We decided to go on a road trip to
Hunter Valley and
Port Stephens after the Hillsong Conference. This trip only works if there are drivers in the group, otherwise if you are on your own, you may wish to consider day trips to Blue Mountains or Hunter Valley.
Hunter Valley in winter is not the prettiest time to go as the vineyards are all bare, with leaves having dropped off and no grapes hanging from the vines. But our purpose of stopping at Hunter Valley was to have lunch and enjoy the area before making our way to Port Stephens. Getting out of the Sydney city would require some planning, for us was getting a print out of Google Maps so that we would know where to turn to get on the right highway.
Our stop over in Hunter Valley was
Mount Pleasant Estate for lunch. Since the inside was full, we ended up with outdoor seating, which was fine, as we got to enjoy the crispness of winter.
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Mount Pleasant Estate, Hunter Valley
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Salad was superbly fresh, tossed with walnuts, pear, and cheese. I had the seafood pasta which was a little mushy but good anyhow. I am reminded, eat the food of the area, since this was inland, I should have stuck to meats.
We made it to
Port Stephens before dusk settled. It was a little rush, as it meant that we could not enjoy Hunter Valley fully. It would have been perfect if we did an overnight stay at Hunter Valley, but due to limited time, we only booked a 2 night apartment stay at the
Mantra Aqua Nelson Bay for the 7 of us. The apartment was huge for a 3 bedroom apartment. Just looking at the kitchen, we knew a cook out session for one of the nights was a must, this is possible with a nearby supermarket. The wonderful thing about Port Stephens, Nelson Bay is that everything is within walking distance, and it is such a quaint little fishing town, perfect for a weekend getaway from Sydney city.
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| Mantra Aqua Nelson Bay Kitchen |
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| Mantra Aqua Nelson Bay Guest Room |
After checking in the apartment we went to
Rock Lobster Restaurant for seafood. Well, to me the standard is about the same as going to Sydney Fish Market, but since we were way out of the city, this was a good, pricier alternative.
We started the next day with a short drive to
Tomaree Head Summit Walk for a morning hike. An absolute must if you are in the area. It is quite a long walk up, so take your time, enjoy the scenery along the way.
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| Tomaree Head Summit walk, Port Stephens |
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| Tomaree Head Summit walk, Port Stephens |
After the walk, we went back to Nelson Bay, for ahem, more seafood, this time at
Bub's Famous Fish and Chips. This was a little challenging to find, so we had to ask for directions along the way. My conclusion, the fish was fresh and good, but chips, another matter altogether.
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| Bub's Famous Fish and Chips Nelson Bay |
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| Walking to to Bub's Fish and Chips |
After lunch, we did something quite dangerous. We decided to take a whale watching boat ride. A full meal and choppy waters is never the best combination. It was a nice boat ride being out in the ocean, bumpy at times. We did manage to see whales sprouting water but not leaping in the air. Prior to the trip to Port Stephens, we had booked our boat ride, so that we were guaranteed a seat on the boat as we came in a group.
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| Whale watching boat ride at Port Stephens |
Our evening ended with a trip to the nearby supermarket to purchase meats, vegetables, and fresh food for our last meal in Port Stephens before heading home. It was indeed a lovely short trip from Sydney and worth every moment of it.
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| Our last home cooked meal at Port Stephens |
Back in the city, I did more last minute shopping, with a final meal at Westfield Sydney food court, enjoying more seafood, this time crab cakes. Goodbye Sydney, see you real soon!
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| Westfield Sydney - crab cakes on Level 5 food court |
