The Hunter Valley

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On board the Volemdam - Embarkation was normal. By 1:00 I was in my cabin after a lunch in the Lido and my luggage arrived shortly after. Before the safety drill a few of us met in the Crow’s Nest to discuss the following days tour of the Hunter Valley. It was great to put names to the Cruise Critic ID’s and get acquainted with some fellow sailors.
Sail Away was glorious and the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and the Pacific Princess at Circular Quay gleamed in the late afternoon sun. Then it was time for a brief rest before dressing for dinner.
Dinner of Civiche, chilled melon soup and grilled salmon passed quickly with my tablemates Hazel, Milton and Norell. Lovely people and nice chatting.

Day 2 - Mining, Dining and Equining. That’s the way Tex our tour guide describes the Hunter Valley. We docked in Newcastle and, like it’s English namesake, is the port where vast amount of coal are shipped around the world. N the harbour, ships were lined up to take on cargo. Operations go on all day, every day except Good Friday. Besides proven coal reserves of over 300 years, there are vast uranium deposits that are waiting to be exploited. So much for mining.
Hunter Valley is also known for its thoroughbred horses. Stub stables line the road as we drive into the valley. Many of the horses are out to pasture wearing horse blankets. They are beautiful to watch. That covers the Equining!
But the real reason for this tour is the Wine. Hunter Valley wines are shipped all over the world and we were about to sample wines from three growers. Our choices were boutique wineries that sell only from their cellar door. It was here that I discovered my big mistake (or my inadvertent blessing) I had left my credit card on board so only had a limited amount of cash to spend.
Our first stop was Pepper___. A geologist turned vintner privately owns this. John has vines growing all over East Australia and sometimes blends grapes from two regions to take advantage of the best of each. My favorite here was the Sauvignon Blanc. I usually prefer Chardonnay but this fruity light wine was wonderful.
Next we visited McLeish. It was the Shiraz that captured us there. It has a great nose, and a complex pallet with a smooth finish. (Are you impressed yet)! The surprise here was a Semillon dessert wine. I’m not a big fan of dessert wines but this was so flavorful and smooth and sweet without being cloying that I wished I had my credit card.
Next was a great fish and chips lunch and a visit to the Smelly Cheese Shop. Here we sampled an assortment of wonderful cheeses. Too bad I was out of cash or I would have bought a couple to go with the wines.
Finally we stopped at Oakvale. By this time we were all in a great mood and Helen, who led the tasting, was a real comic. She had us really laughing. These were my least favorite wines (or maybe I was “wined” out) but it was the most fun stop of the day.

By this time we were all mellow and relaxed. Tex promised he would have us back for the last tender and he did, just. The last tender was a 4 and we arrived at the dock at 3:50. It was really a bit too close for comfort for me. A word about Tex. Born and raised in AU, he would not share his real name with us. He is very, very tall. Tex was the perfect guide, knowledgeable about the area with a wicked sense of humor. I find this to be an Aussie trait, this dry wit that I enjoy so much. It was also apparent that he was well liked by the vintners. At each stop they were set up and ready to receive us, gave us individual attention and he even had a table reserved for us at Oscar’s at Hunter Valley Gardens.
This was a beautiful day. The valley is stunning and has wonderful resorts and golf courses. It is a premier wedding destination.
Before dinner I went to the Ocean Bar for a stinger and saw Mr. Ed. I first met Ed on the Statendam WWII cruise. He lives in Boston when he’s home, which is seldom, as he sails most of the year as a dance host. There are four on this cruise and they are all in there 60’s or older, just like most of the solo women on board. Joe, remember the mother and daughter on the Zaandam? Those dance hosts must have thought they had died and went to heaven. No one like them on board so far.
The menu tonight was great though with too many choices. I had the Pate de Frois Gras, chilled pea and mint soup and fillet mignon with jumbo prawns. Other choices were rack of lamb and Mahi Mahi. It was a hard decision.
It was an early night for me. Aren’t they all? I am determined to see a few shows this trip.

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