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The rebirth of Halifax, a true renaissance?

July 14, 2019 by Fran Leave a Comment

It was the smells that got me first. Aromas of Beef bulgogi. Three pan fried dumplings, £1.50. An excellent vegan cafe next door. This doesn’t sound like the small town I left almost 8 years ago. A town of Greggs selling flaky pasties, the remnants of which would stick to the front of your jumper all day. The Pride of Whitby, selling fish and chips to be rightfully proud of. But a good old chippy all the same. And pizzas from the long gone Inn-Cognito. Pizzas that I thought were the epitomy of Italian sophistication. Until I first visited Napoli, and the home of pizza. Needing a late night drink? Take your pick from Denny’s, or the Acapulco night club.

In the years since I left, I have read in some quarters that it is now described as the Shoreditch of the north. My humble home town of Halifax, West Yorkshire has come a long way. Or has it? Is this the rebirth of Halifax. A true renaissance?

The Piece Hall

If indeed it is, some will point to the money invested in the Piece Hall, a majestic 18th century masterpiece, as the turning point. First opened in 1779, to trade in pieces of cloth, hence the name, the Piece Hall had been neglected for some years, and thus, in the 1970’s it was considered for demolition. Thankfully, this never happened, and after a £19 million restoration, completed in 2017, the Piece Hall reopened. A sympathetic restoration, the building remains much as it looked back in 1779, but much more is happening behind those stone windows. Taking full advantage of this unique site, there is now a selection of bars, cosmopolitan restaurants, and a rather excellent book shop, The Book Corner, taking the place of the wool merchants. Being a lover of books, and an inveterate reader, I only wish every village and town had a bookstore of this quality. An excellently curated selection of books, with a large focus on local authors, and local history. As the star of local author, Ben Myers, continues to rise, his books take a prominent position, as do a number of books on Anne Lister, currently hitting the small screens in Sally Wainwright’s “Gentleman Jack”. A show that I unfortunately haven’t seen on TV at home in Sydney.

The excellent Book Corner book store in Halifax — Come for a book, leave with several

Unless you haven’t left the house in the last few years, you will know that the drink to be seen with is gin. No longer considered “mother’s ruin”, gin is now so fashionable, and dare I say trendy, that every town worth its salt now has at least one gin bar, offering a confusing number of gins. Halifax is no exception, and is on the bandwagon with Gin Lane. My experience whenever I try and order somebody a gin is that you are bamboozled with so much choice that you simply choose the same gin every time. Another example of the paradox of choice. And don’t dare order Gordons. Or if you do, make sure you whisper it, for fear of upsetting the gin connoisseurs. In fact, unless your gin of choice is described as artisanal, and comes with herbs (it seems rosemary is no longer just for your lamb henry), fruits, and flowers sticking out the top, don’t embarrass yourself.

Top Door espresso, Halifax — Halifax’s home of quality coffee

The Borough Market

Another underused, and neglected masterpiece in Halifax is the Borough Market, in the centre of town. Over the years, butchers, haberdasheries, and cheap cafes have proliferated, with the town never really taking advantage of what is under their nose, in the way the Leeds makes tremendous use of the Corn Exchange, and the Victoria Quarter. Further afield, look at how well London makes use of their Borough Market, with top class restaurants and coffee shops taking pride of place. Halifax Borough Market is finally trying, and has improved since my last visit, with Top Door Espresso now offering quality coffee, and giving Monmouth Coffee of London’s Borough Market a run for its money. It has taken Halifax some years to catch up, and realise how terrible the caffeine offerings are from the bland high street chains, but the rise of quality independent coffee shops is slowly improving things. The fact that these live side by side with the “old” Halifax only adds to the quirkiness, in my opinion.

The redevelopment of the Piece Hall also brought with it a brand spanking new library. Often the centerpiece of a community, the value of libraries can not be overstated. A library is the bedrock of learning. A space that is open to all, and available to everybody, regardless of creed, race, or wealth. The more people that we can get through library doors can only be a good thing, in this age of social media, and fake news that proliferates in the trashy daily newspapers on offer. The old library had sat on Southgate, long before the bus station was relocated next door in 1989.

Duke of Wellington watching over the shoppers of Halifax town centre — Watching over the shoppers of Halifax town centre

The changing face of Halifax

Wandering the town centre, in the drizzle, I also noticed that Woolshops got a new statue of the Duke of Wellington. Town centre stalwarts remain such as Pearsons fish and chip shop. Always serving up a reliable lunchtime special, with bread and butter, and a pot of tea. Simplicity at its finest. La Luna in the Westgate Arcade seems to be going from strength to strength, with the very hospitable brothers coming a long way from the original, small cafe on Commercial Street, Café Luna. Many of my lunchtimes from the Halifax head office, across the road, were spent sipping coffee and putting the world to rights in the cosy upstairs section of the café.

