Manly, a scenic 30-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay, is a beautiful beachside destination. One of the best ways to explore Manly is by cycling along its panoramic stretches and taking in the crashing waves along its jagged coast. Manly Bike Tours (www.manlybiketours.com. au) offer hybrid, cruiser, MTB off-road, tandem and kid bikes for hire, with rental ranging from AUD22 to AUD61 a day, and provides a map with recommended bike trails for different skill levels. An absolute must while in the Hunter Valley is a trip to the Hunter Valley Gardens (www.hvg.com.au). Favourites among the 12 stunning gardens here are the Rose Garden blushing with over 8,000 roses from 56 different species, and the fantastical Storybook Garden with scenes from nursery rhymes and children’s novels in pretty flower-lined gardens.
SWILL & SWALLOW A n o u t i n g t o H u n t e r Va l l e y, j u s t 160kms north of Sydney, is a must for both novices and wine connoisseurs. Australia’s oldest wine region with over 150 wineries, Hunter Valley is known for its distinctive Shiraz and Semillon. As many of the wines here are cellar-door only, tastings are unique experiences not to be missed. For an intoxicating introduction, drop by the multi-award winning McGuigan Wines (www.mcguiganwines.com.au) that just bagged the IWSC Trophy for its Semillon this October. Besides tasting the fresh and citrusy Bin Series Semillon, try beautiful reds like the Personal Reserve Shiraz, and finish off with the gorgeous 2010 late picked gewürztraminer and the Personal Reserve Tawny with hints of dark chocolate and maple syrup.
While at the McGuigan complex, sample Hunter Valley Cheese Company delights like the Riley’s fromage blanc marinated with semi-sundried tomatoes, Harrigan’s Irish Cheddar and HV Gold washed rind. Your wine tour should also include the Mistletoe Winery (www.mistletoewines. com), an award-winning, family-owned boutique winery that produces small quantities with premium quality. The sparkling Moscato is out of this world and retails for about AUD20 a bottle. For a quirky wine experience, few can match Piggs Peake (www.piggspeake. com) with its cute swine-inspired lables like Pinot Piggio, Rosed Pork, Wiggly Tail Marsanne and Pigscato! They’re known for their big reds, sweet wines, classic styles and unusual offerings, but the variety that seems to generate the most squeals is the fruity Suckling Pig Shiraz,
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Join the Mad Hatter’s tea party at Hunter Valley Gardens’ Storybook Garden; desserts at Three Blue Ducks, which opened to immediate success; Hunter Valley has also become popular for its medium to fullbodied Chardonnay and fruity, mediumbodied Verdelho. OPPOSITE PAGE, ABOVE: Chunky lamb pizza at Hugo’s in Manly. OPPOSITE PAGE, BELOW: Decadent zumbarons come in a variety of flavours.
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