We checked into Boroka Downs retreat late yesterday afternoon and feel like every need has been provided for. Our day began early yesterday packing our gear into the Troopy. We stopped off in Fitzroy to visit Deena and Gus and finally meet Ayesha, their 4 month old bundle of smiles. We headed out of the Melbourne fog and pulled off the highway in Ballan for a delicious lunch at The Mill Cafe. Arriving in Boroka Downs, Bob and Stephanie ensured we were settled in comfortably. So much so that we slept in until 9am this morning - unheard of for Cathy. She still set off for a run - but trail running is tricky and she had to walk in places as it was so sandy and uneven. There were so many choices for breakfast that we had the bacon and eggs fry up for brunch and left Pancakes for dinner!
We boarded our bicycles and raced down the gravel driveway to the main road. First stop was the Halls Gap zoo. We thoroughly enjoyed wandering around seeing bison, deer, koalas and kangaroos as well as our favorites - the Tasmanian Devil, baby pygmy marmosets and ostriches. We even saw animals we'd never encountered before such as the Himalayan Tahr.
After all that excitement, we cycled another 1km down the road to the Gap Winery for our VIP tasting. Again, we were treated to attentive service and chose some new favorite wines - Cathy loved the Sparkling Shiraz and David loved seeing her try to ride her bike afterwards!
Then of course we had to rinse off in a spa whilst watching the kangaroos graze outside our windows.
Looking forward to spending our week here.