If you think a puppy is a lady killer, try a baby kangaroo

           (this blog is a bit old for a post)

hill of grace vineyard with 100+ year old vines

try saying no to that face

one brave kiwi wearing his all blacks shirt on australia day

Australia day. Australia day is a national holiday akin to the 4^th of July, with essentially the same goals and end results. You must eat something off a bbq, and you must drink a lot of beer. Sound familiar.  What it lacked was a bike ride of the beach, but what it gained is whats called triple J’s top 100. Triple J is the Australian national government run alternative music station, according to me; it’s the best station I have ever listened to.  It’s the like best stuff from Kroq, 947, and the soundtrack to the art of flight al wrapped into one station. they play music ranging from the arctic monkeys to immortal technique to skrillix (so even bren could maybe listen to it.)  They also are required by law to play at least 25% Australian music. In the months leading up to Australia day you vote one for your top 10 songs which gets complied into the list that is played starting at noon on Australia day. Over 1 million people vote every year, and everyone listens to the countdown. In a lot of places like the beach or city parks everyone has it tuned into that station creating an accidental surround sound. I don’t have the list, but look it up. 

            I went to a bbq with a pool at one of my fellow interns houses. Drank lots of coopers sparkling, hung out in the shade all day and listened to the triple J countdown. It was a solid day.  In my brief observation there are two things aussies aren’t that big into; Hot sauces, and drinking games. Leave it to the two Americans to get a game of beer pong going within two hours of being there. And leave it to the two Americans to loose the first game of beer pong to a kiwi wearing an “All Blacks” shirt on Australia day (that takes some balls) and girl from Portugal/Denmark/United States. Not my finest moment. Evidently though, Beer Pong has taking its rightful place as Americas 4^th sport behind football, baseball, and basketball. (Sorry hockey, you’re still above baseball in my book, ‘cough’ I mean go angels Palmer) Lucky for me if I make it back to the states for the 4^th of july, I’ll have gotten to celebrate two such independence days in one year.

            Australia day + 1. I think it was a cruel joke by our fellow aussie interns to schedule us a tour and tasting at one of the best and most well respected wineries in the Australia, Henschke. That being said, aussie’s seem to have heavyweight caliber livers.  Henschke’s Im 99 percent sure you can get at Hi-times. And look for it. higher acid, finesse wines that come from Eden valley and Adelaide hills. Their vineyards are the most meticulously kept I have ever seen. The Hill of grace vineyard situated in front of the hill of grace church (pictured somewhere on this blog) is arguable the most iconic setting for old vine Shiraz in Australia. Bottom line people stateside, look for the wine. Lunch was at Maggie beers. No beer is served at Maggie beers as part of some cruel pun, but what they do serve at Maggie beers is some of the best chicken/duck/pheasant liver pate (accent on the e needed).   Nothing like some good animal fat.  Nap time ensued.

            I feel very fortunate to be in the place that I am. I feel more fortunate and or lucky, probably lucky, to have meet some of the people I have. Knowing locals is such a beneficial thing in wine country. With some many gimmicks and wine bars and start up wineries, its sometimes hard to know where to look. We are fortunate enough to be working with two locals our age very invested in the wine region (5^th generation grower) to know the right people and the ins and outs of the valley. We are really starting off on the right foot meeting the right people.

            Im currently looking for a new place to live. This hostel is very nice and I’ve met a lot of cool people (mostly Germans), but everyone here is looking for agricultural work. Most of them can get a second year on their work visa if they work 3 months in either agriculture, mining, or one other “undesirable” industry.  Most are here looking for picking jobs, and good on them, I hope they get hired. However I don’t think they will. The mentality and conversational topics hostel wide are about finding work. Hard to show sympathy when you look forward to going to work the next day.  The price isn’t as right as I originally thought. The “rent” is 10-20 dollars more a week then for a bedroom in town, and Internet and wash don’t come free.  I understand it’s for the traveler, however I am quickly moving into the resident phase. I’m sure I’ll find something and have two somewhat promising leads.

            Today we went out to the Claire valley, the next wine tasting valley up into the “outback” from the Barossa. Known for the Rieslings, we were very surprised at how great the Cab Sav’s have been. We made it to 8 wineries. Only one was sub par.  For once in my life my palate burnt out early. So much acid and lots of tannin structure covered your mouth when you drank the wines. After a hundred of such wines, I could barely tell the difference between white and red (not due to being drunk, I was spitting). The roads are very stereotypical of what you would expect. Dirt roads lined with gumtrees (eucalyptus) with amber plans as far as the eye can see. Sometimes I half think I’m back in California, but then you see a kangaroo warning sign (they do damage like deer). I’ve seen a few in the wild but a picture of one has eluded me. Aside from getting a picture of some of the para and lorakeets, I really want to see a drop bear (koala).