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  Nazaaray  is the vineyard next door to Gabby's and they make the very yummiest wines. We managed to arrive in Flinders in time for the picking of the 2021 Chardonnay. A great day out socializing with the neighbours.  And we were treated to a preview of the just-bottled 2020 vintage! Nazaaray is the Peninsula's southernmost winery and is run by Paramdeep and Nirmal Ghumman, hailing from Punjab in India. It is managed using sustainable practices - planting of natives trees, minimizing chemicals by using chickens and sheep to keep down the weeds, using hay as mulch, handpicking the grapes (see above!!) and handmaking the wine. Their wines are superb.  Nazaaray Reserve Pinot Noir 2015 was rated in the top five Australian Pinots tasted by wine writer Janice Robinson and their wines appear on wine lists of some of the best restaurants in Melbourne. And here we are, kicking back sipping on some gems.  We both love the chardonnay, the pinot is amazing and the shiraz w...

  The story of Monkey, Popeye's HIGHLY Unofficial Mascot ... When we were in Thailand, about to embark on our grand adventure bringing Popeye back to Australia, Craig commented that he would like a piece of artwork to fill the blank wall above the salon table.  That big, blank wall needs something ... "What a fine idea," we thought and immediately embarked on finding the perfect piece of art.  We had a few criteria for this search: it needed to fill the space, it needed to be as hideous as possible and it could not cost more than $10! We came across stunning sunsets painted in gaudy colours on black velvet but were unable to negotiate prices much below USD 50. (seriously!) And the same with the water colours and those stunners on banana leaves.  Yet we persevered!  It was in Bali on a visit to the Gitgit Falls.   On the walkway down to the falls, we had to 'run the gauntlet' of vendors with the warning not to take interest in anything or the vendors wi...

Want or need to go to Australia right now? Here’s what you need to do: Have a valid reason for going. Australia has restricted the number of people that can fly (or even come by ship) into the country. You may end up waiting months for permission … even as an Australian citizen. Apply for an exemption for the travel restrictions (if you are not Australian) and prepare to wait weeks for an answer. Oh, and you must be married to an Australian or the answer is no. Once you get your email with an exemption for the travel restriction, ponder if you still need an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) - you do. Go onto the Australian Border Force website, find the online application for an ETA, fill it in until you reach the screen that won’t let you continue, saying that no one can apply for ETAs right now due to travel restrictions. Find and call the number for Australian Border Force, then find out about the unpublished website for applying for an ETA with an exemption. Fill out...