Summer Lovin

Summer holidays. Scorching sun, sun kissed skin, endless cricket, lazy days gorging on food and cocktails and the re-birth of Jesus, all happening in South Australia. Yes..... the ‘rebirth’ of Jesus. We met the ‘Madonna’ at the Clare Valley Caravan Park, amongst some other ‘interesting’ people. However, the Madonna was by far the ‘best’. Apparently her daughter was to give birth to Jesus, but first Mum had to perform 12 tasks. The 11th task was to go camping, hence our joy in meeting her.....
Yet, camped under the shade of some mighty big Gum Trees we were able to put aside the ‘joys’ of a Caravan Park during Christmas school holidays. The Clare Valley, like so many wine regions, is pretty with some really good wine. The old favourites of Pikes and Skillogree were on our menu as well as a cooling ale at Knappstein, welcome relief as the temperature began to soar.
South Australia, established by free settlers showcases some amazing buildings. Mintaro, not far from Clare, is home to Martindale Hall.

Historic Martindale Hall

Built in 1879, by a 21 year old Edmund Bowman Jr, this princely home befits the ‘lord of the manor’ lifestyle he desired, after the death of his father. The home is filled with the trappings of a rich life, yet how they survived in the hot, dry South Australian conditions is beyond us.
With the mercury heading over 40, we made a beeline for Adelaide. Some good friends, with air conditioning, made a very welcome sight to us hot, weary travellers. We also shared the dawning of a new year with our hosts Tracey, Wayne and six year old Teagan, at a party hosted by Leanne. I first met Leanne at the age of 21 on a Contiki tour in Europe! Much laughter and old stories continued into the early hours of 2010.









Tracey and I at Bridgewater Mill, Adelaide Hills.
Teagan and lollypop!

Having not spent a great deal of time in Adelaide when last here in April, our hosts took us to some special spots in the Adelaide Hills and a lunch at Henley Beach, followed by an afternoon at Semaphore. Much of Adelaide is like the motherland and Semaphore has all the fan fare of an English seaside town. Teagan and I demonstrated our driving skills on the dodgem cars with lots of bumps and crashes.... ahh good times.

Teagan and Wayne at the cricket

No summer is complete without cricket and with a 20 Twenty game on at the Adelaide Oval, we set off for a night cheering on the Adelaide Redbacks. This historic oval is undergoing renovations, so the current capacity is about 17,000. With about 25,000 already through the gates, it was no wonder that we could not see any action unless we stood up on the hill. Still, the atmosphere made for a fun night out and of course Adelaide won.

Second Valley cove, Fleurieu Peninsula

With more friends to visit, we bade farewell to our generous hosts and journeyed down the Fleurieu Peninsula to Aldinga Beach. This peninsula is one of the best of South Australia’s areas for exploration. The sunburnt hills of the lower Mt Lofty Ranges seem to slide into the aqua ocean creating a vivid and contrasting landscape. With the sun setting over the ocean here Emily, Dave and I enjoyed a wine as we watched the day come to an end.


Emily and I at Noulangie

Taking a day trip further down the peninsula, we stopped at many secluded beaches before arriving at Victor Harbour, South Australia’s ‘Blackpool’. The harbour is protected from the Southern Ocean by Granite Island. A causeway connects the island to the mainland and you can either walk or take the horse drawn tram across.
Driving through historic Port Elliot we were now on our way to Goolwa and the point where Australia’s largest river enters the ocean. It was pretty cool to see the ‘end’ of the Murray, having now journeyed most of her length.

The Murray River meeting the ocean

All too soon, it was time to say goodbye to Emily and Paul, our Aldinga Beach hosts. Heading back to Adelaide we first stopped to snorkel at Port Noulangie. The Fleurieu Peninsula certainly delights, and is a nice spot to visit just south of the city.
Arriving back in the city our first stop was the seaside town of Glenelg. My maternal relatives emigrated here on the ‘Buffalo’. A replica of this ship now sits at the marina, but with so much development it is hard to imagine what their first impressions would have been.

Replica of the 'Buffalo' Glenelg

Making the pilgrimage to the ‘Old Gum Tree’, it was easier to imagine their first impressions. It was under this tree that South Australia was proclaimed on a hot, dry day similar to the day we were experiencing. The heat was unrelenting and I cannot believe they would have been ‘impressed’ with their new homeland.

What is left of the 'Old Gum Tree'

Fortunately, we had planned to meet up with Sam and Chris. In the air conditioned comfort of their home, we were saved from the 44 degrees outside. In fact, 4 days later we are still enjoying their company as we wait for the cool change and setting off for the Yorke Peninsula.