My Craft Beer Tour of Australia

Big Family Little income Six String Brewing Co-6
It’s a bit cliche but the fact is, in microbrewer beards we trust.

One of the big things I’m personally looking forward to as we travel around Australia in our wonderful bus is checking out the increasing number of craft breweries popping up all over the country.

Sacred places like the fantastic Six String Brewery Co. in these photos, which we visited when we were on the Central Coast of NSW earlier this year. This will be the perfect opportunity to teach the kids about the…I don’t know…the science of fermenting and bottling?

Maybe that’s a stretch.

Sensible drinking practices?

If I have to.

But they will learn some debating pointers, because watching me pull together an argument to convince their mother to pop into yet another brewery will be very educational. Although I must confess, I came up with an ingenious strategy fairly early in the game so I’ve already been putting in the heavy groundwork on this.

Next year is going to be a BIG year for the entire cast of Big Family Little Income as we take this show on tour. Quite aside from the beer tasting tour I’m planning, for the kids it’ll be a chance to explore their country and its natural beauty and history.

We’ve just made our first booking for the trip – watching turtles lay eggs on a beach at Mon Repos on our way up the coast to Wonga Beach for our family Christmas bash. In fact, we’re hoping the turtles play along and we’re able to catch some eggs hatching on our way back down the coast in January. THIS is what this trip around Australia will be about and I’m so excited.

Miss9, not so much.

“Turtles laying eggs?” she said when we told her about the booking. “I guess that’ll be okay. We’ll have to see.”

Which is a LOT more excited than she was when we told her we were buying a bus.

“NOOOOooOOOOoooOOOO!” was pretty much how that went.

In fact, after the initial announcement to the kids a couple of months ago, where it looked like Miss4 was the only kid keen to come with us, things have turned around and now they’re all on board. I’m pleased to say it was me who found the key to getting the school age kids excited about leaving their friends behind for a year.

“If you buckle down,” I told them, “you should be able to get your work out the way in two days and have five day weekends every single week.”

You could see the lightbulbs going off.

For Tracey and me, this bus trip is a chance for the kids to heal after last year. They went through a lot and it effected them in different ways, although heightened anxiety was pretty universal, if totally expected. For a couple of them though, their anxiety levels went through the roof and attempted to a moon landing. We actually sought professional help to find ways of settling them back down, which seems to have worked, but we’re planning on living in each other’s pockets for a bit to see if we can’t lean on each other enough to all gain some strength.

Tracey’s just a little bit worried if I get my way I’ll be leaning a little too much.

You see, I’ve convinced Tracey I think we need to instal a keg fridge under the bus, hooked up a tap on the outside for meet and greets as we travel around this great country. So far, no surprise, she’s been less than keen.

Which is all part of my clever plan.

“You don’t need a keg on the bus,” Tracey admonished me yet again last week when I brought up the idea. She really is getting rather insistent. “It’s Australia. They sell beer everywhere.”

I think Tracey’s starting to get the idea.

But I’m going to let her sweat on it another month or two before I suggest the craft beer tour compromise. It’s gonna be epic.

Big Family Little income Six String Brewing Co-26
4/330 The Entrance Road, 2250 Erina. This was the actual entrance to the bar/brewery at the back of a sort of industrial/commercial/retail block of buildings. Took us a bit to find because it looked nothing like I expected, having only ever seen XXXX brewery at Milton.

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They also made lemonade, which Tracey LOVED.
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This is what I’m most looking forward to about touring Australia’s craft beer set – sample paddles.
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This is apparently my tasting face. I’m going to have to work on that.

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Makes my home brew set up look a little….unshiny. Love that the bar is set right amongst the vats.

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Could have been an arty shot, but all I see is a great big effing bald spot starting up on the back of my head. Time to consider a hat.

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I’m not sure if a man-bag is essential craft brew tasting kit, but it seems I didn’t want to risk it.

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Reminds me of those Duke boys.

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Lunch: The perfect excuse for visiting a brewery, gentlemen. File that info away somewhere safe.

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Raising a family on little more than laughs

This wasn’t a sponsored post, but I feel obliged to mention I was invited to check out the Six String Brewery Co bar and then they didn’t let me pay for my drinks or lunch, which I admit only endeared me to them more.

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