Sun, Sea, and Sand-wiches: Hunter Valley

After jumping in the car at 6pm on the Friday, (me getting us a little lost with the ridiculous high-way) but eventually getting us to Hunter valley 3 hours later, we were miles away from city life, with a wildwest style hillbilly town greeting us in Cessnock. We started the Saturday as we meant to go on, so after the well known Peterson's champagne house, we hot footed it to the award winning Bimbadgen winery. This was the point when the Hunter valley first made sense to us. Everybody we spoke to always had a wicked glint in there eye on the mention of the hunter valley, and there seemed to be so many tours for such a small area. After asking for a tasting we go to look at the offered list to taste. Instead of the usual 2-5 wines, we had a full 2 page paper, all in order of taste, with a price range of £13-25 a bottle, which you were expected to go entirely through. Then the size of the tasting was a third of a glass. Oh dear god, what have we got ourselves into! I have never thrown away so much good wine in my life. Whilst Jude was tucking into every sparkling available, i had to do with sniffing and spitting the lot!

Thankfully I had my revenge, after seeing vest wearing blokes absolutely hammered by 3-4pm, I knew that at least I'd be enjoying and remembering my evening. After being recommended a little restaurant out on wilderness road, and seeing the great reviews, we thought we should give it a go. But there is a reason that they call it wilderness rd. After driving for about 5 mins along a bumpy dirt track, with no lights on for miles, thoughts of all the cheap horror movies start entering your brain and I'm noticing the whites of Jude's eyes getting bigger and bigger. But thank Christ, finally a little haven at the end of the road, Mojo's on wilderness. Not only was the food gorgeous, but the portions. My starter was 3 lamb chops on one another! Jude could have cut her steak with a spoon is was so soft.

After running around a few last little vineyards on the Sunday, what better way to finish the weekend than to have lunch at the 2 hat award restaurant Rock, overlooking there vines and lakes. Not only are we given an amuse-bouche of a oyster (jude's ever first!) but the lunch is only $20 each, incredible!

Jude and I fell in love with such a lovely countryside area, so close to the city, with such high quality restaurants and vineyards. We must return, though after I've hit the gym for a few weeks!