Over this last week we have been travelling up the East Coast. We took the scenic route from the Blue Mountains via windsor and the wisemans Ferry (pictured here crossing the river)to Newcastle, a base to explore the Hunter Valley famous for its wine.
Newcastle provides sustantial employement from Coal Mining & Steel which is exported to Japan who are apparantly stock piling it for future energy use.
The City is certainly one of two halves, or infact three thirds! We were staying in a hotel, with superb restaurant over looking this lovely beach and sea.
A Famous Land mark in Newcastle,Nobby's Lighthouse which guards the entrance to the Port.
Whilst there we met future clients Bob & Christine, who are long time residants here, who will be staying in our gites in May.
The city , the second oldest in Australia has many fine buildings dating back to the late 19th Century. Sadly part of the town which was built in the 1950's & 60's were damaged by an Earthquake some 20 years ago and remain eerily delapidated and empty.
However there has been substantial redevelopement along the foreshore to create appartments and cafe culture.
From here we were ideally positioned to explore the Hunter Valley. This experience, like the one in Marlborough, New Zealand really did not live up to our pre conceived epectations!
Yes the scenery was more dramatic with rolling hills covered with vines, but the wine tasting and buying experience was far less enjoyable and romantic than in France.(With the exception of Tyrrells, one of the oldest Vineyards which we really enjoyed).
Karen clearly seems tobe enjoying the Tyrells selection!
Others seemed to be there purely to produce , exploit and sell. There was not a great deal of passion or knowledge where as in France we have so often met the proprietor of the vineyard regardless of the size of the operation. Tempus Two, a good example of a huge operation not only selling its wine at the Cellar door but hosting weddings and functions.
Which would you fall in love with
or this?
Well if you can't beat them , join them, drink the wine and buy the number plate! I am so gullible!
From here we headed to Forster. We had booked an appartment which turned out to be huge! We are on the 4th Floor, certainly different to home in Provence!
It is a very popular spot with regular holiday makers returning year after year. We had been booked in for a 7am swim in the sea with dolphins, something Karen had wanted to do for some time. Rough seas caused it to be cancelled on our first morning, sadly it was to be the case on the second too! Something for our next visit.
The beaches were beautiful , and from them we could sit watching the Dolphins. This is One mile beach, really quiet and unspoilt.
And the beach at Forster, just 450 metres from our appartment.....
We are now just out side Coffs Harbour, abt 200 miles North of from Sydney. Coffs is larger than we expected none the less beautiful beaches.Next stop is just out side Byron Bay and then the Gold Coast for the weekend with our old friends from Weybridge Ian & Kath who live on the Sunshine Coast.
You don't see this sign in Europe!
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