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Published: January 24th 2008
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Late lunch at the Hunter Valley information centre - brilliant apple and blueberry crumble - followed by tastings at Capercaillie Wines (named after a nearly extinct Scottish bird for which 20% of profits of sales in Scotland go) who produce a good Bordeaux-type wine as well as a complex old Semillon and a desert gewürztraminer. We then followed that by a last orders tasting at Petersons (not the sparkling one) where we tasted a superb shiraz made from Hunter Valley grapes only (apparently most vineyards use grapes from Mudgee over the Blue Mountains) at $50 a bottle - we settled for a steely Semillon and a nice Shiraz-Viogner to accompany our sweet potato and gnocchi stew.
The Hunter Valley Lodges are in a great setting and palatial and the first thing we saw on entering the grounds were a couple of red necked kangaroos and a couple of types of honey eater birds - several Yellow-faced and a solitary Eastern Spinebill. Mari and Steve later went out in the dark with torches but saw only moths and mossies!
Monday 20th January - What a fab day we have had and that is not just the wine talking!! We were picked
up by Brian of Hunter Valley Boutique wine tours at 10:10 for a day of wine tasting. Really lovely guy, we were very lucky as it was a quiet day there was only the three of us on the tour so we had a really personal tour and tastings.
The wines of the Hunter valley are the Semillon, Verdelho and Shiraz. These are the ones they are famous for but they also grow Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Chambourcin, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot; others were Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc which they grow in the Orange area.
10:30 Ivanhoe Wines - 5th generation wine maker. Stephen Drayton & his wife Tracey own & operate this cellar door. Good introduction by Ann to the process of tasting wines on the balcony overlooking the vineyards.
11:30 Iron Gate Estate - a beautiful small estate - lovely lady called Stacey introduced us to the wines which were all individual some very good, one you needed to get used too!!
We then swapped wine tasting for olives and chutneys at the Hunter Olive Centre. Good olives and dukkah but I don’t think any of the chutneys would have won
the annual challenge!
12:45 Tamberlaine - an organic vineyard. Lovely tasting room with art work & artist hanging more around us.
We were running way late at this stage so after lunch so tragically had to skip The Smelly Cheese Shop to get back on track for Tulloch Wines.
We finished the day of at Tallavera Grove Vineyard - Really lovely host called Gay - made us very welcome .
We arrived back at the lodge to be welcomed by 2 red necked wallabies and 2 walleroos, what a wonderful end to a wonderful day.
Tuesday 21st January
Sad to leave our lovely lodge in Hunter- beautiful bird songs - Said goodbye to Brian and Delia his wife. On the road to the Blue mountains - a long drive but we had a fab tour guide and driver Drove for quite some time through the Wollemi Pine forest named after the discovery of the WP in a deep hole in the middle of this vast forest .
Following instructions via text once we were through Blackheath on
smaller and smaller roads and steep dirt tracts we arrived in the most amazing valley and the most incredible eco cabin
I am sure I have read an article a few years ago about them - amazing architecture. We went for a walk at dusk around the valley and spied a mob of kangaroos that watched us curiously and then bounded off - they are so quick and bouncy! Lots of birds -parrots etc. Had a glass or two of wine with tea from our growing selection.
Wednesday 22nd January
Back in the car for a magical drive to the Jenolan caves which were absolutely spectacular - took lots & lots of photo’s - so interesting and magical. We choose to go into the Lucas cave for a guided one and a half tour - up lots and lots of steps! And down some too. We then had a spot of lunch to revive ourselves and then we went on the self guided tour of the nettle caves which has just been reopened after being closed for 8 years - open in parts with some very interesting stromatolites - . Back to Blackheath and tea at a chef hat Ashcrofts wonderful food .
Thursday 23rd January
Our day walking in the Blue mountains - started off leaving our tranquil remote valley and slowly driving up the steep dirt track round the corner and there was a beautiful big roo, looking at us curiously - its so exciting every time you encounter one as they are such lovely animals - it slowly bounded a head of us then veered off into the bush.
We were heading for katoomba the biggest town in the blue mountains - Mari was taking us to the hat shop to get us appropriately dressed for the Aus weather. Never seen so many wide brimmed hats in my life. But we came out suitably attired! The weather up in the mountains is cooler but so refreshing and smells of eucalyptus and other lovely things. Parked the car at the edge of town and walked half a mile or so to Echo Point the start of our walk and the viewing point of the Three sisters and the beautiful vista of the blue mountains. Having drunk in the view in we set off on our trek.
A round trip taking in the three sisters, down the Giant staircase, past the base of Katoomba falls, the coal mines, the nearly vertical scenic railway, along the top of the Prince Henry Cliff Walk the top of the Katoomba falls. We did a fairly cautious descent down the steps, as it says in the books its very steep, glorious views which we drunk in on the stops on our way down. It was a beautiful sunny day, quite hot for the mountains and it was lovely to have the mixture of the open areas and then the canopy of the trees along our walk. Some wonderful trees, gum trees with their peeling bark and burnt orange colours, lots of tee tree bushes, lots of birds, butterflies. So we tok our timetaking it all in. Stopped half way for a picnic before we carried on to the railway, we debated briefly walking up but I am glad we had the experience of the railway, views great going up and not as tiring! Along the top we took in the views of the top of the falls which were as spectacular as the bottom. A walk that when we got back had taken us about 4 hours an amazing day. Mari drove us back down the mountains to rush hour Sydney such a contrast from the quiet peaceful mountains. Mari got such a welcome from Bilbo and Mia, you would have thought she had been away a month and Graeme seemed please to see us all too! An evening in with a delicious supper rustled up by Mari and Graeme washed down with a little! of the wonderful wine selection already here and acquired on the journey.
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