New South Wales - Australia 2004 - page 198

is known for its eclectic mix of antiques and his country-style dishes, such as rab-
bit with olives and vegetables, rack of lamb from the wood-fired oven, and twice-
roasted duckling. The meat-free specialty is the wild mushroom risotto.
In the Pepper Tree complex, Halls Rd., Pokolbin. & 02/4998 7330. Main courses A$29-A$34 (US$19-
US$22). A$4 (US$2.60) per-person surcharge weekends and public holidays. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily noon-5pm
and 7pm-midnight.
The Rothbury Café MODERN AUSTRALIAN This second-floor cafe
has some of the best views across the valley; occasionally you can even spot kan-
garoos grazing in the farmers' fields across the way. The cafe has a Mediterranean
feel about it, with timber tables loaded with bread and olives. Signature dishes
are the chickpea-battered squid with yogurt and eggplant relish for a first course,
and the venison and beet pie or the braised oxtail with orange, walnuts, olives,
and polenta for main courses. Desserts include the fabulously rich chocolate-
chestnut torte with berries.
Upstairs at the Rothbury Estate, Broke Rd., Pokolbin. & 02/4998 6622. Main courses A$8.80-A$16
(US$10-US$12). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 9:30-4:30pm.
3 Port Stephens: Dolphin- & Whale-Watching ™
209km (136 miles) N of Sydney
Port Stephens, just 2 1 ⁄ 2 hours north of Sydney, should be at the top of any New
South Wales itinerary. It's a perfect add-on to a trip to the Hunter Valley (see
above). Though you can come up from Sydney for the day, I recommend staying
in the general area for at least 1 night. The sheltered Port Stephens bay itself is
more than twice the size of Sydney Harbour, and is as clean as a newly poured
bath. The sea literally jumps with fish, and the creamy islands and surrounding
Tomaree National Park boast more species of birds than even Kakadu National
Park in the Northern Territory. Two pods of bottle-nosed dolphins, around 70
individuals in all, call the bay home, and you are almost certain to see some on a
dolphin-watching cruise. Port Stephens is also a fabulous place to watch whales
during their migration to the breeding grounds farther north (roughly from June
1 to mid-Nov—though they are less frequently seen in Aug). There is also a large
breeding colony of koalas in Lemon Tree Passage on the south side of the Toma-
ree Peninsula, which makes up the southern shoreline of the bay.
The main town, Nelson Bay (pop. 7,000) is on the northern side of the
peninsula. The township of Shoal Bay, farther along the peninsula, has a spec-
tacular beach edged with wildflowers. Another small resort town, Anna Bay, is
the largest development on the southern side of the peninsula, and has excellent
surf beaches. The Stockton Bight stretches some 32km (20 miles) from Anna
Bay south to the large industrial town of Newcastle. The beach here is popular
with ocean fishermen who have the awful habit of driving their four-wheel-
drives along it. The first 500m (1,640 ft.) of the beach is swimming and surfing
only. The Stockton Sand Dunes, which run behind the beach, are the longest in
the Southern Hemisphere.
Opposite the Tomaree Peninsula, across the bay, are the small tourist town-
ships of Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest, both at the mouth of the Myall River. See
the Wonderbus tour of The Hunter (above) for details on a tour to Port Stephens.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE To get to Port Stephens, take the Sydney to Newcastle
Freeway (F3) to its end, then follow the Pacific Highway signs to Hexham and