Adelaide

---

ADELAIDE

We spent a day chilling out after the tour, which with the free WIFI gave us time to find out what was happening in the world! We went out the next day, met Katie for lunch, just up from the YHA, and told her we had decided to stay in Adelaide (as we could extend our stay at the hostel we were in). We all wandered along the main road King William Street, then down the shopping street, Rundle Mall. We hung around watching quite a funny busker who got up on this huge unicycle. Then wandered down to the big metal balls that the mall is famous for.

Charlotte and Katie snuck up a glass elevator outside Toys-r-us and felt very naughty as it said everywhere that we were not aloud to travel for sightseeing! We walked through another shopping mall onto a back road and down to the University, which we walked through to the River Torrens. We walked along the river spotting Black Swans and Pelicans to the Zoo, then onto the Botanical Gardens. We wandered through the Gardens and saw the Elvis Memorial Arch (they love him there too) then were thrown out as it was closing up. We walked over to a lovely colonial building that is now a very nice pub and had a little light refreshment.

We spotted a strange upside down astronaut and lots of people, so headed over to take a look. It was the ‘Garden of Unearthly delights’. As we were about to enter, we were approached by a fella asking if we going to go to see a show tonight. We exclaimed that we would like to but did not know whom to see. It turns out that he had free tickets for a show in the Crown & Anchor around the corner to see Daniel something or another at 8.30pm. So we took him up on the offer went into the garden and had a little look around.

Katie went off and grabbed a Quesqudilla for dinner and Charlotte bargained for two hotdog’s with the works off another stall. As we were sitting there an Acrobatic group came around advertising there show, doing a little balancing act for us. Funnily enough, we recognised them later in the Moomba parade in Melbourne. We had a quick look around the stalls and Charlotte found a very nice hair clip, one of the two combs with elastic between. Too soon, it was time to go to the pub (no I hear you shout it is never too soon to go to the pub!)

It was a little pub in the back streets that was quiet cool, it had a little room at the back with a stage, luckily. We met four people from ‘up North’ who sat in the same row as us! We all sat one row from the front and no one sat in the front row! He entertained us for a good hour to hour and a half. Very funny & great for free!

We walked home after via the big square with the blow up Astronauts taking not very good photos in the dark! They kept blurring! And risking our lives running across the road!

Katie headed off the next day to Kangaroo Island for three days with a couple of German friends she had made in the YHA. We go up, figured out the bus system, and got the bus down to Nan & Mum’s old house. Charlotte’s Mum was born in Australia and lived in Margaret Court, Adelaide until she was six years old. We found the old house and banged on the door, there was no reply, so tried next door and although we could hear music, there was no reply!

We tried the other side and struck Gold! Funnily enough, Caroline had knocked on this door 4-5 years ago and spoken to the husband. We spoke to the wife and daughter. They were very friendly and it turns out that A Chinese man brought the property two years ago and spent a year doing up the inside before bringing over his wife. They have continued working on the property and recently extended the rear veranda and put a new façade on the front. The neighbour even had me climbing on a ladder to look over the eight foot fence to see there garden. I think we brightened up their week!

We walked down to the row of shops at the end of the road and then jumped on the bus back. We decided to take it all the way into the Town, a Rolf Harris look alike accosted us on the bus and told us loads of information about the area and told us about a great boat trip (that we did not end up having the time to do). We jumped off at the Botanical Gardens, which we continued to explore. There were about three weddings going on this Friday afternoon. Very exciting, although a little difficult when you are walking around trying not to gatecrash!

We walked back along the river and past festival hall with the air con vents disguised very cleverly as modern art. We altered the sign so Liam had his own street, the main one no less! Then walked up Rundle Mall again, had some Chinese for supper. Liam had deep-fried Crocodile, which was very nice, after we headed over to the fringe again. We were not offered any free shows tonight, so had a look around again and watched the free previews in the middle of the garden before taking a slow stroll home.

We spent a day shopping, chilling, blogging, washing, eating and sorting out the campervan that we were relocating for the next part of out trip. We also put up an adver asking for a couple to share the costs for a lift to Melbourne. We had a couple of text from a couple in our hostel, but they had to work on the Monday and could not leave until Tuesday, so I passed on our knowledge about relocations. They were successful in getting one so went there own way.

On our last full day in Adelaide, we went on the tram to the beach at Glenelg. We walked down to the top of King William Street to get the tram, which turns out goes past the end of our road! And it was free for city centre travel, always we find these things out on the last day! We did not know how the trams worked, so just jumped on and hoped for the best. The driver did not take the money as they were locked away at the front, so we just rode the free bit and waited. When we got to the paying bit, a conductor jumped on and we finally got to pay the fare! What a weird feeling! The tram went straight up to the seafront, so we jumped off at the last stop and wondered around along the pier and along the seafront.

It was actually a bit windy and therefore chilly, so we popped into the tourist information to enquire where we might find a passport photo both as we had discovered that if we apply for a Thai visa before 5th March it is free! So in preparation we downloaded the forms and needed two photos! The only way we can do this is to do the Great Ocean road in two day and go straight to the embassy on the third as it is closed on Thursdays!

The nice lady told us that there was a shop on the high road, so we went shopping again! We found the Kodak shop, which developed the photos within half an hour, so went off and grabbed some chips for lunch, picked up a few bits including a new hand bag hook for a dollar store. We had received several missed calls on Liam’s phone and called back the Ozzy number on Charlotte’s phone. It turned out to be Frank who wanted to join us. He had seen our advert that Katie had put up in the YHA. We arranged to meet him there on our return to town. We grabbed the photos and headed home to meet Frank!

We met up with Frank a very nice young German lad that has been sofa surfing in Adelaide with a man from a band at the fringe, so he has seen loads of it and regaled us with a few stories. We agreed he could join us and arranged for him to meet Katie and us again at the supermarket, to buy supplies for the journey, in an hour as Katie was still in the Botanical Gardens. Katie and Frank hit it off which was great. We decided on muffins for breakfast, cheese or ham sandwiches for lunch and spaghetti bolognaise and pasta carbonara for tea. Frank had done a road trip for 40days in west Australia and was just glad not to be eating beans or spaghetti on toast for the whole time.

We arranged that we would order a cab for the morning to pick us up for 07.45 as the office opens at 8, so we can get straight on the road. Frank would get a bus to the YHA and we would pick them both up from there to get the Campervan. We all said our goodbyes and went home to pack.

---