8th - 16th Dec 2016: Oranje Tractor Albany (Part 2)

So here were some more days spent at the winery 'Oranje Tractor'. There was some variety in the days and besides the main task of tending to the vineyards, there were other jobs to do. For example, within three days the sheep escaped twice and made themselves comfortable in the neighboring property's cattle pasture. So I got to experience a touch of farm work again and had to help gather the sheep both times. As we arrived, the cattle immediately fled to the other side of their watering hole. It's quite strange how an animal can be so afraid of humans.

The sheep were eventually driven back to their actual pasture, with more or less effort.

Furthermore, on Saturday there was a large wine tasting. This meant a long day of work as a waiter, kitchen helper, and cleaner for us. But it was fun, actually. We could occasionally have a chat with the guests and entertain them with funny stories about confiscated machetes and nicknames for tractors in Esperance. I had the feeling that the people from Albany consider the people from Esperance to be country bumpkins, and I seemed to have hit a nerve with that.

The nicest aspect of the wine tasting, however, was something different. Since the wood stove was needed for cooking the lamb, it had to be fired up the day before. That was taken advantage of for a pizza evening. As expected, the pizzas were not made according to standard varieties, but spontaneously topped with the craziest (yet very tasty) variations à la Murray. Along with beer and, as always, different types of wine, it was a great combination. We all really enjoyed baking the pizzas.

Over the past few days, a bird with two chicks has nested on the porch of the winery. When taking a photo of the nest, one of the young birds gave me a fierce look. As if to say, "Delete the photo, or you're in trouble!"

For the last day of my stay, we set up some hours in advance to go on a final hike. We went to the Torndirrup National Park, which, like many things here, is named after an Aboriginal tribe. Honestly, after over two weeks of staying here, I had thought that the landscape around Albany was relatively unspectacular. But this piece of land proved me wrong. First, we drove the car to the lookout point at the wind farm. Wind turbines are generally like warts on beautiful landscapes. But here, they give the whole place a certain charm.

Then we parked the car at the beginning of the Flinders Peninsula. From there, we had an 8 km walk to the endpoint, Bald Head. Just the name of the destination alone was motivation enough for me. A Bald Head on the way to Bald Head. This hiking trail was honestly the most beautiful one I've seen in Australia so far, in terms of the landscape. There were constant ups and downs, stunning coastlines, and an ever-changing environment. I think it's best to show this with pictures:

Flinders Peninsula

The last picture was the second attempt to get all three of us in the shot. The result of the first one was a bit weird. I swear, the snapshot is neither edited nor am I a ghost. The Ghostbusters can stay in their fire station.

To conclude my stay, I had to fulfill my promise and cook a traditional German dinner. We had sauerkraut with bratwurst, and for dessert, homemade gingerbread, in keeping with the Christmas season. Unfortunately, the host Pam was away. So there were only four of us in the group.

Now it's time to leave again. It was truly wonderful to experience the 'Tractor Life' as the hosts call it. I will always look back on these days with fond memories. But now it's time to head back to the beach paradise Denmark. And that also is something to be excited about.