Las Vegas in Yorkshire?

The rebirth isn’t limited to Halifax town centre. Looking slightly further afield, a small village called West Vale, less than 4 miles from Halifax, has been rechristened West Vegas. Without the neon, and some would say the glamour, of Las Vegas, West Vale has seen the introduction of craft beer, wine bars and many restaurants offering fayre that would have been called distinctly “cosmopolitan” just a few short years earlier. Café Thai brings the flavours of Bangkok, with a traditional restaurant on the ground floor, and the rather excellent, if somewhat different, Thai Tapas upstairs. Cinnamon at the Mill, sister to the ever consistent Cinnamon Lounge at Ripponden, brings authentic Indian to the locals. And Catch, located underneath the curry house does excellent, traditional fish and chips, whilst also serving up seafood of a quality not often seen in these parts.

The future

What next for the future of Halifax? Further growth and development I hope, cementing the rebirth of the town. More gin bars, probably. A second hand book store would be good. And definitely, more places selling high quality espresso based coffee. Whatever opens, I hope to see increased numbers of visitors happy to spend, and support the local businesses doing much to breath life back into this glorious little northern town.

In the meantime, as I only have a short time left to explore my former home town, I am following my nose, and am off to try these exquisitely scented dumplings at the Korean stall in the Borough Market.

Some of the perils of living overseas

May 25, 2019 by Fran 2 Comments

As I countdown to my next trip “home”, the first in two years, I have been thinking about some of the perils of living overseas. Now, when I say perils, fear not. I am not intimating that living in Sydney puts me at risk of anything more dangerous that a high phone bill, but there are a number of things that you learn to adapt to when living overseas.

Keeping in touch with friends and family ‘back home’

Technology is a wonderful thing. How wonderful, most of the younger generation will not really appreciate. When I first came travelling to Australia, in June of 1994, there was no internet. Well, there was, but it wasn’t widely available, and thus not widely used. No mobile phones. No fancy little laptops and tablets to blog about your trip. Just a smattering of Internet cafes, where you could purchase a block of time, join the queue, then furiously type as fast as you could once seated so you didn’t run out of allotted minutes, mid email.

Picture of an old internet cafe — Ever used one of these?

If traditional pen and paper was more your thing, and it was, and remains mine, we had “poste restante”. Yeah, I had never heard of it either, before that first trip to Australia in 1994. A quaint little idea, that served me perfectly well. And has resulted in me having a comprehensive, written, documentary record of my trip, and a collection of letters that I treasure. Who knows, some of the words you sent me may one day end up in my magnus opus. My memoir. But don’t worry, I will change the names to protect the innocent.

“Poste Restante” was (maybe still is?) a service offered by the post offices. You let your friends and family know which town, or city, you were hoping to be in, at a certain time, and they could send a letter addressed to you, care of the said post office. All I had to do was, firstly make sure I was actually in that town, then take my ID and go queue up, with all the other backpackers, and collect my letters. Simple as that. Left town before you got your letter? Then I am afraid you never got to know what important musings you were destined to read. When you think of it, this could actually change the direction of peoples lives. Peril alert. You could have left a loved one, on the other side of the world wondering why you never returned their proclamations of love. We will never know.

Telephoning home was possible, but not from one of those nifty little smart phones that we all now have difficulty in lifting our heads up from. We were some years from that. The iPhone was still 13 years away. You had to use a public phone box, (do we still have them?), and usually through the use of a pre-paid telephone card. Due to the time difference between Australia and the UK, this usually meant that calls were made late at night, on a weekend, after one too many schooners. Drunkenly struggling in a payphone cubicle, scratching off the “PIN” code required to enter into the phone, chatting away as fast as you can before your credit ran out. Which wasn’t very long. I later found out that most of these calls I made consisted of me blathering away incoherently, with my parents just happy that I was obviously alive, in good health, and enjoying life. Hardly in any kind of peril.

Life now for the traveller, or expat, is much easier. I think we often forget how far we have come in terms of technology, allowing us to bridge the gap across countries, and continents. This is the changing face of travel. There are a plethora of instant messaging apps. To the point that it is confusing at times working out which ones people have, what devices support which apps, and whether to do just audio, or video too. Skype. Facetime. Google Duo. What’s App video call. And Google Hangouts. The paradox of choice.

That said, I probably communicated a lot more in the “old days”. Letters and calls were done weekly. And now, I instant message a lot, but only probably speak to family and friends once every few months. Hardly makes sense does it? But I think that because the world now seems so small, I have less of a divide to cross. Less of a bridge to gap. I feel that everybody is right there, at the touch of a button.

