Welcome to Pokolbin … Hunter Valley

Once the coach from Canberra arrived at Sydney Central Station, Mui went to pick up our Avis car rental while I stood guard over our bags.

What can I say about the drive to get us out of Sydney? Best that it be forgotten. We managed to get on the M1 after a few wrong turns … the GPS just wasn’t fast enough relaying instructions … perhaps because of all the construction detours.

There are two ways to get to Brisbane from Sydney … some 570 miles away. Follow the coastline or travel via Hunter Valley. We opted for the latter and have given ourselves a week to do so.

Hunter Valley is considered the birthplace of Australian wines … known particularly for semillon and shiraz varieties. Admittedly, while we enjoy the occasional glass of wine, neither of us are connoisseurs. Nonetheless, we’re looking forward to the peaceful landscapes the area promises are part of the experience.

If our “light and airy” AirBNB booking is anything to go by … we will have the peaceful, charming experience we’re hoping for … at least for the first couple of days.Read more