Ian Down Under

All the way down Highway 1, big flashy matrix signs tell you stuff.

They tell you to belt up, slow down, avoid drugs, take a rest etc. Speed cameras are widespread and very clearly indicated. You get a general sign telling you that they are used in NSW, then you get a sign telling you there's one ahead, then you get another, bigger, sign reminding you it's coming with a speed limit sign so you can't pretend you were confused. Finally, you get a sign telling it's really just here with a reminder about your licence and heavy fines. It's just not possible to come up on one unexpectedly.

Quite how Tina managed to get so many fines when she was living here is beyond me...

Anyway, the point of relating this is that one of the big pushes is to target drunk drivers. With this in mind, it doesn't make much sense to plan a visit to wine country during the three days out of 24 when you've hired a car...

The Hunter Valley Wine Growers Association (or whatever they are called) produce a map showing you where all the vineyards are, encourage you to taste and buy and give you a helpful reminder of how to stay under 0.05mg of alcohol so it's still safe to drive.

Having decided, rather sensibly, that any alcohol at all wasn't a good idea when driving a hire car in a foreign country, it was just a case of enjoying the views...



..and tracking down your favourites...