Did you
know that if you have a driver’s license in the U.S. that it is a very simple
process to obtain an international driver’s license? One can go to AAA online
website, download a form, print it, fill it out and take it to the nearest AAA
location, (there is an option to process by mail, as well), where they will
take your photo and give you the permit. Here in Australia, I only had to show
my U.S. license and the international one in order to rent a car. As I mentioned in my previous post, Jason has
lived in big cities for so many years that he no longer has an active driver’s
license. Between buses, trains, taxis and his bicycle, he gets around quite
well. However, he had an invitation to teach for a few days at a lovely little
town about 5 hours north of Sydney, in Port Macquarie. Since the Hunter Valley
wine region is about half way in between, we created a driving trip…with Mom
doing the driving in a rental car. I begin this post with that story!!
On Saturday
January 18th, while Jason was teaching his normal weekly classes at
Sydney Dance Company, I packed and did laundry. Around 1PM, Jason, Renee and I
got a taxi and went to the ‘No Birds’ car rental location to pick up our car.
Nice small Toyota Corolla!!! Then, with Jason in the front seat and Renee in
the back, I drove into the Sydney traffic as they navigated!! “Think left,
Mom!” “Mom, you are too far to the right!!” “Just follow that car.” “You can go
a little faster.” “Slow down!” “Stop for the pedestrian crossing.” “Watch out,
there is a parked car in your lane, get over!!” Honestly, it was hilarious!!! I
have never seen such a thing in all my years of driving; parking is so limited
in some areas of the city that it is ok just to stop in the far left lane and
park!!! Yes!! So, not only did I have to concentrate on driving on the wrong
side, but I had to watch for parked cars and change lanes on a dime!!! And to
top it off, Jason and Renee had to video a sketch in the Newtown area for a
dance performance on January 29th and 30th. There is a
celebration of the arts in Sydney during January through March and Jason is
competing in this:
·
“Short+Sweet
Dance is a festival of 10 minute dance pieces. We provide a platform for
independent choreographers, dancers, and companies to experiment with new
ideas, concepts and movement styles. Short+Sweet Dance develops emerging
talent, fosters industry relations, and develops new audiences for dance. Short+Sweet
Dance caters to audiences who want to experience new dance works served to them
in pint-sized presentations.
Imagine
an area like Greenwich Village in New York City, (artsy with a variety of
stores and cafes) and very narrow streets where cars are parked on both sides
with barely enough room drive through!!!!! Yep…here I am!! We found a parking
place and it was a parallel spot!!! Forget that!!! I stopped, got out and told
Renee to park the car. I can barely parallel park on the right, much less on
the left!! By now, I needed a drink…but I am the driver!!! So, I settled for
coffee at a street café while J & R did their thing. It was fun watching them
create a video backdrop for their dance performance.
Sunday
morning I made breakfast while Jason packed for him and Stella. Anthony and
Michael (more friends of Jason) arrived about noon to collect Stella. They were
watching her for the week. Once they left, J and I packed the car and we got on
the road about 1PM, headed for Port Macquarie. I must say, I was not quite as
nervous driving, once we got on the highway. Although, I had to stay very
focused at all times!!! Thinking left!!!
The owner
of the dance company where J is guest teaching, arranged a lovely hotel
reservation for us to stay on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights; right on the
Hastings River!! Port Macquarie reminded me of Key West. Almost all the
restaurants are located near the river or the ocean, with excellent seafood!!
Sunday night we met Staci Morgan, (owner of the local dance school), and two
other teachers who were also there from out of town, for dinner. We sat outside
along the river and there were a few local events we also got to see. First, a
large flock of parrots flew into the palm trees, making quite a racket!!! Then,
right at dusk, we witnessed thousands of bats flying to their night-time roost
across the river on an island. These are very large bats and the sky was filled
for about 10 minutes with their bodies so thick one could hardly see the sky!!
We were told that they fly off the island at sunrise…sorry, I did not set my
alarm for that!!!
Jason was
busy working during the day on Monday and Tuesday, although he did not begin
until 11:00AM. We walked into the town and had coffee and brekky each morning. (Here
in Oz everything is abbreviated and they add a ‘y’. Another example; chippy is
a carpenter.) Then nice wine and dinner
each evening on our own. I HAD to enjoy the pool, get a haircut and a mani-pedi
to occupy my days. Some days it is hard to be a mom!! LOL!! Here are some
photos from our lovely stay.
Looking at the motel from town
Wednesday
morning, after another great brekky in Port Macquarie, Jason and I headed to
Hunter Valley. Wooohooo!!! Finally, a few days of relaxing in the wine
country!! Wow, we arrived at Chateau Elan around 2PM and found a lovely bottle
of chilled sparkling wine waiting in our room. As we enjoyed that and talked
about where we were going to dinner, I saw my first kangaroos!!! YES!! Look at
the photos, they tell you everything about our view and the Aussie visitors!!! Wednesday afternoon became a career changing
time for Jason. He had many business calls to handle and lots to think about.
We chose to just stay at our lovely Chateau for a quiet dinner overlooking the
golf course. After a bottle of wine and a session of Gong He Fot Choy (those
who know me well, know this is my fortune telling game that I have used since
the 70’s) and the Runes…we both slept quite well!!
Thursday morning Jason had made arrangements for us to be picked up at the hotel and venture out for an all day winery tour. The bus picked us up at about 10:15 AM and we returned around 5:00 PM. We visited 5 winery's; tasting lots of reds and whites, learning about the art of tasting, choosing and drinking wine. Hunter Valley is best known for their Semillion and Shiraz wines. Sooo much fun!!! The best way to complete this day was dinner at a winery!! Jay made reservations at the most marvelous restaurant, Esca, which is located at the Bimbadgen Winery. The hotel took us there and pick us up after an incredible meal!! Again, we had no problem sleeping this night!! Enjoy the photos!!!
The view from our table at dinner
Coming up next: An evening at the Sydney Opera House!!
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