Day 204

Outside our room lived a Red-bellied Black Snake, and we actually forgot to close our door last night! I promise we will not forget that tomorrow:)

Rike and I were the only ones who booked the wine tour, so we were lucky enough to get a private tour wherever we wanted to go. It was a beautiful day and the first stop was Lindemans & Rosemount Wines that under one roof holds two of the leading wineries in Australia. After a walk at the wine yard we tasted a lot of wine and went on to First Creek.

First Creek is a working winery that produces wine for several other companies as well as their own. We went there on invitation of one of the locals the day before and ended up getting a private tour in their cellar, how lucky are we?

Peter showed us the process of wine making, which was surprisingly automated and all happened in these containers.

  

We had lunch at Hunter Valley Garden where several convertibles gathered for an event.

The region had their own chocolate factory and we went there to taste their different varieties.

Chocolate koala! 

I travelled this far and the first thing I see is Danish Blue cheese.

Last stop of the day was the smallest place so far, Savannah Estate where we had wine tasting in a wooden cabin.

Day 203

We went shopping in Newcastle and Rike also bought a new hat!

At this garage sale I got a bag from Gino Pucci for only $5

Lovely food back at Goldberg's coffee house

When we arrived in Hunter Valley we surprisingly appeared as the only travelers in the area! This is Australia's oldest and most well known wine region that since 1828 been growing to more than 140 wineries producing especially Shiraz, Semillon and Chardonnay. In the afternoon we checked in at YHA, and we had the room and almost the whole hostel to ourselves.

In the evening we went to the Hunter Valley's only Microbrewery to meet some people at the Saturday karaoke. The local community was quite entertaining and we made a few friends, almost everyone claiming to own their own wine yard :)

Day 202

On a sunny morning my roommate and I took the train to Summer Hill

Trine, Rike and I had brunch in the village

The road trip begins!

Crossing Sydney Harbour Bridge

First stop on our road trip was Newcastle with about 500.000 inhabitants. When I was backpacking in New Zealand I met a couple from here and they recommended me to visit the city. Rike and I were indeed positively surprised with the atmosphere here, and in the afternoon we went on a beautiful walk to the lighthouse at Nobby's Head.

We had a Kangaroo is the most amazing meat when it is well prepared. Rike and I decided to return to this café at Darby St. the following day:)

Day 201

Tomorrow I am going on a roadtrip with my German friend Rike who lives in Sydney. We are going to Newcastle and Hunter Valley a few hours north of Sydney. As an extra travel companion I am bringing this Pentax 645 Medium format camera that Jennifer from the university was kind enough to borrow to me:)

Day 200

I finished my electives at University of Technology and therefore I asked my friends to celebrate my Bachelor degree with me at World co wine bar in Glebe! I know I do not have the final papers from my Danish university, but I am pretty sure I made it:)

Day 199

My final assignment in my visual communication class is ready to hand in! In addition to a process folder  the main part of the assignment is a small book called a zine.  It can be described as a small hand made publication of texts and images made on the photocopier without the use of a computer. In Australia zines are one of the most vibrant forms of underground creative expression, and it has been really interesting to explore this format. 

The narrative of my zine is a personal interpretation of the poem "Suburban Blues" by John Tomlin. I took the pictures on a trip to the suburb Campbeltown and then I draw on top of them using different materials and drawing techniques.

Cold morning shivering itself awake  

empty gimcrack shops of Campbeltown

A few desperate cars leer along Queen Street 

looking for solace  

as the sun humps up over the shop line.

Queer facades beckoning empty streets

Cats flit through doorways with sun rayed red eyes

The end

Saying goodbye to my teachers Sue Pedley and Paul Harvey. I think that the teaching staff at UTS has been really great! I promised that I might be back one day:)

Day 198

These days I am working on my last university assignment for my visual communication elective. It is a very fun and creative subject, and I need to document the process of all my work in a final portfolio.