Walking Sydney

Work is easing a little and the weather is vastly improving. Nothing like going for a stroll around the harbour on days like these.

The community gardens at Cremorne.

First hike was Cremorne to Taronga Zoo. This one was listed in the SMH Best Harbour Walks book and what a beautiful way to see Sydney. All you have to do is go to Circular Quay and hop on a ferry. Just one stop away is Cremorne, opposite the Opera House. From here you walk along the edge and can nip into the neighbourhoods if you want to see some of the Federation houses. The walk is very diverse in the scenery and plant life. If you want to challenge yourself, you can go past Taronga Zoo and follow the path to Balmoral Beach. I was enjoying the flowers too much to rush so will need to save that for another day.

Beautiful flannel flowers.

Next hike was the Manly Dam. This is again another ferry ride from Circular Quay and then a short drive inland. The trail is mainly for mountain bikes so you need to be careful of people coming around corners at full speed. I had no idea Sydney had a dam but there it was, along with a little recreation area, a waterfall and classic billabong. Sadly, my friend did not know the words to Waltzing Matilda and I've forgotten them already. Must practice.

75 minutes in 75 seconds (x4)

My walk to work
Time to park the tourist activities and get cracking on some deadlines. But the walk to work is a pleasure. And the ice cream is a treat when I need to go in on Sundays.

(note: this is meant to be 75 seconds but the minimum my video software allows is 4 seconds per slide)

Three cheers for the AFL

Go Sydney Swans!

I had always associated football games to rowdy crowds and hooligans. The football crowds in the UK were famous for fights and if England was playing abroad, extra security was usually needed in the host country. In the US, football fans displayed their loyalty through body painting and beer guzzling. Yes, these are two different types of football, but that doesn’t mean the behaviour of fans or players alters much. So when told that Australian football was yet another variation of the game, it was hard to show interest.

However, I do live in Australia and it is very hard to ignore sport despite the bad rap it’s been receiving recently. The rugby league in particular has been receiving all kinds of attention of late, with antics making the show Footballers Wives seem more like Little House on the Prairie. And let’s not be reminded of Australian cricket’s recent loss in the Ashes.

Even the Sydney Swans are having a tough season and were facing their last home game without any hope of advancing into the semifinals. Despite the nil prospects, the weather was starting to warm up in Sydney and a night sitting around and watching a game seemed a great idea.

The Sydney Cricket Ground on a warm winter's night.

Home games for the Swans are played at the Sydney Cricket Ground next to the soccer stadium, due to the fact that Australian football is played on an oval field, similar to cricket. Points are scored by kicking through four goal posts – the middle two score six points and the outer two score one. You can run with and kick the ball, and there are rules specifying how long you’re able to hold the ball. There is no stopping. The ball is constantly on the move as are the players – that was my favourite part of the game.

Another big plus was the crowd. The AFL draws a family-oriented crowd. Kids run around, and I even saw a number of pregnant mothers. Of course everyone roots for their team to win and there are noise makers to cheer even louder, but it’s all quite relaxed and good-natured.

Bye Swans. See you next year!

Going to an AFL game also doesn’t cost a fortune. Concessions are always pricy in stadiums, but tickets are pretty good value and not hard to get. There must be family discounts given the number of kids at the game, and season ticket prices are also available … which is not a bad idea.

The Hunter Valley wine tour

My first visit to Australia was with an old friend from university who has acquired an enormous knowledge about wine. In selecting wine during our travels, we stuck to three regions: Barossa, Margaret River and McLaren Vale. Mention of the Hunter Valley normally received a pained look.

Now living in Sydney, it’s hard to ignore this wine region and curiosity finally got the better of me.

The Hunter Valley actually has two main industries – wine and coal. Since the wine attracts tourism, I guess that would make a third. With the coal industry being a major opponent to the emissions trading scheme which was recently rejected in government this past week, I was envisioning HV to be a hill-stripped setting for an increasing fossil fuel-dependent world.

The Hunter Valley village centre.

But not at all. The wine region is kept separate and since I only visited for a day, there was no time to delve into local politics. There was wine to drink.

So, how do you visit the HV when you want to go to a number of places (which requires a motor vehicle) and sample the local drink (which contains alcohol)? Sign up for a bus tour. You don’t need to worry about driving, you can take as little or as many friends you like, and if you’re in a tour group you know you’ll all get along because you all like wine. The only downside is that the tour leaves at 8am so you need to prepare yourself for an entire day of drinking. There are worse things.

