tours had arranged a special deal for us and we were able to get two tastings of the various beers for only $3. I don’t think the lime and coriander infused beer is something that I will be drinking many schooners of. After a final sour cherry beer it was time to call “last orders” on a very enjoyable day and jump in the bus for the ride back to Sydney.

So my verdict? An excellent, reasonably priced day out, visiting the Hunter Valley in air conditioned comfort, with a friendly tour guide who obviously knows his beans when it comes to wines.

What are you waiting for? Salud!

Having a tiny adventure

October 11, 2019 by Fran Leave a Comment

Coffee and a kookaburra

As I sat with my coffee out on the small wooden deck, watching the world slowly wake up and come to life, I was reminded of why I was here. On this trip. It was for the solitude. For a slice of the simple life. Off the grid. To have a tiny adventure.

In the early morning light, chapters of the book I was reading, The Truants by Kate Weinberg, were interspersed with trying to get the perfect shot of the friendly kookaburra that had come to say hello. At least, that’s what I thought he was trying to convey through his inimitable laugh. In the distance a cockerel was crowing, announcing to whomever would listen that it was time to get up.

The woods in the grounds of the off grid tiny house Robinson — Sometimes you have to slow down, to see the wood from the trees

This was the first morning waking up in the tiny house that we were to spend the weekend in. Owned by a company called In2thewild, there are a number of these tiny houses scattered across New South Wales, and Victoria. We were up in the Lake Macquarie region, in a small village called Wyee. Our home for the weekend was, called Robinson (Crusoe). This was actually our fall back option as we had originally planned to stay at Isabella, near Kangaroo Valley, but in the time between booking, and visiting, she had been moved to Orange. This would have doubled our planned travelling time.

Wildlife of Wyee, home of Tiny House Robinson, where we went off grid for the weekend. — The welcome committee

Refueling after a long drive

Located 100 kms from Sydney, the trip to our tiny house should have only taken 1 and a half hours. Having lived in Sydney for many years, I now know to add a lot of fat into that. On the way up, cruising up the Pacific Coast highway, we did it in under 2 and a half hours. Coming home was a different story. Labour Day weekend traffic, and a crash on the Pacific Highway had us parking back up at home some 3 hours later.

The road up to Tiny House Robinson, where we were staying off grid for the weekend — Trying to find Tiny House Robinson

We were told we had a strict 3pm check in. How this works in practice, as we already had the code for the key drop-box, I am not completely sure. But with time on our hands we decided to get some lunch in the nearby village of Morriset. We were not spoiled for choice. It was midday on the Saturday of a long weekend, so where were all the people? Maybe all the in the Lake Macquarie Hotel (pubs tend to be called hotels in Australia), but as we walked past, the doors were so dark we couldn’t even tell if that was open. Most things in the village appeared to either be shut up, or abandoned. Even the police station had a polite notice on the door telling all those in dire need of assistance that “the station was not manned today”.

Our saviour, which I use lightly, was the Star and Grill, which looked busier than it looked salubrious. Nevertheless, as the saying goes, beggars are not in a position to be choosers. Looking for options that are hard to get wrong I went for the homemade (my bold) chicken schnitzel, which left me wondering what other kind there was. Perhaps they have different chickens up here I thought. Where the schnitzel grows on the bird. Who knows.

Schnitzel demolished, we had now killed enough time to check ourselves into the tiny house that was to be our home for the next few days. It was time to start having our tiny adventure. Following our directions, which we had printed out knowing how patchy phone coverage would be, we did the short drive from Morriset to Wyee, then turned off the main road, down a side road, and up into the forest. Bumping around on the uneven gravel road up the hill, we spotted the gate, set back from the road, with a “In2TheWild” sign telling us we had arrived.

the Tiny House Robinson, our home for the off grid weekend in Wyee — Check out the dimensions on the Tiny House

First impressions

Driving through the open gate, and parking just off to the right, we could immediately see the house, nestled down amongst the trees. I use the word house, but I have to be honest, it was even tinier than I had imagined, and I had seen all the pictures beforehand. There were no cats being swung this weekend. With a faint smell of burnt wood in the air, and a constant waft of eucalyptus, we carried our bags, which included all our food and drink for the weekend, down to the house. Thankfully we had brought an esky, and had just bought a bag of ice from the local servo, as the fridge in the house was the size of a small beer fridge. Enough room for some milk, our wide collection of salami and cheeses, plus a few beers. All the essentials for a weekend away.

