Thursday, August 30, 2007
Corowa and Rutherglen weekend
We arrived in Corowa at approximately 12, drove into town and picked up lunch from a place on the main street called Shorty's. We headed back out of town to find out motel. We pulled into the drive way and were greeted by a small dog, before we made our way into reception. The receptionist was friendly, telling us where and when our limo would be arriving for the tour.
We drove up the driveway to our room, admiring the landscaped gardens on the way. The room consisted of an open space dining, fully equipped kitchen that included a stove, and lounge. The bath room was a comfortable size, the main bedroom had a double bed, while the second bedroom had enough room for three people to sleep.
I don't exactly recall every winery we went to, but I'll list the ones I remember, and add others as I go.
After lunch, the limousine arrived, and along with two other couples, we began our tour of the local wineries.
First stop was St Leonard's, where the first vine was planted in 1860, we tried several different types, including the Muscadello. The next winery was All Saints, the sister winery of St Leonard's, was established in 1864 and it's design is based on the Castle of May, complete with turrets and tower. Here we tried the Duriff, a heavy red wine with tannins in it, which gives a furry feeling on the tongue. After that plus a couple of other tastes, we wondered over to the Indigo Cheese Factory, where we tried some delicious cheeses, including a brie, blue vein, marinated and cheddar. While we didn't experience them, I would think it would also be worth while seeing the keg factory, Chinese dormitory and The Terrace.
Next stop was Chambers Rosewood, which had a few friendly cattle dogs lazing about. Here we tried a couple of the Tokays, which had an interesting taste, but weren't really for me. I tried the Muscadello as well, but still preferred St Leonard's.
After that the limo took us to Pfeifer's, the cattle dogs following us out, barking.
At Pfeifer's, I tried another Muscadello, and a Rose. Neither were really to my tastes, however, and Russell and I decided that since the first Muscadello from St Leonard's was still our favourite, we would go back the next morning to buy a bottle.
The limo dropped us off at the motel, and we went inside and had a sleep, before having a dinner of Chinese that we had picked up from Shorty's diner that afternoon. Then we settled in to watch a movie on TV.
The next morning, we woke late, and went for a drive around the motel park down to the river, before driving to Rutherglen, Yarrawonga and exploring some of the Murray River. We hung around Yarrawonga for a bit, and had lunch from a small take away. I decided to try a battered mussel, being I'd never had one before, and found it quite delicious.
That night, we dined at the restaurant that was part of the voucher. While the food was nice enough, and I recommend the prawns with avocado and chilli sauce, it wasn't quite filling enough, so when we finished we went across the road to a small Chinese shop. The prices here were incredibly cheap, and the food delicious. For those on a budget, I would recommend the Chinese restaurant next door to the Globe pub, you could feed the whole family for very little.
The next day we drove to Saint Leonard's winery to pick up two bottles of the 2006 Muscadello, for around $14 a bottle members price. This wine is a sweet white, with a tangy, grapey, fruitful flavour that can be enjoyed alone or with a fruit salad or Pavlova.
Next we drove to Rutherglen, where I requested we stop at Rutherglen Estates for more tasting. I tasted the Sangipop, which is berry flavoured, with a fizzy twist and a hint of sweetness. I bought a 375ml bottle of this to add to the other two bottles. While at the Estates, I also tried a Rose and a Muscadello, but declined to buy them.
Following this, we explored the small township of Rutherglen, which is a charming country town.
For lunch we went to a small takeaway in Wangaratta, and explored a little around there. There's a lovely park where we enjoyed lunch.
We then drove to Glenrowan, famous for being Ned Kelly's last stand off. The shops were interesting, and due to time constraints and fact we didn't arrive there until mid-afternoon, we didn't get to experience all that Glenrowan had to offer - but hopefully a trip there will inspire a future post!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Broome Holiday
This is the blog of my 21st birthday trip to Broome.
We chose to stay at Vibe on
Our shuttle bus arrived promptly at
We checked in quickly and made our way to the gate, and it wasn’t long before we boarded the plane. Finding our seats, a kind gentleman helped me to stow my beloved laptop, and before we knew it the safety talk had started.
The flight was delightfully smooth, and allowed me to read without upsetting my stomach. After a lovely lunch of chicken stir fry (though the braised lamb and veggies also smelt yummy), bread roll and mint chocolate, we experienced a touch of turbulence. Not long after, the air hostesses handed out delicious chocolate ice creams, along with tea and coffee.
BROOME
Weds 1st
The plane began to descend, and we could see the dry red earth, with large white salt lakes here and there. After a fairly smooth landing in Broome, we walked off the plane into a blast of
We rang the resort again, and after another half an hour, another Maxi Taxi arrived. The two girls asked if the four of us could share, but the driver declined, saying it was too confusing. Mum and I climbed into the bus, feeling sorry for the girls left waiting, but so pleased to get out of there.
We arrived at the Habitat Resort, which is located on
We made our way along the paths, looking for our unit. We opened the door to a room cooled by fans, large and airy, with the lounge, dining and kitchenette. A small hallway with a large wardrobe was on one side, and the door to the bathroom on the other, and the bedroom in the back. The bedroom had it’s own exit and verandah, which looked out onto bush land.
Once we had settled in and had a break, we took a walk to the Golf Club, debating as to whether we should go see the Staircase to the Moon from there. The view was amazing, but we decided since dinner there would require us cooking it ourselves, going to
Staircase to the Moon is a phenomenon that occurs a few days each month, where the full moon reflects across the water, giving the illusion of a sparkling stair case.
