5 Wedding Dinner Advices That You May Not Have Thought About.

1. Is there a cocktail reception?

In most weddings there might be a cocktail reception, with standing tables available for guest to mingle and have a few pre-dinner drinks. If this is the case, it might be advisable to close the doors to the dinner hall to encourage the guests to make full use of the cocktail reception.

There should be ushers at the entrance to direct guests to the registration table and thereafter, to the bar or even the photobooth, and to prevent them from entering the dinner hall before all the preparations are completed. Friends who are in charge of registration should also make it a point to suggest to the guest when they sign-in to get a drink and a photograph before dinner commences. 

This would help to avoid a situation where the cocktail reception area may appear to be deserted.

2. Speeches

Always do a sound check for everyone who will be going on stage, whether it is the live band, the groom, the best man, the emcees, etc. This will help the individual familiarise themselves with the proper microphone technique. Some mics require the speaker to speak directly into the mic, some mics need for there to be very little distance between the mouth and the mic itself, or that you may have to calibrate the volume of your own voice so as not to deafen the people sitting closest to the speakers.

Ensure that when speeches are delivered, the food aren't. There is nothing more disheartening for the best man to work up the courage to stand in front of a couple hundreds of people only for 90% of them to ignore his speech because they are being served suckling pig.

Lighting is equally important in such segments. Turn the lights down in the main hall and have a spotlight shining on the stage to focus the guest attention towards the speaker. This also helps the speaker to not be distracted by the ongoings below him as he would not be able to see beyond the notes on his podium.

Also, always remember to give the appropriate thanks to everyone who has helped you on your wedding day.

3. Bridal march-ins

Will the march in consist only of the bride and groom? Will they be preceded by their parents or best man and maid of honor? Will there be a pause in between the different couples, and if so for how long? I would suggest that there will be two different music for the "other" couples and the bride and groom themselves. Also, think about whether you want your guest to be sitting or standing up when you march in. Both have the supporters and detractors so it really depends on the wishes of the bride and groom.

If you intend to use party poppers please inform the restaurant/hotel beforehand. Most are happy to allow for that but some charges additional cost for cleaning up after!

4. The toasts

Prepare a list of people you want to be on-stage for the toast. Do not leave any of the important people out, so plan this list beforehand. You will also have to ensure that there are sufficient champagne glasses on the stage for distribution to everyone up there. If not, have one of your mates stand by with a tray of emergency drinks.

5. Delegate!

Appoint someone who will be the floor manager for the evening. The floor manager will be responsible for coordinating the entire evening from when to inform the restaurant manager the correct time to serve the first dish, to ensuring the bride and groom are ready by the entrance for the march in. This person must be as familiar with the itinerary as their own backhand, and will also be in charge of the videos and slideshow presentation, or rather, making sure the restaurant/hotel's video guys doesn't screw up the sequence of the videos.

Also have someone in charge of the even distribution of alcohol so you do not find yourself staring at 3 empty beer barrels after only the second dish.

Tasmania - A Devil of a Journey

Go ahead. I dare you.

Take a trip to Tasmania and try not to fall in love with this little island south most of Australia. The untouched beauty of Cradle Mountain surrounding the shimmering waters of Dove Lake. The rewarding hike through Freycinet National Park to a birds' eye view of Wineglass Bay. The fresh succulent oysters. Sullivans Cove Whisky.

With so many things to offer I find it strange that, without the backing of actual statistics, a lot of Australians themselves do not consider Tasmania as much of a holiday destination. The overwhelming sentiment amongst many people here is that the cost of a holiday to Tasmania is almost equivalent to a budget trip to Europe. Hence the obvious choice for them at least is to board a plane for a 20 plus journey to the other side of the world.

For me, Tasmania was the perfect destination for a one week holiday with my wife, mum, a cousin and her parents. After just a 3 hour flight from Sydney we find ourselves in the City of Launceston, ready to launch into our road trip around Tasmania.

Our first port of call was the Cradle Mountain, where we had booked a two nights stay at the Discover Holiday Parks in their Superior Cabin for 6 adults. The edges of the national park was approximately 2 hours away from Launceston. Nestled along the way though, there were a few places of interest of the delectable type.

The Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm (http://www.raspberryfarmcafe.com/home_cafe.html) has a pretty good restaurant serving raspberry in any way imaginable plus your usual Aussie fare, like burgers (including wallaby meat for the culinary adventurous) and fish & chips. 

Raspberry themed desserts

Try the free samples of chocolate covered raspberries at the counter, and after lunch go for a walk amongst its lush vegetation surrounding a small lake.

Lake at Christmas Hill Raspberry Farms

Unfortunately, the actual raspberry farm was not accessible to the public and you can only see it from a distance.

Our next stop was a hit with my mum and my aunt, the Melita Honey Farm (http://www.melitahoneyfarm.com.au). There is a wide variety of honey for sampling here, from the uniquely Tasmanian leatherwood honey to chocolate honey to ginseng honey. Also popular are the honey beauty products, Our personal favourite is the Orange Blossom Honey which served as our go-to hot drink in the cold winds of Cradle Mountain. Mum ordained herself as the unofficial honey drink maker for the rest of the trip, making sure all of us had at least 3 warm cups each every day!

A short drive later, we finally reached the fringes of Cradle Mountain and checked into our 6 person Discovery Park cabin (www.discoveryholidayparks.com.au/tas/cradle_mountain), which was kept warm and comfortable by a fireplace in the living area.

Dinner choices weren't plenty, but those that were there were good! Our dinner for both nights were at the Pepper's Cradle Mountain Lodge Tavern and Bar, providing warmth, entertainment and delicious sustenance in the form of steaks, chicken schnitzels and surprise surprise, Thai Green Curry which was pretty good for a place far removed from the chaos of Bangkok.

Should have scattered a few balls around
 so it's not that obvious this was posed solely
for the photo...

Ku Zhang looking stylish in his chequered scarf

Night came slowly in Tasmania in the final months of the year, and it only started getting dark at approximately half past eight. The last disappearing ray of sun light signals the start of the activities of the nocturnal inhabitants of the mountain, such as the wombats and the echidnas. Now most people recommended we signed up for the Night Spotlight Tour organised by one of the hotels there, but we decided that we could probably do the job ourselves and save $30 per person.

The only challenges I faced on the night drive into the Cradle (I've been in her. We are on first name basis after that, in my books) were her narrow winding roads, the rain that was beginning to pour, and a couple of backseat drivers overly concerned about my abilities and eager to return to the safety of our cabin. Their concerns evaporated immediately though when we chanced upon this handsome fella minding its own business in the middle of the road.

A hugly cuddly wobbly wombat

Mum herself forgot her concerns about my driving and braved the rain and blistering wind and ventured out of the car for this photo op...and then came back with a leech up her feet (followed by high pitched screams back in the cabin when she found them!).

Probably the moment she got bitten by the leech

We managed to catch a glimpse of some possums too, even one with her young on her back, and an echidna scrambling up the side of the road.

And finally, lo and behold, we actually caught up with the official tour van organised by one of the resorts and started tailgating them Not only did they provide reassurance that I wasn't not driving off the cliff, but they had a powerful high beam spotlight which they were shining into the forest to catch sight of the animals. So what they saw, we saw, for zero of the cost! Brilliant!

Despite all the adventuring we had throughout that day, I was also glad to finally be back at our warm cabin and bundled under the comforter, ready for some R&R and recharging our batteries for the real exploration of Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake!

Roadtrip Advice

A thermos flask.

Old Town 3 in 1 coffee sachets for the flask.

High powered flashlight.

Winter gear for the volatile weather in Cradle Mountain.

Going for Tough Mudder and hosting dinner for a few visiting friends on the day before our Tasmanian holidays means hectic packing, exhausted minds and sore limbs, and these were the items that we forgot to bring.

