New off shoot blog!

I have created a tandem blog, solely devoted to things to do in Sydney and New South Wales check it out at http://tartankangaroo.blogspot.com/ . I will be adding more things to do and places to go as I get to them.
All reviews a based on personal experience and, to use a cliche, "tell it like it is" (no there is no swearing.....).
Click on each blog title to link to that attractions website (if it has one) - is a fully interactive, multi faceted, mind expanding experience....sort of.....

Coals to Newcastle?

Well no, but the Jones and Arkless went to Newcastle the weekend before last. It was Labour Day weekend so I took the Friday off work and we drove up to Newcastle, stopping on the way to check out Brooklyn. We arrived at Uncle Jon's about 2pm and after lugging all our junk into the house we all took a walk down to the town and had a nosey in the shops - picking up a couple of books in the second hand shop on the way. We also had a quick look down at the foreshore and had a walk along Nobbies Point and a cheeky little paddle in the sea.

We toddled back and sat on the veranda for a while, sweating our asses off in the 30C heat. Later on we headed out for a curry and sweated a bit more - before heading to bed to sweat there too!

Saturday morning we all heaved in the car and drove up to the Hunter Valley for a bit of wine tasting. Starting at Mount View we sipped and spat our way around a good few vineyards as well as a stinky cheese shop. We managed to pack in a few bottles of wine, white port, liqueur muscat, pomegranate balsamic, goats cheese and lemon olive oil. All produce direct from the Hunter Valley. We lunched in a little noodle place and then clanked our way back down to Newcastle itself.

Uncle Jon cooked us a lovely Chinese meal. Beef in Szechwan pepper (made your tongue go numb!), chicken with mango and stir fried veg - yum. The rest of the evening was spent reading Jon's cornucopia of cookery books - inside goes the temperature had plummeted to about 20C!

On Sunday Jon had to work in the morning so Keith and I headed down Darby Street, banged on the door on Jack and Yve's shop and got in just before the rush, which was lucky cos about ten mins later it was packed! We picked up some shopping and had a chat to Jack - Yve was too busy, ordered a Malayan and a ?Turkish wrap and after an unexpected invite to the Bay that evening we headed off down to the beach to eat our yummy wraps. It had been about 15 years since I had last been to Newcastle and the wrap with the Ginger Rice balls and chili sauce was as fabulous as I remembered it - well it was until Keith pinched it and he gave me his felafel wrap - cheeky monkey.

We walked down to see the fair that was on but it was a bit expensive so we just watched and Keith munched on a Crepe.

We drove over to some beach somewhere so keith could fish - but it was really overcast and Keith kept loosing his bait to the Seagulls so we gave up and headed back to Darby Street for a look around the shops. Stopping once more to eat again, this time probably the best cheesecake I have ever had - caramel cheesecake in one of the little cafes. Cor, it was brilliant.

Realising we had forgotten to change our watches (and the clock in the car - the clocks had gone forward an hour) and it was actually an hour later than we thought it was we zoomed back to Jon's to pack up our kit and head on up to Shoal Bay, managing to arrive just for the end of the AFL final in which the Manly Sea Eagles absolutely annihilated Melbourne....before heading out to the pub for a couple with Jack and Yve. Just like being on holiday!

Jack and Yve have a new holiday place (Unit) up at Shoal Bay and its lovely, open plan downstairs, two bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms and a little garden. Compact and bijou Mostin. Very nice.

Our last day came far to fast and we spent the morning climbing the big hill/ mountain in the pouring rain, whilst sweating inside our jackets - or fetching kagools if you are Keith and forgot your jacket... it was nice seeing everyone after such a long time, everyone seemed well and well fed. If it hadn't of been for the horror drive home through Labour Day traffic it would have been perfect weekend. But then you can't have everything...