Tag: Wineries

~ The Changing Seasons – Springing into September 2022 ~

September in this part of the world heralds the beginning of Spring and the hopes of warmer weather. Although there wasn’t much sun about in the first week of September, torrential rain as I recall. I’ve had a pretty busy month with days out at vineyards and aquariums, a concert, the cinema and of course Bridge.

I visited AQWA, a storied aquarium featuring a walk-through underwater tunnel & interactive touch pool, with my daughter and the munchkins for a lovely morning. So much excitement running from one tank to another. I remember taking Elena and Laurence when we first arrived in Australia at ages 9 and 12.

Lunch in the cafe after and then of course a visit to the shop!

The same weekend I bought tickets for Anthony and myself for a “Stevie Wonder” tribute band. I had the best evening singing and dancing away with half of the audience. We both got an absolute soaking walking back to the car after.

Perth Concert Hall
Waiting for the show to begin
Superstition

We had a family day out at a winery one Sunday. Oakover on the Lake is a great one for kids as there is a playground and a small “beach” at the edge of the lake. I noticed one pedal boat on the lake and people queueing for it! Anyway Lachie and Rose were very patient waiting their turn and everyone was mindful not to take too long for their go.

Rosie turned two in September and we had a small celebration for her. What an amazing wonderful little girl she is. Having suffered through her first year with severe silent reflux and being tube fed, she is now thriving and the cheekiest cutest girl in the world.

“The champagne’s not mine”

I had an afternoon cinema date with friends and dinner after, always a treat. We saw Ticket to Paradise with Julia Roberts and George Clooney. A feel good fluffball of a movie, set in Bali. We all enjoyed it, how can you not with those two in it.

Delicious dishes from a Thai restaurant

Evening walks with Anthony and the two boys along the river, watching a glorious sunset.

A lone pelican
Through the crack in the rock
Sea foam
Going down
Rufus
Rufus and Zac
Seaweed
Not the only ones catching a sunset

And so to Bridge! I played with a new lady this month and we partnered in a competition which ran for two Tuesdays. We were both surprised to come fourth out of 24, so feeling quite pleased with myself. She then invited me to play at her golf club, Bridge that is, not golf! This was a treat indeed, as the club has the best views and is very exclusive! I had a marvellous afternoon chatting with all these fit and active 70 and 80 year old women, so inspiring.

Views over the city and ocean, a perfect way to spend an afternoon, especially with a chilled white wine at the end!

Posted as part of Ju-Lyn of Touring my Backyard challenge of The Changing Seasons.

For Jez with Water, Water, Everywhere

A Family Trip to Melbourne – Part Three – Lunch at Mornington Peninsula

With the weekend upon us it meant Laurence and Maddy were able to join us for a day out. We all fancied a winery but with so many in Victoria where to go, North, South or East? After some research we decided to wing it and try one in the South East, Mornington Peninsula. Well our first choice didn’t work out which was Foxey’s Hangout, but the carpark attendant suggested we try the sister winery around 15 minutes up the road, called Morning Sun Vineyard. There wasn’t much sun around but plenty of wine.

The menu was short and tapas style so we just ordered every item! Sadly I forgot to take many photos of the food as it disappeared all too quickly. The staff and service were excellent and you could taste any wine. The location was just perfect and it was very cosy inside.

Parmesan coated broccolini
Figs wrapped in parma ham

A luscious Shiraz for three and a “flight of whites” for me.

Not much left on those plates
An almost perfectly quartered photo – Cows galloping across the field

Another fractioned photo!

The Gang

A wonderful way to spend a Saturday, family, food and wine

On the drive home we passed by a stunning mural on a water tank, so I jumped out and took a few photos. Located on Arthurs Seat Road it was painted by Michael Leeworthy. It depicts life in Arthurs Seat and is a tribute to the local firefighters. I’m linking it to PPAC.

~November in Review ~

Taking a look back at my November. Another month gone past in a flash and Christmas is now just a few weeks away. Here are some of my memories of November.

We started off the month with a little trip to Dunsborough which I’ve already posted about.

💜 My precious little peeps 💙

“Pull up a Seat“

Oldest and youngest

In the middle of November we had a day’s outing to a winery in the Chittering Valley to an event called “A Taste of Chittering” held at Nesci Winery with some good friends. The only thing that spoiled a lovely day was the masses of flies! We hardly dared open out mouths.

Don’t these two lovely ladies look cute as gumnuts. They are so talented walking around all afternoon like that.

