Following is a list of ten things for wine lovers to do in The Hunter. Obviously the list can never be exhaustive so all feedback and suggestions on extending this list is welcomed.

Image source: flickr

1. The Boutique Wine Centre

Located in the heart of the Hunter Valley wine country on Broke Road in Pokolbin is The Boutique Wine Centre, a cellar door style showcase for the tasting and sale of some of Hunter Valley’s leading boutique wine companies and an ideal place to begin your exploration of the region.

2. Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard

Perched atop a foot hill of the Brokenback Mountain Ranges in one of Hunter Valley’s best locations is the Audrey Wilkinson Cellar Door with breathtaking views, award-winning wines and a museum.

Image source: flickr

The vineyard is the oldest planted site in Pokolbin set high on 270 acres in the historic “Oakdale” Vineyard with the Brokenback Range just west of the estate.

3. Peterson House

At the gateway to the Hunter Valley vineyards is the Peterson House Cellar Door. Peterson’s are the only producer of sparkling wines in the Hunter Valley and are also one of the few producers using méthode champenoise in Australia.

Image source: flickr

Whilst it is well worth a visit when in the Hunter Valley the sparkling just doesn’t compare after visiting France’s Champagne region

4. Scarborough Wine Company

Situated on a stunning 30-acre hillside vineyard on Gillards Road in Pokolbin the Scarborough Wine Company grows chardonnay and pinot noir.

5. Hunter Valley Gardens

Take a break from the wine tasting and explore the Hunter Valley Gardens. Spanning over 60 acres it has many outstanding features including 10 differently themed garden areas with over eight kilometres of pathways.

Image source: flickr

6. Moorebank Vineyard Estate

Moorebank Vineyard Estate is a boutique vineyard estate that produces an extensive range of sustainably grown wines.

7. Roberts Restaurant

Need lunch or dinner? Situated on Tower Estate at Pokolbin, Roberts Restaurant is one of the Hunter Valley’s most celebrated restaurants located amongst the vineyards in a National Trust slab cottage dated circa 1876 filled with rustic antiques.

8. Constable Estate Vineyards

Constable Estate Vineyards is a boutique family vineyard cradled against the backdrop of the Brokenback Ranges, the vineyard of 15 acres includes the classic grape varieties of chardonnay, semillon, verdelho, cabernet and shiraz.

9. Bluetongue Brewery Cafe

Mix it up with a visit to the Bluetongue Brewery Cafe, the Hunter Valley’s first boutique brewery, located in the Hunter Resort.

10. Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese Shop

The Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese Shop has a fabulous selection of local and imported cheese and a comprehensive range of delicatessen products.

loneleeplanet.

Related posts:

1. Publicly Sleeping Salarymen
2. Go-Shu Blue Super Premium Junmai Ginjo Sake
3. Kirin Brewery Yokohama
4. Asahi Brewery Osaka

G’day! This is Nunnster, long term subscriber of loneleeplanet. Having always enjoyed the articles on this site about the lighter side of Japanese culture, it is indeed an honour to be invited to provide the following guest article, reporting from Australia.

Sean Yoshiura created history by being the first ever Japanese-born player to be signed by an Australian Rules Football League (AFL) club. The 18 year-old Tokyo-born wingman was signed as a rookie by the AFL club Brisbane Lions. A world-class schoolboy cross country runner, he moved to Australia with his Japanese father and Tasmanian mother when he was seven.

Image source: SportingPulse

Brisbane Lion's Sean Yoshiura

Proving to be quite the all-rounder, academically gifted Yoshiura became the school captain at Ipswich Grammar School in 2008 graduating with a string of academic and sporting distinctions.

Yoshiura will be the second Asian-born player to have played AFL. The first was Peter Bell, a Korean-born orphan brought to Australia as a toddler.

Korean-born Peter Bell

This is not the first time that the Japanese have interacted with the game of AFL. Back in 2005, after an impressive performance in the AFL International Cup, Michito Sakaki was named in the Essendon side to play in an exhibition match against the Sydney Swans. Although not an official AFL match, Sakaki became the first non-Irish international player to learn the game overseas and play it at an elite level in Australia.

Image source: Wikipedia

Michito Sakaki

The real news however, is why has it taken so long for a Japanese to take this first step into Australian Rules Football? Japanese took a liking to baseball and now, no less than 41 Japanese-born players played in at least one Major League Baseball (MLB) game through the 2009 season.