The kitchen in Tiny House Robinson, our off grid home for the weekend — Quite spacious, is it not?

The tiny house Robinson, off grid living in Wyee — Picture perfect

Now, hands up those of you that have seen Dr Who. Good, then you will know what a tardis is. Well, once you get past how small this house looked on the outside, check out the picture above, when I got inside it threw me how much room we seemed to have. There was a small kitchen, with a two hob stove serviced by the gas bottles outside. There was an oversize sink, that in my opinion could be swapped out for a smaller one creating additional, or some, food preparation space. The toilet looked like a real toilet, and it wasn’t until you flushed, that you were immediately reminded of pooing on an aeroplane. You weren’t plumbed in, and your waste was only going as far as the septic tank underneath the house. The bathroom also included a very modern looking shower that we could only ever get to spit out cold water.

Large windows all around the house created a further sense of space. What the windows upstairs didn’t have were blinds. The eye mask that is provided was going to come in useful if we wanted to sleep beyond the rising of the sun. We were going to be embracing our circadian rhythm this weekend. To get up to bed we had to negotiate 6 very steep, smooth wooden steps. If this looked challenging now you should have seen me attempting it after a bottle of cabernet.

The steps in Tiny House Robinson, off grid in Wyee — Try this when you have had a tipple

Not that you would need storage space for this kind of minimalist weekend trip, but there were a few cupboards. Enough to store some food, and the board games, and a deck of cards that were provided to give you options for keeping entertained once night set in. The stairs were constructed in such a way that the bottom few doubled up as storage space, with a tiny bookshelf under one of them. Inside we had everything we would need for the next few days, and outside on the deck there was the all important BBQ.

When off grid literally means just that

Being off grid, and powered by solar panels, the house does not have any electrical power sockets. This meant that this was the most redundant I had ever seen Victoria’s hairdryer and straighteners. It also meant we were in the (un)enviable, you decide, position of not being able to charge our phones. How often are any of us in this position in this day and age, tethered as we are to our mobile devices. Believe me, it is very liberating. Just knowing that not only have you not got a full mobile signal, but you can’t charge your phone up any way.

Camp living, off grid in Wyee at Tiny House Robinson — When you finally get some firelighters!

Now, let me say something here. As much as I love being out in the wilderness, having a tiny adventure, and the Instagram photos of tables, heavily laden with a feast of food, look very appealing, nobody ever tells you about the large flying creatures, and the mosquitoes that appear to have been on steroids. I love the idea of channelling my inner Thoreau, imagining I am sat on the edge of my own pond, quietly reading my book, with a glass of wine. But damn, if only those flies had read the script. Later in the evening, it wasn’t the flies that scared the bejeesus out of us. It was the huntsman spider, the size of a small cat, (that could be a slight exaggeration, based on the amount of wine we had drunk) than ran across the outside of the window, right by our heads. At this point, I started frantically looking around the house to see if he could sneak in anywhere, and eat me in the night.

Survival kit at Tiny House Robinson, off grid in Wyee — But no firelighters

Maybe if I lit the campfire, that would discourage both the flies and mosquitoes. Ah, the campfire. I wasted a whole New Yorker, and the best part of a box of matches trying to get the fire going without firelighters. There was a “survival kit” provided but I wish the sachet of porridge had been swapped for some much more practical firelighters. It had gotten dark, literally, by the time I admitted defeat on the first night. We had no kindling. We had no fire. I was proving to be no Bear Grylls. I had to have a second whisky nightcap to drown my disappointment.

