Spooky Photos I am experimenting with uploading photos which so far has eluded me or rather my computer. Malicious spyware or add-ons are suspected! Internet Explorer seems to have been the culprit and by Jove I think I've done it! These photos were taken on the morning of the first dust storm as I rode to work. Familiar places took on a strange armageddonesque quality and the eerie first light made many people think twice about their sinful last days! [View Full Entry]

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The Hunter Valley is famous as one of Australia's finest wine producing regions so on the Bank Holiday weekend we decided to head up with with Andy, Kayte and Charlie to sample some of the delicious wines on offer. We both booked the Friday off work and met up with Andy near the harbour in Sydney before catching a ferry over to Manly, sinking a quick beer (the delicious James Squire Amber Ale that I have become quickly addicted to - who says all Aussie beers are rubbish??) and playing some pool while we waited to be picked up by Kayte. [View Full Entry]

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The other weekend I went on a wine tasting tour to the Hunter Valley with one of my roomates Elsa. We coulden't have wished for a more beautiful winter day. We wen't to several winneries, and tasted some cheese and chocolate as well. It was great fun and I bought 2 bottles of wine, one which is a really sweet fruity white wine that tasts like candy and you are supposed to drink in over ice, and the 2nd was actaully a red wine! I know shocking! But it tasted like cinamen and was actually quite delicouse! At one of the [View Full Entry]

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This June Longweekend we hitched up the caravan and drove up to the Hunter Valley NSW. The Hunter Valley is a wine growing region. We arrived on Saturday morning and were very fortunate in that the constant rain we had been experiencing for weeks had finally cleared. We spent the afternoon catching up with our friends and in the evening we enjoyed a 'themed' dinner - A Mexican Night. We all made different Mexican Dishes to share. On Sunday, some of the group went to play golf and some of us (myself included) went to visit the wineries and taste some [View Full Entry]

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Big driving day as we had to make it to the Hunter Valley. We followed the Pacific Highway all the way from Nambucca Heads to Maitland, the biggest city near the valley. We found a caravan site in Cessnock, nicely situated amidst the 150 wineries in the Hunter. We got to bed early so we could start the free wine fiesta early the next day. Janis must not like wine much because she decided to die again the next morning. It must have been the cold weather, because we were super careful not to leave anything on that could have drained [View Full Entry]

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Die ersten Kilometer waren sehr aufregend (riesiges Auto, Linksverkehr, unbekanntes Terrain). Das Highlight an diesem Tag war das Ueberqueren der Harbour Bridge - unglaublich wie riesig diese Bruecke ist (8 Spuren, 2 Bahngleise, sowie Fahrrad und Fussweg). Unseren ersten Stop machten wir in einem kleinen Vorort nahe Newcastle. Eigentlich wollten wir nach Hunter Valley zu einer Weinverkostung, jedoch fuehrte uns die Route in unserem Reisefueher lediglich an den Weinbergen vorbei. Die erste Nacht verbrachten wir auf einem Campingplatz (9$ Campinggebuehr) in Moonan Flat, ein kleines Kaff mitt [View Full Entry]

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Day 67 - Sale - Lakes Entrance We made the short journey from Sale to Lakes Entrance fairly early so that we could have the whole day in Lakes. The first point of call was the internet cafe (the first we had seen since Melbourne) before treating ourselves to our first Aussie fish and chips. I persuaded Rob to go for the "healthy" recipe batter, but as with everything, it is never as good as the full on lard version. However, the Gummy Shark was delicious and it was much nicer than the standard fish in New Zealand. After enjoying our [View Full Entry]

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We spend most of the week relaxing with walks around near by harbours, playing the Wii, and taking turns cooking dinner. All meals are washed down with plentiful quantities of wine. We also enjoy some sporting activities with a visit the beach where we enjoy a dip in the wonderfully cooling turquoise, blue and green sea just up from where the surfers, kite boarders and canoeists weave in and out of each other. I am preoccupied slightly by a nagging concern of shark attack that is somewhat heightened by the three reports of shark attacks in Sydney that week, an unusually [View Full Entry]

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Hunter [View Full Entry]

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It seems the grapes have run out as far as McWilliams winery are concerned and my services as a harvest labourer / grape dynamo are no longer required. The last three weeks spent in the Hunter Valley YHA have been a stark contrast to the peaceful earlier two weeks working there, with the hostel jam-packed full of grape pickers to the point where you can barely fit your food in the fridge or get a seat on a sofa in the air-conditioned common area. This did have its advantages though, as there were many fun times to be had playing pool, [View Full Entry]

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