Hooray! Goodbye!

Garry and I headed off on sabbatical on Saturday 8 October. Before we departed, we celebrated my 40th Birthday with a three-day weekend in the Hunter Valley. The celebration had been months in the planning, long before I’d agreed to relocate to London. As a result, it morphed into a celebration of my birthday and a farewell event for Garry and me.

I booked six rooms at Peppers at the Convent, a stunningly restored white weatherboard building. It was built in 1909 as a Brigidine nuns' home at Coonamble in central New South Wales. It then served as a school until 1980. Threatened with demolition, it was relocated to the Hunter Valley and converted into a luxury boutique hotel. I was inspired to host my birthday at Peppers after attending a work colleague's wedding here earlier this year.

Eleven of us went away for three days over the Labour Day long weekend. To kick things off in style, Garry and I skipped the traffic and flew to Newcastle on Friday, 30 September. My best mate, Brendan, then shouted us a chauffeur transfer to the Hunter Valley.

The group’s first night was spent at Roberts, a superb fine-dining restaurant at the end of a tree-lined driveway leading to Peppers. We then retired to the hotel's spectacular balcony, which runs the breadth of the building, for more wine, chocolate, and nibbles.

A fabulous private bus tour of the Hunter Valley’s best boutique wineries was arranged for Saturday. We visited seven wineries over the day. This included several cellars that don’t usually open their doors to the public. Lunch was held outdoors on the garden patio of Belltree@Margans, a funky café on the edge of Pokolbin. More wine and more laughter is a rather apt description of our meal.

Along the way, we sampled plenty of wine, cheese and even a few locally grown olives. Sadly, Garry and I couldn’t buy anything as we were flying out the following weekend. However, some of the group made it their mission to restock their home cellar. That night dinner was held at The Cellar, another well-regarded dining establishment in central Pokolbin.

Sunday was set aside for my official birthday celebration. The day began with a sumptuous buffet breakfast in the Convent’s sunroom. We then retired to the hotel grounds for a fully catered picnic lunch. Three of us walked the grounds searching for the most idyllic spot before settling on a partially shaded lawn overlooking neighbouring vineyards. My friend Jon organised the catering with a woman who’d handled his commitment ceremony last year. His father also threw in a selection of wine from his private vineyard.

It was such a fun day. Everyone enjoyed themselves and the Spring weather played its part. It was a beautiful day to be outdoors. We finished our celebration with dinner at the award-winning Terroir Restaurant, part of Hungerford Hill Winery. However, it'd be fair to say we ate very little after feasting all afternoon on oysters, salads, baked salmon, cake and other delights.

Monday, the public holiday, was spent exploring the stalls and sideshows at the nearby Wollombi Market Day. The fete, which runs three times a year in the town’s sale yards, attracts people from miles around. It's a surprisingly popular event. Once we'd had our fair share of local produce, crafts, and bric-a-brac, eight of us went for lunch in the garden bar of the local tavern. 

I loved the weekend. Everyone contributed something to the occasion, making it more personal. For example, Paul Battye designed and printed the event program that greeted everyone in their room. Brendan handled the planning logistics. Jon organised the catering and supplied a dozen bottles of wine. The girls organised my birthday cake. It really was a fitting way to farewell our life in Australia.

NOTE:
This is a retrospective post published in 2025. I wanted to tell the story of the farewell weekend that kicked off our overseas adventures in Europe.