Saturday, January 5, 2013
Home Again
It's hard to believe that we are back in the US! Don did a terrible thing...he booked us in Business Class coming back! Just like when he bought the tent trailer and I have never been back roughing it in a tent - I feel that I will never again be able to fly economy!We better keep saving those points!! No delays yet on our journey home as we wait in LAX for the final leg. We both feel that we need to go back to Australia when we have more time but what we experienced this time was terrific!
Friday, January 4, 2013
The hottest day in Australian History!
News reports claim that our second day in Melbourne could have been the hottest on record! We rose early so that we could be whisked down to the Market. The market is outside but is under a huge roof so that everything is shaded. There are many produce booths but even more things-you-can't-leave-without booths! Prices in Australia are high and the market was a great bargain place to shop.
At 11:30am we were picked up for our tour of Phillips Island. This island is accessible by a bridge but it is 90 minutes from Melbourne. Once we got to the island and had fish and chips near the bridge, we toured the Panny's Chocolate factory. It is small and kind of hokey but chocolate is always entertaining. However, because it was so hot, we couldn't buy any chocolate or else we would have had a hot mess on our hands...and everything else!
Our next stop was the Koala Sanctuary. By this time it was really hot but we were rewarded for our endurance by being up close and personal with koalas in their habitat. Of course all they were doing was sleeping but they are so adorable!
A local vineyard was next on the agenda. They had a nice covered porch and served us bread and cheese and had us taste 5 of their wines. We were introduced to Sauvignon Blanc - not the wine but the dog! 2 weeks ago the owner told us that this beautiful dog showed up on the property and was soon determined that it was abandoned. After spending some time at the pound and then the vet, this lucky pup was adopted by the vineyard owners and aptly named. Don couldn't resist giving him a quick look over and informed the owner that he was about 5 months old and going to be very big!
The next stop was the Nobbies. This is a coastal outlook that fortunately had a little bit of an ocean breeze to cool us down. There are many nesting seagulls and a few Little penguin burrows. It is a beautiful place to enjoy the ocean scenery.
We then were driven to Cowes which is the commercial hub on the island. It is summer vacation for Australians and it seemed that this was one of the popular locations for beach time. Finally it was time to board the bus once again and make our way to the highlight of the tour - the Penguin Parade.
Each night at sunset, the world's smallest penguins, the Little penguins, return back to shore after a day of fishing out in the ocean. This is a huge event for tourists to sit in the bleachers and watch these little birds swim to shore and then waddle their way up the hill to their burrows. They started arriving at 9:15pm in small groups. They wait until dark when their predators, raptors, are asleep. It is really interesting to hear them greet each other when the partner that has been gone, returns back to their babies and other parent. As you walk along the boardwalk you can watch them at their burrows. It is amazing that these little animals swim so far out into the ocean and then use their little legs to walk a great distance on the beach and then straight up steep hills to their burrows. We could have stayed there a few hours to watch nature at its best. It was a full day and didn't get back to our hotel until 1:30am!
At 11:30am we were picked up for our tour of Phillips Island. This island is accessible by a bridge but it is 90 minutes from Melbourne. Once we got to the island and had fish and chips near the bridge, we toured the Panny's Chocolate factory. It is small and kind of hokey but chocolate is always entertaining. However, because it was so hot, we couldn't buy any chocolate or else we would have had a hot mess on our hands...and everything else!
Our next stop was the Koala Sanctuary. By this time it was really hot but we were rewarded for our endurance by being up close and personal with koalas in their habitat. Of course all they were doing was sleeping but they are so adorable!
A local vineyard was next on the agenda. They had a nice covered porch and served us bread and cheese and had us taste 5 of their wines. We were introduced to Sauvignon Blanc - not the wine but the dog! 2 weeks ago the owner told us that this beautiful dog showed up on the property and was soon determined that it was abandoned. After spending some time at the pound and then the vet, this lucky pup was adopted by the vineyard owners and aptly named. Don couldn't resist giving him a quick look over and informed the owner that he was about 5 months old and going to be very big!
The next stop was the Nobbies. This is a coastal outlook that fortunately had a little bit of an ocean breeze to cool us down. There are many nesting seagulls and a few Little penguin burrows. It is a beautiful place to enjoy the ocean scenery.
We then were driven to Cowes which is the commercial hub on the island. It is summer vacation for Australians and it seemed that this was one of the popular locations for beach time. Finally it was time to board the bus once again and make our way to the highlight of the tour - the Penguin Parade.
Each night at sunset, the world's smallest penguins, the Little penguins, return back to shore after a day of fishing out in the ocean. This is a huge event for tourists to sit in the bleachers and watch these little birds swim to shore and then waddle their way up the hill to their burrows. They started arriving at 9:15pm in small groups. They wait until dark when their predators, raptors, are asleep. It is really interesting to hear them greet each other when the partner that has been gone, returns back to their babies and other parent. As you walk along the boardwalk you can watch them at their burrows. It is amazing that these little animals swim so far out into the ocean and then use their little legs to walk a great distance on the beach and then straight up steep hills to their burrows. We could have stayed there a few hours to watch nature at its best. It was a full day and didn't get back to our hotel until 1:30am!
