Advertisement
Published: March 2nd 2009
Edit Blog Post
Good evening all, what a busy weekend...
Friday night saw my friends and i take a boat cruise up the Swan River. We left from Fremantle and cruised all the way up the Swan River to Perth and back. It was great to see the city by night from the river, it looked very pretty all lit up. We also cruised past Blackwall Reach where we went cliff jumping last week, you could really see how high it was! The sky turned a beautiful orange colour as the sun was setting and the evening was beautifully warm.
We took a trip to Perth Zoo on Saturday morning, and although zoos aren't really my thing, it was great fun seeing koalas, kangaroos and dingos for the first time. Unfortunately it wasn't a petting zoo but i'm hoping i'll get to cuddle a koala at one of the bigger zoos on the East coast! It was 36degrees by the time we had finished trekking through the Australian bushwalk in the zoo, so we headed home and hit the beach. It seems that everytime the afternoon looks set to be scorcher and i decide to go to the beach, the clouds come
over as if it's some cruel joke on us pommies! Luckily it's still nice enough for a dip in the ocean, once you've gritted your teeth through the initial entry to the water!
Sunday afternoon was another roasting hot day at 35degrees and one of my friends had decided to throw a greatly desired pool party! Having lived in England i had never really experience a truly baking hot pool party complete with a BBQ. There was about 25 of us sitting round chatting, eating and playing pool volleyball. It was such great fun, even when i got laughed at for being a typical english girl trapped inside a australian pool gate...how was i supposed to know how to open one! I was eventually let out after the guys had decided their stomach's hurt too much from all the laughing! After playing some football on a beautiful cricket field alongside the Swan River with a great view of Perth, we headed back to another house for a few games of cards before bedtime.
Today was a day i was really REALLY looking forward to...we were heading into the Swan Valley to go and visit some of the vineyards.
This was the first time i have ever been to a vineyard and it was just as fantastic as i thought it would be. Our first stop was at 'Jane Brook' winery, and i tasted some beautiful sparkling wines, whites and reds. When i noticed 'White Port' on the blackboard behind the counter, i couldn't help but ask. I really enjoy port but i had never heard of white port before. They gave me a taste with an ice cube and a tiny slice of lime and i was in heaven. In fact...i bought a bottle! Yum yum! Our next stop was at a gorgeous little vineyard called 'Lancaster'. Their Cellar Door was literally in a small tinshed on the grounds on the vineyard and on entering i noticed a sign that said their wines could only be bought exclusively from the cellar door. I wish you could find them in the local Oddbins because they were the most fantastic wines i've tasted in a long time. The guy behind the counter kept on laughing at me because after each wine i'd tasted all i could do was smile as i was speechless! They promised me i could ship some
home! We had one more vineyard to visit before lunch and we headed over to 'Lamonts'. We got treated to olives here and i tried the two sherries they had on offer. We were definitely ready for lunch by this point and headed over to 'Upper Reach' winery where we had a table booked. After a beautiful lunch over looking the Upper Reach vineyards we decided to hit one more winery for some fortified wines before heading home. 'Talijancich' winery had a great offering of ports and sherries, including one of my favorites 'Pedro Ximenez'.
Needless to say i slept in the car all the way home! It was such a great experience and i spent the day confirming my passion for wine and my desire to work on a vineyard to broaden my knowledge.
Tonight calls for a SOBER and early bedtime as tomorrow i start my PADI Open Water dive course.
Lots of love from Fremantle, WA
Danielle xx
Advertisement
Tot: 0.056s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 11; qc: 25; dbt: 0.037s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1mb
Nananne.birchall@ntlworld.como
non-member comment
Wow
Your description of your travels is really something. I think you should go in for journalism as you have a way with words. It is really bringing Australia to life and I am enjoying your holiday along with you. Especially as I have been to some of those places. Carry on with your blogs although I will not be around for a few weeks to read them but look forward to catching up when I arrive home. at the end of April. Carry on having a superb time Lots of love Nan