A new dawn and final impressions

The morning dawned bright, with an hour lost to the clocks going forward. This was inconsequential to us as we were not on any kind of timetable this weekend. Clambering, which is the only way I can describe it, precariously down the stairs, I brewed up coffee with my beloved Aeropress, and made a Yorkshire tea, nice and strong for Victoria. Experience has taught me to always pack some fresh coffee, and my Aeropress when going on trips. There was a cafetiere in the house, but the only coffee provided was that instant kind that comes in glass jars. I didn’t even think people still drank this.

Morning coffee in Wyee, off grid in Tiny House Robinson — Morning coffee

Back on the deck, the snap and sizzle of a frying pan told me that breakfast was on the way. Bacon, egg, and black pudding breakfast. This has become a travel classic, always cooked up on our trips away. Sat back in my Adirondack chair, hypnotised by the trees, blankets of green laid on top of the lines and lines of wooden sentries, I was rested, and very relaxed. Pockets of sunshine crept through the canopy as I marvelled at how easy it could be to slow our lives down when we are mindful of it. This weekend was about having a tiny adventure. Our intention was to unplug, unwind, read, and relax this weekend. Sipping my coffee, looking out into the forest, I had concluded that we had made a great success of it.

2 Perfect Days in the Hunter Valley

February 2, 2019 by Fran Leave a Comment

Day 1

Taking my freshly brewed coffee, I went and sat outside on the deck. The early mist was rising over the low mountain range, and the birds were deep in conversation. Strong wafts of eucalyptus were mingling with my coffee aromas. The very vocal kookaburras all seemed to find everything hilarious as the two grazing kangaroos took off into the distance.

Goosewing Cottage, Mount View, Hunter Valley.

This is why I come to the Hunter as often as I do. And is why I love it so much. The peace. The serenity. The complete removal of all the audible sensory overload I get living in the city. Each morning in the valley starts this way. Up early. Slowly sip the first coffee of the day, just sitting, and watching. And I breathe intentionally. Slow breath in. Hold it. Slow exhale. Hold it. And repeat. Something so simple, and so effective, keeping me in the moment. I am only 2 hours from home, and yet at Goosewing Cottage I could be a world away.

Not owning a car, having one for the weekend, on quiet roads, with no traffic lights, is a pleasure. The Hunter is a large place, made up of a few small towns, and without a car it would be difficult to get around. First stop this morning was the Sabor Dessert bar in Pokolbin. As we weren’t hungry, really not hungry, I thought we were just getting drinks. Imagine my surprise when a tasting plate of 6 cheesecakes was brought to our table. Well, now that they are in front of me, it would be rude not to try some. At least it would be a little lining in my stomach, as our next stop was a number (quite a high number) of vineyards. As you would expect from someone who has a burger spreadsheet, I also have one documenting all the wineries we have visited around the world. A quick check had me planning out the route for the day, ensuring we sampled some new wines, from some new wineries.

Following trips to Pepper Tree, Constable Estate, and Mount View, we finished up at Briar Ridge. It was here that we had a voucher to “be a member for a day”, meaning we got a private tasting, 20% off any wines we bought, and a half price antipasto platter. One of the conversations we had on the way up from the city was to not buy too many wines. The problem with this? It’s a very vague objective. I don’t do well with vague. How many is too many? By the end of the day we were up to around 24 bottles. You be the judge.

Yes people, I present lamb’s brains to you.

Brains. Let’s get straight into this. Specifically, lambs brains. You ever had them? Ever wanted them? Yeah, me either. Yet this is what I chose as my entree at dinner that evening. Bistro Molines specialises in French food, done with a Gallic flair. Enter the brains. Deep fried, basking in a river of garlic butter, and served with a sharp caper salad cutting through. I am always wanting to try new experiences, and push myself in all aspects of my life. This was a great opportunity to push my culinary boundaries. And what I had read turned out to be true. Quite a squishy consistency. Tofu like. And quite large portions. Perhaps I shouldn’t have kept cutting them in half, whereby they actually looked like brains. This only reminded me what it was that I was chewing. Yes, chewing. Was I eating the thoughts of the lamb? It’s memories? Good lord, it doesn’t bear thinking about.

