Swan Valley

Vast fields of beautiful vineyards were stretched out alongside the roads for miles. Everywhere I turned my head, all I saw was the vineyards boasting their beauty under the bright sunlight. This was the Swan Valley (a.k.a Perth's Valley of Taste), the oldest wine region in Western Australia...

Two COST girls from Darwin had visited Perth, so 6 of us signed up for a wine tour at Swan Valley. We got on a train that took us right into the city of Perth. From there, the tour guide picked us up in his tour car, which seemed too big to be a mini-van, yet quite small to be called as a bus.

We passed all the buildings, the city, and the farms while sharing our excitement in the car as we approached our destination... Soon, the greenish-reddish hue of lands covered with grape vines were starting to peek. Even if I knew it was winter here, I was a little disappointed that there were no fat, round juicy grapes hanging from the vines. :P
Our tour covered 5 wineries, 1 brewery, cheese tastings, delicious lunch, and a chocolate factory. YES!!! Just imagine how excited I was!!! >_< This excitement of drinking wines kind of contradicts with my alcohol tolerance as I usually start to get pretty happy after a glass of wine,, quite tipsy(I wouldn't say drunk!) after 2 glasses,, and I would not even try 3 glasses.... So, the girls had reminded me to pace myself every time they got the chance, starting from the car before we even began the tour... 5 wineries, and was it about 45 wine tastings? I tried about half, and three of our girls, Ali, Cynthia, and Rebecca tried every single one of them.

Wineries were marvelous and I very much enjoyed my day that resembled the scenes in those romantic movies (minus the guy). haha :D However, highlight of my day came at the chocolate factory! As I stepped out of the bus in front of the factory, the sweet smell of different flavors of chocolate quickly seduced me into the building. We were able to sample a few different chocolates, but due to bazillion tourists lining up and packing every corner of the store, we did not stay too long.

I've collected another unforgettable memories in Australia. Spending my day taking in the breathtaking charm and exquisiteness of the vineyards was inspiring. Next time I come, I hope to see overly-plump and juicy grapes dangling low from the vines, unable to manage its heaviness. ^-^*