Back of Bourke: Tales from Down Under: Parents Stop By

A couple of months ago (yes, I'm a bit behind), my parents stopped over as part of a 'visit their sons in the southern hemisphere' tour. Shortly before coming down under, they had gone to visit my brother in Brazil, who - consequently - has been working at an orphanage deep in the jungle (literally), developing a nutritional plan, teaching English, and other such things.

I had a blast with them while they were here - they stayed at a hotel about a 5 minute walk from my place, so it was really easy to meet up with them. We packed in quite a few things while they were here.

The first weekend, we had a trip up to the Hunter Valley, one of Australia's major wine-growing regions. I had been there before, and it's just beautiful, so I wanted to take my parents up there as well. It was a gorgeous day, with a really strong wind, and just a great way to unwind. Did I mention that wine-tasting in Australia is free? As a result, you basically drive up from Sydney in the morning (under 2-hour drive), start tasting at 10:30 / 11, and just hit as many wineries as you can before 5 when most of them start closing. It's rarely very crowded, and the people are just incredibly personable.

One of the many spectacular views of the

Hunter Valley. This one is one of my favorites,

from the Audrey Wilkinson winery, one of the

oldest in the area.

Every time I go to the Hunter, I find more and more wine that I like. I'm not sure if it's that my palate adjusting to Aussie wines, or if I just happen to be stumbling upon more and more wineries that make great wine. Case in point - last time I came home with only 3 bottles; this time, I brought home six. The Hunter region is well-known for their Semillon varietal (a dry, fruity white wine). I've made a serious effort to try it each time I go, and just can't get myself to like it. I've found it just dies too quickly in the mouth. Fortunately there are dozens of different varietals grown in the Hunter, so we had options.

We fit in a couple of wineries before lunch, before making our way to The Verandah Restaurant. Like most places in the Hunter, it was in the middle of a beautiful green field surrounded by vines. We sat out on - you guessed it - the veranda, and enjoyed a series of tapas.

This was Hannah, one of the dogs running around

the property during lunch. Apparently she doesn't

like having her picture taken.

Mom sits under a tree with Hannah after playing

a bit of fetch.

We managed to stop by 4 or 5 more wineries after lunch, including one that specialized in Port and other fortified wines. I had never had much exposure to Port in the past, but I've found that I absolutely love it (probably thanks in part to my ridiculous sweet tooth).

With most of the wineries closing by 5:15 or so, we had some time to kill before dinner reservations at 6:30. We used the opportunity to cruise around some of the outer roads of the Hunter, as well as some of the inner ones that didn't really lead anywhere. That's when we discovered one of the many things that makes this amazing country unlike any other.

A large herd of at least a dozen kangaroos (which

is called a mob, a herd, or a troop) were sitting on

the side of the road. We slowed down and they

started hopping one by one across the street.

Here is another group sitting on the side of the road.

Just before dinner, we caught an amazing sunset.

This really is a beautiful place.

Dinner was at a place called Mojo's on Wilderness. It was small, intimate, and warm - really one of the best little restaurants I've found since moving here. Dinner was fantastic, and I actually didn't have room for dessert at the end (I know - I'll give you a moment to collect yourselves). At that point, I was very nearly rolling out the door. I made a mental note to come back, because the service was stellar, and the food was to die for (which would have happened, had I tried to cram down the caramelized pear tart tatin with ice cream and rum butterscotch sauce).

A few days later, we went out to dinner at a place over in Watsons Bay back in Sydney for dinner. The restaurant was called Doyle's, and they're famous for their seafood, specifically their fish and chips. It was a very lovely dinner, and I found out after I had finished my heaping portion that since I got through it all, I could actually have a half-serving of fish and chips for free. I had really wished they had mentioned this at the beginning so I could have paced myself. Dinner was delicious, though.

The harbor at Watsons Bay. So many parts of

Australia remind me of Italy.

The view of the Sydney skyline from Watsons

Bay, the last bay of the harbor before you hit

ocean.

I love it when you can see the moon

as the sun is setting.

Fajah, Majah, and me just before dinner. No,

that's not a corduroy jacket I'm wearing - why

do you ask?

Doyle's by night.

We fit in many more meals while they were there, as well as a fantastic classical concert at the opera house. I've found that I absolutely adore classical music since moving here (I liked it before, but the prevalence of it has escalated that like to lust).

Naturally, I had to show them Featherdale while they were here as well - the wildlife park that I frequent so often. Here are a few pictures from that little venture.