Australian Adventure, Week 16: November 6-12

This week we spent time in the Hunter Valley wine region, then explored the Blue Mountains National Park. We had a blast on the first week of our road trip!

On Sunday morning we drove from the coast in land, to the Hunter Valley. The Hunter Valley, 2 hours north of Sydney, is one of Australia's major wine regions, with a history dating back to the early 1800s. Known for varietals such as Semillon and Shiraz, it’s home to numerous wineries, including world-renowned brands and family-run boutique operations.

We started our day at Audrey Wilkinson for a wine tasting and picnic among the vines. Their winery opened in 1866 and was a beautiful spot to start our day.

Then, we headed to Tyrell’s, a winery opened in 1858. Today, it is still run by the same family who started the winery six generations ago.

Our third stop was Brokenwood Winery - a much more commercialized winery opened in 1970. Brokenwood is known for their partnerships with Australian sports teams.

Next, we headed to Polbolkin Distillery.

Finally, we ended our tour at Pepper Tree Winery on a beautiful vineyard estate.

On Monday, Webster played his first round of golf in the Hunter Valley among the kangaroos! I went on a golf cart tour to spot some roos while he was playing.

Later that day, we drove to the Blue Mountains National Park, 1 hour outside of Sydney. Known for dramatic scenery, it encompasses steep cliffs, eucalyptus forests, waterfalls and villages dotted with guesthouses, galleries and gardens. We stayed in Katoomba, a small town in the area, borders Blue Mountains National Park and its bushwalking trails.

On Tuesday, we did a self-guided tour of all the lookout points along the cliff edge, it was a beautiful day for sightseeing, a few short hikes, and taking pictures.

We finished our day at Cahill’s Lookout for a great sunset over the valley. On our way back to the car, we were lucky to see an echidna, a native Australian animal covered in spikes. They are a mixture of a porcupine and an anteater.

On Wednesday, we started our day at the Yellow Deli. We went to another Yellow Deli location in Kingston and were excited to see one here in Australia.

In the afternoon, went on a hike to Wentworth Falls via the undercliff trail. We hiked along the path a few meters below the overhang for great views!

On Thursday, we drove into the Megalong Valley for breakfast. The valley is at the bottom of the cliff, and there is a winding road to get down on one side. It was cool to see what we had been looking down at all week.

Then, later in the afternoon Webster hiked from Leura to Katoomba via the Federal Pass Trail. He hiked past the Three Sisters, Scenic World, and up to Narrow Neck Lookout. He hiked 11km, and climbed over 150 flights of stairs! I spent the afternoon working on my last assignment for the semester.

On Friday, we went to see the sunrise at the Three Sisters. It was great because there was hardly anyone else there.

That afternoon, Webster hiked to Devil’s Hole and I submitted my last school paper for the semester!

Later in the evening we went back for the sunset. Again, we were surprised to see very few people in the area - great for taking some photos!

On Saturday, we packed up our things and headed back on the road. We drove from the Blue Mountains, three hours south to Jervis Bay. On our drive we stopped in a small town called Berry, to visit their Famous Donut Van. Webster heard about the donut van when we were last living in Australia (2019), so we were excited to finally check it out.

We checked into our little beach studio for the week, got groceries, and headed to the beach for some time in the sand. Upon our arrival we were warned by locals to avoid swimming - they had just seen a few sharks near the shore. Instead, we enjoyed sitting in the sand and walking along the beach.

This week we are going to explore Jervis Bay - a beach town known for it’s white sand and crystal clear water. Thanks for following along - see you next week!