Category: Australia & New Zealand

A day in the Barossa

Reading Time: 18 minutes
Barossa Valley, SA (Oct 2024)

Taking advantage of a Qantas double status credit promotion earlier in the year, I booked flights to Adelaide and started planning a weekend visiting its nearby wine region. I’ve been to Adelaide a few times and even drove to Mount Gambier once, but had never visited the famous South Australian winery areas. Having heard good things and enjoyed a tipple or two from some of their well known vineyards, it seemed a good idea to plan an adventure to somewhere new. I soon realised there was quite an extensive choice of places to visit and regretted only booking 3 nights away. After a bit of research into the Adelaide Hills, Eden Valley, Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, I determined it was possible to spend a day in the Barossa and a day in McLaren Vale. The hard part was working out where to stay and which vineyards to visit due to the abundance of choice!

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5 reasons to visit Bathurst

Reading Time: 5 minutesBathurst, a picturesque town located in the heart of New South Wales, is an unexpected treasure waiting to be explored. From its vibrant food and wine scene to its rich history and stunning natural beauty, Bathurst has something to offer every type of traveler. Whether you’re a motorsport enthusiast, a history buff, or simply looking for a relaxing getaway, Bathurst has it all! Continue reading “5 reasons to visit Bathurst”

2024 Aussie Lammy Jammy

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Australian Lambretta Jamboree, Canberra (March/April 2024)

Easter snuck up on us like the Easter Bunny trying to steal our chocolates. After missing last year’s event, Steve and I were excited for the big weekend ahead, especially since we had tickets to see Gladys Knight on Thursday night with Chris and Nicky.

We left Sydney later than planned because Steve was working right up till the last minute. He also had a quick visit from a fellow scooterist on his way down the coast to the Lammy Jammy and of course, this involved a cuppa and a chat. I mean, come on Steve, priorities! Continue reading “2024 Aussie Lammy Jammy”

Wine tasting in Murrumbateman

Reading Time: 10 minutes
Murrumbateman, NSW (Jan 2021)

Murrumbateman is a little town in NSW, 40 minutes drive north west of Canberra and not far from Yass. It used to be a gold mining village but is now known for its vineyards, being at the heart of Canberra wine country.

What an ugly year 2020 was! Like everyone else, the global pandemic put a stop to all our travel plans. We lost a chunk of money after our trip to LA got cancelled in April (thanks Cadillac Hotel Venice Beach for not refunding us despite being a fully refundable booking). Plus Steve and I found ourselves working harder than ever, as the lines of work we are both in saw the pandemic actually creating more work for us. The final insult to injury was getting stuck in lock down over Christmas. Mind you, I know there were people much worse off than us so I’m not really complaining. Compared to our family & friends in the UK, we had it easy being in lock-down at Christmas on the northern beaches of Sydney during an Australian summertime.

In late January 2021, we decided to dip our toes in the water and to venture out of Sydney for a day trip to regional NSW. This was our first trip since the pandemic and since we can’t travel overseas we thought we’d make the most of our local area and visit somewhere we haven’t been before. We’ve been to Canberra plenty of times and driven past signs advertising local wineries but not had the chance to stop. I heard there were some decent wines in the area so we decided on the Canberra winery region as our destination. After getting some tips from one of our Canberran based friends and doing some research I picked some wineries in the Murrumbateman area. COVID safe plans meant booking would be essential. We wouldn’t be able to roll up and expect to be accommodated. I set about building an itinerary.

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