A few other tips for would-be travellers to Cradle Mountain:

• Bring a torch light and do your own night spotlight tour. Drive slow and safe and with luck you'll spot more than your share of the furry park residents.
• If you are a group, ask about buying the group National Park passes which is eligible for a vehicle containing not more than 8 passengers and is valid for 8 weeks. This cost only $60 per pass, as opposed to the individual park passes which cost $16 per person and is only valid for 24 hours.
• Be prepared for rain and cold, and wear appropriate layers and waterproof jackets for warmth and staying dry.
• Good food and beer can be found at the tavern and bistro at Pepper's Cradle Mountain Lodge. Also opened for dinner! (http://www.cradlemountainlodge.com.au/food-wine/the-tavern/)
• There are other less demanding walks around Cradle Mountain such as the Pencil Pine Falls and Rainforest walk, which is a 10 minutes circuit. 

Why I Wake Up at 5 AM

 

If like me, you need absolute silence and minimal distractions to produce your best work, going into the office by 7am means you have two hours of quality focus on getting things done before the next cubicle soldier shows up.

Now you may say, it doesn't make a difference if you trudge into the office at 9am and work later into the nights. That way, when most of your colleagues have left for the day you would have the same peace and quiet to work.

That's where our opinions differ. Most productive gurus recommends that we tackle head on the most challenging tasks for the day, the first thing in the morning, so that our task gets progressively easier as the hours tick by. The idea is to face our most challenging tasks when our minds and body are at our freshest. Hence, pair this optimal level of performance you start with in the morning with the complete lack of distractions when you are the only soul in your floor means you are twice as likely to get off to a winning start. The extra 2 hours from 7am to 9am gives you more value than the extra 2 hours from 7pm to 9pm.

Another reason is a matter of perception. Generally, someone who starts their day early is seen as a go-getter, an early bird getting the early worm, but someone who works later into the evenings is perceived as being unable to manage their work load and is staying back to catch up. They both may work the same hours, but somehow the latter will get the shorter end of the stick.

Although general wisdom advises not to place too much weight on what others think of ourselves, the opinion of people around us unfortunately does, to a certain degree, reinforce what we think of ourselves.

So the next time you feel like you should stay up past midnight just to "get a headstart" on tomorrow's task, my advice would be to close your laptop lid, set your alarm to go off before the sun rises, and get some well-deserved shut eye. Start fresh tomorrow and you'll realise what seemed daunting the night before doesn't seem that insurmountable when you are alone in the office, with a hot mug of coffee in your hands, and the sleepy city just waking up right outside your windows.

Laptop closes. *Click

JT's Quote on Making Your Days Count

Embrace the fear that what you do for each day passed means nothing, for that will drive you to make each of your remaining days count for something

How To Keep Your Husband Handsome

Random good looking groom from Google 

I am aghast. I am agog. And mostly, I am incensed.

And what has gotten me riled up is the latest "viral" post by a person who preaches inane generic advice akin to those you find behind bookmarks or posters of cute kittens, to the masses and calling it "How To Keep Your Wife Beautiful".

And what has made me even more livid is the seemingly endless support by women, many of whom are highly educated, smart independent women, and people I call my friends, even though it is starkly obvious that the article reeks of patriarchy.

Nuggets of "wisdom" like "give her a reasonable budget, not too much not too little" and "provide for her financially" sounds like out of the 50's, before bras were openly burned and when women gossiped around Tupperware parties while their husband sleeps with their secretaries. How does one have the audacity to determine unilaterally the amount that his wife can spend on her own personal things, and on the other hand claim to love and respect her? The stench of sexism is strong with this one.

Imagine the same advice given to women on how to make their men happy, and the first one is, "give him a reasonable budget, not too much, not too little, for his fishing tackles/Xbox games/beer. You think the boys will be as eager to spread the gospel?

You know what makes a woman (or in any partner, men, women, homosexuals, heterosexuals, bisexuals, you catch my drift) happy and hence, to quote the author "beautiful"? Treat and respect them as equals, not someone whose "free time" is yours to bestow or withhold according to your whims.

Woman are mighty capable of keeping themselves beautiful AND happy without your charity, my dear chauvinistic friends.

Now men on the other hand, are doofus, and completely inept when it comes to grooming and keeping themselves handsome. So here are my tips, no religious scriptures necessary, to keeping your husband/boyfriend,/partner, pretty darn good looking.

1. Sex. Lot's of it. In various lingerie and/or costume. Especially if this is the only cardio exercise that he gets.

2. Food. Preferably meat, fried with side of meat. He ain't gonna open a can of whup-ass on the guy that just wolf-whistled you if he is surviving on 1000 calories a day of fruits and greens.

