Day Trip from London: An English Castle, Cider Festival and Morris Dancing in Kent

Day Trip to Tenterden

With so many European destinations on our doorstep, it’s easy to forget about exploring the actual country that we live in – the United Kingdom.

But so far this year, we’ve been trying to explore more locations just outside of London. Last month, we took a train to visit Tenterden, a small town located in the Kent district, about 2 hours southeast of London. The town was hosting the 10th Annual Real Ale & Cider Festival
at The Kent & East Sussex Railway, co-hosted by Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), a group we signed up for that supports and promotes British breweries and pubs.

Had it not been for the beer festival, we probably wouldn’t have chosen Tenterden as a destination since it no longer has a train station. We took a train from Waterloo to Headcorn, then transferred to a local country bus, which stopped close enough to our hotel for the night. We originally planned to take a taxi from the station but learned we would have to wait awhile since we didn’t pre-book and it would cost £22. Yikes! So we figured out the local bus, which runs every 30 minutes – give or take 10 minutes, and took a bus from Headcorn to the London Beach Country Hotel. Cost £3 for two people.

Technically Stayed Overnight  

Okay, so we technically did this journey as an overnight trip, but it easily could be done as a day trip. Our cozy hotel room featured a small balcony, so we brought up a drink from the bar and enjoyed a Kentish countryside sunset. In the morning, we both had a full English breakfast before we set out for the day.

Local Cider & Beer

For the main event on Saturday, we walked about 1.5 miles from our hotel directly to the Kent & East Sussex Railway. Being CAMRA members, our festival admission was free. The event featured more than 50 British beers and 22 ciders. Some of the beers we enjoyed were from: Signature Brew (London), G2 Brewing (Ashford), Kent Brewery (Birling), York Brewery (York) and Kentish Pip Craft Cider (Canterbury). The queues were never that long and the atmosphere was quite jovial and relaxed.

Rolling On the Old Railway

Although Tenterden no longer has an intra-country railway, it does have an old-fashioned steam railway line that travels from Tenterden to Bodiam, a 45-minute journey. Channeling my inner Anthony Bourdain (who had sadly died recently) with a festival beer in hand, I boarded the wooden carriage with plush velvet-lined seats and soaked up the Kentish countryside scenery.  

Hubby and I absolutely loved this train journey and would highly recommend it as a fun day out! The KESR also runs train outings that feature local beers as well as dining options.

A Classic English Castle

Set in the heart of an historic landscape, the 14^th-century, moated Bodiam Castle is considered “one of Britain's most picturesque and romantic ancient monuments.” Just a 5-minute walk from the Bodiam station, we decided to take a few photos of this National Trust property, so we wouldn’t miss out on the next train.

Traditional Morris Dancing

Back at the beer festival, we experienced an unexpected highlight – traditional Morris dancing! Morris dance is a form of English folk dancing based on rhythmic stepping and choreographed routines. The dancers usually wear bells on their shins and use sticks and handkerchiefs as part of the dancing.

The earliest known and surviving written mention of Morris dance, dates to 1448, and records the payment of seven shillings to Morris dancers by the Goldsmiths’ Company in London.

Getting out of the city for a day meant we got to explore a new part of the UK, try some tasty beers, ride an old steam train, see a historic castle and more. I can only wonder what will happen on our next adventure.

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Sipping Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand’s Marlborough Wine Country

Shortly after we moved to Australia, I fell in love with Sauavignon Blanc wines!

To be exact, I fell head over heels with the Sauv Blanc produced in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. I swear I’ve never tasted wines that were so aromatic, crisp, fruity and had that unmistakable mineral taste – one of the region’s well-known characteristics. I look for these NZ wines whenever we dine out now.

In December, we spent two nights in the small town of Blenheim where many of the area’s 60 wineries are located nearby. Coming from the West Coast, we knew we were close once we started seeing vineyards that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Gorgeous!

Tucked away at the South Island’s northern tip amongst the plains of the Wairau River, the Marlborough region is New Zealand’s leading wine producing area. Marlborough’s grape growing magic is based on its ideal climate and fertile soil. The weather conditions are perfect for growing the cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc grape – dry, warm and sunny days, complemented by cool nights. Unfortunately, we experienced a bit of cloudy skies during our stay, but we still managed to taste a bit of wine.

• Did you know that Marlborough produces 75% of New Zealand’s wine?
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• Did you know that 85% of NZ wine production comes from the Sauvignon Blanc grapes?

To take advantage of all these glorious wines, we booked a wine tour in advance through Bubbly Grape Wine Tours. That way no one needed to worry about driving. Our minivan carried 15 passengers and included Brits, a handful of Germans, two French ladies, a Turkish woman and another American besides ourselves. If you’re not a fan of organized tours, you can use this Wine Trail Map to create your own DIY winery tour.