Perhaps it is because the AFL have committed the international faux pas of including their country’s name in the sport’s title – Australian Rules Football – thus limiting their success to their own country; not unlike American Football.

However, Australian Rules Football and American Football are the only two football codes whereby in the process of scoring, it is commonplace for team mates to put their bodies on the line to protect their man with the ball. In other words, for the good of the team, a player will sacrifice their own well-being by obstructing or wiping out a defender for the advancement of the team.

Being raised in this football culture transcends into the country’s culture. For example, the US Marines’ credo is ‘Leave no man behind’ and in Australia it is considered un-Australian or unpatriotic to not ‘look after your mates’.

Sean Yoshiura has demonstrated new levels of commitment to Australia’s most popular football code. Mt Gravatt Aussie Rules coach, David Lake said of Yoshiura:

“He’s an exceptional young man…. He is the only player I’ve ever had who has thanked me for every game, who thanks you after training… He caught the train from the Gold Coast straight after uni three nights a week to train and never missed a session even before he was in the senior side, he is that committed.”

Should Sean Yoshiura succeed at Australian Rules Football and the Japanese learn of this sport, then Australia may not succeed in their own home brand of football in just a few generations.

When I wrote ‘for the good of the team, a player will sacrifice their own well-being by obstructing or wiping out a defender for the benefit of the team’ did not the term kamikaze spring to mind?

In a nation where honour is paramount in character traits, Australian Rules Football is a far better mesh with the Nippon culture than soccer, where rolling on the ground clutching at your ankle in the hope of a free kick is revered while honour looks the other way.

While I wish Sean Yoshiura all the very best for his career in Australian Rules Football, I can only hope and pray that news of his participation in this most noble and honourable of football code does not reach his homeland, because as an Australian, I don’t think I could cope with my grandson playing Japanese Rules Football (formerly known as AFL) in 2050.

loneleeplanet.

Related posts:

1. The Yokohamarama
2. Japanese Baseball Bat
3. Australia at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics
4. Japanese Baseball Chikan Mascot Grope

In a recent guest post on jamaipanese.com I discussed Tokyo’s contribution to the Olympic Movement when they played host in 1964 to the Games of the XVIII Olympiad. As an accompaniment to that article, this post explores Australia’s participation at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Australia sent a squad of 243 athletes to Tokyo securing 18 medals (6 gold, 2 silver and 10 bronze) finishing 8th overall. Fencer Ivan Lund was Australia’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony, however, a new tradition was added to the Games finale making champion swimmer Dawn Fraser the first person to carry the nation’s flag at a closing ceremony.

Dawn Fraser was unquestionably the star of the Australian team when she won gold in the 100m freestyle becoming the first swimmer to win a gold medal in the same event at three consecutive Olympic Games. She also set a world record with a time of 59.5 seconds that was not broken until 1972.

Fraser’s appearance at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics was, however, marred with controversy. Amongst a number of misdemeanours, the Australian Swimming Union basically ended her career when they suspended her for 10 years after she stole an Olympic flag from a flagpole outside Emperor Hirohito’s imperial palace. She was arrested but released without charge. The Emperor subsequently gave her the flag as a souvenir.

Dawn Fraser swims to victory in the 100m freestyle final in 59.5 seconds

Sprinter Betty Cuthbert, who had won three gold medals 8 years earlier at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, won her fourth gold medal in Tokyo in the first women’s 400m ever contested at an Olympics.

Betty Cuthbert wins gold in 400m on 17 October

Other golds were won by Kevin Berry in the 200m butterfly, Ian O’Brien in the 200m breaststroke and Rob Windle in the 1500m freestyle. Australia also took their first gold in sailing in the 5.5m yachting class. Yachtsman William Northman was the oldest gold medalist in Tokyo (at age 59) and remains Australia’s oldest Olympic champion.

Yoyogi National Gymnasium housed swimming and was venue to most of Australia's medals

Ron Clarke, who had lit the Olympic cauldron as a teenager in Melbourne eight years earlier, won a bronze medal in the 10,000m.

Ron Clarke lights the cauldron at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics

Want to know more about the 1964 Tokyo Olympics? Go check out my guest post on jamaipanese.com.

loneleeplanet.

