Today was another driving day.
Well first we had another wine thingy where we saw vines and aged them

I reckon these were planted about 1967.

We then talked more about wine production with Andrew from yesterday. Obviously we were in the know and were able to be top of the class. Pity there were only two other people there.

3 % of Aussi wine comes from here (that is the Hunter Valley) and it is some of the best.

These are some of the ones which are next to where we are staying

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He loves the valley and isn’t about to give any other region the brownie points. anyway we learn more, like Yellow Tail is an industrial enterprise that has 48 60,000 litre tanks of juice on the go at once comparer to here that has 2,000 5 and one 10,000 tank. also here grapes are hand picked etc. etc. etc.

 

Anyway after that it is on our way. the journey is about 150 mile but it is through the blue mountains up steep windy roads through forest.

It is all chilled until we realise we are going to be out of juice before we hit the next petrol station so we have to retrace our steps about 20 miles and the air becomes slightly chilled even without the aircon.

These cows know how to cool off.

When we reach the petrol station we have a ‘fork handles’ moment. I get Maggie drinking chocolate. The lady is very good and makes it especially. I haven’t the heart to go back in and tell her it is drink and chocolate that we need.

This is Yellowmundee Regional Park or at least a view from it.

So it goes through the Blue Mountains for a few hours.

The journey is a tad long and repetitive as most of the time we are in the mountains but eventually we arrive in Katoomba and the Carrington hotel is good. Each room has its own Victorian porn picture on the wall.

 

It is an old colonial style gaff with heavy faded carpet and a lift that takes more time to do two floors than the one in Melbourne took to do 19 floors.

The room is good and I look out over the mountains which is our destination tomorrow.

So to bed.