Here are the wine tour’s highlights and the places we stopped at that day:

Saint Clair Family Estate

Our guide had previously worked at our first stop, Saint Clair, a family-owned vineyard near the Wairau River. In 1978, the Ibbotson family started growing grapes here which were supplied to local wine companies, but started producing their own wines in 1994. The name is based on the Sinclair family who first settled the land in the 1850s.

According to my notes, my favorite wines here were the Barrique, a unique Sauv Blanc that is aged in oak barrels, and the Pioneer Syrah 2011. I also like the estate’s base Sauv Blanc for its passion fruit and apricot flavors.

Rock Ferry

Next we headed to Rock Ferry, another small family-owned winery, which ended up being our favorite of the entire day. After working in the wine business for several years, the Hutchisons created their own label in 2005 and were certified organic in 2009. The winery uses organic farming practices and tries to serve organic produce at its café as often as possible.

Rock Ferry’s Sauvignon Blanc tasted typical of the area, but was really good. I also liked the barrel-fermented Sauv Blanc, a Pinot Blanc which would be good with seafood, the 2012 Tempranillo (which we ranked 4.5 out of 5) and the 2014 Chardonnay (4 out of 5). I wonder if the winery’s organic practices made the wines taste better to us.

Cloudy Bay

Our third stop was at Cloudy Bay, one of the first wine makers to set up shop in 1985, and now considered one of the region’s lead winemaker. Cloudy Bay’s founder, David Hohnen, established grapevines here at a time when it was an “unimaginable place to set-up a vineyard.” It’s difficult now to see how that idea was possible.

What I like about Cloudy Bay is that its Sauv Blanc is reliable – you know what you’re buying and you won’t be disappointed. I also like the brand’s Pelarous, a crisp, sparkling Chardonnay-Pinot Noir blend.

Allan Scott Family Winemakers

For lunch, we literally drove across the same road to Allan Scott, another independent, family-owned winery, first established in 1990. Our group had a delicious lunch here – New Zealand salmon for me and roasted lamb for hubby. The local restaurant is in a beautiful setting with a babbling fountain.

Unfortunately, by this point, neither one of us was taking wine tasting notes. I’m sure the wine must have been good as nearly all the wines we had tried in Marlborough were.

A photographer's selfie!

No. 1 Cuvee Family Estate

After lunch, we headed over to a local winery that specializes in sparkling wines. The Le Brun family started the business in 1997 using the same Champagne-making method the father’s family in France has used for 12 generations. The sparkling was quite good, and we bought a large bottle to drink on Christmas Day.

Brancott Estate Wines

Our last stop at Brancott Estate Wines featured the most impressive views over the Marlborough region. Perched on a hilltop, Brancott has grown to become New Zealand’s largest producer and exporter of Sauvignon Blanc wine since the first grape vines were planted in 1975.

I’m positive Brancott is even lovelier when the sun is shining.

Moa Brewing Co.

The day before our wine tour, we did a beer tasting at Moa Brewing Co., a local craft brewery, located next to Cloudy Bay. Interestingly, the brewery was started by Josh Scott, son of Allan Scott, so wine and beer can go together hand in hand. Moa is named after the country’s extinct, giant bird that once roamed the area.

If you’re more of a beer lover, definitely stop at Moa and enjoy some of their award-winning craft beers!

Blenheim

In the town of Blenheim, we stayed at this charming Airbnb, owned by two helpful Kiwis, Frank and Maria. The couple had just started renting out two bedrooms in the back of their historic home that had their own ensuites. Generally, we prefer to stay by ourselves, but the house’s layout was perfect and quiet. We couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful Airbnb experience. Plus, the local neighbors were quite playful.

After having a much-needed nap following our wine tour, we wandered over to the recommended Dodson Street Beer Garden, a German bierhaus complete with large mugs of local and German beers. We ordered a few dishes to share and somehow managed to try some local cider and beer. 

As you can see the Marlborough region may best be known for its Sauv Blanc, but you’ll find a surprisingly wide selection of other wines and beers and of course, spectacular views and hospitality. We easily could have spent more than two days here!

Have you been to Marlborough? If not, where is your favorite wine region in the world?

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17 Things to Do in Sydney & Where to Eat

List posts always seem to be popular, so here’s my take on some of the top things to do and where to eat in beautiful Sydney.

Of course, my recommendations may vary on what you like to do when you travel. However, I think overall this list will give you a pretty good idea on how you could spend your time here and many of my suggestions are FREE. Sydney is such a perfect city simply to wander around and enjoy the historic buildings and harbor views.

Walk across Harbour Bridge

Not only can you admire the Sydney Harbour Bridge from afar, you can also walk across it! When the bridge opened in 1932, it was the longest, single-span steel arch bridge in the world. The bridge measures 1,149 m (3,770 feet) long. The walk is a little over 2km and allows you to explore a bit of North Sydney for free.