Related posts:

1. The Yokohamarama
2. The Yokohama Affair
3. Tokyo Metro Manners – FAILED!
4. Tōkyō Tower

The Fifth Leg - Darwin to Kununurra

This is the fifth instalment of the ‘Long Way Down Under’ – a brief chronicle as me, zoomz and Ash-kun trek our way around mainland Australia. On this leg we make tracks from Darwin in the Northern Territory through Litchfield National Park and then on to Kununurra in Western Australia. The previous instalments of the ‘Long Way Down Under’ can be found here:

• Long Way Down Under – Part 1
• Long Way Down Under – Part 2
• Long Way Down Under – Part 3
• Long Way Down Under – Part 4

After spending a few days relaxing in Darwin we made tracks to Litchfield National Park. Litchfield National Park has some stunning tropical waterfalls and swimming holes.

Wangi Falls, Litchfield National Park

Wangi Falls, Litchfield National Park

Wangi Falls, Litchfield National Park

Tolmer Falls, Litchfield National Park

Tolmer Falls, Litchfield National Park

En route to Kununurra the Boab tree is a common sight. Boab trees are generally found in the Kimberley region but the photographs below are from the Gregory National Park in Northern Territory.

Boab Tree

Boab Tree

Arriving at the Western Australia border, a welcoming sign.

Welcome to Western Australia

But we were immediately pulled into the border quarantine checkpoint and advised of the agricultural quarantine. This meant that a lot of our fresh fruit and vegetables ended up in the quarantine bin.

Quarantine Checkpoint

We arrived at Kununurra, a haven of natural wonders, which will be the topic of the next instalment.

loneleeplanet.

Related posts:

1. Long Way Down Under – Part 4
2. Broome Japanese Cemetery
3. Long Way Down Under – Part 3
4. Long Way Down Under – Part 2

Broome Japanese Cemetery

Located in Broome – a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia – the Broome Japanese Cemetery is an interesting piece of local history. It is a tribute to the contribution that the Japanese made to Broome and it’s pearling industry and also a sentimental reminder of the dangers of the early days of pearl diving.

Broome Japanese Cemetery

Broome Japanese Cemetery

The first recorded burial in the cemetery dates back to 1896 and is the final resting place for over 900 Japanese pearl divers who sacrificed their lives plying their trade in the lucrative pearling industry. The majority of deaths commemorated in the cemetery resulted from the bends (divers paralysis) or drowning.

Broome Japanese Cemetery History

ブルーム日本人墓地の歴史

The cemetery is an immaculately restored heritage icon with unique headstones crafted out of coloured beach rocks and inscribed in Japanese. There are also a number of unmarked graves scattered throughout the cemetery.

An unmarked grave

A stone obelisk bearing testimony to those lost in the 1908 cyclone

Specialist divers from Japan flocked to Broome in the late nineteenth century to harvest oysters and became an indispensable part of the industry until World War II. Many of these divers originated from Wakayama (southern part of Japan’s Honshu island). People from this region of Japan are historically famous for their abilities as fisherman and divers.

Ironically, Broome was attacked by Japanese aircraft on 3 March 1942.

Where’s Broome?

Nestled alongside the Indian Ocean, Broome is situated in the far north of Western Australia.

Where's Broome?

loneleeplanet.

Related posts:

1. Long Way Down Under – Part 5
2. Nikkeijin – The Japanese Peruvians
3. Aussie Rules Football Enlists First Ever Japanese-Born Player
4. Long Way Down Under – Part 2

The Fourth Leg - Daly Waters to Darwin

This is the fourth instalment of the ‘Long Way Down Under’ – a brief chronicle as me, zoomz and Ash-kun trek our way around mainland Australia. On this leg we make tracks from Daly Waters in the Northern Territory through the Kakadu National Park and then on to Darwin. The previous instalments of the ‘Long Way Down Under’ can be found here:

• Long Way Down Under – Part 1
• Long Way Down Under – Part 2
• Long Way Down Under – Part 3

We left Daly Waters heading for Katherine. On our way out of town we decided to check out Stuart’s Tree. Explorer John MacDouall Stuart, attempting to cross Australia from south to north in 1862, carved an ‘S’ in a tree at Daly Waters. Foolishly, like a lot of other tourists, we dropped by to check out this tree. And which, I may add, the ‘S’ is barely visible.

Stuart Tree, Daly Waters

We also had time to swing by the natural thermal pools at Mataranka for a dip.

Natural thermal pools, Mataranka

Next stop was Katherine. The picturesque Katherine Gorge in the Nitmiluk National Park was stunning.

Katherine Gorge, Nitmiluk National Park

Onwards to the Kakadu National Park, the crocodile warnings started to become more prominent.

