Adelaide

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I awoke at 03:30 we had stopped somewhere, it was funny as I had slept when the train was rattling along but awoke when it stopped. It seems that there is only one line with many sidings so we often have to slip into a siding when the freight trains pass by. I soon dozed off though and woke up to another lovely outback sunrise.

Wow, when the light really kicked in the scenery had changed dramatically from bush to wheat fields. We stopped in Port Arthur on the coast at 07:30 which is a steel town on the coastline. So with sea on one side and wheat fields on another we charged towards Adelaide as breakfast was served in the dining car. Breakfast was a long drawn out affair as we were again talking to each other trying to discover why each of us were on the Gahn in the first place.

Suitably refreshed I headed towards my cabin to find that my bed had been put away in my absence. I tidied up and settled into reading my book for a while and by 13:00 we arrived into Adelaide, it was a cool 23 degrees (brr!). So I gracefully stepped from the Gahn thinking what a wonderful journey that I had just experienced only to have the handles of my case snap and the contents of my luggage including laptop land unceremoniously on top of the platform and with extreme embarrassment I was left to pick it all up as my fellow passengers looked on. With as much dignity as I could muster I walked to the nearest rank and caught the first taxi that was available.

After checking in at the hotel I discovered that the agent in the UK had confirmed that I was near the train station but unfortunately for her there are two stations in Adelaide and I arrived at the other one. Well it did not matter at all as the hotel was extremely central.

I met my tour guide called Bob at 15:00 who took me on a historical walking tour of Adelaide from him I discovered how the city was named after Queen Adelaide and that it was the only free capital founded by free men. Most of the early settlers were very affluent and had come from rich industrial families who wanted to make a new start in the new world. The architecture of the city seemed to me to be very similar to architecture found in Edinburgh especially around Princes Street.

Historically the city of Adelaide prospered due to the rich mining deposits in the area, through the years, coal, iron ore, uranium and silver have been extracted. After the first wave of migrants the second wave consisted of German Lutheran’s who brought their vines from Europe. So now the Barossa valley exports their wines to the world in the form of Hardy’s etc.

Bob left me at the main shopping centre and ensured that I was pointed in the right direction so that I could buy a new case. I wandered down the open air shopping mall and wondered if I was at home in Newcastle as there were so many familiar shops such as HMV, Woolworths, Game, Boarders…etc.

With my new bag I trotted back to the hotel and took it easy whilst my washing was being washed in the hotel’s own Laundromat. Suitably refreshed with clean clothes I searched out the local newsagent to purchase some stamps for letters and postcards home (including Stephen’s Birthday Card) .

Feeling very tired I went back to the room and crashed out for the night.

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Photos

The Gahn
Wheat fields

The Gahn
Dust Trail from Road Train

Adelaide
Lablels on my Case