Farewell

We leave for Darwin, in the Northern Territory tomorrow!  It’s a two-night, three-day train ride on the Ghan we got on a SuperSaver low-priced special that means we’ll be travelling in reclining seats the whole time.  We’ve purchased a bunch of snacks and things so we don’t have to buy everything from the Kangaroo Diner [...]

Wild Honeysuckle and Grapevines

Penola (whose name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning wild honeysuckle)  and the nearby Coonawarra Wine Region were our first stops on the inland route back toward Adelaide.  We did a historic walk around tiny Penola, with Petticoat Lane as the highlight.  The Sharam Cottage is Penola’s first house, and one of a number of historic cottages on [...]

Robe Trip

We passed through Hahndorf again to snap a few photos and stock up on mettwurst and cheese for a road trip down the Limestone Coast, famous for red earth, red wine and rock lobster.  We bought pies from Potbelly Pies for later.  It seems pies are an easy, relatively cheap meal choice everywhere but home.  Donny’s [...]

Raraku

We set off with Captain John and Cousin Veronica for an overnight sail from Port Adelaide to near Torrens Island.  The weather was cool but comfortable, and we had smooth sailing across the bay.  There were seals lounging in the sun on the way out and the way back, and we were accompanied from time to [...]

Hahndorf

We had a nice drive through Adelaide Hills, with a destination of Hahndorf.  The town was settled by Lutheran migrants in 1838.  It’s now known as Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement.  There are lots of galleries, cafes, and shops, and restaurants specializing in German traditional recipes and dishes using local produce and ingredients.  The former home of [...]

31 flavors of McLaren Vale

 John took us on a guided tour of McClaren Vale…one of Australia’s renowned wine regions not too far away on the Fleurieu Peninsula.  It’s filled with wineries (76 cellar doors), produce shops, olive groves, galleries all set in the rolling hills that are still minutes away from the coast. 
We visited a number of wineries including [...]

CheeseFest

We said goodby to Jean, who was leaving for a five-week visit to England and Scotland to see her kids and other relatives.  It was great to be able to spend some time getting to know each other, and it will be nice to keep in touch. 
CheeseFest was held in Rymill Park, in downtown Adelaide.  [...]

Adelaide CBD

We borrowed the 1983 Holden Gemini (with a GM key) and head downtown to do a little exploring.  On the way we stopped for a visit with Jean’s Mom, Jean, my great aunt.  She liked hearing traditional Scottish songs sung by John, and gave us some beautiful smiles before we had to say goodbye.  We [...]

Kangaroos, Koalas and Emu, Oh My!

A drive up to the Mt. Lofty summit provided a panoramic view of Adelaide all the way to the sea.  We tried unsuccessfully to find two geocaches on the nature trail below the lookout, and then head down to Cleland Wildlife Park.  Here, we were able to hand feed kangaroos, wallaby, emu and waterfowl, and we got [...]

Home Sweet Adelaide

In Adelaide we were warmly welcomed by my second cousin Jean and her husband John, my second cousin Veronica, and her mother Mary, my great aunt.  Mary and Jean’s mother Jean were both sisters of my paternal grandmother, Ann.  It was the first time we’d met, but family is family, and they made us feel [...]