region offers many surprises.
Ninety minutes South-West of
Melbourne and via Victoria’s principal
provincial city Geelong as a gateway,
the Bellarine Peninsula offers boutique
venues which hug the shore of Port
Phillip’s, Corio Bay.
Our daily tours cater for 2 to 11 guests
delivered with personality, knowledge
and a sense of fun, much appreciated by
our guests. Our driver/hosts are specially
chosen for their ability to favourably
interact with our guests. They are well
versed about Melbourne, each of our
wine regions and the wine varieties and
styles to be enjoyed.
Typically, we visit 4 to 5 venues for
tastings with a 2 course lunch, a glass of
wine and tea or Coffee, at one of them. As
we do not have a set itinerary we are able
to work to the pace and interest of our
guests. They may wish to incorporate non
wine related activities, such as cheese,
produce, chocolates, boutique breweries
and cideries, fruit, gardens and general
sight-seeing. Or they may suggest cellar
doors of interest to them.
A unique feature of our daily tours is
the provision of a quality morning tea
taken outdoors at a setting designed
to enhance our guest’s appreciation of
the region. Consisting of brewed coffee,
selected teas and home baked goodies, it
is sure to offer a great start to your tour.
72 Ultimate Adventure Pass
Pioneers of small personalised touring
and operating since 1991 Wine Tours
Victoria is supported by international,
interstate and Victorian patrons many
of whom have enjoyed multi-tours. The
opportunity to tour different regions an
obvious drawcard.
For guests looking for an add on
experience, our Yarra Valley tour
can incorporate a visit to Healesville
Sanctuary one of Australia’s best
examples of indigenous wildlife in a
natural bush setting. This option is styled
as Wine and Wildlife Tour.
Additionally, we provide a 2 Day
Yarra Experience Tour with entirely
different itineraries on each day linked
by an overnight stay in quality Bed and
Breakfast accommodation including an
in house dinner, or an optional resort
style facility.
Popular too, is our 2 Day Romantic
Vineyard Escape, visiting Yarra Valley on
Day 1 and Macedon Ranges on Day 2
linked by overnight in a quality Bed and
Breakfast establishment with an in house
dinner, located in the Macedon Ranges.
In addition to our daily public tours.
Wine Tours Victoria can offer private
customised tours to our regular regions
or any region in Victoria principally
emanating from Melbourne. Once
again catering for 2-11 discerning
guests we can offer our Toyota Hiace
tourer (11 seat capacity) or our luxury
Mercedes Benz Viano (7 seat capacity).
We incorporate our suggestions
and your requests for wine tasting
venues with lunch options, nonwine inclusions, time frames and
pick up location to totally meet your
expectations. Morning tea can also be
included on request.
Our personality, knowledge and
attention to your experience enables us
to offer exeptional high quality tours.
Back country touring
IN THE SOUTHERN ALPS
Dave McKinley
W
e’re pretty spoilt here in
New Zealand with so much
terrain that has snow cover
in winter, all along nearly
the entire spine of the Southern Alps, and
around the National Park/high plateau
region up North.
One of the greatest expressions of
freedom in the winter months is to clip
into a pair of skis or snowboard and
make those precious first turns down
a r emote mountainside far from the
maddening crowds.
You can get away from the chairlift
queues just off the back of many of our
great small fields and clubs, and up in the
high country station runs. Of course, there
is the extra special zone that is the New
Zealand glaciers.
The problem at the resorts is that at
most you are likely to get only one chance,
really early, just after the storm clears to
snake that line.
How about fresh tracks all day long, in
the sun, on lines that appeal and match the
available conditions? Stop for a leisurely
lunch and some photo opportunities – and
then back to the untracked. Pinot and
sunsets from the hut balcony, anyone?
Of course, we are talking backcountry
touring here. The best and most satisfying
way to satisfy that first tracks itch for those
that don’t have a heli-ski budget or the
desire for the gentle waft of aviation fuel in
the morning.
The whole touring scene has been huge
for years in Europe and North America. In
New Zealand it hasn’t really taken off until
recently. Not that there hasn’t always been
a hardcore group of enthusiasts keen to
earn their turns. They’ll be there for sure
when the powder is at it’s best.
So how do you go about getting into this
exciting sub genre of ski/riding culture?
First, you need to sort some base skills Continue
OUTER EDGE 73