Quality Resort Parklands Resort And Conference Centre Mudgee

... had a very nice cabin to stay in. It was a good place to catch up on the laundry etc.
Sunday was a beautiful day and we spent it visiting a number of wineries in the area. We sampled along the way and bought some nice wines to take away with us as well as olives, dukkah and other tasty morsels. Tonight we dined at the Mudgee RSL- we are educating Angela and Adrian in the art of eating at Aussie pubs and clubs!!

... After arriving in Mudgee and settling into our first camp site we spent some time sorting out our camper trailer which was to be home for the next six months or so. Stuff had been casually tossed into the camper and into Pancho (our newly acquired Prado christened by our friends and previous owners Carol and Peter). Luckly our new life doesn't require a lot so it wasn ...

... lives up to its name as it offers some spectacular panoramic views of Bathurst from the top. You really start to appreciate the skill of the race drivers as it is scary driving at 60km on top of the mountain. We then drove to the Bathurst Gaol in the centre of town beleiving it to be an historic site, however we were surprised to find it is still a fully functioning jail - so we didn't tour. We also missed out in ...

... it! We visited a real mine where we could walk down into it...approx 30 feet under ground. It was really warm and different as it was mostly sandstone. We had retail therapy in the gift shop and I would say the owners (who by the way also owned where we were staying) had a good day off us! The opals are really beautful here and cheap compared to what we would pay at home. Then off to see how an opal is cut and polished. We had lunch and then were able to visit the ...

We went to see the Opera House and it was very nice I have to say, even though we did not get inside. The seafood in the harbour area was excellent even though I was a bit embarassed when my friend ordered so much seafood the other aussies were looking at us like we were crazy that we could eat so much! I also got good memories of the big serving portions of chips which the girls gave us. did i mention she looked kind of cute too? :) more to come...

... started; it did not stop for 24hrs! The rally was very basic, free tea and coffee at the control tent and lots of wood to make fires. It was definitely a BYO rally, with no food or drink on site. Len produced a slab of beer and we had four hip flasks, so it was fine. Last year the local butcher turned up and cooked up steak sarnies, and said he would come again this year, but owing to the bad weather (and a triathlon in Gloucester - more lucrative) he did not show! Ali did ...

We hopped onto the OZ Experience bright and early to start our trip up the east coast. Our first stop was Barrington tops, which was a small place built around a disused mine right next to a river. The accomodation was basic to say the least - basically a tin shed, but quite cool all the same (And very comfortable!). During the day we mainly sunbathed, but had the option of going night water rafting later on which we jumped at the chance to do. We had a little practice in the ...

... 4 bottles of wine, we were back on the bus and off to our final winery... Iron Gate, another boutique winery, at which we purchased 2 bottles and did a tour of the winery wine making facilities... It didn't take long as it was rather small. We had a rep of being the Irish alcos on the bus.... why I don't know... why would you go to the wine valley and not buy wine..... especially when living in Syney!!!! Beyond me.... We were back in time that night to get ...

4th April Picked up at 7am for the start of this adventure, seven of us, plus Ted. It was tipping with rain when we left Sydney and continued all the way to Katoomba. I could not believe the difference in the weather - in the week when I was here, there was not a cloud in the sky, now you could not see the front of the bus!!! I don't think I have ever seen fog so thick!! Needless to say, we did not go for the planned walk, but continued on our way. Ted had already spoken to ...

... that I would be the lunch chef for the other rousties and all the people who work at the station. My first cooking experience here was not a good one, neither for me or the unfortunate people who had to eat what I had TRIED to cook! I was handed a stack of what else but lamb meat. I fried it all up, perhaps a bit to much, getting completely covered in oil in the meantime, ruining my only pair of shorts. Needless to say, everyone received their meat extremely well done ...