First Day in Melbourne
We said farewell to Adelaide this morning and headed to the airport with Dave and Colleen for our next adventure to Melbourne. I have already been made fun of by a native Australian because apparently you don't pronounce the "r" in Melbourne so you say "Melbon". We are staying in the middle of downtown so it is a very urban experience. Melbourne is a big busy city that has very old buildings mixed in with new and unique architecture.
Most of the day was spent walking along to see the shops. They are known for their arcades - not the kiddie gambling kind. Arcades are alleyways that house shops, cafes and bars. Artists (we call them vandals) paint the walls of the arcades and some of it is quite beautiful. Dave and Colleen pointed out the bar that AC/DC used to play at before they were famous. We had tea at
Hopetoun Tea Room in a popular shopping district called the Block Arcade - very fancy - Don had his pinky out and everything!
We rode the free trolley with everyone and their family and experienced some impressive hot temperatures!
Most of the day was spent walking along to see the shops. They are known for their arcades - not the kiddie gambling kind. Arcades are alleyways that house shops, cafes and bars. Artists (we call them vandals) paint the walls of the arcades and some of it is quite beautiful. Dave and Colleen pointed out the bar that AC/DC used to play at before they were famous. We had tea at
Hopetoun Tea Room in a popular shopping district called the Block Arcade - very fancy - Don had his pinky out and everything!
We rode the free trolley with everyone and their family and experienced some impressive hot temperatures!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Slow Start to New Year
New Year's Day started off slowly since we were all recovering. Dave and Don were recovering from
partaking heavily in the "merriment" of New Year's Eve, Colleen from entertaining in her classic Martha Stewart way, and Donna from the cold she picked up somewhere along the line. We finally made our way down to the beach and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine and ocean. For dinner we walked down to the pier and enjoyed oysters and some Japanese food. I should clarify that Donna tried but is still not a fan of oysters!
partaking heavily in the "merriment" of New Year's Eve, Colleen from entertaining in her classic Martha Stewart way, and Donna from the cold she picked up somewhere along the line. We finally made our way down to the beach and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine and ocean. For dinner we walked down to the pier and enjoyed oysters and some Japanese food. I should clarify that Donna tried but is still not a fan of oysters!
Touring the wine country
Today we are going on a private tour that Dave and Colleen arranged of the Barossa wine country which is just north of Adelaide Hills. Scott was our driver and tour guide. Our first stop was to Linfield Road Wines. At 200 feet above sea level, it is cool enough for this vineyard to grow grapes for white wines as well as red. This vineyard was started in 1860 by Edmund Major Wilson and his son, who is now in his 90's, is still out amongst the vines supervising the operation.
The next winery was Tscharke's Cellar. The owner is Damien Tscharke and he opened especially for Dave - one of his best customers! He took us down into his cellar and had us do vertical tasting which is tasting this year's wine and then tasting the same wine that was bottled 1 to 3 years earlier. It is amazing to smell and taste the difference. Damien is so passionate about wine making and his knowledge about the science that goes into the process is fasinating!
Much needed solid food was provided by the third winery called Saltran's. We didn't do any wine tasting there but Don purchased a tawny that he wanted.
The third and fourth wineries are kind of a blur - not because I was drunk but because I had hit my fermented grape saturation point! We visited Gibson's and then Penfeld's. The entire area is beautiful and it definitely would be a serene life to live amongst the vineyards. Scott had a quiet ride back to Adelaide as we all conked out from our day of tasting!
The next winery was Tscharke's Cellar. The owner is Damien Tscharke and he opened especially for Dave - one of his best customers! He took us down into his cellar and had us do vertical tasting which is tasting this year's wine and then tasting the same wine that was bottled 1 to 3 years earlier. It is amazing to smell and taste the difference. Damien is so passionate about wine making and his knowledge about the science that goes into the process is fasinating!
Much needed solid food was provided by the third winery called Saltran's. We didn't do any wine tasting there but Don purchased a tawny that he wanted.
The third and fourth wineries are kind of a blur - not because I was drunk but because I had hit my fermented grape saturation point! We visited Gibson's and then Penfeld's. The entire area is beautiful and it definitely would be a serene life to live amongst the vineyards. Scott had a quiet ride back to Adelaide as we all conked out from our day of tasting!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Happy New Year!!
After coming home from the Gorge Wildlife Park, we took naps in anticipation of the nighttime festivities! Colleen and Dave have met friends while being here (one year ago today) and they organized a Safari Dinner - we call them progressive dinners. We began at Colleen and Dave's with appetizers which of course included the famous CHEESE BALL! We then walked along the beach to Fiona and Andy' s condo who are from the UK for the main course. At 11pm we walked farther down the beach to Janet and Mike's condo for dessert. Their balcony over overlooks the pier (they call it the jetty) where the local fireworks were set off. The weather was wonderful and the view was fantastic! I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn't 4th of July! It was very strange that we rang in 2013 an entire day before our friends and family in the states. We hope everyone has a Happy New Year!
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