Following a glass of local sparkling wine, erroneously called prosecco (since 2010 Prosecco is no longer the name of the grape, which is now called glera, but is geographical indication, in much the same way as Champagne) , we moved onto the main wine of the evening. The Majella Cabernet Sauvignon was an excellent choice and went terribly well with the whole meal. Not wishing to join me with the brains entree, Victoria chose linguine with pippies, not puppies as my autocorrect suggested, which was excellent. The puppies would have been one up, or would that have been down, from the lambs brains.

The evening at Molines was excellent, and somewhere I would highly recommend. Sweeping views out over the vines. Watching the day slowly morph into night. Multiple shades of green becoming a singular black. The service and the food is what you would expect from a restaurant that has had a chefs hat since 2010. We will definitely return, but I think I’ve had my fill of offal.

Day 2

Driving around the Hunter, visiting vineyards, we don’t get much exercise, let alone get anywhere near the daily target of 10000 steps. For this reason we took another early morning stroll around the gorgeous Mount View area. Sweeping fields of grazing cattle. Nervous kangaroos always on high alert. And this morning, a slate grey, very squat, very muscular, Staffordshire Bull terrier charging down the road at me. This raised the heart rate.
The heat was taken out of the situation when the owner shouted “he will kill you with kindness”. It turns out he just wanted to play. So we did. Our walk was only about 4kms, but enough to work up our appetites for breakfast.

Deciding to eat out for breakfast, for maybe the first time in the Hunter, we headed to Cafe Enzo at Peppers Creek which we had read good things about. Taking the last available table in the courtyard, sheltering from the blazing sun under a large parasol, we had a wonderful breakfast of free range scrambled eggs on perfect sour dough toast. Just the right amount of saltiness in the crust. The coffee was outstanding, and I followed up my double shot latte with a piccolo.

Quite remarkably, the heat continued to rise making even just walking tough. So we chose to stay in the car a while, driving around the Hunter, making a plan for later in the day. Following a stop for extra bottles of water at the general store in Pokolbin Village, we headed on to our first tasting of the day. Leogate was another new vineyard, but much the same story at all the others. Great wines.

Equally good tastings followed at Piggs Peake, Tintilla, and Mistletoe Wines on Hermitage Road, with us concluding our day at Mount Pleasant. We had planned to cycle around these vineyards, an activity that we usually see lots of people enjoying. For some reason, we hadn’t seen anybody “enjoying” it today. This was because at 42° you would have to be a masochist to want to pedal anywhere. So we decided to call off the planned ride. The easiest decision of the day.

The evening was spent avoiding offal. We had our traditional BBQ of easy to recognise meats, complemented by some of the excellent wine we had bought. How many bottles were we up to now? Was anybody counting? Let’s just say that we won’t be running out any time soon.

Sat, late into the evening, with a nightcap of Sullivan’s Cover single malt, from Tasmania, I was left reflecting on another excellent weekend, in the glorious Hunter Valley.

Long Weekend in The Hunter Valley – October 2018

October 27, 2018 by Fran Leave a Comment

As I was sitting on the large wooden deck, sipping the strong coffee that I hoped would slowly start breathing life into my tired body, I came face to face with them. Skipping through the paddock, down through the eucalyptus trees that fringed the creek, and abruptly stopping on spotting me. Ears twitching. Alert at all times. And fast. Very fast.

Kangaroos in the wild — The locals are friendly

Indigenous to Australia, estimates put the number of kangaroos here at 34 million. This morning’s visitors were a doe, and her joey, of the Eastern Grey variety. It is one of the highlights of our trips to the country, be it the Hunter Valley, or inland to Mudgee, that we get to see so much wildlife, including the roos, in their natural environment.

This trip was to the Hunter, and was our first there this year, in what has become an annual pilgrimage. As well as the wildlife, the wide open spaces, the lack of traffic, and the solitude, there is also the little matter of some of the world’s best wines to sample. And inevitably buy. Although, due to the number of bottles of wine stockpiling at home, we had told ourselves we would be very restrained on this trip.

