Wine and Animals

Day 25

Today was a day for Mum and Dad - wine tasting in the Hunter Valley.

The kids were equipped with new activity books to keep them happy and off we all went.  We decided to try a few new wineries we haven't visited before and found lots of good whites, but the reds were disappointing.  Apparently they haven't been able to pick the red grapes in the Hunter for the last three seasons.  As a result, they have had to use grapes from elsewhere and the wines are not up to their usual standard. 

Not to worry, we still managed to restock a little and Steve and I had a nice relaxing day (probably more in my favour as I wasn't driving!).  Although for others it was not so exciting...

Mitch did get to see the stage at Hope Estate where we saw Eric Clapton last year.  He was very excited and we got a few odd looks when he ran off to stand at the front of an empty stage (like Father like Son!).

Day 26  Cessnock to Dubbo

A driving day today with not a lot to see on the way, just lots of beautiful Australian bush.  Here's a typical view...

We did make a quick stop at Arrowfield Estate Wines on the way out of Singleton and managed to find some red wines that weren't overpriced and tasted OK.  The wine cellar is now well and truly restocked!

The only other stop was for lunch and then straight to Dubbo.  The van park at Dubbo is probably the nicest setup we've been in and with an ensuite (our own shower and toilet block next to the van), it was very civil.  Steve and the kids enjoyed a quick swim plus some time on the 'jumping pillow' - a huge pillow that is set in the ground for hours of jumping fun.  This helped to burn off the excess energy that had built up on the car ride.

Day 27

Our main reason for coming to Dubbo was of course to visit the zoo and today was the day.

The zoo is one where you can drive, ride or walk - whatever your preference.  It's about 5km to trek around and see all the animals.  We opted for bikes - the kids already had theirs and Steve and I hired a couple for the day.  A chance to exercise a few more muscles that have been dormant for a while. 

The zoo certainly didn't disappoint.  The way it is set out the animals are basically in areas that mimic their natural habitat.  Although they can't get out, the fences are minimal and there are other structures (moats etc) used to keep them contained.  The animals all looked incredibly healthy and happy - unlike some zoos - and we had a ball.  The ride did get a bit long for little legs as a lot of it was an upward slope, so a little help was needed...

There were lots of great animals but our favourites were the Simbiangs.  These monkeys make incredibly loud noises, swing wildly on the ropes, play with each other and generally 'monkey around' and put on a fantastic display...

Other favourites were 'Marty' - the zebras...

the Galapagos Tortoises - these guys were HUGE...

...actually we liked all of them.   Unbelievably, the kids still had energy when we got back to the park for a quick swim and jump.  They then proceeded to catch grasshoppers, which seemed to be in plague proportions, with some neighbouring kids.

 
 All the grasshoppers were contained in the bug catcher to use as bait in the near future.  Let's hope they survive the journey!