All this is making me think that maybe I should make more of an effort. Write more letters. And definitely make more calls. Hmm, I have a new objective.

Language “difficulties”

Apart from deciphering the local lingo, and trying to understand why everything in Australia is suffixed with an “o” (Dave-o, Serv-o, Amb-o, Fire-o, please don’t ask!), I don’t have many language issues in Sydney.

Granted, the Aussies can not work out where different UK accents originate from, as a result of them not having many regional accents themselves. This always results in being asked, “right mate, I’m good at this usually. Irish or Scottish?“. Simply that. When I say English, I get a very disbelieving look. “Nah mate, you can’t be. You don’t sound very English. Not like the lads from Earl’s Court, or Fulham, where I lived for a while.” When I ask how many Irish and Scottish people they have met, I get a blank look.

Cue, me eye rolling. Again. Almost without exception, the question about the accent is the first thing I am asked when meeting people. Apart from the local waiter at The Bather’s Pavilion, who complimented us on our very good English, after previously observing us over lunch chatting away in French to each other. What? French? Mon dieu. Two Yorkshire folk, happily chatting away, in English.

“England”, I say, which results in further blank looks.

“You don’t sound English”. Here we go again, I thought.

“Don’t I? That is odd. I lived there for first 40 years of my life, so I kind of assumed I did”.

“No. Not English, English. You know. Like other English people.”

Yes, it gets weary. Having to explain to almost everyone you meet, that I am indeed English.

Sport (well, football), (REAL football)

In many respects, Australia is much like its colder cousin. But, the longer you live here you start to feel some of the very marked differences in culture. A big one that continues to impact my life is football. And this brings one of the biggest cultural differences. Football was a part of my life in the UK. Not just something I chose to do. But was intrinsically woven through the fabric of my life. From playing in the school football team, and captaining it, through to playing regularly at weekends as an adult. Both full 11 aside, and lots of weekly 5 aside games. It was an ever present.

I had hoped it would be even more. As a school child I had been put forward for trials at county level, for Yorkshire. And in the trials, I was played out of what I thought were my best positions, and I didn’t make the cut. This was hard for a 10 year old. Even more so when I saw local lads from that same weekend going on to become professional footballers, even enjoying stints in the Premier League. Oh what might have been.

And then there was following my own club. Every lover of football has their own team. Something that never changes. Through good times, and bad. And I was lucky enough to have a season ticket for my team, Manchester United. Going to my first game at the age of 7, and then continuing the tradition as I grew older, to the point when I could afford a car, and a season ticket.

Football in England is ingrained in the national culture. In much the same was it is in European, and South American countries. It is a religion. And the stadia are the churches. Here in Australia, I have to adapt to the fact that football is a minority sport. It plays second fiddle to the various codes of rugby, and even bloody cricket. Does a more boring game exist?

I do miss the banter that comes from having a beer with mates, all supporting different teams. It can get quite serious, but then, it is football. Here, I can go through a cup final, a local derby, or even, the height of rivalry, a game against Liverpool, and yet it wouldn’t even make a blip on the radars of my colleagues. Well, there are a few from the UK, and even Europe, who do understand, but to everybody else, football might as well not exist.

The tyranny of distance

Yes, I could live somewhere a lot closer than a 24 hour flight away. Or 17 hours should I move to Perth. But where would the fun in that be? I get amused that some family members still struggle with the time difference, some 7 years after I got here. The other day I awoke to a message that asked, “how happy are you now that it is Friday?“. OK, I was tired. I hadn’t got through my first coffee of the day yet. I was still rubbing sleep from my eyes. But, I was sure that after Wednesday, comes Thursday. Unless I had slept for over 24 hours, which would be welcome, but a first, it was not Friday until tomorrow.

One benefit of being this side of the world though is the opportunity to spend time in places like Ubud in Bali, which is only a 6 hour flight away. Half that if I move to Perth. And Thailand becomes a regular destination, which for those of you that have been there, is the definition of paradise. Fancy a wine tasting trip to New Zealand? Maybe a long weekend in Queenstown? Only a 3 hour flight away. And it has to be said, I do love to travel.

From peril, to positive

For every negative, there is a positive. And with Australia, these positives are massive, and many. Enough to keep me here for what is my 7th year. I often get asked why I moved here, alone. Making what most people see as a big step. Firstly, I didn’t, and don’t see it as big. For me, it was just choosing to live somewhere else for a bit. See how it was. Have a little adventure. Write a new chapter. But also, one of the biggest reasons, was to enjoy a warmer climate. I am not a fan of the harsh European winters. In fact, I am forgetting how harsh they can be, not having endured one for over 6 years now. We are currently one week away from winter, and even at 18 degrees, I am wondering whether I need a light jacket as I walk about the village.