Suitably fuelled up, both the hire car, and ourselves, and after a great breakfast at Cafe Mosman, we hit the road around 10.30am. Being a public holiday weekend, what we would call a Bank Holiday in the UK, we knew the traffic leaving the city would be bad. We didn’t expect it to be quite so bad. Coming up through the suburbs of St Leonards, Wahroonga, and everywhere in between, it took us 1 hour before we even hit the motorway. At least from here it was plain sailing.

Pulling off at Calga, and bypassing the Australian Wildlife Centre for once, we took the tourist route, up through the valley, and towards the charming little town of Wollombi. A place that I would definitely recommend for a coffee, sandwich, and a browse of the little arts and crafts shops. But today, we were just passing through. We had other things on our minds, and soon we were sat in the courtyard of the delightful Krinklewood winery, nibbling locally made cheeses, and working our way down the wine tasting menu.

It had taken us two and half hours, door to cellar door. I had expected the journey to be slightly quicker, but then I never expect the sheer volume of traffic that we encounter. But now, I had exhaled, took some deep breaths of the fresh country air, and was in chill mode. A mode I would not be exiting until around lunchtime on Monday.

What does take me slightly longer is regaining my sense of perspective. You see, on arrival at Krinklewood, I shuddered at how busy it was. Good lord, there were maybe 4, or 5 small tables occupied. Yes, only a handful of people in reality. That said, I was much happier after approximately 20 minutes, when we had the whole courtyard to ourselves.

Remember the promise we made ourselves about showing restraint with wine purchases? Cue us walking out the cellar door with the first 6 bottles. Krinklewood is one of our favourite vineyards, and knowing they rarely sell to bottle shops in Australia, we knew we had to take our opportunity to stock up the wine cellar. At least that was our excuse.

On the recommendation of Ruth in the cellar door, we then drove next door (which in the Hunter is quite a drive), and visited Ann of Greenway Wines. A vineyard we hadn’t visited before. How exciting. A new addition to the “wine tasting our way around the world” spreadsheet. Greenway is what you would call a boutique winery. Very small. But as with a lot of the boutique wineries we search out, it was quiet. In fact, we were the only ones at the cellar door, so we got a very good tasting, of some very good wines. The Pinot Gris was excellent but the stand out for me was “The Architect” shiraz. And yes, we walked away with more bottles of wine.

Experience told me that mobile phone reception is patchy in the Hunter. Some places non-existent. The same with wi-fi in a lot of the accommodation. This is one of the things that appeals about our trips up here. But, we do have to find our accommodation. Easier said than done with no phone reception. Google is our friend here, with the offline map download option. Driving back from Broke, along Hermitage Road, and into Belford, along several country roads, some just dirt tracks, had us feeling we were completely lost. Without the offline map on my phone we would never have found our accommodation.

Block Eight villa — Our accommodation for the weekend

Block Eight vineyard has one large house for rent, and 3 self-contained villas. We were in one of the villas. Very spacious. Wooden floors throughout. A double set of twin doors, opening out onto the balcony, with views down to the water. Taking pride of place, in the centre of the room, staunchly sat between the two sets of doors, was a squat, black wood burner. Not that we will be need it, based on the temperature, but I know that I won’t be able to resist throwing a few logs on tonight.

Dropping off our bags, we went for a walk around the very large grounds of Block Eight, saying hello to the resident pig, goats, chickens and peacocks, whilst each of us (Vik and I, not the animals) were secretly deliberating if it was too soon to start on the new purchases, (spoiler alert: the answer is always NO, in the Hunter), and which of them would be first.

Getting around the Hunter is easy when you are driving. Not quite as easy when you have been drinking, and want to drink more. One bottle in, and knowing we had a dinner reservation, we pre-booked a taxi. Later that evening, walking to the entrance of Block Eight in pitch darkness, the stars were amazing. Breathtaking. The lack of light pollution once you leave the city allows you to appreciate the world above us. The fun of determining what is a satellite, against a shooting star. We were brought back to earth with headlights, the only headlights, in the distance, signalling to us that our taxi was approaching.

