Lake Macquarie is located about 2 hours north of Sydney, and is a popular holiday destination for Sydneysiders. Even though it is called a lake, it is actually a saltwater lagoon, one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. It is larger than the Sydney Harbour, and is connected to the Tasman Sea via a small channel. It is a popular situation for short trips because firstly, it is very close to Sydney, and is therefore a perfect spot for weekend getaways. At the same time, because of its unique location, it offers a myriad of activities that is suitable for everyone from the young to the old.
离悉尼以北只有两小时车程的麦考瑞湖是个深受悉尼市民欢迎的渡假胜地。麦考瑞湖是南半球最大的咸水泻湖之一，面积比悉尼港还大，和塔斯曼海靠一条狭窄的海峡连接着。因为它的地理位置，麦考瑞湖周边有很多不同的活动供游人选择，加上离悉尼很近，所以这里深受悉尼人的青睐，很多家庭会选择到麦考瑞湖过一个周末假期，甚至是一日游。
One of the best thing you could do at Lake Macquarie is of course water sports. With the over 180 square kilometres of water coverage, Lake Macquarie is a popular place for kayaking, sailing and fishing. Even if you are not into any of these, you can also just spend a relaxing day at a park next to the lagoon, admiring its beauty. On a sunny day, the sky and the fluffy clouds formed beautiful reflections on the calm lake. Just laying on the grass and look out to the big blue lagoon is enough to melt all your worries away. There are a lot of birds around for you to spot as well if you are keen. The iconic kookaburra is definitely one of my favourites.
在麦考瑞湖，水上活动当然是最受欢迎的活动！在这180平方公里的咸水湖里，划艇，钓鱼, 风帆等都非常受欢迎。就算不喜欢水上活动，你也可以在湖边找个公园野餐，一边享受食物的美味，一边观赏麦考瑞湖的美景。想想躺在翠绿的草地上，抬头是蓝天白云，面前是平静如镜的湖面，听着清脆的鸟声，多么的惬意啊！这里还可以看到澳洲独有的笑翠鸟，十分可爱！
One of the other popular day time activities for visitors to Lake Macquarie is of course Wine Tasting. Lake Macquarie is part of the Hunter Region, the famous wine country in New South Wales. The township of Maitland and surrounds, where most of the wineries are located, is only about 30 minutes drive away. During the day, visitors are free to drop by to any of these wineries to have a taste of their wine. Different wineries have different styles of wine tasting. There are large, commercial wineries where everyone gathers around a bar inside their cellars to taste the large selections of wine on offer. However, it is probably better to go to smaller wineries where visitors are seated in a garden setting within their vineyard, making the experience all the more memorable. We went to one called Hanging Tree Wines which was set in this beautiful rustic garden completed with a pond and a wooden bridge. The owner sat us down on the side of the winery out in the open looking towards the vineyard on some very comfortable chairs. We were then shown the wine list and was able to taste a range of wines from the light and fruity Semillon to the rich and aromatic Shiraz to sweet dessert wines. It was so nice to just kick back and sit in the midst of this beautiful scenery, sipping wine and watching the day go by. A truly unmissable experience!
另一个在麦考瑞湖倍受欢迎的活动就是到酒庄品酒。麦考瑞湖离新南威尔州的著名酿酒区猎人谷只有不到三十分钟的车程，在日间可以轻松驾驶到Maitland附近的各酒庄去品酒。不同的酒庄会给客人们不同的体验。在一些大酒庄里，客人们通常在排满木桶的酒窖里，站在吧台旁，尝试不同种类和年份的葡萄酒。而我比较喜欢去葡萄园对外开放的小酒庄，在天气睛朗的日子里坐在室外看着葡萄藤品酒。我们去了一家叫Hanging Tree Wines 的小酒庄，庄园里有着小桥流水和如画的风景。庄园主人把我们安排在屋旁的小花园里，坐在舒服的藤椅上，看着一排排的葡萄树，品尝着美酒。酒单上有鲜艳醇厚的希拉，清甜芬芳的赛美蓉，和甜腻香浓的甜酒。在庄园美景下轻松地细品美酒真是人生一大乐事也。
In the late afternoon, after getting a bit tipsy with all the wine tasting, you might want to head back down to the lakefront, where you could watch the sun setting over the lagoon. Because of the shape of the lagoon, you can position yourself to see the sun setting over water, something that is hard to find on the East Coast of Australia. And because it is well protected from the rough waves, you could often see vibrant sunsets reflecting on the surface of the lagoon, painting a picturesque scene that is breathtaking and awe-inspiring.
下午酒后微醺，正好回到湖边吹吹风！沿着湖边小路，一边散步，一边可以欣赏七彩的晚霞。因为麦考瑞湖地点独特，在这里可以欣赏到水平线的日落。这是澳洲东边比较少见的。湖水平静非常，倒映着幻变的云彩，从夕阳西斜的金光到落日后的紫霞，像一幅千变万化的油画，优雅得让人动容！
After sunset, the view at Lake Macquarie is equally breathtaking if one shifts their eye upwards to the night sky. Because of the fact that Lake Macquarie is faraway from the major hubs of Sydney and Newcastle, the light pollution is low, and on a clear night, you would be able to see a lot more stars than you would in the city. Usually, the milky way shows up more nicely during winter times, as we would be gazing towards the centre of the milky way during those winter months, making the milky way more spectacular. On this particular night, there was a full moon, so we had to adjust ourselves in not to be in full view of the moon in order to see the Milky way clearly. But even with the bright moon as a backdrop, we could still see Scorpio with its characteristic tail dominant in the night sky. Mars was also hanging high up in the sky, looking like a bright red star that dwarfed most in the night sky.
像麦考瑞湖这种郊区地方，入夜后灯火阑珊，没有像大城市的繁华景像，却因此可以看到久违的灿烂星空。在湖边空地抬头一看，泛白的银河划过夜空，繁星闪烁，震撼非常。在南半球，冬天时天上正对着银河系中心，因此银河特别清晰。就算在月光下也可以看见天蝎座的星光。这个晩上我们还看到了亮红的火星，像一点灯火高挂天上，比天上任何一颗星都要亮丽。
Lake Macquarie is a truly unique destination for local and international visitors alike. Suitable for all ages, the area showcases the Australian rural charm that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. So if you want to experience the true Australia away from the big cities, do yourself a favour and visit Lake Macquarie on your next holiday in Australia. You won’t be disappointed!
麦考瑞湖的确是个美丽的地方。从早到晚都有玩不完的活动，看不完的美景。这里有着澳洲特有的人文风光，在大城市找不到的田园气息。所以如果您们有机会到悉尼玩，一定要花点时间到麦考瑞湖，感受一下澳洲的田园生活哦！
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://stabilowl.vornix.blog/2018/10/30/travelling-with-stabilo-31-a-day-at-lake-macquarie-%e7%bb%8f%e7%ba%ac%e6%b8%b8%e8%b8%aa-31-%e6%b8%a1%e5%81%87%e8%83%9c%e5%9c%b0%e9%ba%a6%e8%80%83%e7%91%9e%e6%b9%96/