Tag: scenery

Normandy – Part 1: A winter break

Reading Time: 24 minutes
Normandy, France (January 2024)

I was warned. In France many attractions and museums close during January and the weather would likely be cold and gloomy.  However timing our visit in the first week of January was our only option. It was also probably the last time our family would all travel together, as Brandon was now 19 years old. I hesitated when booking but as my research informed me there would be enough open attractions for us to visit over our 3 days in Normandy, I decided we would go for it. Continue reading “Normandy – Part 1: A winter break”

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.

Continue reading “Wine tasting in Murrumbateman”

Wine tasting in the Hunter Valley

Reading Time: 7 minutes

The Hunter Valley, NSW

Approximately two hours drive north of Sydney, the Hunter Valley is situated inland in a country area surrounded by hills and fertile ground. It is most famous for its wineries, but there are other things to do and see in the region. Because it’s a short drive for us, we generally go for a day trip, usually with friends or relatives visiting from overseas or from other states. Though a word of caution, if you are planning on doing some wine tasting and don’t have a designated driver, stay overnight. The local police are known for setting up RBT units (random breath testing) on the main roads out at the end of a day. Don’t chance getting caught, or worse, don’t chance an accident.

For anyone planning a visit, you can take children as there are plenty of ‘kid friendly’ places. We generally prefer to leave ours at home, as our main purpose for visiting is wine tasting and they’d quickly get bored. Also, if you can go mid-week or a Friday it will be less busy at cellar doors so you’ll get a chance to chat with the staff & learn more about the wines. Plus accommodation will be cheaper during the week. Here are my other tips: Continue reading “Wine tasting in the Hunter Valley”