🍷 We made some time for some tasting after lunch 🍷

The fourth Thursday of every month is when we hold our Bookclub meeting. The November bookclub is the last of the year and our Christmas get together. This year we gathered at a house overlooking the ocean. We had a fabulous lunch and Mango Daquiries with a great discussion of the book.

🌺 My November Garden 🌺

FOTD

Now the Summer has finally arrived I love to sit out for my happy hour 🍹 and listen to the different birds that congregate in my neighbour’s tree. From Kookaburras to Rainbow Lorikeets, Willy Wagtails and Parrots, not all at once of course. My jasmine is out and also the gardenias are in full bloom and the garden smells divine.

I’m now looking forward to a few parties in the coming weeks and tomorrow the tree 🎄 goes up with some help from my little elf.

How was your November?

Assorted Snaps for Midweek Madness

This week’s challenge for CMMC is anything with two S’s in the word.

The featured photo is from Sydney, “Skyscraper

Here’s my gallery below

Glasses

  • Aravina Winery, Yallingup, WA
  • Aiden Winery. Ferguson Valley, WA
  • Hobart, Tasmania

Cross..ing

Skyscraper

  • Hong Kong
  • Hong Kong

I’m a tad late, but better late than never!

👯‍♀️ Dancing in Dunsborough – Days Three and Four 👯‍♀️

Day Three

What a fun day today was going to be, a mystery tour had been planned for a coachful of women! Reminiscent of a school outing with our names being ticked off by Vicki as we boarded. It was non-stop chatter from the moment we sat down and Laura our lovely instructor had to whistle very loudly to get our attention. We boarded at 10.30 am and would be back at 4pm, no-one had a clue about where we would be going.

Our first stop was a winery for a quick tour and of course the requisite wine tasting. The winery was Aravina Winery, a 180 acre property with a surfing museum attached in Yallingup. The owners were very accommodating and explained each wine as it was tasted.

👰 A great place to get married 🤵
Just a taste
A step back in time

After sampling many wines we were back on the bus and onto our next mystery destination. This time also stopping for lunch. With much guessing going on we finally arrived at Black Brewing Company. Two large tables had been reserved for us and the staff did an excellent job of serving so many ladies! I was one of the lucky ones who was served very quickly, some were not so fortunate and waited for a while.

A few of the ladies that were still sitting by the time I got around to taking a photo

This place had the most amazing grounds, so after lunch I had a walk around to snap a few more shots. There was intermittent rain so it was a case of dodging it while walking.

A small island sat on the opposite side of the bridge with a stunning gazebo.

Each of the glass windows had a story of winemaking written on them with wonderful artwork. The photos didn’t quite come out the way I wanted.

Back on the bus and our next two stops were more about shopping. The first one was Vasse Virgin Olive Oil. All products were natural, made with olive oil, plant extracts and essential oils. We had a great time here sampling all the products and getting hand scrubs.

What finishes off a day nicely, a trip to a chocolate factory goes down very well with anyone, and that’s where our last stop was, The Margaret River Chocolate Factory.

I bought a few gifts to take home and all the ladies were given a bar by the lovely Laura.

So this was a no dancing day as everyone was pretty tired after a hard day’s touring. A very quiet pizza party was planned for the evening with cupcake decorating for dessert.

Day Four

More eating today with morning tea at Cape Lavender Teahouse. Devonshire Cream teas with lavender scones, cream and jam, just the best start to the day.

I was so happy that they did gluten free also, enjoyed every bite. There was also a gift shop, so did the obligatory shop and came away with even more gifts.

Yallingup Maze was next and then lunch at another brewery. Lisa and I opted instead for more shopping and a walk along the beach before a zumba class at 4.15.

Geographe Bay

Our last night’s party had a Bollywood theme with everyone invited to dress up and bring a curry. The outfits were amazing and everyone made such a great effort and the food was gourmet standard.

And so ends a fantastic five nights of dancing, eating, drinking, making new friends and catching up with old ones. A magnificent achievement by our zumba instructors – maybe next year back to Bali!

💃🏻 Dancing in Dunsborough on a Zumba Retreat 💃🏻 Days One and Two

I’m just back from a wonderful five nights in Dunsborough, Western Australia where I took part in a five night stay Zumba Retreat. It was organised by our three lovely Zumba instructors over four days. There were over 40 ladies in all who participated! I certainly didn’t know all of them but with all the events happening have come away with many new friends. My friend Lisa booked us a three bedroom house in a complex very close to many of the other ladies. It was within walking distance to the beach and the small local town, a winner on all fronts.

