Sydney
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| Sydney Harbour Bridge |
After along and sleepless flight it was great to meet up with Jenny at Sydney airport we had a great evening with our friends Jim, Grace & daughter Jen in their amazing house in Canterbury; Pavarotti chicken and a few bottles of good Australian Chardonnay & Pinot Noir; followed by a good nights sleep.
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| If you were not sure this is the Opera House |
After a lazy morning having breakfast and catching up on old times it was time to go into town and stretch the legs after the long flight; we took the train into Circular Quay with the spectacular Sydney harbour with the spectacular views of the Opera House and Sydney harbour bridge.
We then boarded a boay for a trip around Sydney Harbour stopping for lunch at Fort Denison; In 1913 a lighthouse beacon built in Birmingham, England, and shipped to Sydney, replaced the 10-inch (254 mm) gun on the roof of the tower. The light is called Fort Denison Light. In 2004 the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, which manages the site, restored the lighthouse beacon, which is still in use. The fort also has a functioning foghorn and a tide gauge, which was established in the mid-19th century..
We decided to stay for lunch in the very popular terrace restaurant; us and another table for two; however we were made very welcome and the food was very nice; the boat came back and we hopped on for a trip back to the harbour via Darling Point; after two glasses of wine on top of the jet lag the movement of the waves soon put me out for 40 winks; a walk around the quay with a coconut and chocolate gelatto soon had me back on my feet.
From their we took a bus; the 333 free city bus towards Central station; we got off at Albion street looking for Flinders Street and the Flinders hotel, the hotel has a first floor restaurant called Duke; run by my dear friend and and great Chef Nick Hill, who spent a goodof years with Brett at the Lebdury in Notting Hill; Nick is helped by Billy also who spent two years at the Ledbury; we popped in to just to say hello but booked a table for the Saturday evening.
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| With Billy & Nick in Duke |
Friday we set off for a drive to Manly; Jenny booked a flat for us with a super view over Manly beach; and what a view and what a flat; fantastic terrace; great open plan kitchen and comfortable lounge; had a great barbecue on the terrace all kinds of sausages including a curry sausage which was delicious with a glass of Ozzie Pinot Noir
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| Manly Beach |
Manly beach is a great place to walk around and watch people; amazing the amount of healthy looking people carrying surf boards, running and playing beach volley ball; it made me feel ashamed so went to have breakfast in a nice little place on the beach; have to keep healthy somehow.
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| Healthy Manly Beach BLT |
Saturday night we hit off for Circular Quay on the sturdy & reliable manly ferry; on our way to what was going to be a memorable evening at Duke Restaurant in the Flinders Hotel 63 Flinders Street; Jim & Grace were waiting for us when we arrived, myself, of course with Huguette, Rob & Jenny and Rob's parents IIene & Neville.
The menu is simple no starters or mains just choose and share; which we did and it was delicious; cloud not have spent a nicer evening between friends in both the restaurant and in the kitchen; where I spent a good part of the evening with Nick & Billy.
Great food some good wines without breaking the bank and the best doughnuts ever and served in a good fun way; made me think of Notting Hill; as you can see Grace loved them and would not share with anyone
We then hit off for Perth; a 5 hour flight from hell; think Ryanair is bad.. get one of these flights.
We landed around 11pm and after a few trips around the airport car park we found the car and set of with Jenny & Rob to the house that we had been waiting so long to see; as it was late we headed straight to bed.
Next morning it was great to get up and explore the house; lots of room; relaxing calm and a TV room to die for with a 54 inch screen TV.
We went to Perth via a bus ride to Cockburn station and then took the train; fast and comfortbale with amazing & stunning views of cars right next to you on the motorway; as the train approached Perth there are beautiful views of the Swan River.
We went to Freemantle or Freeo as it is called here for a walk and a few beers, nice little town with the Indian Ocean on one side and the Swan river on the other; stopped at the Little Creatures Brewery for a beer; great place; all open plain wooden tables everywhere and a kitchen in the middle; was not sure what beer to drink so went for the Pale Ale - delicious beer.
Starting life sometime around the "turn of the century", Little Creatures Brewing was born out of the love of great beer shared by some friends that had all worked together in breweries at some time or other in the past…in particular it was a love affair for a style of beer that we all wanted to drink, that of a hop driven pale ale.
We hit off for a few days at Margaret River; very excited about visiting the wonderful wine are of Western Australia; first stop Leeuwin Estate.
Leeuwin Estate, one of the founding wineries of the now famous Margaret River district, consistently produces wines that rank with the world's finest.
Originally a cattle farm, Leeuwin Estate evolved, under the direction of Denis and Tricia Horgan, with Robert Mondavi acting as consultant and mentor.
A nursery was planted in 1974 and the initial vineyards were deep-ploughed, deep-ripped, emptied of stone, planned, pegged, measured, marked and eventually planted by hand over a five year period from 1975.
The winery building was opened in 1978, celebrating with a trial vintage. Leeuwin enjoyed its first commercial vintage in 1979, and was thrust into the international spotlight when Decanter Magazine gave its highest recommendation to the 1980 "Art Series" Chardonnay in an international blind tasting.
Enjoying such an isolated and pristine natural environment, the emphasis of Leeuwin's viticultural practice is minimal interventionist. Working with the environment and through skilled vineyard management, Leeuwin is able to produce fine fruit in an environmentally friendly manner.
Vineyards are kept balanced with the yearly environmental conditions. With the emphasis on quality rather than quantity, yields at Leeuwin are kept low.
