Hunter Valley and a change of plans

After going out in Richmond and seeing Pixie the fiddler play, we went out to the wakeboarding cable park followed by the white water park. I went wakeboarding and paid for the “pro board” which just classified as a normal board. It was super fun! The first time getting out on the cable I totally biffed it; you are standing on this turf thing and then are pulled out by a handle and you just stay standing. Nevertheless, after that one mishap, I was fine. The corners were super fun to take wide, but every time I tried to hit a jump I just did not land anything. After an hour of riding, we went to the whitewater park where David rented a kayak and we watched him go down the rapids. Then, Eric, Kim and I started our drive up to the Hunter Valley where we stopped in Singleton for groceries before setting up camp. We camped in the evening right off the road in Broke in a park, played cards in the tent, and started off early the following morning to go wine tasting in the Pokolbin areas. We started off at a smaller winery, Glandore Estate Wines, where I had a tempranillo for the first time that I thoroughly enjoyed. The woman was great because she opened up tasting early for us! Next, we went to a much larger and longstanding winery, Tyrell's Vineyards, established in 1858, where we got to taste a number of wines, all side by side, with the gentlemen testing and quizzing us on the differences. This was by far my favorite winery and I picked up a bottle of the Hunter Valley Brokenback Shiraz. Since the Hunter is known for its Semillons, an acidic white wine that ages quite well, we made a point to try them at every place. Eric was great and only tasted whites as he was our driver around the valley. We just continued along a single road and made it to seven wineries! We popped over to David Hook's where I had my first Barbera, which again, I thoroughly enjoyed. We then went to Tempus Two, Kevin Sorbel, Tower, and Hungerford. We also managed to pick up a couple of Cleanskins for dinner at the Lasts where David, Steph and Jordan made a taco bar for Steph's parents, Jackie and Tony. We were also greeted by Dave and Nikki which was a wonderful surprise! I was then convinced to go to Fiji. Jordan and Kim were planning on it (for three weeks) and David just changed his flight to go for two. We have all been getting along so great, and it doesn't seem right to leave them just yet, so I looked at flights, and it was reasonable enough that I bough a flight within minutes to get to Fiji for 10 days. We rearranged the canyon and climbing to do afterwards. THEN, I'll get a job? Hopefully I'll get scuba certified in Fiji as well with David!