Blogs from Swan Valley, Perth, Western Australia, Australia, Oceania
Swan Valley WIne Tour
Published: April 12th 2012Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Perth » Swan Valley
April 8th 2012
With a day of indulgence ahead of us we started the day with a healthy trip to the gym, but the good work was quickly countered with a bacon and egg roll for breakfast - although we thought this would lay good foundations for the day of wine tasting ahead. We walked to the train station in Perth where we met our bus that would transport us around the wineries, and Phil the driver. The first winery stop was at Ambrook wines at 10.30am, but with our bacon rolls behind us we were all ready to jump straight into the wine tasting. We tried 6 of the wines at Ambrook, which is a very small winery which only sells its wines from the cellar door. It turns out we were too efficient with our ... read more
Perth - Part Two
Published: February 4th 2012Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Perth » Swan Valley
February 4th 2012
Sat 28th Jan ------------- After breakfast we went out on tour again, then back for lunch at Sonya & Ken's house (Nigel's parents). After lunch we visited a few more places, wineries, an orangery & a chocolate factory. Back in at tea-time for feet up and watched a film on TV. Weather cooler today, it was only 35C and a little cloudy. Sun 29 Jan ----------- Nigel took us to Perth Mint for a look round and it was very interesting. We saw the making of a gold bar from molten gold and had a talk about the first prospectors and what they had to go through. The large gold coin (see photos) took 18 months to make and takes 4 men to lift it. It was made for the Queen's recent visit to Australia but ... read more
Perth - Part One
Published: January 27th 2012Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Perth » Swan ValleyJanuary 27th 2012
Plane landed in Perth at about 3am on Wed 25th Jan. Poor Nigel had to meet us at the aiport in the middle of the night! After a good sleep we set off in the afternoon to visit two wineries and an Aboriginal Art shop. Then went to visit Nigel's parents, Sonja & Ken. They have a house on the same plot as Nigel. They seemed very pleased to see us and made us very welcome. We enjoyed the cake! Thurs 26th Jan was "Australia Day". Nigel drove us into Perth and dropped us off near the railway station so we could spend the day in Perth. Australians really do push the boat out on this day. The centre of Perth was really buzzing with all sorts of things going on which were all generally free. ... read more
Itinerary and Budget Planning
Published: July 25th 2011Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Perth » Swan Valley
July 24th 2011
On the 21st. of August the Western Australians taking part in the Black Dog Ride to the Red Centre organised to raise funds and awareness of depression by The Red Dog Foundation, will require us to ride in excess of 3,600 Kilometres over six days. Once the group has broken up in Alice Springs my ride on to Sydney, south to Melbourne then back home to Perth will become a lot more leisurely with no set time table. If the weather is not suitable for riding I'll just sit tight until fine weather returns. While in the Red Centre I will be climbing Uluru, something I have always wanted the chance to do. From there I will be riding to Broken Hill spending a few days sight seeing before heading east toward Sydney. Riding through Bathurst, ... read more
June 22nd 2011
After 2 months travelling it is good to get home to recover from jetlag and to review what seems in retrospect a dream. Here is what I learned: It is good to have a bucket list and it is even better to pursue it. What is the point in vegetating in front of TV or in a job you do not enjoy? The sounds that stick in my memory are: The Painted Reed Frogs that call like windchimes in the night along the riverbanks in Maun Botswana in the Otavanga. The Hippos snorting at night in the hippo grass. What a sound to fall asleep to. The nocturnal shunting of trains that woke me in Siberia. The dogs that barked around the transportable accomodation in Maun when the moon was full and the Jackals and Hyenas ... read more
Don't visit me.
Published: April 19th 2011Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Perth » Swan Valley
April 19th 2011
What does 4.8kg of luggage look like? The case is a 2.2Kg Samsonite case. Lots of the gear is high altitude fast drying and v light. It's all about layers when it gets cold. Please note I have no room for gifts going out or coming back unless you want to get me a Rolex watch. ... read more
Geraldton - Perth - Gold Coast
Published: December 2nd 2010Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Perth » Swan Valley
November 30th 2010
Hi all Wed 9th Nov. We left Geraldton for Dongara, after a very relaxing time. We enjoyed our daily walks and time spent reading and playing Backgammon. We had a nice afternoon at the Greenough Pioneer Cottage, about 20km south, where a lot of the local history is documented. The weather remained very pleasant, averaging 13 to 28deg each day. We spent two nights at Dongara (famous for its Rock Lobsters) on the way, in a lovely small caravan park where we met some mad poms. Two of them, from Bristol, were on a three month holiday travelling in a campervan. The others were originally from Preston but and now live in Perth. We had two great evenings with them, laughing and joking around, telling corny jokes. Believe it or not, we actually had rain on ... read more
