Blogs from Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia, Australia, Oceania

Fleurieu Peninsula – 16 & 20th October 2016 On the way down to catch the ferry to Kangaroo Island, we wandered down the west coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia and on our return we drove along the south coast and up through the Adelaide Hills. This area of SA is beautiful with rolling plains, many covered by agriculture. The southern coastline is varied with some lovely beaches. The Fleurieu Peninsula is a peninsula located south of Adelaide in South Australia. It was named after Charles Pierre Claret de Fleurieu, the French explorer and hydrographer, by the French explorer Nicolas Baudin as he explored the south coast of Australia in 1802. The name came in official use in 1911 in response to a recommendation to the South Australian Government from the Royal Geographical Society ... read more

Home is so hard to define. Home is the familiarity of ones own country, city, or routines. Home is friendships forged through shared experiences, living in someone’s country. Given time, good will and perseverance, home is the familiar faces and features of anywhere. Years can go by, but good friendships seem to reconnect without effort. Ten weeks living on the generosity of friends, in the country of my passport has been indescribably easy and comfortable. The grief of missing people gone or left behind, wells up at unexpected moments, at a sunset or a song, a kind gesture or a fragrance. Lifes’ routines of chatting over coffee, beach walking, feeding animals, gardening, cooking and creating (pottery shisa in Australia) is grounding. The work of deciding where home will be next has been hard work. Work consisting ... read more

The Fleurieu Peninsular played a very important role in the development not only of South Australia, but also Victoria and NSW, and to some extent the south west of Queensland. The Peninsular, and specifically from Cape Jervis through to Goolwa was close to very fertile and productive agricultural land. So there was much produce grown here requiring shipment. In the 1850's, the roads we enjoy today didn't exist or were slow rough bullock tracks. So things were initially moved by small steam ships around the coast. Goolwa was a very important port during that era. There was always people and produce and supplies being moved through Goolwa, across Lake Alexandrina and up the Murray Darling River system. The Murray was the life blood of western NSW and Victoria, not only as a water source, but the ... read more

I think it's thirteen weeks before we leave for the south west of the United States. Travel insurance has been arranged and paid for. As have air fares. We have a car and booked some accommodation. Even got our claytons visa, the document you have to have when you don't need a visa. $14 US ($13.26 AU) times two tax collected by the US government. A requirement of Homeland Security. How it makes the US more secure is not clear. We just provided information that's all ready on our passports! Are we paying to get the US out of recession? Just as well we're not going to Europe. We have yet to arrange our international drivers licences and debit cards.... read more

Today we left Victor Harbour, what a wonderful base it was to visit the Fleurieu. We can recommend the Victor Harbour Caravan and Tourist Park, great big sites and clean facilities, just ask for Mark. Our day was a big one, not, travelling about 80Klm to Mt Barker via Strathalbyn. You just have to have these days! Strathalbyn is another amazing town full of history and old stone buildings with wrought iron work. Settled in 1839 by Scottish migrants, today 'Strath' is known for its antique shops in historic High Street. so, after much window shopping and the inevitable coffee stop for Neil, we headed off to Mt Barker which is to be our base over the next few days. An early arrival in Mt Barker allowed us to do some chores and go shopping for ... read more