Port McQuarry

On the road at 8 a.m. to see what the day would bring our way.

Port McQuarry is paradise on earth. The sand beaches were dotted with people trying to fend off the 39 degree temperature by playing in the water, resting in the shade and basking in the sunshine. Surfers were riding out to catch the next wave and challenge themselves to stay upright while riding its powerful swell. Beautiful soft sand lay gently between dark rocks along the waters edge.

As a successful fisherman cleaned his catch at the cleaning station these hungry visitors stood waiting to catch whatever might be tossed their direction.

Waves lapped up the footprints imprinted on the sand, erasing the evidence of those who have already travelled this way.

We stopped and watched the dragon boat festival racing for a few moments.

I didn't even have to go into the ocean to get wet. The bottle of water I drank since breakfast just created a stream from the nape of my neck right down my spine to my unmentionables.

At the gift shop I could have sold another 3 or 4 spray fans just in the 5 minutes I was there.

We just drove past a field with a number of very large camels. I felt sorry for the larger creatures in this heat. Strange....we didn't expect to see camels in this part of Australia.

We made phone calls home to wish happy birthday to our two birthday girls back home. It sounds like the family managed to do them justice even without our presence. I knew we could trust them to party well on their own.

Harrigan's in Hunter Valley was a haven after a long day of driving and heat. It felt heavenly to freshen up and cool down.

Off to the "Irish Pub" - somehow that doesn't sound right in the heart of wine country.

I wanted to do the hot air balloon trip over the Hunter Valley, but they leave at 5 a.m. from several miles away and this is Sunday night so we are not able to get it booked before then. Instead I'll check out wine tours a little closer to the ground. 5 a.m. is a little too sparrow's fart for me this time around. (consult Auzzie slang for that expression)

Unfortunately the place we chose to stay does not do winery tours so we will have to check out some spots in the morning.