Tag: wineries

9 Day NZ South Island Road Trip

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An unforgettable journey through New Zealand’s stunning landscapes (Dec 2024)

For several years I had been dreaming of taking a trip to New Zealand’s South Island to enjoy winding roads, breathtaking coastlines, and world-class food and wine. Ten years earlier, we’d taken our children on a 9 day tour of the North Island, but I’d never visited the South Island before.

So in early December 2024, hubby and I embarked on a 9 day/ 8 night self-drive adventure filled with natural wonders and culinary delights. When planning our trip, I soon realised 9 days would not be nearly enough time to see all the South Island has to offer and we’d have to effectively cut the island in half, and plan a return for another time to do the other part. So many places to see, such little time!

Here’s how our South Island road trip unfolded.

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Wine tasting in Murrumbateman

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Murrumbateman, NSW (Jan 2021)

Murrumbateman is a little town in NSW, 40 minutes drive north west of Canberra and not far from Yass. It used to be a gold mining village but is now known for its vineyards, being at the heart of Canberra wine country.

What an ugly year 2020 was! Like everyone else, the global pandemic put a stop to all our travel plans. We lost a chunk of money after our trip to LA got cancelled in April (thanks Cadillac Hotel Venice Beach for not refunding us despite being a fully refundable booking). Plus Steve and I found ourselves working harder than ever, as the lines of work we are both in saw the pandemic actually creating more work for us. The final insult to injury was getting stuck in lock down over Christmas. Mind you, I know there were people much worse off than us so I’m not really complaining. Compared to our family & friends in the UK, we had it easy being in lock-down at Christmas on the northern beaches of Sydney during an Australian summertime.

In late January 2021, we decided to dip our toes in the water and to venture out of Sydney for a day trip to regional NSW. This was our first trip since the pandemic and since we can’t travel overseas we thought we’d make the most of our local area and visit somewhere we haven’t been before. We’ve been to Canberra plenty of times and driven past signs advertising local wineries but not had the chance to stop. I heard there were some decent wines in the area so we decided on the Canberra winery region as our destination. After getting some tips from one of our Canberran based friends and doing some research I picked some wineries in the Murrumbateman area. COVID safe plans meant booking would be essential. We wouldn’t be able to roll up and expect to be accommodated. I set about building an itinerary.

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Swan Valley day trip

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Swan Valley, Perth, W.A. (May 2019)

During a business trip to Perth I decided to drag my husband along and we stayed an extra couple of nights for some R&R. I have been to Perth a few times in the past for work purposes, usually only for a day or two, so have already seen some of the well known spots around Perth such as Kings Park, Cottesloe Beach and Fremantle. I once even managed a brief day trip to the Margaret River efficiently cramming in a visit to four wineries. This time I wanted to experience somewhere new so I started asking around for other suggestions.

The Swan Valley was recommended so we decided on this destination after learning it is only 30 minutes drive from Perth and has a lot to offer in terms of wineries, cafes, chocolate outlets and nougat stores.

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Wine tasting in the Hunter Valley

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The Hunter Valley, NSW

Approximately two hours drive north of Sydney, the Hunter Valley is situated inland in a country area surrounded by hills and fertile ground. It is most famous for its wineries, but there are other things to do and see in the region. Because it’s a short drive for us, we generally go for a day trip, usually with friends or relatives visiting from overseas or from other states. Though a word of caution, if you are planning on doing some wine tasting and don’t have a designated driver, stay overnight. The local police are known for setting up RBT units (random breath testing) on the main roads out at the end of a day. Don’t chance getting caught, or worse, don’t chance an accident.

For anyone planning a visit, you can take children as there are plenty of ‘kid friendly’ places. We generally prefer to leave ours at home, as our main purpose for visiting is wine tasting and they’d quickly get bored. Also, if you can go mid-week or a Friday it will be less busy at cellar doors so you’ll get a chance to chat with the staff & learn more about the wines. Plus accommodation will be cheaper during the week. Here are my other tips: Continue reading “Wine tasting in the Hunter Valley”