Don't Risk Your Life

And the beautiful Yellow Waters…

Yellow Waters, Kakadu National Park

A croc at Yellow Waters

Ash inspects a croc at Yellow Waters

A potential croc territorial dispute

Yellow Waters, Kakadu National Park

Yellow Waters, Kakadu National Park

Some more crocodile safety warnings at Jin Jin Falls.

Crocodile Safety

We then made it to Darwin. We had a brief inspection of the defenses against the Japanese attacks in World War II.

Darwin's defenses during World War II

And then took in an arresting Darwin sunset.

Darwin Sunset

Subsequent instalments of our adventure can be found here:

• Long Way Down Under – Part 5

loneleeplanet.

Related posts:

1. Long Way Down Under – Part 5
2. Long Way Down Under – Part 3
3. Long Way Down Under – Part 2
4. Universal Studios Japan

The Third Leg - Cairns to Daly Waters

This is the third instalment of the ‘Long Way Down Under’ – a brief chronicle as me, zoomz and Ash-kun trek our way around Australia. On this leg we make tracks from Cairns in Queensland and cross the border to Daly Waters in the Northern Territory. The previous instalments of the ‘Long Way Down Under’ can be found here:

• Long Way Down Under – Part 1
• Long Way Down Under – Part 2

After leaving Cairns we made our way over the Atherton Tablelands. We called by the Millaa Millaa Falls to take a look.

zoomz and Ash-kun at Millaa Millaa Falls

We then proceeded to the Undara Volcanic National Park to check out the lava tubes (tunnels created by molten lava flowing down a dry river bed).

Undara Lava Tubes

A spot of breakfast around a bush camp.

Me and Ash-kun around bush camp in Undara

Next stop was Cobbold Gorge, a deep canyon carved within rugged sandstone formations. The drive out there had a few minor obstructions.

The drive to Cobbold Gorge

We enjoyed a boat cruise down Cobbold Gorge to take in a few crocs.

Cobbold Gorge

A croc at Cobbold Gorge

zoomz and Ash-kun check out a croc

Making tracks to Normanton most of the road was literally a single carriageway. To pass oncoming traffic required two tyres on the tar and two on the dirt.

Rural single carriageway

In Normanton Ash-kun befriended ‘Krys the Savannah King’. At almost 9 metres, it’s a life size replica of the largest crocodile ever captured.

Ash-kun and 'Krys the Savannah King'

As we were in Gulf Country, we headed to Karumba so that we could check out the water of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Karumba, Gulf of Carpentaria

Our next intended stop was Daly Waters but our problem was that there was around 1,200 kms of rugged unsealed road to conquer. And a few river crossings.

The rugged Savannah Way

Five hundred kilometres into the journey, and in the middle of nowhere, we stopped overnight at the Hells Gate Roadhouse.

Hells Gate Roadhouse

We woke early the next morning, we still had 700 kms to make it to the civilisation of Daly Waters. Soon into the trip we crossed the Northern Territory border.

Crossing the border into Northern Territory

After an arduous drive we finally made it to Daly Waters and what a better way to recover than to hit the historic Daly Waters Pub.

Daly Waters Pub

Subsequent instalments of our adventure can be found here:

• Long Way Down Under – Part 4
• Long Way Down Under – Part 5

loneleeplanet.

Related posts:

1. Long Way Down Under – Part 4
2. Long Way Down Under – Part 5
3. Long Way Down Under – Part 2
4. Long Way Down Under – Part 1

The Second Leg - Brisbane to Cairns

This is the second instalment of the ‘Long Way Down Under’ – a brief chronicle as me, zoomz and Ash-kun trek our way around Australia. On this leg we make tracks from Brisbane to Cairns. If you missed the first leg – Sydney to Brisbane – you can find it here:

• Long Way Down Under – Part 1.

After leaving Bris-Vegas we headed straight for Australia Zoo. Ash-kun was desperate to see crocodiles and, to satisfy such an urge, what better than to hit good ol’ Steve Irwin’s place.

Ash-kun with the Irwins

From the perspective that Australia Zoo was the brainchild of one man, The Crocodile Hunter, it is an impressive wildlife park. However, I couldn’t help but feel that since Steve Irwin’s passing this place had turned into a Steve Irwin shrine. Everywhere we looked there was an image or picture of our dearly departed with his arms outstretched in his signature stance. Not that I am saying that this is bad. I just came to the park for the wildlife, not for the Steve Irwin memorial.

