“Are you looking for food?” asks Avam as we walk past his bar at Hill End’s Royal Hotel to the bistro. “My cook hasn’t turned up and there are no meals tonight” he adds.
What’s for dinner?
Besides a bag … Read the rest
There’s more to Mudgee than Wine and Food
“I’m from Mudgee not Mosman” explains the bumper sticker on a dirty ute. The driver sees me chuckling and smiles. Mudgee is in farming country. Wine country to be exact, but there’s more to the town than great wine and … Read the rest
Sofala: An historic mining village worth a brief visit
“Sofala was dead. Everything was closed” says a friend. “I couldn’t even get a cup of tea” she adds.
With her comments front of mind, my expectations are low as we drive into Sofala. Perhaps that’s why I’m pleasantly surprised.… Read the rest
Visit Maitland Gaol: Ivan Milat was here
Razor wire lies coiled on top of the thick high sandstone walls. Taking a deep breath, I pull into the carpark of Maitland Gaol. This maximum-security jail, closed since 1998, once housed some of New South Wales’ most hardened criminals. … Read the rest
A Fresh Look at Maitland and Morpeth
Needing a break from COVID imposed time at home, I recently spent a few days exploring Maitland and historic Morpeth, a less than two-hour drive north of Sydney. Not having spent time in Maitland, I was interested to discover more … Read the rest
Two Men walk into a Pub
Two young men walk into a pub. They wear new royal blue work shirts with khaki pants. It’s early autumn evening and the Oriental Hotel in Tumut is filling up with dinner guests. (This story takes place before COVID and … Read the rest
Pottery Collector Survives the Bushfire
A small sign propped against a fence in the main street of the little village of Bemboka points to the Australian Pottery Gallery. After following more signs through Bemboka’s back streets, we arrive at the gallery but no one seems … Read the rest
Patonga is a sleepy hollow North of Sydney
By exploring Patonga (a Guringai word meaning oyster), I’m breaking two of my self-made rules. Patonga isn’t a suburb of Sydney, but being easily accessible by ferry from Pittwater, it’s a sleepy hollow worth visiting. And, instead of travelling by … Read the rest
Sydney to Birdsville and The Big Red Bash
Driving to The Big Red Bash, a huge music festival, set in outback Queensland is also an excuse for a road trip from Sydney to Birdsville. After our first real road trip from Sydney to Broken Hill a year or … Read the rest
Melbourne in 48 hours: Street Art, Laneways & More
A Self-Guided Walk in Melbourne
Download the Walking Map and Notes
An exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria brings me back to Melbourne, a city I lived in many years ago, and a city I know reasonably well. After … Read the rest