I chose the Boutique Wine Tour company which promised local knowledge and a customised itinerary on request. Our tour guide was named Steve and he certainly provided both. I had done very little research before embarking on the trip but did have a list of places to see and to avoid. I ran those by Steve and he did a very good job at accommodating. Since I clearly didn’t know the HV and really not too much about wine, it was best to leave the itinerary planning up to him but I couldn’t resist having a nose at a HV guide and map. He was very gracious.

There are a lot of boutique wineries in HV and even the larger places have award-winning wine so you are pretty safe in your selection. What I hadn’t anticipated was the limitation in grape varieties. When asked what wines I like, I would think pinot noir, pinot grigio and perhaps even zinfandel. None of these are in HV. The HV is quite well-known for the types of wine I generally stay away from – chardonnay and shiraz. While I am not a big white wine drinker (pinot grigio aside), I learned last summer that it gets way too hot in Sydney to drink red so I gradually adapted. In preparation for this upcoming summer season, I know I need to broaden my palette and am determined to approach an Australian white with the same appreciation as I would a Sea Smoke Botella.

So where did we go? With a little over 100 wineries, we went to four. Two are relatively new and are gaining recognition as ones to look out for (Iron Gate Estate and Ernest Hill), one is well-established as well as organic (Tamburlaine) and one also well-established and tipped to be having an exceptional year (Pepper Tree).

The very charming Ernest Hill.

In terms of atmosphere, Ernest Hill was the best with a welcoming down-home feel. It’s a very lovely farmhouse with a big, front porch on a rolling landscape with a lake and surrounded by old eucalyptus trees. Pepper Tree was a close second but a bit too much on the posh and perfect side. Iron Gate had a very high architectural standard, but too similar to what you would come across in Napa Valley with terra cotta tiling and sterility. Tamburlaine was very relaxed, a little too much so, but when you have wine that good, it doesn’t matter and they are one of the few wineries that makes its money through its wine club.

Both Tamburlaine and Pepper Tree have 5-star ratings by James Halliday, and the other two have promising reviews. Since I am not a wine expert, I can only say I was very impressed with the quality of the wine. Of course there were some I didn’t like, but felt spoilt for choice on a whole.

You might be wondering why the high praise in HV wine when I first mentioned my dislike of the wine varieties on offer. Well, again, I am not a wine expert. However, I like wine, especially when it’s good. If you go straight to the source, no matter what variety, it most likely is going to be very good and if you ask some questions, you’re likely to even come across some excellent bottles.

So this is what I came home with:
Whites
2009 ‘Cyril’ Semillon, Ernest Hill
2009 Wrattonbully Pinot Gris, Pepper Tree
2008 Verdelho, Hunter Valley NSW, Tamburlaine
2005 Wrattonbully Chardonnay, Pepper Tree

Reds (sorry, couldn’t resist)
2008 ‘Dam’ Merlot, Ernest Hill
2007 The Gravels Wrattonbully Shiraz Viognier, Pepper Tree
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Orange, NSW, Tamburlaine
2002 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, Pepper Tree

Why so many bottles you ask? It occurred to me during this trip that when the tour finished, I was going straight to Sydney where I live and will likely live for another year. That is a lot of time for drinking wine. Also, wines in the HV range $20-25 for a white and $25-$32 for a red. That’s about the same price for a decent bottle at the local wine shop and these wines I’ve tasted and know I like. The tour cost $105 which included being driven 1-1/2 hours outside Sydney in a comfortable mini-van with lots of capacity for carrying what we bought so what was I waiting for? I grabbed the opportunity to stock up. After all, spring begins next week and I don’t want to be caught out without a decent white.

Wineries visited (in order):
Iron Gate Estate
Tamburlaine
Hunter Valley Cheese Co (for cheese)
Pepper Tree
Ernest Hill

Tour:
Boutique Wine Tours

Big country, small towns

Broome (compared) to Darwin

Towns are not big in the Kimberleys. I always found it amazing that a destination on the map most times was just a store with service station. Mind you, in all of that open land, it’s greatly appreciated to have anything marked on a map, particularly a shop offering basic supplies.

