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A golden Saturday away 留一天與太太喘息

April is a good time for the great outdoors. My wife and I were keen to explore somewhere new and thus visited Warrandyte on the fringes of Melbourne, for the State Park and a winery there.
4月是郊遊的好時光，我和太太趁機發掘新去處。9日那天我們到市區邊陲、開始帶點郊外氣息的Warrandyte區的州立公園和一家酒莊一遊。

There are actually four parts to Warrandyte State Park. We went to the part which was a gold mine in the 19th century and was the first site of gold discovery in Victoria, although it did not end up with the same level of fame as the other gold rush towns of Ballarat and Bendigo. The park has preserved some relics from the mining days, including the Geraghty's Tunnel whose entrance is still open for a small section.
Warrandyte State Park州立公園其實分四部份，我們郊遊的部份，前身是金礦場，而且是維多利亞州首個發現金礦之地，雖然沒有後來的淘金城鎮巴拉瑞特Ballarat和本迪戈Bendigo那麼有名，但也算在維州淘金史中佔一席位。公園保留了些採礦的遺跡，包括一個仍開放一小段的Geraghty's Tunnel礦洞，鑽進去再出來時不期然令我想起鏡仔Ian新歌《留一天與你喘息》的MV在馬鞍山礦場的片段，所以後來太太撿石頭留念時，我也打趣學MV中女主角的開場白說「石頭係有生命嘅」（石頭是有生命的）。

Geraghty's Tunnel



The park was not particularly big and we could see several cars parked when we arrived, but in our walk lasting more than an hour we could not hear and see anyone else. It was a blessing to have the whole park to ourselves, enjoy the walk and take in the scenery!
公園範圍不算特別大，而且我們到達時停車場已有幾輛車，但我們前後在公園逛了一小時多也看不到和聽不到其他人的跡象，能獨佔公園享受二人世界，輕鬆地走和欣賞樹林景色，是挺愜意的！



We walked from the southern end to the northern end of the park, and before turning back we strolled along a small section of the Yarra river in Warrandyte. The hustle and bustle at the river was a contrast from the tranquility of the park as it was a popular place for walking dogs and we easily saw tens of dog owners in about 15 minutes.
我們從公園南端走到北端，折返前順道到離北端出口不遠的雅拉河逛一小段，河畔人潮如鯽，溜狗的人一個接一個，跟靜無一人的公園成一大對比。


After our walk in the park, we visited the Pietro Gallus Estate winery which offered wine and liqueur tasting in an outdoor area. Had we known that the tasting area also offered à la carte dining, we would not have needed to bring lunch ourselves! The outdoor tasting area was not big but was surrounded by picturesque views which made for a relaxing setting to enjoy a meal or a drink alike.
公園後的下一站是Pietro Gallus酒莊，那裡除了有餐廳也有試酒區，可以在戶外坐，如果早知試酒區也可以點菜就不會自備午餐在車吃了！戶外區範圍雖少，但可遠望酒莊四處開揚的風光，心曠神怡，在如此環境品酒，心情放輕鬆，實在是賞心樂事。



（More photos of the Estate on Instagram 酒莊的相集在此）


A short trip away on a Saturday to explore new places at our own pace is simply golden!
星期六來一個這樣短短而不匆忙的行程，留天給自己與太太喘息，確實不錯！
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