Outside
  • My room
  • Kitchen, Dining, Living Room

Geographe Bay, Dunsborough

And so it begins!

Day One

Of course it started with a Zumba class at 9.15 am for just over an hour, ready for a nap already. Back to the house for showers and then off to Clancys Fish Pub for lunch and a shopping session after.

Dunsborough is full of quirky shops selling all kinds of gifts, designer clothes and things you generally don’t need but just have to have. We ended up going home with multiple bags each.

In the afternoon there was a tango lesson, which I baled on, I wanted to preserve energy for the cocktail party later that evening. As you can imagine this was a noisy gathering, so many cocktails and wild dancing.

Day Two

Not too early a start today, a zumba class at 9.15 followed by a morning tea. More zumba at 10.30 – 11.30 am. I am definitely feeling it by now and ready for a rest. Lisa, Rose and I had a quick lunch at our house and decided to go for a drive to a winery and restaurant.

Meelup Farm

I spotted this big boy from the car as we were driving away, I love seeing kangaroos in the wild

Wine tasting at Wise Winery

More Zumba at 3 to 5.15 pm but also missed that! Opting instead for a walk along the beach.

Another big party tonight, well two actually! First a welcome party for the newcomers and a goodby party for the other ladies who were departing.

Our first party involved so many games designed to get to know one other. So much fun and plenty of food and wine and of course more dancing. Luckily the other party was within walking distance and was in full swing by the time we arrived, more dancing and drinking. Ready for my bed.

So far so good, I was actually hoping to lose a few kilos! I doubt that will be happening with all the morning teas, lunches, party food, wine and cocktails. I think it will be going the other way.

Meanderings through Margaret River, Western Australia

Margaret River is in the South Western area of WA and a popular tourist spot Nationwide and Worldwide. The beaches are great for surfing and swimming. It’s a wonderful place to visit in the winter and we generally try to get down once a year for a short break. So after Pemberton we drove back up to enjoy a two night stay. Margaret River is home to many wineries and restaurants, it’s hard to know where to go when you only have a couple of days.

We stayed at our usual hotel Margarets Beach Resort and had a small unit with a balcony. I had asked for a partial seaview and that’s what we got. Although it was a fair way in the distance. This hotel is actually located in Gnarrabup and ten minute drive from the town itself. Very peaceful.

  • Our room
  • Sunset from the balcony

That night we drove into town to a South American Tapas restaurant, El Toro. We had quite a few plates between us. It was a fantastic restaurant, the food and service were wonderful and I definitely enjoyed my mojito listening to latin music.

Mojito Monday!

The next morning we walked down to the local cafe, White Elephant, for breakfast. This cafe sits practically on the beach. It was a bit chilly but we sat outside so we could enjoy the beautiful view.

  • “Healthy”

We were lucky to have such a glorious day to sit and take in this gorgeous view.

  • Gnarrabup Beach
  • Walking back to our apartment

A bit later we drove to Eagle Bay to Wise Winery for lunch. It’s one of our favourites and never disappoints.

A lightish lunch! A creamy Chicken Liver Parfait, Spicy Green Beans and Duck Confit with a wood sorrel sauce.

Of course you can’t go to a winery and not have a glass of wine

Wise Winery has stunning views overlooking the Indian Ocean

We definitely needed a walk after this lunch, so drove to Yallingup and walked down to the beach from the carpark at Caves House and back.

There were a few whales out there in the distance.
The sun through the trees

I was determined to see the sunset back at Margaret River that evening, so around 5.30 pm we walked back to the White Elephant Cafe and sat and watched a magnificent sunset.

😎It Doesn’t Get Better Than This😎

Caves House, Yallingup, WA For An Overnight Stay

After saying goodbye in Pemberton to our friends Cheryl and Vaughan we drove onto Yallingup for our overnight stay at Caves House. Although we had previously had dinner here we had never stayed. Spending the night is always something I have wanted to do. The inside of Caves House is wonderfully well kept and has…

by Alison

Midweek break in Yallingup

  Yallingup is in the South Western region of Western Australia.  Its a great spot to visit for a short break especially from Perth.  The drive takes just under three hours. With so many places to stay it was so difficult to decide, we eventually chose the  Sienna Lodge and it did not disappoint! Situated in…

by Alison

Touring Tasmania – River Tamar Wineries

It was Maddy’s Birthday today and a day out at the River Tamar Wineries was on the itinerary. After letting them have a bit of a lie in from their late night, we set off around 11 am. We took the West Tamar Highway and our first stop was Grindelwald. From the name you can would be correct in thinking it was modelled on a Swiss village. Built in 1989 by Roelf Vos, a Dutch immigrant to Tasmania, for his wife after they visited Switzerland. The story is that she loved Switzerland so much the he built a village just for her!

