Day 4 started with another surprise adventure planned by the hubs. All dolled up, we joined a small, intimate group for a boutique wine tasting expedition. The journey to Hunter Valley was a brief hour and a half filled with lovely scenic views. Steve, our guide, provided the utmost cheer with his explanation of Australian history and wine connoisseur chat. With 4 other couples from various countries (Singapore, Sweden, England, France), we enjoyed wordly conversation and antics along the way as well.
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| take me to the wine ;) |
We visited 2 wineries, Iron Gate & Ernest Hill, prior to lunch. Iron Gate has a spanish villa feel and specializes in perfected wine making techniques. They have a variety of wines from those that accompany a light lunch to heavy shiraz to sweet dessert ports. Simply a delight. Ernest Hill is a family owned vineyard by father and son who were present during our tasting. A funny bunch who enjoys wine tasting daily and names their wines after family members. A very gorgeous property all around.
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| gorg |
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| lovely wine connoisseur |
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| husband & wife |
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| artsy photo |
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| Steve the driver with a magnum bottle |
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| more artsy |
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| love birds |
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| UK blue always |
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| great view |
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| skinny bottles! |
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| we'll take a bottle or 10 |
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| yes I am enjoying this surprise ;) |
Then we broke for lunch in the town center of Hunter Valley. Ryan opted for the gourmet lunch that included two courses and a bottle of wine (because we needed more of course). We enjoyed the break and the private dining experience. Plus we got a little lolly from the candy shop.
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| award winning |
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| cozy little spot |
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| cheers to married life |
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| dessert. yes please! |
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| I'll take a lolly |
We finished up the tour with a tasting at Savannah. The wine was definitely flowing and we were really engaged with conversation with our newfound friends from France & the UK. We had lots of inquiries about the Olympics in London and even tossed around the idea of a house swap with the Frenchies. Eventually we got to laughing so hard with the wine and the accents and the wine that Ryan got reprimanded by the pouring man. And they say the French are assholes!
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| roos on the property...look closely in the trees |
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| rustic place |
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| aussie humour (spelled the aussie way ;) ) |
After getting all wined up, we decided to do a casual dinner at The Rocks. Basically the cobblestone street was lined with vendors for a nighttime farmers market. They had boat loads of food, clothes, and desserts.
Did I mention desserts? We tried various vendors and filled our tummies up!
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| the place to be |
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| hungry man |
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| this guy literally dropping a sick beat on a a trash can with his ipod spinning like tiesto |
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| dessert in mini heaven form |
The last day in Sydney was spent at Manly Beach. We sported our fave beach gear and rode the bus over the bridge and to the beach. With a view of sailboats and beach babies, we settled into a nice spot on the sand. I napped and Ryan people watched. Then we strolled along the boardwalk to check out shops as well as the other side of beach. The surfer dude side. After a few
Pure Blondes and some delicious lunch, we posted ourselves back up on the sand. I felt the need to brave the cool waters since all of the cool kids were doing it. Jellyfish safe haven. I have never seen so many clear, squirmy creatures in all my life. Nor have I ever seen so many older gents in full blown speedos.
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| Manly beach |
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| warming up my sun hat |
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| beach bums |
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| so true |
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| need this for our house |
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| I'm on vaca |
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| pure blonde all the way |
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| ahh take me back |
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| braving the water |
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| we'll take that sailboat please |
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| cruisin' the waters |
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| coming up to the bridge |
A ride on the ferry back through the harbour capped off the evening. B-E-A-utiful!
Sadly, the following day it was time to say goodbye to Aussie land...
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