3. Beer, or if celebrating, single malt whisky, and don't worry about the extra weight he will put on because he will lose the pounds with...

4. Sex, and did I mention, lots of it?

If you find my ideas above ridiculous and outdated and anti-feminist, news flash! so are the suggestions in "How to Keep Your Wife Beautiful". So think twice before you start advocating advice gleaned from the Internet and inflicting it on your innocent friends.

Robin Williams (1951 - 2014)

It is a funny thing, this paradox called stardom, this oddity of celebrity. It gives so much, yet it also takes away.

And Robin McLaurin Williams was definitely a true celebrity. His was a star that burned bright and strong, and while it illuminated the lives of those close to him and those who has come to know him through his work on the screens, it burnt him. Alcoholism, drug abuse, the usual malaise that seems to afflict the rich and famous. In the end, and this is indeed the end, 11 August 2014, it was depression that put out the embers of his life. He was 63.

I am one of those people who care not for celebrities. I don't queue up for a chance to get a photo and an autograph from a famous person. I shy away from events where the main draw is the attendance of some who and who. And it is rare for any of their passing to have an impact on me.

This, I have to admit, is one of those rare times.

I have always been quick on recognising the duality of nature and my fellow humankind. How something that is nurturing can also kill. And Mr. Williams, to me at least, embodies the very essence of duality.

He of the comedy royalty, and yet won an Oscar for his dramatic performance in Good Will Hunting, and when it suits him (and he always has a way of making it suit him) a union of both, with dramadies such as World's Greatest Dad.

He of those sad glass eyes, which he could never truly hide despite his rapid fire jokes or his manic energy. How a heart wrenching monologue on art, war, women, love and loss can end with a sad smile behind his scraggly beard (again, see Good Will Hunting).

And through his filmography, this duality was most obvious. There are many of his films which I have came to love and grow up with, and yet there were also many more that I have thumbed my nose up against.

Movies like Flubber, Old Dogs, License to Wed, The Big Wedding, RV, Night at The Museum, were, in my humble opinion, straight to video bins sort of movies which just proves that even the greats have flaws.

But oh did he shine in his other films. When the script doesn't call for him to be silly or ridiculous, when he is given freedom to reign in his trademark energy and to focus on the heart of the story and his character, his was a performance that was peerless.

Although people might recognise his more popular works like Jumanji, the inimitable Mrs. Doubtfire, Bicentennial Man, Good Will Hunting, Dead Poet Society, some of his best roles have been in films that have considerably less mass commercial appeal.

Films such as Awakenings, where he played a doctor who helped catatonic patients (one of the patients played by the great Robet Deniro, himself a recent sufferer of mediocre trash like the Meet The Parents franchise), the aforementioned World Greatest Dad, where a father lies about the circumstances of his son's death, and House of D, where he played a mentally challenged janitor to a young Anton Yeltsin,  proved his dramatic chops. He even gave chilling performances in films like One Hour Photo and Insomnia, the former as a too close for comfort photo technician, the other a killer on the run.

Heck, he even stole the scene from the entire cast of Friends AND his good friend, Billy Crystal in a short five minute cameo on the sitcom.

It is too often used, this compliment, but Robin Williams was one of the rare ones who can make you laugh till you cry (see his 2002 performance in Robin Williams: Live On Broadway), and can make you laugh while at the very same time make you cry.

There is a more personal side of this tribute, and I have not said this to anyone until today, but he also reminded me of my late grandmother. His kind eyes and his matronly jawline. His ever ready and almost seemingly toothless smile. Not that my grand mum ever made dick jokes or had a beard like a hobo, but they shared the same sincerity and honest genuine soul.

It is a funny thing, this eventuality called death. Thousands die everyday, and yet, only a few seems to leave an impact. An absence when in the past there was presence.Robin Williams e may not know me, but his passing grieves me as I am sure it grieves others, and the manner of his passing (if what has been reported is true) makes it worse to think that someone who made people laugh, weeps into his hands behind closed doors. I still find it difficult to accept, that whenever I go to a website that has a profile of Robin Williams, there is now a "dash" after his name, and a year after that dash.

