Australia New South Wales
The Hunter Valley, More Than Just Wine
So I’ve lived in Sydney for over two years and haven’t managed to get my lazy backside out to the Hunter Valley which is only around 2 hours outside of Sydney. Man have I been missing out! It took the APEC weekend for me to need an escape and book a tour to go to the Hunter.
We booked a fantabulous weekend retreat at Shelly Beach Cabins at The Entrance. . These little beauties are across the street from the beach, sleep 6 and …
Date: September 12th, 2007 |
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The Hunter Valley, Branxton Hotel
The Hunter Valley is a well known wine, coal mining, and race horse breeding area about 2 .5 hours north of Sydney. I am on a work trip and am happliy tucking into a bottle of wine at the affordable yet luxurious Branxton Hotel in the Hunter Valley. Australian Traveller’s Top 100 things to do in Australia lists “Stay in a Country Pub” as one of the items. Well, if you would like to tick that one off your personal list, this place rocks! …
Date: September 3rd, 2007 |
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Australian Snow fields- Opening Weekend!
Well folks it is finally here- marked by a cold rainy day in Sydney, the opening weekend of the Australian snow fields has arrived! And appropriate it is, that they are called snow fields instead of the snow mountains. ahem….
For all my good natured scoffing, there is plenty of fun to be had at the snow here. If you are here during winter and you love snow sport- you must…no… you are obliged- dare I say it- to go and give it a whirl just to say you …
Date: June 7th, 2007 |
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Lightning Ridge, Easter Celebration Tips #3 Food and Accomodation
The Easter Celebrations in Lightning Ridge are one of the must do outrageous country town festivals. Right up there with the Parkes Elvis Festival, Lightning Ridge has made a name for itself with their annual Great Goat Race!
Accomodation- Motels book out a year in advance- so start calling now! If you don’t mind camping or staying a bit out of town, there are several options available. We ended up on short notice- finding a bunk house on the very hospitable Lorne Holiday Station. The owners were so lovely and welcoming. During the festivities we kept running into them all over town. Peter, one of the owners, also doubled as the Horse Racing Announcer!
We stayed in the Sheep Shearers Bunk House. The rooms were basic, but quite good for the price. When you throw in the hospitality, the free live entertainment on Saturday night, the free community bus into town, free walking tour of the property, and the stunning views, this place was an amazing value for money spent.
Date: April 25th, 2007 |
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Australian Lifesaving, an Exhibit in Darling Harbour
Come on Come on, Come on Come on… you know you’ve got a thing for those Aussie LifeSavers! You see them on the beaches-cute little yellow and red swim caps, authoritative swagger and all. For over a 100 years before Australia’s newest Reality TV show Bondi Beach Patrol (or something like that), The Aussie Lifesavers have been not only an icon to the world, they’ve actually helped save lives and create the beach culture in Australia.
The National Museum of Australia Canberra is hosting an exhibit entitled Between the Flags- …
Date: April 16th, 2007 |
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Dubbo Zoo, How to Hear Cheetahs Purr
Get sneezed on by a giraffe, get licked by a rhino and get stalked by a cheetah. If you come to visit NSW and have a bit of time to see the place, definitely take the 5 hour trek out to Dubbo. Seemingly in the middle of nowhere, Dubbo is a thriving and vibrant in-land city. One of the oldest in-land settlements, it is thoughfully located at the crossroads of two major rivers, making it important for trade.
After driving through tiny little towns and endless rural and pastoral …
Date: September 5th, 2007 |
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APEC Escape, Get out of Sydney
Have you come to Sydney during the one week that there will be a wall around the CBD, the Opera House will be closed and Circular Quay abandoned? Do you live in Sydney and dread the nightmare that is going to be traffic?
September 2-9th 2007 is a REALLY good week to get OUT of Sydney. The following are a few ideas that are nearby if you haven’t already booked something. Click Here for Road Closure information
NSW Tourism Site- Lots of APEC weekend deals left. …
Date: August 29th, 2007 |
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Royal National Park, Ferry Service
Are you in Sydney and need to get out of the paved jungle? If you head just a little south- you’ll feel like you are on another planet entirely. Instead of pavement…you’ll be surrounded by nature! The Royal National Park established in 1879, it is now about 16,000 hectares of National Parkland- and just stones throw from Sydney! Can you imagine! Secluded beaches, sand dunes, dramatic cliffs, spreading heaths and cool rainforests can all be found just across the Port Hacking River, south of Cronulla. …
Date: May 29th, 2007 |
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Lightning Ridge, Easter Celebration Tips #2
The town of Lightning Ridge really pulled out all of the stops for their Easter Celebration. In addition to their Great Goat Race, There were several other events that if you attend- you should know about.
The Carnival- to keep the masses of tourists…about 2000 of them busy and the locals entertained, there was a carnival complete with rides, games, fried stuff and Carnies! This year it was set up next to the Bowling Club.
The Rodeo- The culmination of a weekend of good country revelry could not be complete without a Rodeo. A $10 entry fee got you in to see cowboys rope calves, and broncos and bulls to buck them off. Dirt and “go sons” were flying. There was also a band that played afterwards. There were a couple of food booths selling good ol’ Aussie Sauso sandwiches and cups of chips. If you are watching your figure- eat elsewhere. To supplement the oh so healthy food offerings there was also a designated bar area where they fenced in the drinkers, gave them bleachers to teeter off of, and parents could walk their children by the zoo and point out- “you don’t want to end up like THAT”! Eh- It was all good fun! If you’ve got boots and a hat- here’s your chance to wear them.
Date: April 25th, 2007 |
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Lightning Ridge, NSW Easter Weekend, Wheelie Bin Races and Goats?
This is a picture of Amigo’s Castle in Lightning Ridge. Quirky and independent, Lightning Ridge has long been known as a… ahem…shall we say…unique place? I’ve been told by one long time resident of Wellington that Byron Bay used to be considered drop out country but now it was just a big tourist spot. He went on to say that Lightning Ridge is the current “Drop out country- the place you go to avoid the sheriff and alimony.” Another man from Wellington told me that …
Date: March 28th, 2007 |
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