We arrived in New Castle after two ten hour flights and one ten hour layover (Honolulu). Surprisingly little to no jet lag, that is certainly a first for us.
We’ve been spending our time at Nicole and Ben’s house located in Elermore Vale, a ‘suburb’ just west of Newcastle City. Reportedly, the population of Elermore Vale is a mere ~5500 residents. Predominantly residential, this area is quiet but loud with the sounds of a healthy population of birds. From the back deck, we can hear and see Laughing Kookaburra, Noisy Miners, mMourning Doves, Sulfur Crested Cockatoos, Magpie Lark, and others yet to be identified. The sounds are quite something.
On our first full day here, we visited Anna Bay where Jon and Ben had a swim in the ocean. There are swimming spots all along the coast. We also drove to the Anna Bay, and the Stockton Sand Dunes; these are part of Worimi National Park. These dunes are huge, the biggest we have ever seen- the beach is 19km long and has over 350 hectares of dune driving at the southern end. There were even camels trekking along the dunes!
Jon and I took Nicole and Ben’s e-bikes into the city. The goal was to hit Newcastle Beach. What should have been a 50min ride, ending up being almost two hours because we were checking the map at every turn. Jonny Beacon lost his way a few times!
The Newcastle beach includes the Newcastle Ocean Baths, but they were closed when we got there, opening just two days later. We will go back.
Jon and I also went on a hike to the Sugarloaf Conservation Area. At the highest lookout, you can see for miles and miles. It is said that on a clear day, one can see the Sydney Habour. Our wildlife spotting included the Monitor Lizard. It was a biggie; we estimate that it was between 3-4 feet long. Later, we read how nasty they can be. They have huge claws that can rip open anything it desires. Good thing we were careful in our approach.
We’ve also gone out to dinner with Nicole and Ben, visiting their favourite tapas restaurant: Bocados. Here we enjoyed a ‘banquet’ dinner. This is akin to a prix fixe menu where you get to sample about 10-12 dishes. It was very good.
On December 23, we drove to the Hunter Valley, about 30km as the crow flies. This area is filled with rolling hills, sloping vineyards and forested small mountains. The Hunter Valley is not necessarily the best for growing grapes, but that hasn’t stopped this area from becoming a go-to wine tasting region. Many of the vineyards will buy their grapes from vineyards further away and make their on wine on location. The Cellar Doors of many of the vineyards are open to the public. We stopped at piggs peake, Audrey Wilkinson and The Hunter Distillery. All three were lovely. The drive around this region was quite enjoyable reminding me of Prince Edward County.
It’s now Christmas Eve. We are relaxing together today, enjoying the pool, some snacks and each other’s company. Merry Christmas Eve!
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