Fringed Violet wildflower

Ferntree Gully - a nature walk on the Bylong Valley way 3rd January 2011

Scribbly gum tree close up

We add to our Lue Pottery collection of utility stoneware pieces.

We visited Lue pottery again on New Years Eve and I just knew we would not be able to resist some more pieces! Normally I wouldn't have chosen pink, but it grew on me!

We add to our stoneware rice bowl collection from Lue Pottery!

Mudgee for New Years 2010

Mudgee for New Year's eve 2010. We again stayed at Birch Lodge a short walking distance from the township of Mudgee. This cottage is 1920's period and a home away from home making it a great weekender. The linen and towels is always fresh and new and the king size bed in a light spacious airy bedroom ensures a good night's sleep. There are actually three full size bedrooms with a fourth, a single bed. The lodge would be a great group getaway for family get togethers.

View from the front of the house looking towards the back garden.

A cosy spot to knit or read or just ponder the cottage garden.

Three nights in Mudgee was a nice wind down from a busy year.

We visited Blacklea winery on Sunday and had the cooks tour of the vintner, Bernard's range of semillions, semillion sauvignon, verdelho, low alcohol red, shiraz and cabernet. Bernard said it was a great compliment to the vintner that we bought one of each style. Truth was, they were all unique in their fruity Mudgee style flavours. We stayed after the tastings for a delightful lunch - Nigel had a beef and burgundy pie and I had an antipasto platter (my favourite lunch) of Blackley's savoury jams, an exquisite cold pumpkin savoury bite, dried and salted olives which I had never tasted before, and their oils and vinegars.

The landscape was vastly different from 2009 NYE when we last visited. This year the vineyards are green and the grape canopies prolific on the vines, the landscape is green and vegetation prolific everywhere. Recent rains had severely eroded the roads and there were some very deep potholes with cautionary road signs scattered along the Bylong Valley Way from Muswellbrook to Mudgee. The roadside vergetation of tall, colourful yellow fennel and purple St. Johns Wart formed a hedge like feeling as we cut through the very windy roads. Sadly there was also a proliferation of weeds, weeds, weeds in the paddocks, the roadside, upsetting the countryside everywhere. Poor farmers!