We are lucky enough to have a vehicle made by Maserati, a company that has also recently celebrated its 100 years. In the magazine you were looking for 'post lockdown' stories, so I thought you might like the below details and photos from our recent trip to Mudgee in our Gran Turismo.
The car had just had its two year service, but as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had not had a chance to test it out, so with the lockdown lifting we decided to take it for a proper run.
It was great to get out of the house and with the car looking very shiny and clean after the service, we got plenty of attention everywhere we stopped, especially in some of the small towns along the way like Sofala. Not much was open in some of the little towns with community facilities like halls and theatres shut due to the pandemic, luckily the pub was open for business.
When we arrived in Mudgee we had booked an Italian lunch at di Lusso's winery and after signing the ubiquitous sign in-book, tried some of their Italian varietal wines. Roberto, the head of the family run winery, did our tasting and informed me that they had only limited numbers allowed for lunch, based on the undercover eating area. However, as it was such a nice day most patrons were social distancing by sitting at tables scattered around in the open area overlooking the dam and vineyards. At the end of our visit I was able to get a few cuttings of their Nebbiolo vine grapes to try growing some of my own.
After lunch we called in at the honey haven who were right on top of their COVID safety plan. As soon as we walked in the door we were instructed to sign-in and use the hand sanitiser. Apart from the chilly mornings the weather was perfect for a few days touring around the countryside and stopping at plenty of wineries. There were lots of people out and about and most of the accommodation was full. Even the restaurants were turning people away at the door as they had limited numbers and were all getting booked out. It paid to book in advance to check if places were open and if they were whether they could fit you in.
On the way back to Sydney we stopped in Bilpin at the grumpy bakers for coffee and fresh baked pastries and were surprised at how busy the little café was, but everyone who was eating in had to sign the book before they were served.
It is great to see so many people out and about after this long period of COVID-19 lockdown and everyone was happily doing the right thing most places we went. I'm already planning our next trip.
Ken & Kelly.
