Man oh Man! What a way to see the country! Mudgee is currently one of the lesser known wine regions of Australia, but it is should soon be shaking that problem. Get there before everyone else discovers what a find it is!
The drinking and driving laws in Australia are extremely strict, in fact the very first thing that occurred upon entering Mudgee was a police stop for a Random Breath Test. Whew! good thing it was on the way into town eh? In order to appreciate the local wines and cellar doors to the fullest the next day, I asked around and several people guided me in the direction of Mudgee Wine Tours, run by Jan and Terry Hill. It was great! I was able to sit back and start drinking wine at 10:00 am and was deposited nice and safely back at my campsite 8 hours later, not a care in the world and loaded with wine….the stuff that I purchased you silly people….oh ok…probably a little loaded after the tastings as well. But since I had Jan to drive me around- it was fabulous!
A true local operator, the husband and wife team provided a quality, clean, and well run vehicle to tote our merry backsides about the countryside. They let the group choose the wineries, dished out cheese and crackers after each stop, gave nice personalized background information about each place we visited, helped orchestrate the group so we could get our tastings in an organized manner, and really just let us the patrons decide how the day went.
Many people shy away from these types of tours because it seems the operator has some sort of agenda, or only takes the group to places that they want. This was not the case. Majority ruled, Jan helped suggest a logical order to visit the desired cellar doors and provided personalized service.
She obviously is passionate about Mudgee and it’s development as not just a tourist destination but as a town. While we had lunch at the remodeled train station restaurant, she filled us in on the local politics. So much better and waaayyy more interesting than reading it from a guide book.
People of all ages were on the tour. Excellent value for money. You will save yourself the drama and frustration of trying to navigate country roads, and be able to really enjoy the wines without worrying about being pulled over. Peace of mind and a tour guide to boot!
Contact Terry & Jan Hill for information and bookings
Tel: (02) 6372 2367, Mob: 0407 204 150, Email: [email protected]