Botanica Restaurant is in the grounds of Spicers Retreat, and only about 15 minutes drive from our villa. The food was good, but I somehow felt it was lacking the wow factor. Maybe because I had decided to have a meat free night, something that I very rarely do. The spanner crab and bisque starter were very good, as was the fish I had for main course. But, it just didn’t hit the spot in the same way that the pork knuckle did that I had recently at Riley Street Garage in Sydney.

Sunday morning dawned with my meeting the kangaroos. The early mornings are one of my ultimate highlights of our weekends in the country. Taking my coffee outside onto the deck. Watching the mist slowly rise over the water. Ducks splashing about. Kangaroos coming down for a drink. The unmistakable smell of the eucalypt trees. Life slows right down in these moments. Moments to cherish, and be thankful for.

One of the perks of staying in the country is often a breakfast hamper that you get. The eggs literally could not be fresher, as free range as they come, from the chucks here on the property. Bacon, fresh sourdough bread, and some black pudding I had brought up specially from our local butcher, and I was set up for the day.

When I tell you about lunch, you may feel that all I do on these weekends is eat and drink. You would be right. 100%. Lunch was at the Verandah Restaurant, on the Calais Estate vineyard. Tapas style. And very good. Complemented with a glass of their very own semillon. The Hunter is renowned for excellent semillons. And excellent I am sure they are. However, over the years I have realised I only really enjoy very young semillons. Anything that has been in the bottle over 2 years just develops into a “classic” semillon. Deep golden, nutty, with notes of honey. It sounds delicious. But the distinctive taste is not to my liking, in the same way that the disappointing, highly oaked chardonnays that used to dominate the supermarket shelves years ago.

Across the road was Gemelli Estate, a vineyard we last visited a few years ago. A brief tasting, and one bottle of wine purchased, we headed back towards the villa, stopping off at a place that had caught my eye earlier in the day.

Black Creek Farm has a fabulous cellar door, with a deck that sits out over the vineyard. Ably guarded from birds by Wilson the collie dog, Black Creek is run by husband and wife team, Jean and Nadine. Originally from France, but living the last 20 years in Australia, the couple decided to make the big change in the pace of their life by moving up to the Hunter once their children had grown up. They were now doing an excellent job running Black Creek, producing some very quaffable wines under the “Thélème” banner. I even got the whole back story to the name. Clearly very passionate about the wines they produce, we had an excellent, very informative tasting. Jean took us through the wine list, tasting wines side by side to better compare, whilst Nadine supplied us with cheese and crackers to help the palate. Yes, we walked away with yet more bottles of wine.

Monday morning brought October with it. The second month of spring. Slowly waking, and turning over, I tentatively gave the head a little shake to see if I was suffering from the excesses of yesterday. I should have been. We drank a lot of wine. What with the tastings. And the bottle of champagne we brought with us to celebrate being away, which we drank watching the sunset. And then the local wines we subsequently drank. I should have been, and expected to be, very dusty. I usually am on weekends in the Hunter. However, I felt great. So much that I jumped up, made a coffee, and lit up the BBQ to cook breakfast.

We reluctantly packed up, and checked out, and made our way to the vineyard with quite possibly the best views in the Hunter. Audrey Wilkinson produce some very good wines, but so early in the day we were only here for the views, and a little stretch of the legs. The fresh air did us good. So much so that after a short drive we were once again crossing the Hunter, on our way to taste wine. This time at Iron Gate estate. Our first visit. A new one for the spreadsheet. As with the boutique wineries, a quiet cellar door always allows for a more personal service. Once again we were given the opportunity to taste the same wines, of different vintages, side by side. Need I tell you that we left with more bottles in the boot?

I am always left with a feeling of sadness leaving the Hunter. But at the same time happy, and very grateful that we get the opportunity to spend time in a world-class wine region, almost on our doorstep. The sadness is the realisation we have to leave the tranquillity behind and return to the madness that is city life in Sydney. Horrendous traffic, a 3 hour drive, and we were once again back to reality. Packing our wine away, and checking our calendars for the next free weekend.