Whatever demons he was fighting, I pray that he has finally beaten them to the punchline.

Now, there is nothing left to do, but to mourn his passing by re-watching his best films, and let him cheer you up even after his death.

It is a funny thing, the life and death of this clown prince named Robin Williams. It is funny, and it is also sad.

Grand Pacific Drive Roadtrip - Part 2

The smell of lemongrass hits you like a splash of water on a hot summer's day - refreshing yet calming. Nan Tien Temple is reputed to be the biggest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere, and overlooks Mount Kembla and Mount Keira, it boast numerous temple halls, a Pagoda, a vegetarian restaurant and stone sculptures peppering their vast garden grounds.

We prayed a little in those hallowed halls, made some offerings of a couple dollars, and took a few photos. The temple was our rendezvous point with our two other friends, and honest to Buddha I was just minding my own business meditating when they caught this photo of me unaware and deep in meditation.

We even had a chance to practice Chinese Calligraphy. Mum, dad, those years spent in Chinese tuition has finally paid off.

By the way, for those who finds themselves short on cash for making offerings, I have it on good authority that they accept major forms of credit cards. So light away those candles and joss sticks as long as you are packing plastic.

As the day drew to an end, a little prematurely in my opinion, and as dusk falls, we took off to the coasts of Shellharbour and the small town of Kiama for short we-were-barely-there visits. Admittedly there are many more things that one can do in these suburbs, one of them being the Kiama Blowhole, the other which will probably be more to my taste, canoeing through Minnamura River.

So on we headed to our final stop of the day, dinner at the Gong's Char Char Bar & Grill, which promises to balance the yin to the yang of the vegetarian char siew we ate at the temple by loading us with whole racks of pork ribs.

Was it as good as Hurricane's, the preeminant ribs place in Sydney? Not for a few more ears I believe. They could have also been more generous with their sauce. But judging from the capacity seating that night, this could just be a matter of personal taste.

So for loyal readers of my blog (reader...without the "s"...Hi Mum!) you may remember that I promised Eat, Pray, Love, and the above certainly covers the first two. So where is "Love" then?

~Ta dah!

Love in no words at all.

So there you have it - the condensed version of the Grand Pacific Drive road trip. This trip is best taken in the span of two days, during the summer when the days are longer. I would have loved to spend more time in the Royal National Park, and to visit places like the Symbio Wildlife Gardens near the National Park border, or have coffee at Gerringong, or to visit the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Nowra, but those will have to wait for another day.

For those interested in the full itinerary, please see the following link Grand Pacific Drive

The second one on the list, the Darling River Run (http://www.visitnsw.com/things-to-do/drives-and-road-trips/darling-river-run).

Who's in?

Our Grand Pacific Drive Roadtrip - Part 1

You might think that this is a post about an awesome weekend road trip, but in actual fact this is a post about aging and the loss of memory one suffers as the corrosive effect of time happens to our cerebrum (which is the part of the brain that contains memory - a fact I bet I would forget as soon as I finish this post). The crux of the matter is that if I do not write this down, I will soon forget the events of the weekend; the respite from the rainy days of before and after; the perfect driving conditions through the Royal National Park; the treasured company of friends we take for granted on other days; hot coffee from a flask against the cold sea breeze.

This was a trip that was perfect not for its impeccable planning, but despite the lack of one. We essentially just googled the best drives in New South Wales the night before, picked the first one on the list, and headed of the next morning, armed with hot beverage, a couple of sandwiches and a printout of the aforementioned webpage.

Our first point of destination was the Royal National Park, a journey that took us 40 minutes out from the city. It cost $11 a day if you intend to park your car anywhere within the Royal National Park, a small price to pay if the plan is to picnic at the beach or to hike through the forest - any activities that will take you away from your car. Do not plan on skipping out on this fee, 'cos they will find and fine you - a grand total of $11. We know as we saw a ticket on one of the cars when we made a quick stop at Garie Beach.

Ah...Garie Beach, this is a small stretch of beach which is by far one of the most scenic and relaxing I've seen since I moved to Sydney. There were families picnicking there, not a big crowd, for sure, which made the whole experience more serene. This is one beach where I would love to drive to one sunny weekend and just lie there until the sun sets beyond the horizon of the seas.