With the weather brings an outdoor lifestyle that is hard not to enjoy. I love cafes, and cafe culture, and most of all, I love coffee. And the coffee here in Australia is amongst the best in the world. Weekends are all about finding your favourite spot, and settling in for an amazing brunch, with sublime coffee. Take a book, do some writing, or just watch the world go by, but this is something I just couldn’t do regularly enough in the UK. The weather is often too cold and unpredictable.

Perils of living overseas. To the positives. — One of life’s pleasures.

The weather also determines your wardrobe for most of the year. And outside of July, which is the coldest winter month, flip flops are de-rigeur. I like that, in Australia, there are no airs and graces when it comes to dress code for all but the most formal occasions. How I hate the stuffiness of formal events. Having to dress a certain way just to go for dinner. Well here in Australia, oftentimes you just wear what you are comfortable in. Shorts at dinner? No problem. Want to head out in your Stan Smiths? Go ahead. That said, I still find it odd that will see many people in the streets with no shoes on. And not just in the beach suburbs like Manly, or Bondi Beach, but also around your local village. Don’t their feet get dirty? Are they not worried about walking in dog poo? (there is enough of it). That is one peril I want to avoid.

For those of you that live overseas, or have in the past, what were your perils? How did you keep in touch with friends and family? What did you miss the most? Let me know in the comments.

The Wonderful World of Wine

May 19, 2019 by Fran Leave a Comment

If you have been reading along with me for some time, you may have noticed I like a glass of wine. Well, I like a few glasses. Sometimes the whole bottle. And if you read my posts on the wine regions of New Zealand, the wineries of the Hunter Valley, or how I spent my days in Margaret River, you will know that I learn about wine through wine tasting.

Sparkling wines of the Hunter Valley — Sparkling wines in the Hunter Valley

But, like me, have you ever been intimidated when handed a wine list in a restaurant? Page after page of wines of every conceivable grape, from every conceivable region. Where do you start? Some restaurants employ a sommelier, which often makes the situation worse. How to not sound ignorant. Or hint that you don’t know what you like, and want. How to pick a wine under the steely gaze of the “expert”? Go for the second most expensive option? Then you have fallen into the most common trap set by restaurants. Knowing that you will probably avoid the most expensive wine on their list, they will stick the wine they want to sell the most of as the next most expensive. You feel like you have got a better deal. The restaurant has sold the wine they originally wanted to sell. Confusing isn’t it?

The wine list of Gemelli estate in the Hunter Valley — Where to start…

For me, this confusion felt very similar when I first started visiting cellar doors. Walk through the large, old, brown wooden doors, into a cool space, greeted with a smile, and a “how can I help you?”. A sense of panic grips you as you are faced with racks and racks of expensive looking wine. You feel like you are in the wrong place. You are not ready for this. You are not experienced enough. You feel inadequate.

Well, you are wrong. You just want to try some new wines. Have some fun. Learn a little more about the wonderful world of wine. Maybe even buy a bottle to go with tonight’s BBQ. Or you need a good bottle to take to the BYO restaurant (bring your own, a very popular concept here in Australia) you have dinner reservations for at 8.30pm. But which wines should you try? Do you have to try them in order? Do you swirl your glass around? (apparently yes, with everything expect sparkling wines). And should you smell the wine, or drink it? (it turns out that it is both).

Chandon Estate in the Yarra Valley, Melbourne. — The House of Chandon, Yarra Valley, Melbourne

What are the big open receptacles on the counter for? Well, these are for spitting out the wine, not drinking wine out of. Don’t copy Paul Giamatti in the hilarious film “Sideways”, where a couple of mates spend a weekend in the hills near Napa Valley drinking Merlot, amongst others.

Paul Giamatti in Sideways, wine tasting. — Taking wine tasting a little too far – “Sideways”

You may have seen those well versed in wine tasting do a little swirl of the stuff in their mouths. Making a little inhale of air as they do it. It is harder than it looks, and takes some practice. If you don’t want to choke on your Cabernet, I wouldn’t suggest you try it for the first time at the cellar door.

Wine tasting can be daunting if you try and follow any rules. My advice is, don’t. Relax. Look at the tasting list, which will be order from the lighter wines, bubbles and white, through the reds, and often onto the dessert wines, and port style drinks. Often called “stickies” in Australia. And decide what you want to try. If you are not driving, and preferably you won’t be, having availed yourself of an organised tour, I would suggest you try a bit of everything. Work through the list, top to bottom. Don’t be shy. And don’t be afraid. It is what most people do. This allows you to really test your palette, and work out what wines you like.

