December 2009 Visiting Adelaide South Australia

Flying into Adelaide during a test match of cricket - played at the Oval

Our flight from Perth to Adelaide was around 3hours with a time difference of two and half hours. We left Perth at 12.20 and arrived in Adelaide around 5.30. This flight was amazing, the view below of countryside through out our flight was amazing. I took many photographs leaving Perth and arriving in Adelaide. Especially the awesome stretches of outback we could see.

Trail finders had recommended the Rendezvous Allegra hotel in the business centre, we were given a very nice suite, very reasonable. I am sure we were upgraded, always welcome indeed, we thought the staff of this hotel, exceptionally helpful indeed, nothing was ever too much trouble. They booked our tours and car hire.

Shopping - the same world wide, many shops same as home, but oh the weather is wonderful.

Adelaide town centre

Adelaide does not have the extreme weather that Perth has. Earl said he was baking in Perth as temperatures were now well over 40 degrees. This town had a more mediterranean coastal feel, which was our experience when we visited. The town centre is very pleasant to stroll around a great 3 hour walk taking in some of the sights. Wall to wall restaurants in Gouger street. Adelaide was much cheaper than Perth for shopping and to eat out with a great choice of restaurants on this strip. It's December, everyone was happy and smiling, I guess the weather helps. Christmas soon, just the odd Christmas tree and tinsel about.

The Central market was really good, we bought some fresh produce for a great picnic.

John says the best Chili Beef ever, looked too hot for me, but it was so nice lovely.

Chilli beef

We had a rain one morning, so we headed for the central indoor market very early for breakfast, over 200 hundred shops and stalls to explore a wonderful shopping place, we were surprised at how much local produce was sold here, fresh Adelaide Hill's cheese's, gourmet delights from the Barossa Valley, lots of tasting's were to be had here, no need for lunch. Not very far from this market in China town we found the most wonderful restaurant I had read about called Lime and Lemon, it was so good we went back again. I had the best fish dish of my life our last night in Adelaide.

Our transport around Adelaide was quick and cheap

You can drive across this city in half an hour the roads are very open and wide, well sign posted, we had no problem driving out of this city, lots of green spaces and hills surrounding this big country town.

We found a lock (what a surprise) some great moorings in Glenelg

We seek out locks (good homing device) also we like looking around moorings were ever we go, it was a lovely entertaining afternoon here, with lots to see and do. I even took an hour off and had a wonderful pedicure while John had a pint next door, my feet were ready then for more walking, gosh we did do lots of walking during our stay here.

End of our Tram stop was Glenelg just a 20 minutes from the city - Camels in OZ

We can't stay away from water too long we get home sick to look at water. We had a day in Glenelg on the coast, this would have been a nice place to stay and then visit the city. Great white beaches that stretch for miles and miles, good shopping and a lovely museum with a very friendly volunteer guide, her great grandfather came from Leeds, I think she thought we were long lost relations of hers. We gained a lot of knowledge of this area had a good couple of hours with her.

We wanted to visit the hills, taste wines and do a bush walk!!!! so booked a full days coach trip.

We booked a mini bus for six - we visited a dozen or so tourist attractions in the hill's and enjoyed our tour immensely, sampling some great vineyards also, we might never get chance to come again to Australia, so we seized every opportunity we could.

We hand fed kangaroos in the wild life sanctuary on this trip.

Barossa Dam - John whispered sweet love to me (honest) as we both stood opposite ends.

I am ready for the out back John said as he tried on his hat, but we ended up visiting the biggest rocking horse in the world instead, he did not fancy climbing aboard, he wanted a proper horse. We visited the toy factory were they have this huge Guinness book record 80 tons rocking horse.

We drove through Gorges and such wonderful countryside, we had a fab 3 course lunch included, we visited four wineries Penfolds and Jacob's creek very nice.

We also visited Barossa dam, seen here - this whispering wall as it's called has amazing acoustic properties, some of our group tried it out, including us, the sounds at one end of the dam can be heard clearly at the other end, a worker when building the dam was complaining about his boss and the boss overheard what he said, he sacked him, so the story goes, that's when the amazing acoustic properties were discovered.

Herbie's Tree a family lived in this tree for many years,

We read the story of Herbie's tree on the plane so we wanted to visit for ourselves, just one of those mad impulses....it is a huge tree. It was a good trip 8am to 5. 30 our day was well worth the money we paid, and we met some really nice Australians who were on holiday from Perth and Melbourne our next major city. We asked the concierge to book a car for us for 10 days, we leave Adelaide in the morning.

We are driving to Melbourne along the great Ocean road next, so more map planning and our open minds as to where we might stop or who we might meet, lots to talk about over dinner our last night here in Adelaide.

"The first step in every journey is lose your way" - Galway Kinnell wrote, I hope we don't get too lost on our next journey. We look forward to all the amazing discoveries ahead of us - takes the stress out of getting lost, I keep telling myself. Well we are down Under!