Alas, we had a lot more road to cover and we left after a good fifteen minutes of photo-taking and toilet break-taking.

The roads weaving through the national park is also one of the main highlights of the trip, with tall straight trees lining the road, sturdy and green, with the sun peeking through the foliage. If the Sea Cliff Bridge is the road in NSW most used for car advertisements, I dare suggest this winding road of pure tranquility be a worthy successor.

We left the park and climbed higher and higher until we reached Stanwell Park - Bald Hill, to be exact, one of the most popular lookout point in the whole world (I am exaggerating, of course, but not by much as you can judge from the photo).

While there, we took hang-gliding...

...photographs. That is not me, but that will be me one day when the weather is warmer and you don't risk contracting pneumonia while surfing the air currents in one of those bad boys.

We left the breath-taking view of Bald Hill to the main event of the day - the short drive on the 500 meters Sea Cliff Bridge, a bridge officially opened only in 2005 and which projects itself out towards the sea. There is a walkway right next to the driving lanes, and one can easily park your cars after the bridge for this walk. There were some talk in the car (okay, it was I who alone suggested it - the ladies just ignored my nonsense) of driving by the road a couple of times just to take a photo of our new ride on the road like those car ads. Instead, we ended up with shots where we looked short due to our over-sized coats and those huge suicide-preventing rails.

Now that the sun was well and truly above us, it was time to search for lunch. We drove the short drive to Wollongong, or affectionately known as "The Gong" among the locals. We found this small little sandwich cafe from Urbanspoon called Sandygoodwich, which had pretty good sandwiches. The kitchen was closing soon, and my pork sandwich was probably one of the last thing they cooked - which was probably why they were quite generous with the portion of the meat (Urbanspoon - Sandygoodwich).

Our next stop was the lighthouses of the Gong, where opportunities were aplenty to strike ridiculous poses...

...and some pretty darn good ones.

After much persuasion, we managed to coax June from clinging on to the cannons and spread her arms!

Coming up in Part 2 - Eat (Char Char Bar & Grill), Pray (Nan Tien Temple), and a whole lotta love.

Hunter Valley in Two Days

This post have been updated in April 2015 after our third trip to Hunter Valley, this time with my wife's mother and sister. 

The air tastes better in wine country, it truly does.

The absence of smoke spewing monstrous vehicles, the jacket-wearing cows and horses, the mountains in the distance and the green that envelops the landscape, Hunter Valley has come to be one of our favorite weekend places to go. The only thing that puts us off from travelling there twice a month is the distance. Hunter Valley is located approximately 250 kilometers away from Central Sydney where we reside, and it takes slightly more than three hours if one were to drive in adherence to the speed limit of the motorway (which is highly recommended, if not for your own safety then at least for the health of your wallet - the speeding fines here are extremely punitive!)

Without waxing poetry about this vino-paradiso, I lay bare below the suggested itinerary for those who plan to make a trip there by your own goodself, that is, without the crowds of bus tours.

One tip, you may be tempted to drink copious amount of wine, so if possible, have a designated driver, pace yourself and eat and rest along the way with the valley's many cafes and cheese shops.

Without further ado,

Where to Stay

We have been to the valley twice, and both times we have spent the night at the luxurious and cozy Sebel Kirkton Park. It has comfortable rooms with all the amenities that you would expect, an indoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi, a gym, and in the winter, a fireplace at the lounge area.

Before you make any reservations, do make a quick check online for any potential coupons which will give you substantial savings.

You can also check out some of the accommodation provided by some of the more boutique cellars, like one we stumbled upon at the end of Halls Road. Seems to be smacked in the middle of nowhere, with a view you have to be there to believe.

We decided to stay in something a little different our third time to the Hunter, a 2 years old boutique hotel right in the middle of Cessnock town called Vine Valley Inn. This unique, antique themed, hipster-ish hotel finds its home on the first floor of a shop-house, and is owned/managed by the ever friendly and helpful Simon and his wife. Here, you'll find an old record player side by side with a 50-inch flat screen television and an iPod dock, a mounted deer head over a fireplace, an airplane turbine converted into a lamp, beakers used as flower vase and an old mixer bowl turned into a goldfish bowl. It somehow pulls off being trendy without being pretentious and I think that is due to the warm personality of our host.

