Australia

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We decided to be good with our money and not go on an organised wine trail, although it was so tempting. Instead we took ourselves on an art and food trail using the regional brochure as a guide. First stop was a winery that had an indoor gallery and sculpture gardens. There were some beautiful large metal sculptures. We tried some of the wine there too and I was impressed that I persuaded Matt not to buy any even though we wanted to.

After taking a break for some lunch in our van we went to the Hunter Valley Gardens. There was a waterfall, lakes, and various themed gardens like Chinese, Indian and Italian. The sun was shining hard and it was so relaxing to just stroll around looking and smelling the flowers without worrying about the time. My favourite part was the rose garden. There were 135 different types of rose, and over 2 million actual roses in full bloom. As soon as you walked in you were hit by the sweet smell. In the centre of the garden was a sculpture of a grandmother playing with her grandchildren which was there to emphasise the important link between different generations.

After our walk we drove to a few specialist food shops and also the gallery of a photographer whose work we’d seen advertised. His work was spectacular - they were all scenic shots, mostly of Australia, and they just seemed to capture perfect moments in time. We both wanted to buy something but decided instead to wait until we’re home and have more spare money as they take online orders.

It was good to get back to the campsite early, it gave us a chance to do some chores and plan where to go next.

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