Take a Ferry Boat Ride

Many tourist activities revolve around Sydney’s harbor. It’s easy to hop on one of the ferries from Circular Quay and go to either Watsons Bay or Manly Beach and other destinations as well. I love ferry boat rides and it’s a relaxing way to see many sites.

Walk from Manly Beach to the Spit Bridge

Well, I took a bit of long detour when I attempted to do this walk as you can see in this post where I walked 20+km. However, if you follow the posted signs properly, it’s only a 10km walk that will take you 3-4 hours to complete.

Walk Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach

We took one of the city’s numerous buses to Coogee Beach and started our 6km walk from there. You can also continue on from Bondi Beach and walk to Watsons Bay, which is a long trek, but the sea views are spectacular.

Stroll Through the Royal Botanic Gardens

Even during the winter months, there’s plenty to seee Royal Botanic Gardens. Not much is blooming during winter, but the grounds, which cover 74 acres, are still pretty and quite green. Note: there are free guided walks at 10:30 a.m. daily.

Art Gallery of New South Wales

Luckily, admission is free for the general exhibits at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, which opened in 1874. The museum displays aboriginal and contemporary Australian, European and Asian art. Definitely worth at least an hour of your time.

Darling Harbour and National Maritime Museum

If you like old ships and military boats, take a stroll through the Darling Harbour, which is also home to the IMAX Theatre, Sydney Aquarium and the Maritime Museum. I didn’t have enough time to visit the museum, but I’m sure children would enjoy this!

Visit St. Mary’s Cathedral

I couldn’t resist stopping in the St. Mary’s Cathedral because my mother-in-law’s name is Mary, and it is quite pretty inside as well. This Gothic-style cathedral, first constructed in 1821, is laid out in the heart of Sydney’s CBD district.

Australian Museum

If you like dinosaurs and other natural history, then you should definitely stop in the Australian Museum, which is the oldest museum in Oz. Don’t miss the stuffed Diprotodon, which is the largest-known marsupial ever to have lived, and existed from approximately 1.6 million to some 30,000 years ago.

Observatory Hill at Sunset

Climb up this small hill in The Rocks for good views of the Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour.

Eat Local Oysters

Grab  a seat at the Sydney Cove Oyster Bar near the Opera House and you’ll have fabulous views of Circular Quay and the Harbour Bridge. We also ordered a bottle of Australian sparkling wine to enjoy with our oysters. Reasonably priced for oysters and bubbly!

DIY Pub Crawl

There are tons of pubs, and in particular historic ones, located in the CBD and The Rocks area of Sydney. Our two favorites were Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel and Harts Pub because both offered locally made pale ales and India pale ales. Try the 3 Sheets Australian Pale Ale. We also enjoyed some good craft brews at the popular Australian Heritage Hotel and ordered a "Coat of Arms" pizza which is half emu/kangaroo. Go for the beer, but skip the cardboard-like pizza here.

Rooftop Drinks

If you want a glimpse of Sydney’s stunning harbor, head upstairs to one of the many rooftop bars. We popped into the uber-crowded Glenmore Hotel down in the Rocks which does offer a panoramic view, but crap beer, unfortunately. For a fancy cocktail, we tried the Blu Bar on 36, which is set on the 36th floor of the Shangri-La . Cocktails don’t come cheap at 20-24aud (about $15-$18usd), but the views are worth the once-in-awhile splurge.

Another rooftop bar we hope to try next time is the Bristol Arms Hotel located near King Street Wharf. 

Indulge in Gelato

My husband is a bigger gelato fan than I am. I also happen to be far pickier than he is. Finally, we found a place in Australia that serves to-die-for gelato at Messina in the Darlinghurst neighborhood. Why didn’t I ever think to create gingerbread cookies with peanut butter? You’ll find funky and traditional flavors here.

Get Spicy with Asian Food

Just like Melbourne, Sydney has heaps of restaurants selling everything from Korean and Thai to Malaysian and Asian-fusion. We love our Asian food so we tried super spicy Singapore noodles at Spice I am in Darlinghurst, awesome Korean BBQ at Madang Restaurant, Chinese dumplings at Johnny Wong’s Dumpling Bar and Jade Dumpling House and soup dumplings at Fu Manchu.

Explore a Neighborhood

For two nights, we stayed at an Airbnb apartment located between the neighborhoods of Darlinghurst and Surry Hills. We wanted to get a different taste of Sydney, and I’m so glad we did. Both these neighborhoods are filled with darling, pastel-hued Victorian-era houses and bustling cafés and have a complete different feel from the CBD. Put down your map and just explore!

Go for Brunch

Aussies love brekkie (breakfast), and so do we! We had our favorite brunch with poached eggs at The Goodwill Society and wish we would have returned. We also tried the much-hyped about Bill’s and really liked the ricotta pancakes, but overall we found the menu kinda pricey.

As you can see there’s heaps to do in Sydney. Enjoy!

What things to do in Sydney would you add to my list?

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