In and Out of Gaol - and a Touch of Silk

Well, today was a very busy day - lots to organise, lots to plan.  First of all we drove into Adelaide itself so that we could book a motor-home for a trip to Alice Springs and Ayers Rock, a 3200km round trip.  This was the first time I had driven in Australia, and it had been 9 years since I had driven on the left had side of the road and about 5 years since I had driven a manual (gear shift).  Thankfully, it all came together pretty quickly - surprisingly so in fact, and with the help of GPS, we arrived at the motor-home company, only to be told that the next booking available would be mid-October.  Doh!  Plan B it is then!  We hired a car (a Holden Commodore) in dog-sick-yellow (our thinking was that we would not lose it in a car park!), and will just have to book hotels on our route into the Outback.  Once of the conditions tied into the car hire was that we can only drive between dawn and dusk - otherwise the chance of hitting a kangaroo is very high, and they cause a lot of damage to vehicles. 

You don't get that in Canada.  We set off tomorrow.

Next was a stop for me at the Eastern Silk Shop.  Oh bliss - I did what all good seamstresses do . . . and bought some fabric - well, it is so light and it fits in the case so easily!!!  Here are a few quick pics of inside the shop:

I have enough fabric for a couple of shell tops to wear under a jacket and I believe that there may be a return journey before we leave!!

Sightseeing was next on the list - and a trip to Adelaide Gaol.  This was quite amazing and very barbaric - how I wish we had gaols like this when I was in the Police in the UK . . . . 

Dad checking out the trap door (above) of the gallows.

Last but not least we went and had fish and chips on the beach at Glenelg - along with about 500 seagulls.  I kid you not!

Avery beautiful place with some stunning architecture.

Oh I do love to be beside the seaside . . . . !

Weather:  Mostly sunny - some rain showers (when we were indoors), 21c.

Maggie Beer & Wine!

Weather: Sunny, 24c

Today we took a trip to the Barossa Valley - and had a fabulous lunch at Maggie Beer's, a well known Australian TV Chef.  The location is a countryside farm, with vineyards, an olive grove, turtles in the pond and the most amazing food.  We had various combinations of pheasant pate and pork terrine complimented with fresh pear jiuce.  Heavenly!

This sign made me smile!

After lunch we were off to the vineyards - there are dozens (maybe more) . . . and to name just a few of the major players, there are Jacob's Creek, Penfold and Wolf Blass.  Then there are all the smaller vineyards - and we went and visited a few today :)

First off was Langmeil Winery - a small vineyard with some gorgeous old buildings and artefacts:

OK, I know that this does not look too much like a vineyard - but hey, I like these pics!!

Next up was Chateau Tanunda which was is the oldest and largest vineyard in the area:

And finally, the Rockford Winery where we may have made a purchase or two . . . . !

Another fabulous day - tomorrow we will be off making plans . . . . watch this space!!

Sing When You're Winning . . .

. . . . . you only sing when you're winning!  And won we did.  Well, Jack (the son of our hosts) did.  Today was a lovely sunny day, and we went and watched Jack's last match of the season and his team won 4-2.  Hurrah!

And here is Jack with his uncle (my brother Paul), and my Dad.  Paul plans to return to football next summer - he used to play quite a bit in the UK, and hopes to join an over 35's league next season, however, having seen how much energy these young lads have . . . . . he may well be changing his mind!

We then went off and had a lovely lunch in Stirling, a small town outside of Adelaide.  Paul tried Kangeroo - apparently it tastes much like a tender steak, whilst I had a great lamb shank - very nice indeed.  And so much more reasonably priced here in Australia.  We parked near to this lovely Citroen:

Next was a trip up Mount Lofty where we had fabulous panoramic views of Adelaide and the bay beyond:

And of course, there were even more gorgeous flowers:

I have to say that I am really blown away by the fabulous plants and flowers 'just growing' by the side of the road.  I took a picture of this camellia at the polling station (our hosts had to vote today - and if you do not vote, you get fined!  It will interesting to see what voter turnout is like) and we saw some huge rosemary bushes near to the footy pitches.  All this means that the air smells very fragrant, and along with the sound of the birds - and we are talking parakeets and cockatiels here - it really is a great place to be!

More trips planned for tomorrow, as well as a 'holiday within a holiday' that will hopefully include Ayers Rock, Alice Springs and Sydney - can't wait!

Weather: 21c, mostly sunny.

The Eagle has Landed!

Weather: 16c, cloudy

After only 26hrs, we arrived.  All in all, the journey was great - as usual, not much space on the planes, but fantastic entertainment with the in-flight entertainment.

From New Zealand we flew over the east coast of Australia, just south of Sydney and this was our first view of the country:

Our first stop in Adelaide was to have a coffee on the beach - just 10 minutes from the airport!  Henley Beach looks gorgeous (a little windy and overcast), but for a 'travelling' day, that will do us fine!!

We had a lazy first day - fortunately it looks as though we have all managed to escape without too many jetlag issues, and just took a wander into Adelaide and one of the malls.  It was interesting to see all the British influences - including a Woolworths! 

Oh, and Kangaroo steaks.  I'm not too sure about this, but who knows!  We also came across some Australian soldiers raising money for Legacy - an organization that raises money for the families of deceased and incapacitated soldiers, so Dad jumped in for a quick photo opportunity:

One of the great things about visiting a new country is to see all the fabulous plants that grow naturally - here are a few shots of the ones growing nearby:

The geranium bush was about 4ft tall and the osteospermum was about the same size, but as ground cover.  Just amazing - they are seasonal annuals in Canada :)

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad . . .

Flights, that is!  Boy it is a long way from Vancouver to Auckland, New Zealand - especially when the flight is pretty much all in darkness.  Managed to watch the new Star Trek film, Monsters University and the Interns.  Sharon and Paul took magic tablets and slept most of the way (ask no questions, tell no lies!) and my two glasses of Merlot helped :)

Not seen any scenery yet - it is currently 0520hrs here in NZ (and raining) but the final flight to Australia should be in daylight.  We crossed the international dateline - and lost September 4th.  We pick up a day on our return, so I guess that it will be a bit of a groundhog day!  Also found out that Adelaide is the only (or one of the only) timezones that is a half hour out - not a full hour.  Will look that up later, have only got 30mins WiFi here . . . .

And here is a quick pic of our chariot!