What do you get when you cross Halloween, wine and a sunny day?Spring in the Valley, an annual event in the Swan Valley, 20-minutes from Perth.
Our Dingo Bus was fun but the Purple Party bus even had Karaoke!
Our fearless leader dressed appropriately for the day -she needed a lasso to herd those cats!
Here is the motley crew while everyone was still relatively sober.The Swan Valley is home to wineries, microbreweries, a chocolate factory, honey and fruit stands, golf courses, equestrian pavilions and olive companies. There's even a cuddly animal zoo where you can hold koala bears. Here is a pdf map of the area for those who are really interested:
http://www.swanvalley.com.au/NR/rdonlyres/4FDA5EF1-CE07-4EF9-B938-1FFD07F44E65/0/SVTCMAP0708.pdf
Our first stop was at 10:30 a.m. at Lilac Hill Winery and Iron Park Brewery.
Believe it or not, I even tried a glass of wine here at that hour -when in Rome!
I hear the beer was good here. Hope he's not really picking his nose.
Food offerings ranged from the simple, a sausage sizzle or pizza, to the sublime, seafood platters and chocolate pear tarts.
Amelia tried almost everything -
where does that little thing put it?
Some wineries were definitely more upscale than others but people were having fun everywhere. Where else could one meet Homer Simpson, Che Guevara, Jesus and Cleopatra all at once? I enjoyed chatting with two young men named Ryan who own a walking tour business in Perth. I bet they'd be great fun on a city tour and might see if the club wants to arrange an outing. If you ever get to Perth, here's their web site - www.twofeet.com.au
Amelia tried almost everything -where does that little thing put it?
We had name tags for our group that said Hello, I'm .... One was supposed to write his or her name in the blank space underneath. One young Australian lady in the group wrote Pissed (which means drunk here). By the end of the day, her name tag described her perfectly. I wouldn't have wanted to be her on Monday morning. She was definitely over the hung, as George's mother used to say! Our next stop was Lancaster Wines.
This is the Ryans - too bad I accidentallydeleted the better photo of them!
The police were out in force and monitored behavior strictly. They could come to search buses randomly or if people were acting drunk and unruly. If one person had a drink or open container on the bus, all the liquor on the bus was confiscated, including purchases of cases made at the wineries. Now there's effective peer censure! One young guy in our group tried to bring a drink on the bus. Not only did the bus driver stop him but several of those sitting up front also admonished him.
We saw a couple of fights break out and the police were there immediately to break it up. I was talking with one officer, commenting that this probably wasn't their favorite event. He said the costumes actually made it easier because people think they are disguised and won't be caught but the police know to chase the guy in the camouflage outfit. However, for the most part, it was like a giant cocktail party with people of all ages.
One place even had a merry-go-round and jumping castle for the kids.
of all the places we visited.
We saw a couple of fights break out and the police were there immediately to break it up. I was talking with one officer, commenting that this probably wasn't their favorite event. He said the costumes actually made it easier because people think they are disguised and won't be caught but the police know to chase the guy in the camouflage outfit. However, for the most part, it was like a giant cocktail party with people of all ages.
One place even had a merry-go-round and jumping castle for the kids.
The Black Swan was very upscale.
Fish Tail Wines was my favoriteBy the time we arrived at the Black Swan, I was ready to sit and relax. I enjoyed sitting and chatting with Joanne, Amelia, Paul, Lisa and Tom. We had a nice window seat with a nice view to the tasting area.
Michael and his buddies were delightful,
the epitome of Aussie charm.
It is a small world! Phil, the guy on the left, was born
in Fort Collins and lived on Hanna, the same street
on which our good friends, Jeff and Nancy, reside.
Michael and his buddies were delightful,the epitome of Aussie charm.
It is a small world! Phil, the guy on the left, was bornin Fort Collins and lived on Hanna, the same street
on which our good friends, Jeff and Nancy, reside.
of all the places we visited.
I don't know if it's because it was at the end of the day or if it's just because it was a laid-back family atmosphere, but I really liked this place and even bought a souvenir t-shirt. Fish Tail Wines also had a delicious sweet wine Tom discovered for me, knowing I'm not much of a drinker and definitely not a wine drinker. Thanks to Bernadette, it was a g'day, mates!
Those of you who do enjoy the grape should come and explore. In addition to the Swan Valley, there are other wine-growing regions nearby.
Those of you who do enjoy the grape should come and explore. In addition to the Swan Valley, there are other wine-growing regions nearby.
