It's Wine O'Clock! From Sydney to the Hunter Valley....

Good morning faithful followers (I am always hopeful there is more than just one of you...)!! I am currently soaking up the early morning sunshine in the stunning wine country of the Hunter Valley, where Winston and I lay our weary head last night.  More on that later but let me see if I can remember where we left off...

I woke in Sydney ready to leave the city behind for a couple of weeks and head out onto the road with my new trusty travelling companion, Winston.  Now those of you that have followed me before know I have the habit of naming my camper vans (who could forget Colin and my ever dependable Trevor). So when he was delivered to me on Sunday, it was clear he was (on first appearance) rather more stoic than my previous beaus'  Peter from Driveabout campers immediately suggested Winchester but this reminded me of a gun or the pub in Hot Fuzz.....so the next name to pop into my strange little brain was Winston.  And Winston it was.

SO after packing him up and enjoying a rather fabulous brekkie in the coffee shop below my apartment, I gleefully plumbed my next destination into Sat Nag (who for the purpose of this trip will be known as Mavis) and off I set to tackle the early morning city streets of Sydney on my way to the first stop on my list - Cessnock in the Hunter Valley.  But before this I had one goal in mind.  To drive over the iconic Harbour Bridge.

Wow is all I can say.  I was star struck as the structure came into view before me, 6 lanes wide, majestic and known the world over and as I sailed underneath it I actually got goosebumps.  And several honks as I was apparently driving far too slowly in order to savour the atmosphere! The road then wound up and out of the city, leaving views to die for behind me (I always seem to drive amazing roads the wrong way) and finally joining the highway which was impressive in itself as it carved its way through rock faces and past lakes and rivers.

As lovely a drive as it was I was desperate to find some back roads so I abandoned Mavis and followed route 33, finding the kind of road that I live for.  Corkscrew bends winding through hills and valleys, warm eucalyptus scented air filling my lungs with every breath, entering wine country as the landscape changed, randomly finding an iron rhino called Roger who could have been mine for the princely sum of $12,000 and finally stopping by some very pretty cows to write up my notes.

So  I sat there, looking at the cows, the beautiful warm sun beating down on my face making me glad and very grateful to be alive.  Then I heard them.  Bikes.  Big ones.  Loving the stretch of road as much as me as I now now it is an extremely popular biker route.  And I can see why.  And it would explain all the signs telling bikers to beware.

Onwards and upwards, spotting my first koala sign (I never tire of seeing them) and then trying to spot one of the little critters in the flesh, but to no avail.  A little pit stop in the pretty town of Wollombi and the home of Dr Jurgs Jungle juice, opting for a sprite but buying a little sample for later!

Wine country had started good and proper now and I made a rather well timed pit stop at a vineyard opposite a rather large cheesegrater.....

Stonehurt Cottages and Wine were heavenly and I sampled 3 of the most amazing reds, only to buy a bottle of their fizz!!  Then before I knew it I was in  the larger town of Cessnock, complete with a Coles, Big W, Wollies and all the other shops I associate with my travels and after stocking up on supplies it was a quick drive to my campsite, the BIG4 Hunter Valley which is nestled in some lovely little vines on the edge of Mount View Estate.

And wow, what a view.  A little drive beckoned and I meandered once again through stunning vineyards with breathtaking views, stumbling across Ivanhoe Wines whose sign proudly proclaimed 'Big Gusty Reds'.  Must have known I was coming.....

By now I was starting to feel a little weary as the jet lag was still hanging around a little, so I headed back to the campsite, hooked up to the site and lay on my bead for a little snooze.  That was 4.40pm. The next thing I know I wake up with a start, its pitch black and I have no idea where I am.  I start to panic then remember I am with Winston.  Just turn on the light and you will be ok.  There are no lights.  There has to be lights.  Colin and Trevor had lights. OMG.....

I obviously finally found the lights and with them on I decide that maybe now I need to go to bed.  So I begin, in a rather odd fashion, to lock up the van with me in it., starting with the side door which was quite difficult as I had to squeeze my hand down between the door and the cabinet.  Don't remember it being that difficult in Colin/Trevor I though to myself.  Then I obviously need the loo. To my horror, although I was able to get the side door locked, opening it again was a whole different ball game. which then produced the most ridiculous display of a middle aged woman trying get out of a locked campervan. This was achieved by squeezing my fair sized arse through a rather small gap between the front seats (firstly having to remove a table that was wedged behind the driver seat) . Once through the gap I then had to turn around and get my legs off the seat, at which point my aforementioned arse sat straight on the horn, blasting it out across the tranquil site like an air raid warning.  Sweet baby Jesus and the Orphans I had a sweat on but finally managed to fall out of the drivers door in order to go and unlock the side door from the outside with the keys .  Which I then realised I'd left back inside the van......

Once I'd pulled myself together and done all of the above in reverse, I had my wee and went to sleep with every bloody door open and a sense of shame and vain hope that no-one would have noticed.  Yeah right.

And so here I sit rested, soaking up the sun and ignoring the conversation 2 girls were having about the tit that honked their horn in the middle of the night, leaving with a whistle and a shake of my head, all ready and set for the day ahead.

Which only means one thing.....WINE!!!!

So until later my faithful friends, I have a date with a man called Tex, a minibus and several vineyards  TTFN! x