Sydney Winery
Tuesday, July 5th, 2011
Glen Innes - Celtic Stronghold by Gavin Wyatt
The rolling hills of the Northern Tablelands in New South Wales are home to fabulous National Parks where nature lovers and bushwalkers will feel right at home. The full array of Australian wildlife and birdlife can be seen in the thick forests that drape the Tablelands, and there are plenty of interesting rock features that add an extra dimension to the countryside. But one of the most interesting features of the Tablelands is a little town called Glen Innes- a stronghold of Scottish heritage in the unlikeliest of places, 237 kilometres inland from Coffs Harbour and about a six hour drive north east for Sydney.
Glen Innes is known as the Celtic Capital of Australia- since just after the first colonial settlement here the Scots moved in and made this area of the countryside their own. Since then the 6000 residents of Glen Innes and the surrounding Severn Shire have maintained a lot of pride in their Celtic roots, providing the region and the lifestyle enjoyed there with a distinctly Scottish flair. The biggest tribute to their Celtic heritage was the building of the Australian Standing Stones, 40 large granite pillars that stand in a circle and were modelled on the Ring of Brogbar in the Orkneys. These are the only stones of their kind to have been erected in the last 3500 years, making them truly unique!
The mystical setting of the stones seems conducive to kilted festival-goers dancing in traditional fashion to the tune of bagpipes, and every year over the May Day Public Holiday this is exactly what happens. The colourful and vibrant Australian Celtic Festival takes place over this weekend, and features non stop entertainment including traditional music and dancing by artists from all across the globe. Market stalls sell everything Celtic as well as other arts and crafts and a tasty array of foods and drinks. Theres all sorts of games and things like strongman events- in fact the whole weekend is just one long party. Its a festival thats becoming more and more popular and its a good time to coincide with your visit to this part of New South Wales. If you are visiting the stones and its not Festival time you can still get traditional Celtic fare at Crofters Cottage which is next door, a combined cafe and gift shop that is also great to pick up a souvenir from.
The beauty of the Tablelands around Glen Innes make it a great base for a driving holiday. The cool temperatures and high rainfalls are conducive to wine production, and you will find a large number of wineries spread across the Tablelands (a total of 50 between Glen Innes and the Queensland border!) Its a rewarding day on the road spent visiting cellar doors and picking up some of the local wines. A favourite amongst locals is the Wright Robertson Winery, a family owned business lying 20 kilometres south of town. Relying purely on organic farming techniques, it is an inspiring place to visit especially in this time of climate change.
Another place worth visiting is the Kings Plains Station, which has been owned by the same family since 1832. Standing on the station is what is known as the Kings Plain Castle, built in 1910 to emulate a Scottish castle. Its towering and vine covered turrets are certainly unlike anything you will see in Australia, and the large country garden is well maintained and lush. Tours of the property are available, on which you will see the whole of the castle and other features such as the family cemetery.
Any self drive holiday through this region should take full advantage of the beautiful National Parks. 78 kilometres east of Glen Innes lies Washpool National Park, which is the last remaining wilderness rainforest in New South Wales. Its a beautiful and serene spot to appreciate the natural world. Lying nearby is the Gibralter Range National Park, a favourite amongst bushwalkers. Located in high granite country, there are some interesting rock features, and the vegetation is dominated by tall eucalypt forests through which plenty of wildlife roams. Colourful wildflowers come into bloom in the warmer months, giving the park a distinct character.
Glen Innes is the kind of location whose appeal changes during the year, yet always remains strong. Curl up next to a log fire in winter and if youre lucky get snowed on, enjoy the bright colours of autumn or the crisp sunshine of summer. Whenever you visit, the unique Celtic heritage and the fantastic sights and sounds of Glen Innes and its surrounds will always be there. And a hire car is the best way to see it all!
Gavin Wyatt is a journalist with a passion for travel. originally from Zambia he has traveled around the world to end up on the sunny shores of Australia. For more of his articles visit Sydney Car Hire
Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/Glen-Innes---Celtic-Stronghold/481147
Sydney International Wine Competition - Keynote address
Cheaper Swimming Pool Fence Sydney
Pool fencing Sydney has always been a necessity due to the laws which were passed to improve the security of pools. The problem that many individuals experience after they first start creation of their own pool fencing Sydney is usually that much of the pool fences available today are too expensive. The remedy that many swimming pool owners find is most likely the usage of inexpensive glass pool fencing provisional secure fencing composed of mesh. Sure these kinds of temporary pool fencing Sydney are inexpensive but will they be dependable? As these fencing are usually removable, exactly what assurance is there that your children won’t have the ability to take them off? Another disadvantage that these particular temporary pool fences may have is that they are awful and they hurt the vista of your own swimming pool. The good news is that there's a inexpensive yet fashionable solution to these mesh fencing and that choice also comes in the form of glass pool fencing Sydney. This may appear to be impossible because of the high rates of glass but there are actually ways to obtain inexpensive glass pool fencing. Cheap glass pool fencing is offered but it needs a small amount of understanding on the laws of business economics to learn the reason why.
The rates of this components necessary for glass pool fencing Melbourne depends on the amount of requirement these products currently have. Since the requirement for glass pool fencing Sydney is large due to the popular trend of glass pool fencing, a lot of outlets have increased the prices of its glass products. If the rates for the components for glass pool fencing Sydney have increased, how will you purchase inexpensive glass pool fencing components? The solution is relatively simple; you get a industry that hasn’t marked up their rates due to the high demand. Where are you going to get a market that has not yet been ravaged by its unlimited wants and needs of consumers? The market that you are shopping for exists in the virtual domain which is the internet. If you have not heard of this amazing innovation yet then that only proves that not really lots of people know of this. If this isn’t popular yet, this means that the requirement for glass pool fencing Sydney is low and this could result in the accessibility of inexpensive glass pool fencing components.
If glass pool glass fencing does not tickle your own desire then you could generally choose to make use of the other components just like: metal, aluminum and lumber. You may use one of these components to build your own pool fencing Sydney. Even though these components are comparatively inexpensive, they might become costly provided the right surge in requirement. Although, similar to inexpensive glass pool fencing components, you can also find inexpensive metal pool fencing Sydney components on the web. Actually, you can find just about any kind of pool fencing Sydney product at very reasonable rates on the web. If you're planning to make use of a specific sort of product for your own pool fencing, well then make sure that you already know the pros and cons of it before you will complete your own conclusion. If you really can’t come to a decision maybe inexpensive glass pool fencing may be the right variety of pool fence for you.
Sydney Winery
 |
BETTER THAN LONDON
 |
DescriptionOne Woman’s Tale as a free Settler in Australian Colonial Times.In the early 1800s the population of London exploded as rural families in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales fled the tyranny of increasing farm rents, and sought jobs, security and new lives in the metropolis... |
