Kangaroo Valley

For the Queen’s Birthday long weekend we decided to go to Kangaroo Valley which is just over two hours south of Sydney.   We left Friday after work and decided to stop in Mittagong for dinner.  We stopped at Esco Pazza a little Italian restaurant.  It reminded me so much of Squan Tavern at home.  The food was delicious and after dinner we continued on our way to Kangaroo Valley. 

 

Since we arrived quite late we had to collect our keys via the after hour key collection option.  Well that was quite an adventure.  The directions we received to pick up the keys were like a clue you would receive on the Amazing Race.  They read something like this : “ Facing the Friendly Inn Hotel, walk past the Nostalgia Factory shop and walk to the back of the car park and turn left in front of the Nursery.  You will then locate a verandah at the back of the building and you should walk up those stairs.  Next to the stairs are two electricity meter boxes which will contain the envelope with your keys”.  Now mind you we are in the middle of nowhere so it is pitch black so this key collection was only made possible with the assistance of a torch (a flash light for my North American readers)! Once we secured the keys we made our way to the Sweet Gum House- our holiday home for the weekend.  

We were welcomed with open arms by two to three frogs in the toilet!  Four city girls plus frogs in the house equals screaming and laughing and a call to the after hour emergency line which was useless.  They told us to catch the frogs in a plastic bag.  However, the frogs seem to have disappeared on their own, but it was quite the entertaining start to the weekend.  Once we got over the frog situation, it was time for Emily to blow out her birthday candles for her first Australian birthday!

Our adventure on Saturday involved a bike ride through the beautiful Kangaroo Valley.  The Tour de Kangaroo Valley was approximately 28 kilometers per the man at the bike rental shop.  Throughout our bike ride we saw a plethora of cows but no wombats even though there were wombat crossing signs galore.  There was one kangaroo sighting from afar but nothing clear and distinct.  After our bike ride we just relaxed and played Skip-bo – a card game.  We made a nice pasta dish for dinner and watched Chocolat.  

Who knew that the Shoalhaven  Coast Winter Wine Festival was happening this weekend!  We meandered around four wineries on Sunday before driving back to Kangaroo Valley taking in the beautiful sunset.  Sunday evening was spent playing Monopoly and going out to a nice dinner!  Congrats to Maria on building a monopoly!  

To break up the drive back to Sydney we stopped in Wollongong at one of the largest Buddhist temples in the Southern Hemisphere.  After touring around the temple grounds we treated ourselves to a little waffle and ice cream dessert at Sugar Cube.  And it was delicious or as the sign on the wall said…”Wafflelicious!” 

And by the time we got back to Sydney dusk was approaching and it was the last night of Vivid Sydney.  So to cap off an already wonderful weekend I just had to see Vivid in action one more time at the bridge and Opera House!