Adelaide - city or town?

---

The drive from Robe to Adelaide was really easy but really boring. It was basically just one straight road for over 300kms.
I got to Adelaide in good time and found the hostel really easily. This place hardly seems to be a city. High rise is definitely not a word you can use for Adelaide and after looking round for a while it’s more like being in Cheltenham. On my way up here I wondered why I couldn’t find any tourist information on Adelaide, and now I know why. The place is so boring and there is nothing to see. The one leaflet they do produce for the city is half the size of the ones for Sydney and Melbourne and most of it is full of information on things to do outside of the city.

Moor proof that this city has nothing going for it came when I looked for a postcard. Normally I’m spoilt for choice with dozens to pick from. In Adelaide it was hard to find one.

It’s not a nasty city by any means it just doesn’t seem to have anything going for it. It also doesn’t have anything jumping out at you in terms of things to do. That’s why the very next morning my plan was to head to the Barossa Valley.

The next morning was not the best of days, cloudy and damp; well it was the first official day of winter. I also found out that this May has been their coldest May for 120 years! Before heading to the Barossa Valley I went to the only vineyard still remaining in the city. Penfold’s claims to be the best wine producer in Australia. I took a tour round their winery which was very interesting. Their main production site is in the Barossa Valley but here in the city they grow a very special grape. They make only a small amount each year and demand always exceeds supply. It is very labour intensive and very costly to produce this wine. Every year the wine is stored in new oak barrels from the USA at a cost of $1500 for each empty barrel. Mind you when the barrel is full of wine it is worth just short of $1 million!!!! I got to go down to their cellar and stood among over $100 million worth of wine.

After the tour I got to sample some of their range including a $60,000 bottle of red wine. I think my slurp was worth at least $2000!! I didn't even find it that nice.
After leaving without buying a bottle of the for mentioned wine I headed off for the 90km drive to the Barossa Valley.

When I got there I found my accommodation but there was no one there. I had called them first thing this morning and their answer machine message said come on up loads of rooms. So I left my details and now a few hours later here I was. With no one around I went and killed some time in the town and went to the Wolfblass Vineyard. Again some very nice wines, I couldn't go to any more without first leaving the car behind to I returned to the hostel and saw the owner’s son who assured me that they were fully booked and there was nothing he could do. After giving him some abuse I went and called the only other hostel in the area (about 20km away). The lady was everso helpful, (not). She said they would be open for another 10 minutes and that I was 20 minutes away. With no offer to stay open a further 10 whole minutes she ended the conversation. My last attempt was to go to the tourist information centre to be told that the only other place available was a $150 a night room in a hotel. Being way over budget there was nothing for it but to return to Adelaide for the night, but not before finding a public phone and leaving a very abuse message on the owners answer machine.
I had intended on spending a couple of days in the Barossa valley, hiring a bike, seeing some of the lovely countryside and visiting lots of vineyards. Actually I don’t give two hoots about the countryside; it was the vineyards I was interested in. But not to be, and all because of some idiot not checking and changing his answer machine.

The drive back to Adelaide was hard work, no least because I didn't want to do it, but it had got dark and the road was very twisty as it cut through a long gully. After taking a few wrong turning in the dark I made it back to the same hostel in Adelaide. I spent the evening winding down with another glass or two of wine and watching a film in their cinema.

This morning I woke to blue skies and sun, not bad for the second day of winter. I could not be bothered to travel anywhere today. With the sun shining the city did look a bit more appealing so I headed out for a self guided tour. I did manage to find a few nice places but I still maintain that this city is nothing compared with the others in Australia that I have been to.

I have spent this afternoon trying to decide where to go from here. It is actually quite a big decision as I’m at the junction of the only two roads. One goes 2700km west to Perth and the other goes 2000km north to Darwin, cutting the west coast off completely.
I spent ages plotting a rough course taking in the west coast, and although it is possible, my rough idea takes up my whole time here with no margin for mistakes or even relaxing in places. It does now look like I will be taking the road north. Although I miss out on half the country it does mean I get to do the other half at a more relaxed pace and take in the country rather than rush through it. The last thing I want to do is spend all my time driving to places and not get to see them once I’m there. The jury is still out though and I have a few more hours to make my decision!!!

---

Comments

[Lucy]

Oh Adelaide...
That's a shame your not liking it there..i stayed with a family up near the barossa and loved my time there. If you get a chance, go to the drive in cinema...so much more fun than a regular cinema! And maybe Kangaroo Island... Enjoy the drive up north and stop in Coober Pedy! Take care lucy -x-