As you can see the weather has cleared up beautifully.

There is a hotel here and a few activities for kids around. It’s very quaint but I don’t think I could spend a night here.

Our next stop was Marion’s Vineyard, established in 1979 by a Cypriot and Californinan couple with stunning views across the Tamar. There is no restaurant here but there is a beautiful area to enjoy a bottle of wine and a cheese platter. As we had reservations for lunch elsewhere we just did the wine tasting. If you buy a bottle the tasting is free. We had acquired quite a taste for Tasmanian wine so we did buy a few bottles between us.

It was such an interesting winery with lots of quirky decor in a taverna type setting.

This painting was on the wall inside the bar area and I just loved it. Can you recognise all these characters? Hubby knew them all of course, Laurence and Maddy had no idea, I knew most.

A stained glass image of the barn at night. The barn is pictured in the featured image.

The essential rusty tool exhibit, all Australian wineries have one!

From here we drove to our lunch venue, Timbre Kitchen, located in Velo Wines. When our waitress handed us the menu we wanted to order nearly everything on it! It all looked so delicious and of course once again I forgot to take photos of the food.

Naturistic lighting

After a most enjoyable lunch, there was still enough time left to visit another winery for some more tasting! With so many wineries to choose from it was hard to pick just one. In the end we opted for The Swinging Gate. We were lucky to get a table as it was very popular with the wine tours, bookings are recommended. This time we were served at the table for different tastings and given a sheet of paper to mark down our verdicts.

I thought the “waste not want not” attitude to various items of furniture was a great idea, hence the doors on the wall.

A view from The Swinging Gate of Domescape Glamping in the Vines.

And really that was all we had time for, most of the wineries close at 4pm. A relaxing drive back to Launceston and tonight was our last night in Tasmania.

  • Mud Bar, Launceston Seaport
  • Launceston Seaport

Pull up a seat

A challenge hosted by Xingfu Mama

A few from our weekend away in Dunsborough

  • Mongrel Creek Winery
    Mongrel Creek Winery
  • Overlooking Meelup Brook
    Overlooking Meelup Brook
  • Meelup Farm
    Meelup Farm
  • Meelup Farm
    Meelup Farm

Palmers Winery, Dunsborough – Review

This is one of the places we visited during our weekend away in Dunsborough. Below is the mediterranean style entrance to the restaurant. Lucky for us the weather was wonderfully sunny and warm.

I had only booked 15 minutes before we arrived due to a mixup with another place we thought we were going to! We had a choice of tables inside as outside was fully booked. We could see outside anyway, we were just happy to be able to get in somewhere.

There was so much choice on the menu that we decided to share a few dishes, always the best way to eat if you ask me. In our little group we had one GF, one pescatarian and one who doesn’t eat shellfish! We ordered something for everyone and the one who wasn’t fussy got to taste everything!

We started with Parmesan Crumbed Eggplant w/ Buffalo Mozzarella, local Asparagus, Tomato and Basil Sugo Entrée 

Just enough for a taster each but enough to settle down the hunger!

To drink we ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc Semillion to share which went down far too easily and quickly as there was quite a wait for our mains. Anyway we were in no rush and had no set agenda.

Finally our mains arrived and I think I speak for all of us that it was well worth the wait.

Goldband snapper with preserved lemon & herb crushed potatoes, roasted red pepper & caper salsa, asparagus & citrus Beurre blanc 
Balinese roast duck, yellow curry, Pilaf Rice, Steamed Asian Greens & Sambal
Grilled Western Australian Banana Prawns cooked in a roasted Garlic & Parsley Butter

Added to this was also a Green Papaya & bean shoot salad w/ toasted cashews & peanut dressing which was deliciously blended.

I would say my favourite was the Balinese duck curry, but all the dishes were mouth-wateringly divine.

There were some stunning paintings displayed at Palmers, I took a few photos of the ones I liked best.

After lunch was over we had a wander over to the cellar door to have a quick tasting and for me to take a few photos of the beautiful surroundings.

The Courtyard

Relaxed Divas

Everything about this winery was close to perfection. Food was amazing, lovely service from the staff and the grounds outstanding. If you’re ever in this region don’t miss the opportunity to visit.