Wine tasting in the Swan Valley, Perth, Western Australia. — Enjoying a bottle in the Swan Valley, Perth

Like a lot of things, wine tasting is subject to personal preference and taste. One man’s sensational Semillon, will be another woman’s bitter Barolo. We all like different flavour profiles, and trying lots of different wines will allow you to find yours. Wine has hundreds of flavour profiles, but don’t let this daunt you. All you need to know is which ones taste nice in your mouth, and after you have swallowed. Which leaves a good “finish”? And which will you empty in to the spittoon?

Go on, get tasting. Dive into the wonderful world of wine, and leave me a comment below on what wines you prefer. I am always on the lookout for a new drop, or a new region to try.

Salud!

11 (and a ½) Magic Moments in Margaret River

April 28, 2019 by Fran 2 Comments

Day 1

Get Breakfast – No day starts properly without a great breakfast. And they don’t come much better than the ones served up at the White Elephant café in Gnarabup. Mingle with the locals who are drying off after their early morning dip in the ocean, grab a table, and enjoy scrambled eggs whilst being mesmerised by the huge waves crashing on to the beach. Have a post brekkie stroll, along the beach path towards Surfers Point at Prevelly.

White Elephant cafe, Gnarabup, Margaret River — White Elephant cafe, overlooking the sea

2. Get Underground – The parts of Margaret River that you can see are beautiful. What I didn’t realise is that there is as much beauty beneath your feet. There are over 200 limestone caves in the region, some of which you can explore. An opportunity to learn your stalactite from your stalagmite. On the rather aptly named Caves Road, there are a number that you can enter, choosing to visit either just one, or a combination of all of them. We visited two, both of which were enchanting.

Lake Cave with a guided tour for $22.50, bookings essential
Mammoth Cave with a self guided audio tour, no booking required

Cave entrance — Somewhere down there is the entrance

3. Get supplies for your picnic – If it is a Saturday morning, get along to the excellent Margaret River Farmers Market, just south of town on the main road. Very much a community event, there are many stalls selling everything from wood fired bread, artisan cheeses, fruit, vegetables, coffee, and anything else you could need. Most of the stalls do have card facilities but it is worth taking some actual, old fashioned cash to cater for the few that don’t. If like me, cash is something you are not familiar with, there is an ATM conveniently located in the service station just across the road.

4. Get amongst the vines – Let’s get this straight. Nobody comes to Margaret River without planning to try a few of the world class wines produced in the region. And, what fun is there in being amongst all this quality wine, but then having to worry about driving? None. So, spend the afternoon exploring one of the many vineyards with an organised wine tour. We went with Margaret River tours. An excellent tour visiting 4 very different vineyards, and with the opportunity to taste chocolate, and cheese in between. Are you sold? What is not to like. Margaret River has over 215 wineries, over more than 5000 hectares, and produces some of Australia’s most premium wines, over 20%, despite only producing 3% of Australia’s wine. The wine tours can book up early. Another option to check out, which I can also highly recommend, is Grape Escape for either a private, or group tour. Having only relatively recently escaped the rat race of the big city, these guys are now making quite a name for themselves in the tourism scene.

5. Get Settled – After a long day, you probably need a big feed. There are many options for dinner in town. We went traditional, and chose the iconic Settlers Tavern, which has its own meat smoker on the deck. That sold it for me. I certainly took advantage, having the very succulent lamb ribs, 8 of the beauties. If you want something lighter, there is a very extensive menu from you to choose from, together with, as you would expect, a very comprehensive wine list. Being in Western Australia, I opted for a beer, not being able to resist a pint of Little Creatures, brewed just up the road in Fremantle.

6. Get your single malt on – Limeburners whisky may be better associated with Albany, on the southern coast, but there is an outlet of the Great Southern Distilling Company in Margaret River. As well as some of the best whisky you will taste, this distillery also produces excellent gin. A whole selection of them. And you don’t have to spend too much time deliberating which one to try. Pop in for a tasting flight of either the whisky, or the gin, and you can try four, with matching garnish for the gins. Rather predictably, I found myself leaving with a bottle of single malt safely tucked under my arm.

7. Get soothed – The day started early, and was filled with some great activities. Following a nightcap of my newly purchased whisky, I was ready to turn in. As my head hit the pillow I drifted off to sleep, very content, and soothed by the sounds of the waves crashing on nearby Gnarabup beach. Dreaming of what tomorrow has in store.

Day 2

8. Catch some waves – Early to bed, early to rise. Start with a walk on the beach, stopping briefly to watch the surfers, before heading to Sea View Garden café for great coffee and better seaside vibes. Oh, and the food is first rate too. Whether you pick a classic, as I did, of eggs Benedict with crispy bacon, or take the more adventurous option of Nasi Goreng, the Indonesian breakfast of champions. Find the surf boards and you will know that you have found Sea Garden café.

