Well you would know if you'd been on one of FoodPath.com.au's paddock to plate, producer tours! Jill Dyson and Nick Padol offer boutique tours of the more interesting producers in The Southern Highlands or Southern Tablelands here in Australia. I had the pleasure of being on one of their trips this past weekend.
Nick and Jill escorted us to our first stop... a raspberry farm operated by a couple of Sydney's corporate refugees who knew more about berry farming then I ever will! Dave and Nicki taught us how they grew, prepared, packaged and sold the various berry products they offer. Raspberry and Blackberry Jam, Rhubarb and Ginger, and my favorite... Raspberry and Vinegar dressing!
Next up was an interesting tour around an egg farm, population 4000 chickens and 5 Maremma dogs as minders. They all are free range layers (no roosters!) so the chickens roam freely around the farm then like clockwork, go to a coop at night to sleep and lay eggs. We toured the sorting and packing facility and learned how to make egg pasta as well.
We then met the best cheese makers in Australia! This is not only my own opinion, as they win medals and awards regularly for their cheeses. We learned, tasted and bought up big before leaving for our final destination to talk and graze at one of the local cafe's where we sampled more cheese and local munchies and met more cheese makers.

It was a great day as some of these photo's will testify. Go to FoodPathWebSite for more info or see Jill's Blog FoodPath Blog.

Ok, ok so by now some of you are wondering what kind of rider goes on 'boutique gourmet paddock to plate farm tours'? Well to save face here let me first say that I am old enough to remember when sex was safe and motorcycling dangerous!

Boy has our world ever changed!

Motorcycle travel, particularly long distance touring for me, as for many riders out there, has grown over the years from the pastime of the burly bourbon drinking hairy crowd to the realm of explorers, adventurers, endurance and cruisers. I for one have traveled extensively here and enjoy exploring and learning about the many sides of Australia as I do.

I've toured power plants, caves, helicoptered over gorges in the Red Centre, Sydney Harbour and the coast north and south of here. I've been opal mining, pig shooting, cow tipping, and even spent a few days droving! I've mused in almost every museum in Canberra, toured Old and New Parliament House, and marveled at the woodwork craftsmanship in Bungendore. Sailed from Sydney to Gold Coast, dived off Hamilton Island, went over the edge on the Vertical Railroad in the Blue Mountains and gotten drunk with a bloke named Mad Dog in a pub in Julia Creek, QLD. I've enjoyed live Jazz in Wangarratta and Country music at Tamworth and folk music in Gympie. I've skied, surfed, climbed, soaked my aching bones in natural bore baths, been totally alone on a beach with emerald colored ocean water on the west coast, and ran from Crocs trying to get into my boat!

I've chopped down trees, went 4 wheeling up the Dampier Peninsula, swam with dolphins in Monkey Mia, and fell out the back of a 1945 Land Rover that was almost vertical as it tried to climb a small mountain in Oberon! I've slept in 5 star hotels, pubs with bands playing right under my room, on picnic tables when it became too late and dark to risk 'Roo Time' in the outback, and graveyard front cottages with a barnyard full of animals between me and the toilet at 2am in the morning!

Among the most enjoyable of experiences has been tasting and savoring some world class food and wine available here when traveling. The quality of the food and the skills of those preparing have put Australia on the epicurean map of must explore places... you will be surprised at what you find and where you find it.

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