We managed to book the family room with a king sized bed and two super-single beds, with plenty of empty room in the middle (good for if you have kids and you just want to stuff them on the floor in their sleeping bags). There is also a clean, fully stocked kitchen for you to fry up some late supper.

My only complain is that Simon keeps all the best vinyl records in his own home. I wasn't able to find any Beatles records, so I whiled the night away to a mix of Richard Marx, Whitney Houston and U2's Joshua Tree, and the only thing missing for a perfect night was a glass of good scotch.

Simon says "Welcome to your home away from home" and it was, indeed.

Where to Dine

If you enjoy big breakfast served right, as in BIG, then you must not miss Taste of the Country, situated at the Hunter Valley Gardens. Here, you get breakfast food like the aforementioned Big Breakfast with sausages, poached eggs, mushrooms, bacon, and delectable pancakes with a sinful serving of maple syrup, Chantilly cream and ice cream! Choose the Banana Pancakes for the mouth watering caramelized bananas. Also not to be missed are their gourmet burgers (try the beef with caramelized onions, beetroot and cheese).

Another favorite of ours is the cafe at Lindeman's 1843 Harvest Cafe. The restaurant is right next to its cellar door, so you can have your wine tasting there (which is also highly recommended, but more on that later) before sitting down for a meal while deciding if you would leave with a few bottle of their finest (you will, but again, more on that later). We had their antipasto as well as pizzas and we were not disappointed. Fuss free and friendly environment.

For a little bit of la-di-da for dinner, go to 221 Restaurant and Bar at the Royal Oak Hotel, Cessnock for a fancy seafood on huge warm white plates. Not to be missed here is the seared Atlantic Sea Scallops, and the lamb shanks.

The only place you should go for dessert is Sabor in the Hunter, a dessert bar which is known for serving a huge variety of desserts, with recommendation of pairing with wines, dessert wines and ports from the valley itself.

A place to check out which we did not have a chance to due to it being closed when we were there is Muse Kitchen. Friends and strangers whom we got to know at the valley highly recommended this place for food. Be prepared to pay though, there is a minimum order of 2 course per person, and this comes to $75 for each diner. 

And Most Importantly, Where To Go For Wine

Start at Tempus Two. Here you can find some of the best moscato in beautiful bottles. Try their Copper Series Moscato.

After Tempus Two, the next reasonable stop should be McGuigan, which is just across the road. Here, if you are a fan of full bodied red wine, try the Summer Shiraz 2013. It cost just a little bit more than the other wines, but at just $40 it is still very much a steal. If you love sweet wine like we do, try their Late Picked Traminer with its hint of lychee.

Tower Estate which is just down Broke Road, and is worth a visit too. While we were there, there were barrels of grapes fermenting in the room next to the wine tasting counter, and the smell there was delicious. We got another bottle of dessert wine from Tower Estate too, one where its sweetness is not overbearing, the Off Dry Semillon. 

Of course, one of our favorite places for wine and food, Linderman's, where we got a bottle of Viognier sweet white (I think you can tell we are a couple of sweet wine lovers, not the most sophisticated palates maybe but too each their own I say!).

And if you do drop by Kevin Sobel's, do say hello to the owner's pet dog Archie, a 5 year old St. Bernard the size of a small pony. This place also sells a beautiful sweet red wine called "Sweet and Luverly". Give it a try - it has became one of our latest favorites.

For a wine cellar with a view of the valley, try Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard situated atop a hill which offers a spectacular vantage point.  Say hi to the man-in-charge Ross and listen to him tell you the history of the place, and if you happen to have some lying around, bring him a durian and tell him an auditor sends his regards.

So there you have it, a simple easy two day one night itinerary for those who prefer a little planning in their weekend getaways. If not, then just dump these information, throw away that magazine and map, and just drive around getting lost among the aroma of the grapes, stopping wherever and whenever you want!

(Photo Credits to Guo Ming & Candy)