Sorrento Food and Wine Festival

Sorrento is staging its first food and wine festival next week with 20 events over 6 days. It will be a feast of food, jazz and shiraz. The Sorrento food and wine festival is from June 6-11 and will feature jazz and shiraz, masterclasses, cooking demonstrations and tastings, gourmet menus, music, film, art and wine tasting at various locations around town.

Mornington Peninsula Attractions

Jazz & Shiraz

If you love great jazz music then you must see Melbourne based pop-jazz singer-songwriter Connie Lansberg. Connie`s music is reminiscent of Blossom Dearie and June Christy, but with the modern edge of Sade and Sting. In Melbourne, Connie hosts frequent Jazz & Shiraz nights and captivates audiences at her Friday night residency at Capital Kitchen in Chadstone. This is a must see for all of those jazz lovers. Please check out Connie`s MySpace link below for more details.

www.myspace.com/connielansbergquartet

Himeji Japan

Himeji Japan features exquisite gardens, excellent sushi, and the most elegant of Japan`s feudal castles. Himeji Castle or Himeji-jo as it is known in Japan has to be the most spectacular castle in Japan. The 16th century castle with its foundations made of stone, massive granite pieces arranged to form gentle curves with centimetre perfect geometry. Above the foundations the construction is built from timber, and all external surfaces coated in white plaster to protect the wood from threat of fire. Viewed from a distance the castle sits peacefully atop a tree lined hill, earning the castle the nickname “White Heron”.

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Rainy Season in Japan

June is the start of the rainy season in Japan and it can be very humid and unpleasant during the summer months. The summer months (June to August) are dominated by warm, moist air currents from the Pacific, and produce high temperatures and humidity throughout most of Japan. The rainy season usually mid/late May to June lasts a few weeks and starts in the South and gradually works its way northwards. A lot of care must be taken during this period to ensure that you get fresh air in to your home and keep it dry. Remember to shut all windows when going out as you don`t want a big downpour to ruin your home. I had a friend who left her window open and returned home to find her computer room covered in water and her computer completely ruined.

Tokyo Vice

Reporter Jake Adelstein recently released memoir Tokyo Vice is an account of his 12 year stint working the crime beat for the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan`s largest newspaper. The extortion, racketeering, prostitution and gambling rings associated with Japan`s yakuza criminal organizations have been written up in books and glorified in films numerous times before. Yet a substantial first hand peek inside this insidious underworld by a foreign journalist has not existed before. Tokyo Vice is written in a fast paced, acerbic and sometimes humorous style. Tokyo Vice recounts Jake Adelstein`s investigations into serial rape, pornography, murder and his greatest scoop: providing details on how four gangsters were able to travel to the US over several years to receive liver transplants.

Mornington Tourist Railway

The Mornington Peninsula has its own heritage railway, The Mornington Tourist Railway. Move over Puffing Billy and come and enjoy this beautiful railway restored to pristine condition. The Mornington Tourist Railway runs between Moorooduc and Mornington, on the first three Sundays of each month.

Mornington Peninsula Attractions

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Park

The Moonli Sanctuary Wildlife Park located at 550 Tyabb – Tooradin Rd, Pearcedale specialises in after dark visits. The park was opened about 10 years ago with the nocturnal creatures the star of the show. There are more than 200 animals from 50 species living on the park, including endangered species such as squirrel gliders and Tasmanian devils. Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Park is open daily from 11am to 5pm. Day admission costs $12 for adults and $7.50 for children. Night tours are $27 for adults and $16 for children. Make a visit to Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Park next for your travel plans.

Japanese Garden