We called a taxi, a different company this time, and the friendly driver took us to
Walking around the stalls, we admired pretty soaps and candles, hand made jewellery and clothing, Mango wine, art and photography. A wide range of food was also to be had, including Thai and Indonesian delicacies, however we chose to settle for a spicy Croc Dog, a sausage made of spices and Crocodile meat with Mango Salsa. While delicious at first, it did prove a little too spicy by the time I finished it.
After this, we bought hand made ice cream, which were yummy and cooling on the tongue after the spicy Croc dogs.
After wandering a bit, we sat down to await the moon. Eventually it rose, and like everyone else, we rushed down the beach to take a photo, but soon realized the tide had gone out and it wasn’t the spectacular image we had expected. I realized not far away was a jetty, and we headed over there, hoping we’d be able to see it from there.
From the jetty, we saw what all the fuss was about, as the moon climbed higher into the sky.
The night air was much colder than we had expected, and we had not dressed warmly for the sudden temperature to drop. After several minutes watching the moon, we decided to go find the taxi we had booked, and head home.
Still in
Thursday 2nd
The following morning, we both awoke at
That afternoon, we caught the bus into Broome. While waiting for the bus, we had the pleasure of seeing a small goanna in the driveway. We spent some time wondering around the Boulevard shops, before getting some fish and chips, then heading home in a taxi, we went to bed early after some tv watching.
Friday 3rd
We had lunch at the adeptly named
We went back to the Habitat early, having a quick dip in the pool, which was a little too cold for my tastes. That night, we went on the Astro Tour http://www.astrotours.net/ – which was worth every cent! Thoroughly enjoyed learning about the planets, how the earth moves through the stars, and locating stars. I bought the book and a cardboard guide of the stars – now to get out of
Arriving home from the Astro Tour, imagine our surprise and excitement at seeing we had a friendly visitor on our porch, a tree frog, dining on insects attracted by our porch light.
Saturday 4th
The next day, we went on the bus to
Sunday 5th
The fifth consisted of moving out of the Habitat, and relocating to the Mangrove motel. At first, I wasn’t keen on the idea of moving, but am glad now we did since we got to experience both the bush and ocean views. Once we settled into our room on the second floor, enjoyed the view of the pool and ocean, we headed out on the town once again.
We had a counter lunch at a pub near
This was followed by more shopping and going to the Simpsons movie, before stopping at Matso’s Brewery http://www.matsosbroomebrewery.com.au/index.sectionFour.335.html.
We bought a Monsoonal Blonde beer – which I can highly recommend.
Monday 6th
Today was an especially big day, being it was my 21st birthday! We started out with a continental breakfast at Charters at the Mangrove. We were then picked up to begin our tour of the town, which was fascinating. Beginning in
After walking back up the path, we drove to Cable Beach, world famous for it’s camel rides, where the group split up for the camel riders and those who had declined a camel ride, who would instead watch the sunset while enjoying a drink or two.
Mum and I had decided to ride a camel, and waited patiently in line to get on. We were given the first camel, meaning we would be the last to climb aboard.
As we watched the others get on, and watched them lean back to allow the camel to stand, our nerves started to grow. One of the camels was rather vocal, and as a young girl climbed into the saddle, he started to get up, frightening her. This concerned Mum, and me especially as I’d be the one to climb onto the saddle second so if our camel did the same, I’d be likely to fall off.
The owner of the camels said the camel had arthritis, and that was why he was vocal and had gotten up so quickly, as it was painful for him.
This didn’t make us feel much better, but I’m pleased to say our camel was very well behaved. His name was Banjo, and he was about 35 years old. The ride, once we had gotten up, was incredible, and the sunset was worth every penny we’d spent. Before we knew it, the camel was sitting down and the bus driver was picking us up to take up back to town.
We dressed up to the nines and went downstairs to the Tides for dinner. Having chosen very summery clothes, we soon realized our mistake as the restaurant is outside, and we were seated at a plastic table overlooking the Mangroves. Once the sun drops in Broome, the nights get quite chilly. We ordered drinks and the Barramundi, and settled into wait. Sadly, the alcoholic drink I had was not as enjoyable as I hoped, however the Barramundi was delicious. A chocolate tart for dessert and a cocktail each finished off the night. Again, I wasn’t overly impressed with how the drinks were made, but I enjoyed the chocolate tart.
Tuesday
We awoke early in the morning to go on the Willie Creek Pearl Farm, where we learnt about how oysters are bred and raised and how pearls are made. Coffee and biccies were followed by a cruise on Willie creek was filled with more information about oysters, and we saw their resident crocodile.
In the afternoon, we waded ankle deep into the ocean at
We took photos of the sun as it set, and then climbed back into the dinghy to get back to shore. I was a little concerned the water would be cold, but to my great surprise, it was an enjoyable temperature.
We were dropped back at the Mangrove, then we took what we hoped would be a short stroll to the Black Pearl Restaurant. Unfortunately, I picked the wrong direction and we ended up walking a km or two. When we finally got there, I enjoyed garlic prawns and another Vodka Twist, before we caught the Broome Nightrider bus home. Because of the route the bus was on, we ended up with a tour of the town at night, before getting dropped off home to pack.
The next day, we wondered around the town and I got a lovely hair cut by a forth year apprentice at Shaggazs - before we boarded the plane for Sydney. We stayed at the Vibe again, which was nice apart from the rather snaky girl on the front desk. After a 5 hour plane trip, nastiness was the last thing we needed, and we were glad to go to bed.Sunday, May 20, 2007
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Copyright Stefanie Flowers 2007