Surf Boards, Sea Garden Cafe, Prevelly — Surf boards of Sea Garden cafe

9. Catch the local sealife – Don’t make the mistake that I had made on previous visits to Margaret River. Don’t miss Hamelin Bay. Not only is it another incredible example of the amazing beaches and coastline of this part of Australia, but you also get to spend the morning gazing in wonder at the very sizeable, stately stingrays that come right in to shore. Join the throngs in the shallow water getting up close and personal with these amazing creatures. Just a word of warning. Don’t get too close to the tails of these beautiful rays, as a sharp whip can be painful, as I can testify. Hamelin Bay is a truly beautiful spot and should be high on anyone’s list when in Margaret River.

10. Catch some of Australia’s best produce – Not just producing some of the best wine you will ever taste, many of the vineyards also have restaurants serving lunch to hungry visitors. I would highly recommend Amelia Park on Caves Road. You may have noticed by now that much of the best of the region is on, or around Caves Road. Amelia Park has a dedicated restaurant, across the car park from the cellar door. Sat in the large, busy restaurant, with sweeping views out across the vines, I was treat to one of the best lunches I’ve had in in recent memory. And I have had some good ones. Following a glass of bubbles, I moved on to the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, oh my word, produced right on site. The wood grilled Fremantle octopus was perfectly complemented with avocado and nduja, adding the perfect level of spice. For main the strip loin and rosemary salted hand cut chips were delightful. With no room for desert I finished on a Pedro Ximenez sherry that was the colour of butterscotch, and tasted even better. I can also recommend the scallops entree, followed by the duck breast, yes, with delicious crispy skin.

11. Catch the last rays of the day – Another full day, and now time to unwind. And on the west coast, what better way than to marvel at the sunset anywhere along the coastline that hugs Margaret River. My choice this weekend was the lookout point on a slight elevation above the iconic White Elephant café, or Ellie to locals. A short 5 minute walk from our charming little accommodation, booked via AirBnB. With a couple of cold beers in the bag, we slowly wandered up to a prime spot to watch the sun set on another day in paradise.

Sunset over Gnarabup Beach. Margaret River. — No words required

11½ Catch the world’s second longest jetty – Only getting half, as not strictly in Margaret River, but worth a mention. Start the easy drive back to Perth, but call in at the beautiful Busselton and check out the magnificent, monumental jetty. At 1841 metres long, it is the second longest wooden jetty in the world. Explore on foot, the whole length, or for those that are tired, jump on the little tourist train that runs back and forth, carrying weary travellers. If you find all this thirsty work, and have not had enough libation over the last couple of days, step into The Goose for a coldie and a window seat view of the jetty.

7 Must Visit Vineyards in New Zealand

April 23, 2019 by Fran Leave a Comment

Wine tasting in New Zealand

Classified as a “New World” wine region, New Zealand has an abundance of great wine growing regions, and the climate is perfect for creating some world class Pinot Noir. Yeah, you probably know this already. It is a good drop. There are also bold Bordeaux style reds. Big, robust cabernet grapes. And we couldn’t talk about the wines of New Zealand without mentioning the ubiquitous Sauvignon Blanc of the Marlborough region. The cooler climate helping to create the apple crisp, zesty savs from the South Island that are now found everywhere, with bottle shops and supermarkets worldwide saturated with it. A good wine, but it wasn’t the focus of this trip.

Unlike many wine tasting regions I have visited around the world, wineries in New Zealand tend to charge a “tasting fee”, almost without exception. Some even still insisted on collecting the fee even when we made a purchase at the cellar door, which is something that will not help encourage future, thirsty oenophiles.

New Zealand is a great country to travel around. Small. Outrageously scenic. And whilst you are there, point your campervan, or car in the direction of the following vineyards.*

*I use “winery” and “vineyard” interchangeably. However, they have different meanings. A winery is somewhere that wine is made. A vineyard is somewhere that grapes are grown.

Waiheke Island – Auckland

Known as “wine island”, Waiheke Island is only 40 minutes from Auckland on the Fullers Ferry service, leaving from the downtown ferry terminal. To get in the mood for a day amongst the vines, why not start the journey with a glass of bubbles on the way over. Arriving at the island, the Explorer Hop on-Hop off bus meets you, to transport you around the island. The consistently high temperatures means that the island produces some great red wines.

