Out the window on the right…

…you’ll see roses planted at the ends of the vine rows. It is often said that white roses mean white grapes, red roses red grapes. While this is true in some cases, there is actually a more practical use for the gardeners delight. Fungi and aphids will attack the roses before they go for the vines, so the growers use them as an early warning system as to when and what to treat the vines for.

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After I arrived back in Australia after my time working in Africa [link] I decided to do something I’d always wanted to do. I went a sat for my Heavy Goods driving license. I passed.

While the job market in the corporate sector was suffering from a downturn, due to various reasons I thought I’d drive a truck to make ends meet. Lack of experience put paid to that idea, so I stumped up a bit more cash, sat a test and got my Bus Drivers Authority.

Now I’m driving a silver 14 seater Mercedes Sprinter from Sydney to the Hunter Valley, three or four days a week.

I tried to get a bigger bus, but unless I started driving for State Transit (public buses) I needed to have experience. I got the gig I got because the owner wanted someone who didn’t have bad habits from previous roles.

I’ve done a few trips now, about 12 and apart from finding the 5am start and the F3 the most boring road on the face of the planet, I really enjoy it.

I do however need a proper job…the amount of cash for a 14 hour day is a tad beyond daft!