The wild, wild west of Broome's town centre.

For its small size, Broome still required a map, mainly because everything is so spread out that it’s difficult to get your bearings except for when you’re driving along the ocean. It did have a high street and surprisingly it had a very distinct architectural character. Everything in the centre was one to two storeys high, usually had an awning, and was made out of corrugated iron. Set against wide, mostly dirt roads, the town had a nice, rustic feel. It was a cute place, including its little airport where you step off the plane directly onto the tarmac. Yes, everything was quaint in Broome. Of course, there were shopping centres and sprawl, but the country – with the 22km long Cable Beach – very much outsized the town.

You learn not to expect much when the map shows a ‘town’ is approaching. Birgit’s guide (see 1 August posting), in all its thoroughness, did have at least a page of information for each place, covering restaurants, accommodation and sights to see. Even the Imintji food store had half a page written about it so you were bound to expect more. But no, you perhaps come across a high street and occasionally some places along the main road. You notice a routine in your shopping – fuel, Coles or Woolworths, liquor store and a Bakers Delight.

Entering the Northern Territory, not much changed except places seemed a bit run down, probably because they’ve been around for longer. Since the road was all bitumen, the area was more established. There were definitely more people on the roads and in the campsites. Even with that as an indicator, I was surprised when we reached the outskirts of Darwin.

Darwin was busy. It had people – 120,000 compared to 15,000 in Broome. It had buildings. And suburbs. It was just like your typical tropical, modern city except for one, big caveat – you can’t go in or near the water. First, you have crocodiles. Then, if you somehow make it into the ocean, then you get jellyfish – very painful ones. Shame, because the weather is humid and the water is enticing. Too bad it’s just not a good idea.

Fenced off from the sea.

Since the city is on the waterfront, protecting people from these elements is a big task. Generally, it’s done by putting up fences. So, you’re in a humid climate, looking out onto an inviting ocean and you’re facing a fence. It’s an awkward imprisonment.

Your other option is to walk inland which is actually more of a challenge. It’s hot in Darwin. Most of the streets are wide and with little shade. Places are spread out or along the highway. Developments spill out onto the sidewalk. None of this makes walking an attractive option.

Darwin suffered a cyclone in the 1970s which basically wiped it out. Few houses still stand of the old era of bungalows on stilts. These are very charming and airy houses that reminisce to a time when Darwin was carefree and groovy. In many ways it still is – with its markets, galleries and tropical weather. But it leaves you thinking there’s potential for it to be much more.

Sundowners

A little g&t time.

Each day deserves a bit of time for reflection. One might think I mean by prayer or meditation – which is great – but all I’m really talking about is winding up the day with some positive thoughts and looking forward to tomorrow. This is nice to do at sunset, when you’ve had a busy day and the diminishing daylight is telling you to stop. All of these marvellous colours are saying, ‘here, take a load off, look at me.’ So, you look, take a deep breath in, and relax.

If you’re lucky, you’ll have some friends around to share it with. If you’re smart, then you will have prepared some cheese and crackers and opened up some wine. But the evening has only just begun so go slow. Think about the day, wonder about the next day, and most importantly, plan what you’ll be having for dinner.

This works well with a cuppa tea, too.

Cattle stations

Home, home on the cattle station.

When reading up on the Kimberleys you come across words like drover, home stay and cattle stations. Images that come to mind might be a big ranch surrounded by fences that hold herds of horses and cattle. On the Kimberley maps you see large sections identified as cattle stations. Some are private and others welcome campers and some even provide very comfortable accommodation. All of these are working stations.

Oi, there ain't enough room for the three of us.

None of these places are less than 500,000 acres. In fact, that’s considered small. The vast amount of land accommodates cattle’s solitary nature so you’ll never see more than five cows together in a group. And that would be rare since on average there’s enough land for one to two cows per acre. So if you ever buy Australian beef, at least you know that beef from WA is going to be a very high quality meat.

Unfortunately, cattle do great damage to the Kimberley’s ecosystem. They are not indigenous to the area and through grazing eat all of the palatable plants, few which grow back and instead are replaced by weeds which then lead to infestation. Grazing and the roaming around have also led to soil erosion, creating a barren and void landscape typical to what you would imagine of the outback. Not to worry, cane toads are making their way into the region so although cattle may be solitary by nature, they won’t be along for long.