Hunter Valley

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We fell in love with Hunter Valley as soon as we saw it. The lovely countryside mix of vineyards, trees and dry ochre earth; rolling hills, blue skies and solitude. We had booked two nights at the Hunter Resort which is a group of huts set in the estate of a vineyard. We went for a jog along the outskirts of the estate before trying out the pool, showering and dressing for dinner in our spacious room. In the pool, Michelle tried out her skorkel set for the first time and did really well. We are now looking forward to Queensland and snorkelling in the sea.

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The next day we had breakfast at a Champagne house, had a wine tour which was very interesting and informative and then tapas across the road and an early night. Today (29.3.07) we visited the zoo, had a helicopter flight around the valley, visited a "space station" wine cellar and then relaxed in our new hotel (The Hermitage) before dinner.

We would happily come back here again. What with the good food and wine (though we have only had 3 glasses in 3 days!!!), the airfield, the zoo, very few other visitors and the opportunities to go jogging this is about the perfect holiday location for us.

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Tomorrow we head up north towards Port Macquarie.

Im Hunter Valley hat es uns ausgesprochen gut gefallen, nicht nur des Weines wegen. Nebst dem Besuch einiger sehr empfehlenswerter Restaurants (speziell zu erwähnen das Leaves & Fishes in Lovedale,  http://www.leavesandfishes.com, und Petersons Champagne House in Pokolbin, http://www.petersonhouse.com.au) war der Rundflug mit einem kolbengetriebenen Helikopter des Typs Robinson R44 ein Highlight. Von Cessnock flogen wir zuerst westwärts über die diversen Weinbaugebiete, dann über Tempus Two, wo gerade die Bühne für das Openair-Konzert von INXS und Simple Minds aufgebaut wurde und schliesslich im östlichen Anflug quer über die Piste des Flugplatzes wieder zurück an den Ausgangsort.

Der kleine, aber feine Zoo in der Nähe von Cessnock, wir zu Zeit gerade ausgebaut und mit tierfreundlicheren Gehegen und Teichen ausgestattet.