Submitted by Jake Kalinowski the 2024 Spring program in Sydney, Australia…
One of the best things about being abroad is exploring new places and learning about your host culture. A few weekends ago, my friends and I took a day trip to Hunter Valley. It is about a two hour bus ride from Sydney. It is a wine country and we went for a wine tasting tour. It was a gorgeous day, about 80 degrees and sunny.
I learned that Australia actually has some of the oldest wine in the world because of fires that destroyed the vines in Europe hundreds of years ago. The Hunter Valley is Australia’s oldest winery and has over 150 different wineries. It was a unique experience and something I had never experienced before. We saw wild kangaroos and had a lovely lunch with brick oven pizzas and salads overlooking the vineyards.
We had a bunch of different people with us on our tour that we got to mingle with as well which was nice. I met some women from Spain, Switzerland, Germany, and The Netherlands. They were all lovely to talk with. I learned that they are here for about 6 months to improve their English and are taking courses here. It was intriguing to learn about their professions and life back in their home countries because it is so different from the United States. Their bosses allowed them to take 6 months to a year off to come to Australia, which is unheard of in the states.
My trip to Hunter Valley was a wonderful experience and I’m glad I got to go. Not only did I have a wonderful time with my friends, but also learning about Australian wine culture and meeting new people from around the world added to the memorable experience. (Submitted on February 28, 2024)