Batch – our first port of call and where we also had a very good lunch, avoiding the showers that had started to threaten the day. When the skies cleared, we had the best vantage point on the island, with uninterrupted views across to Auckland. For a $12 tasting fee we had the Thomas’s Bach wines tasting flight. It wasn’t until I had been in New Zealand for almost a week that I learnt that “Bach” (pronounced batch) means a small crib, or beach house. Not often the standard way of doing a tasting, the flight is a good idea as it allows you to try your wines side by side, comparing the flavour profiles

Wines of New Zealand, including an excellent Pinot Noir. — Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Rose

https://www.batchwinery.com/our-wine.html

Te Motu – Named for the original Maori name of Waiheke, “island of long shelter”, Te Motu serves up Bordeux style wines, sat overlooking the verdant Onetangi Valley. For a $20 tasting fee (yes, it was getting more expensive) we got a tasting of the premium selection, the Te Motu Heritage Flight. The Dunleavy “The Shed” rose, Merlot based and made in the Provence style. A 2016 Syrah, “The Grafter”, and a 2015 Cabernet Merlot, “The Strip”, named after the old airport runway, preceded our final wine, which was the Te Motu 2009. Good for cellaring up to 2025, this was one that I enjoyed there and then.

Our Wines

Stonyridge Vineyard – Specialising in premium red wine, Stonyridge has been described as :

“The vineyard that caused the wine world to wake up to Waiheke” – Lonely Planet 2015.

Stonyridge is a short 5 minute walk across the fields, and through the vines, from neighbouring Te Motu. So we HAD to visit, didn’t we? Following a brief tasting at the cellar door, we purchased a full glass and took it to sit amongst olive trees, drinking our wine in the courtyard that has a distinctly French flavour. Great wine, great views, and great company. Do days get any better?

The vines of New Zealand, enjoying the glorious sunshine.

http://www.stonyridge.com/

Hawkes Bay – North Island

Nestled on the east coast, and by the city of Hastings, Hawkes Bay is fast becoming a must visit wine destination. The “Bridge Pa triangle”, which is a cluster of conveniently located vineyards and cellar doors, Hawkes Bay is set up to satisfy all your wine needs, whether you want to visit in your campervan, or if you prefer to pick up a bike locally and pedal your way around.

Ngatawara – easier to find, than to pronounce, we had our first tasting here, in the old stables. We had an unstructured tasting, which means there isn’t a set list, but you get to taste whatever takes your fancy. After a rather uninspiring sauvignon blanc, then a Pinot Gris that failed to match the heights of earlier vineyards we decided to move on rather than work further through the wine list. It can be a tough job, this wine tasting lark. Wine is a very subjective thing, and the beauty is that all our palates are different. Good wine, whatever the price, won’t always be to your liking.

Ngatarawa. New Zealand. Hawkes Bay. — Easier to find than pronounce.

http://www.ngatarawa.co.nz/wine/

Oak Estate – conveniently located just next door to Ngatawara, we were back to a structured tasting, for a $5 charge per person. This tasting fee was refunded when we left with a bottle of wine. We needed something to go with our fish and chip dinner later that evening. The wines in the tasting included a Chardonnay, spoilt for many due to the proliferation of mass made, over oaky variations in the 90s. However, this wine is currently undergoing a renaissance in the New World. The one served at Oak Estate was another great example of how good Chardonnay is fighting back. At cellar doors, when asked if I want to try a chardie, no longer do I reply with a screwed up face.

Through the rustic, red cellar door, the courtyard, in amongst the vines, was a perfect spot for us to fill our hungry bellies. The wine tasting was complemented with a very good lunch platter. The Oak Platter, which was more than enough for two. Now, I just needed to find somewhere for an afternoon nap.

The Oak Platter. Oak Estate. Bridge Pa. Hawkes Bay. — Lunch is served. The Oak Platter.

http://oakestatewines.co.nz/

Marlborough – South Island

We travelled through the Marlborough Sounds by ferry across to Picton in the South Island. Despite our earlier decision to bypass the Marlborough region, and head straight down the west coast, the blue sky and the sun glistening on the vines as we drove through proved too strong a temptation. And so we found ourselves swinging the campervan into the car park of the nearest vineyard.

Giesen Wines – Giesen is a wine brand that I am sure I have heard of, but for the life of me can’t remember why. It is a name that I now won’t forget due to the excellent Pinot Gris I tasted. Paired up with another family for the tasting, paying the standard $5 tasting fee, we were taken through the history of the vineyard, which I always find fascinating, and through a structured tasting, sparkling, to white, through to red, and ending on sweet wines if you so wished. I did so wish.

https://giesen.co.nzP

Peregrine Wines, Central Otago – leaving Queenstown was always going to be hard. The ultimate destination, whatever time of year, I am afraid that our 3 days did not do it justice. Mountains. Lakes. Great restaurants. Oh, take me back. What better way to perk ourselves up, as we headed north in the campervan, than to call at the renowned Peregrine Wines vineyard. An architectural wonder that catches the eye as you walk to the cellar door. And the wonders don’t stop there. The wines produced here are nothing short of excellent. Cue, more bottles purchased.