Ash-kun in the jaws of a croc

Next stop was lunch in Caloundra with a good family friend, Smithy and his missus. Followed by an overnighter in Noosa around a pizza oven with the Batista’s on their picturesque property.

Noosa Beach from the boardwalk

Eventually, we made it to Hervey Bay, our launching point for a Fraser Island escape.

Ash-kun at the pier at Hervey Bay

Sunset at the pier at Hervey Bay

The next day we sailed across to the largest sand island in the world, Fraser Island.

The Pinnacles, Fraser Island

On Fraser Island

Maheno Shipwreck, Fraser Island

Maheno Shipwreck, Fraser Island

Maheno Shipwreck, Fraser Island

After receiving our dose of dingoes, wallabies, sea eagles, goannas and various other mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds we made tracks to Bundaberg. Not only was there was a rum distillery that we needed to inspect, we had to call in and see some family – the Floyd’s.

Me and Ash-kun at the Bundaberg Rum Distillery

Ash-kun and zoomz at the Bundaberg Rum Distillery

The Floyd’s took us for a drive out to Degilbo (near Biggenden) to show us the final resting place of Dinah Giddins (our great-great grandmother).

Hanging in the Degilbo Cemetery

Back on the tourist track… we called by Daydream Island on the Whitsundays for a few days.

Mermaids on Daydream

Back to the mainland we landed a tacky photo of the Big Mango in Bowen.

The Big Mango, Bowen

And the Big Gumboot in Tully.

The Big Gumboot, Tully

Tully is a small town in Queensland about 140 kms south of Cairns. It is claimed that Tully is the wettest town in Australia with an average rainfall of 4,000 mm.

En route to Cairns we were passing through the township of Babinda (just outside of Cairns) and were fortuitous to cross a raging torrent, my namesake, the Giddins Creek.

The Giddins Creek, Babinda

We arrived in Cairns and for the first hour the sun shone brightly. Then for the next four days it rained, and rained, and rained…

Cairns Marina

Subsequent instalments of our adventure can be found here:

• Long Way Down Under – Part 3
• Long Way Down Under – Part 4
• Long Way Down Under – Part 5

loneleeplanet.

Related posts:

1. Long Way Down Under – Part 3
2. Long Way Down Under – Part 1
3. Australia at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics
4. Broome Japanese Cemetery

The First Leg - Sydney to Brisbane

This is the first instalment of ‘Long Way Down Under’ – a brief chronicle of the 20,000 km journey as me, zoomz and Ash-kun circumnavigate Australia.

After returning to Sydney from a stint in Tokyo, the ant farm, we decided to get out and explore the vast continent, often confused as an island continent, of Australia. With no time constraint, and the only plan to go in an anti-clockwise direction, we departed Sydney heading north.

The first day on the road we intended to make it to Byron Bay, about 775 km’s from Sydney however we only made it 420 km’s to Port Macquarie where we spent the night.

After an early rise we hit the road again taking the obligatory tacky photos at the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour and the Big Prawn in Ballina. Our trips mantra soon became to take as many ‘big’ tourist trap photos along the way.

Big Banana, Coffs Harbour

Big Prawn, Ballina

We arrived in Byron Bay, camping beachside and spent a few days lazing on the beach.

The beach at Byron Bay

The beach at Byron Bay

The beach at Byron Bay

zoomz was keen to check out the alternative, hippy lifestyle that Nimbin is famous for so we dropped by for a visit. The town has a high tolerance for cultivation, selling and possession of cannabis.

At Nimbin

On the way to the Gold Coast we swung by Mount Warning – a poor excuse for a mountain standing at 1,156 metres above sea level – made famous as this is the first place on mainland Australia to receive the sun’s rays each day.

Mount Warning at sunset

Before concluding this leg in Brisbane we treated Ash to a stopover at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast.

Dreamworld on the Gold Coast

Dreamworld on the Gold Coast

Our day ended with a family dinner with the Hawkes in Brisbane.

Subsequent instalments of our adventure can be found here:

• Long Way Down Under – Part 2
• Long Way Down Under – Part 3
• Long Way Down Under – Part 4
• Long Way Down Under – Part 5

loneleeplanet.

Related posts:

1. Long Way Down Under – Part 2
2. Aussie Rules Football Enlists First Ever Japanese-Born Player
3. Australia at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics
4. Long Way Down Under – Part 3

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TNCf0cwJsY

loneleeplanet.

Related posts:

1. Australia at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics
2. The Yokohamarama
3. Love Machine
4. Long Way Down Under – Part 5