Mountains, Wine and Paradise

As my previous posts have shown, Sydney is a fantastic, vibrant city but there is so much more to Australia. In the past I've been lucky enough to visit all the major Australian cities and sights such as the Barrier Reef, Ayers Rock and even Ramsey Street. This time I had the pleasure of visiting three very different places: mountains, vineyards and paradise.

Blue Mountains

The first time I visited the Blue Mountains I cracked my head open. I stuck my head between two railings and forgot there was one above me. I lifted my head and bam cracked my head open on the metal bar. Luckily I came away injury free this time. Located a couple hours outside of Sydney, the Blue Mountains provide a perfect escape from the bustling city. Breathtaking vistas, such as the Three sisters, forests and waterfalls provide an awe inspiring landscape. There are also  quaint towns such as Blackheath and Leura, with traditional high streets, it really felt like I'd travelled back in time. Any visitor to Sydney should seriously consider a day trip to the mountains. The fresh air, the spectacular views and homely towns provide a refreshing alternative to the urban jungle of Sydney.

The Hunter Valley

This was a real treat. Again a two hour bus ride from Sydney, North to a beautiful area of vineyards and kangaroos. We enjoyed an organised tour around some of boutique vineyards of the Hunter Valley. Tasting at least five wines at each of the wineries, you could easily feel a little drunk if you drank every single one. Luckily for those you didn't like you can pour it away in the spitoon. Semillion and Shiraz were consumed an awful lot as the Hunter Valley is renowned for these two wines. Kangaroos were seen. One sommelier even gave us a rendition of Gershwin's 'Summertime'.  A fantastic day out whether you like wine or not. 

Hamilton Island, The Whitsunday Islands

Hamilton Island is the closest place to paradise I've been to. I went to the Thai islands last summer and I much prefer Hamilton. Not Gap Year trodden. Full of exotic birds, sandy beaches and a marina, dotted with restaurants and small shops. Another bonus, this is purely a golf cart island. Two and half hour flight from Sydney you arrive to your own golf buggy and zip around the roads like your in a real life version of Mario Karts. Flight and boat trips take you to the Great Barrier Reef or as we did to the stunning Whitehaven Beach. Always in the top ten beaches in the world, the whitest purest sand. If I was on desert island I hope it would have a beach like this. 7km of unspoilt beauty. One drawback: we had to wear stinger suits in the sea. Subsequently, we looked more like power rangers than tourists. Nevertheless, I didn't want to get stung by a jellyfish so I donned the tight, bright yellow suit and resembled a dishevelled teletubby. The view from our apartment was one of the best I've ever seen and we even had cockatoo who dropped in many times to squawk "hello". I can live with that.  I've seen paradise and I like it. 

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