Peregrine Wines. Central Otago. New Zealand. — Central Otago, simply stunning

http://www.peregrinewines.co.nz/

Come to New Zealand for the scenery, and stay for the wine. I challenge you to visit the above vineyards, and not leave with a boot full of wine. What are you waiting for?

Let me know what your favourite vineyards in New Zealand are. What are your go to grapes? What vineyards should I check out on my next visit?

Should I put the iron away and travel?

April 4, 2019 by Fran Leave a Comment

I have loved travel for most of my life. And when I say travel, I don’t mean holidays. (Although, I do bloody love holidays). I mean what I would call real travel. Not cocooned in some 5 star hotel, plumping my pillows, and bedding down in Egyptian cotton sheets of the highest quality thread count, whilst the locals can’t afford food and drink, let alone shelter. Not soothed by air conditioning when the locals live in temperatures that could cook an egg.

And not visiting a place, to stay imprisoned within the confines of a resort, owned by an overseas conglomerate, never to venture outside, to interact with the locals. No. I want to sample some amazing street food. I want to smell the spices. I want to be visually bombarded with colour, and activity. I want to contribute to the local economy, not the faceless one.

When people tell me they have been to a certain country, when in fact they never left their international hotel resort drives me mad. If you are going to visit a country, visit that country, its people, and its customs. India is not best seen through the windows of your air-conditioned tour bus. You won’t see some of Mexico’s best temples, from early civilisation, from your lounger in a US run holiday resort. And the UK is not best seen from an open top bus in London. Whilst I’m on that point, no open top bus is probably good advice, knowing the English weather.

The amount of people I talk to here who tell me they went to the UK and loved London. The end. The whole of the UK, and they loved London. If I had a Bitcoin for every time somebody here asked me “when do you fly to London” whenever I visit the UK, I still wouldn’t understand Bitcoin. But I would have a lot of them. By the way, I blatantly stole that one, so if you are reading this, over your freshly baked focaccia with smashed avo, I do heartily apologise. The blank stares I get when I ask people what they thought of the Lake District, the beautiful Cornish coastline, or the wonders of Edinburgh and Glasgow, confounds me.

One of the greatest travel writers, Paul Theroux, said “tourists don’t know where they have been, travellers don’t know where they are going.” And that encapsulates the feeling, and the joy of travel. Waking up one day, not knowing where you will be going to bed. The unbridled freedom this gives. Backpacking. Independent travel. Whatever label we want to give to it, it is about immersing yourself in a country, and a culture. Find your favourite local bakery. Your favourite spot for morning coffee. Order it in the local language. OK, I admit this could be difficult in Scotland. Laugh along when you get it completely wrong. Walk the streets, smell the smells. Listen to the cacophony of sounds. See what the locals do. Just sit and people watch. Let your mind wander. A form of meditation. Be present.

This is the travel that I have in my heart. What I yearn for most days. Trapped in an office, earning the money to be able to escape the office, and go off and do these things feels like a Faustian pact. Modern life has a way of keeping you in chains. To enjoy a lot of the things that we want to enjoy, we need money. And so we sell our services, to the highest bidder. A roaming troubadour. A means to an end.

And this is where our life conditioning comes in again. We are told that we need to work hard, save lots of money in our superannuation, or pension, and then, when we reach retirement age, which seems to keep creeping inexorably up, we can take that money and “enjoy” life. And I have seen how that works out for a lot of people. My own father amongst them. His dream was to retire and move to Spain. A very modest dream. And that man worked harder than anybody I have ever known. But he never got to live out his dream. Cancer took his dream away.

I read of people who strive every day, struggle every day, ticking off the days to retirement. Then retirement comes along, and they are suddenly struck down with a fatal heart attack.

OK, OK, I know I have being a little morbid. And a trifle dramatic. I am not naive enough to think this happens everyone. Lots of people do get to retire, and go off and do the things they have dreamt about all their hard-working life. But is it worth taking the chance? Every day I bottle up all these feelings. Keep the lid on them. Do a job that I feel trapped in. Office bound.

That I am doing this until some arbitrary date in the future seems pointless. I have money in the bank. And I have my health and fitness. For now. I have to admit, my knees give me cause for concern most mornings. So why am I not off travelling? Living the life I would prefer to live. Tipping the scales so that the balance is in favour of travel, and less so on work. There are places in the world I am desperate to see. Why am I still ironing shirts for work on Sunday afternoons, and not packing my bags?

Only I can answer that.