#TheVinesandtheWinesofMudgee

For Berry’s birthday my dad bought her a two night stay in Mudgee and they invited me to come along to bring the entertainment. Personally I think it is due to my incredible whale singing and my dance performances but they say not...they’re so deluded!

The journey was 4 hours but we made a couple of stops along the way. First, we stopped off in Windsor for a coffee. The little town is filled with old Victorian style buildings and an old water mill.

We then stopped at Pearson’s lookout in the Caperty Valley, which is the world’s widest canyon. Unfortunately our timing was terrible as the entire view was spoiled by low hanging clouds that created a mist obstructing the view of the whole canyon. The drizzle had cleared and we were hungry so ever prepared, Berry got to work at sorting us out with a picnic lunch. I looked at the wet bench and with a

grimace I suggested we eat in the car. Out she whipped a set of blue plastic table clothes for us to sit on and a big one for the main table. As we were finishing lunch the clouds lifted slightly and we were able to see for miles across the valley.

Later on we visited a dam. By this point the clouds had cleared and the sun was shining fully as we took a short walk around the water. The water in the centre glistened in the sunlight but the water by the edges was covered in a type of green algae that created patterns and swirls. When we were leaving, something caught our eye crossing the road. It was a small terrapin! A new pet for me?! We pulled over so I could take pictures of it and I calculated how I could get away with stealing it. Sadly, I was told I couldn’t keep it for a pet and had to let the little fella continue on his merry way.

It was afternoon by the time we reached Mudgee and our first stop was one of the three wine farms we had planned to visit in the afternoon.

The farm was surrounded by fields of grape vines, all standing in rows with their wide branches intertwined with their neighbour’s. Although the grapes hadn’t come into season yet, the leaves had grown in a plump circle around each vine. As we walked into the dimly lit shop , six bottles of red wine were standing in a neat little row and an Australian man greeted us. “G’day!”

What I hadn’t realised at that moment was that I was about to be put through a strenuous curriculum of the wine tasting world. It was half an hour before we were given a sip to taste. To be fair, he was a lovely old guy and wine making is clearly his passion in life. He inherited the farm from his grandparents and has since created some of his own unique blends using Spanish grapes. We began wine

tasting.

(Refer to the chapter #TheGreatSearchForaWinery to remind yourself of the ground rules)
This time, I was very careful to comment on the flavours he suggested. No wood was used in the making of his wines so I could comment on the apple or the floral flavours confidently.
By the time we had tasted each wine and learned their histories, it was half four in the afternoon.
The other farms would have to wait until tomorrow!

We arrived at our motel. When I picture motels, I think of those American movies where people go to hide from the law or to top themselves so I was pleasantly surprised when we turned up to our room. We had two huge modern rooms with a seating area and bar. The balcony overlooked the most beautiful countryside complete with mountainous views and horse fields while the grounds itself sparkled with little lanterns and lights.
I took myself for a walk to make up some steps as I was losing at a very important FitBit competition and tried to spot some wallabies and wombats. No luck!

I returned to my Dad and Berry for dinner and we concluded our evening with steak and wine in the picturesque gardens. We saw a grand piano inside so I suggested I play jingle bells as I

had just learned it but Berry’s horrified look deterred me. Again, they are oblivious to my incredible musical talents!

We continued our adventure the following day by going on a walk to a place called the Drip. Named as such after the cliffs that absorb rainwater that then seeps out through the pores of the rocks. Once we arrived, we sat and had a picnic and performed judo moves on the irritating flies around us.

The walk was incredible. Surrounding us, monstrous rocks were piled high; covered in a blanket of green moss. Along the way we searched for Wombats, their burrows lay deep beneath the rocks and amongst the shrubs, I desperately tried to see one by looking in each hidey-hole and following their tracks but we had no luck. Just a footprint to taunt us!

Laying still sunning itself was a black red-bellied snake, it’s black scales shone in the sunlight and the alarm of his bright red stomach warned us not to get too close! Another pet for me?!
The answer was of course no! I started to realise that I’ll never get a wild Australian animal for a pet!

Getting there was easy. It was one straight path so there was no chance we could get lost. But then again, this is me and my dad

navigating. We reached what we thought was the end of the path. It looked as though the path ended leaving piles of rocks to climb over. We concluded that there was no way we could have walked that way but how else? It was after all, one straight line!
We looked at alternative routes, one led to the edge of a cliff, another to overgrowth.
“It must have been this way!” We scanned through our photos and compared the landscape. It looked the same but how could it be?
I got right to the edge of the path. Steps. Really obvious stone steps led the way back to where we started. We just hadn’t gotten close enough to the edge of the cliff to see them there! Feeling slightly stupid but also relieved, we continued on the path and back to the car.

On the way home we stopped off for some wine tasting at a place called Short Sheep. Named for the little sheep they have in the fields. It was told that they struck a deal with these little guys- in return for not being eaten, they can eat the grass and weeds beneath the vines and because they’re too short, they’re unable to reach the fruits... I didn't bother asking to keep one as a pet.

The plan for dinner was to go to a Thai restaurant followed by some live music and a drink at a wine bar but what we didn't know was that small towns like Mudgee don't do Tuesday nights! We enjoyed our dinner and headed to the wine bar. Our confidence diminished as the entire street was eery dark and completely quiet. The last flash of hope was distinguished when we reached the doors to the very empty and very closed wine bar- my dad and Berry would have to make do with my Whitney and Celine Dion impersonations and a glass of red at the motel as compensation.

Wednesday morning came and it was time to head home. Our bags were packed as we enjoyed our last breakfast at the motel. A quick last stop into Mudgee town to visit the Christmas shop and then it was time to go. We decided to take the scenic route which led us past vineyards and farmland. Because it was now lovely weather and far fewer clouds than Monday, we went back to Pearson’s lookout. This time we could see much further back and could see the canyon walls in the distance. With a cup of tea and some cereal bars, we sat and enjoyed the view.

Driving along, I looked out the window as we neared the Blue Mountains. It was gorgeous! The mountains stood tall far away in the distance with their blue mist hanging in the air. I tried and failed to take a good picture as each time the I pressed the button, a set of trees would cover the view. My dad suggested we stop off at the Botanical Gardens as there is a great view of the Blue Mountains from there. The gardens were covered in pretty bright colours of all the different shrubs and flowers, the backdrop showed the mountains with their blue haze and tall trees popping up all over the place. Once I had my snaps and a tasty pie from the cafe, we really did need to get back to the city so we all piled in the car and headed onwards back to Dee Why.