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Published: March 17th 2013
Greetings from a sunny Perth :-)
I am a little behind with my writing, so this covers my time in Adelaide which was for three weeks from mid-February. My arrival was lovely because I was greeted as I got off the plane by Jean and Andy, a couple I'd been put in touch with by an old friend, Pat, who is Jean's cousin. We got to know each other a little while they drove me to the youth hostel I'd booked for my first two nights. When Mum and I had stayed in the Sydney Glebe hostel we'd been told that the Adelaide one was really good so I'd decided to give it a go. Unfortunately, I just confirmed that the hostel life is not for me. The lack of privacy is a major factor for me and sharing a room with three strangers just made me so uncomfortable. I didn't sleep well at all and I decided that I couldn't stay another night, so I searched the Internet for somewhere else and moved out (I got a refund for my unused night!).
The next evening was the start of the Adelaide Fringe event and there was a big
parade through the main street of the city with some local organisations and clubs and some of the acts who would be performing over the next few weeks. It was a great event with lots of the locals lining the street, although not too crowded so I found a good vantage point. Everyone was in high spirits and the parade went well, finishing with fireworks over Victoria Square at the centre of the city. As I walked back to my accommodation, I saw a sign saying it was 28 degrees - it was 10pm! Throughout my stay in Adelaide the temperature was usually in the 30's - good training for my next destination - The Outback.
I met Jean and Andy again the next day and they took me out west to Semaphore Beach where they said the locals go. The tourists all go to Glenelg to the south. We walked along the beach there (another beautiful Australian beach!) and visited a local cafe whilst getting to know each other a little better. They mentioned that they would be going to Canberra during my last week in the city because the Clipsal 500, a V8 supercars road race, would
Rundle Mall Fountain
Saved from relocation by Adelaide people powerbe in town and they don't like the noise or the difficulties caused by road closures. They then asked if I'd like to use their house that week - excellent, I jumped at it. So grateful. Coincidentally, I'd been trying to book something for that week but not having much luck, I realise now because of the popularity of the road race. I've been very blessed with the kindness of relative strangers during this trip.
The next couple of days were not so good for me. I wasn't very well and I think the amount of travelling in the previous couple of weeks, the heat, and the episode at the hostel caught up with me. I hit a bit of a low and could quite happily have got on a plane home. Instead, I gave myself some time to relax, recharge the batteries and regain my sanity! It's exhausting, all this adventuring ;-)
I moved hotel again to a more central location so that I could explore the city more easily. I also treated myself to some new sandals, a t-shirt and shorts as I was sick of wearing the same stuff all the time and my clothes
Torrens River
On my boat trip were starting to look a bit tired. Once I was back on my feet I went to the South Australia Museum and the Migration Museum to get a sense of the history of the state and the establishment of Adelaide itself. I also went to the Botannical Gardens which were lovely and visited the 'Garden of Unearthly Delights', the main area for the Adelaide Fringe acts.
The River Torrens runs through Adelaide and I went on a boat trip up and down it another day. The skipper gave a running commentary on the history of the city and the river and the local flora and fauna. I then found a quiet spot by the river and enjoyed just sitting there, reading my book and watching the world go by. A couple of weeks later, the banks would be busier with students enjoying them as the University buildings are right by the river. That evening I went to Jean and Andy's house to learn the intricacies of the alarm systems and various appliances before my stay there. We then went out for a lovely meal at a local pub. It's so nice to have company when travelling alone.
Another
evening I went to a concert that Jean had told me about. The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra put on a free concert annually to mark the start of the Adelaide Festival. It is in a park in the city with a constructed stage and people just turn up with chairs or blankets, maybe picnics and enjoy the classical music. There was a female solo saxophonist who played a couple of pieces with the orchestra and they finished with the 1812 Overture, using fireworks at the end where cannons usually fire. It was spectacular. It reminded me a little of a concert I'd taken part in with my clarinet outside Guildford Cathedral - a gathering of various local concert bands and orchestras playing the 1812 (with cannons!). It was blowing a gale and the sheet music flew everywhere, but it was fun.
As I was in the City of Churches I felt it was the right place to experience a Mass in this country so I went along to the St Francis Xavier Catholic Cathedral in the centre of the city. I'm used to churches being freezing cold so it was a shock to the system to be extremely hot and
needing to fan myself throughout! Apart from that it was quite comforting to be in a place where I knew the traditions and formalities and could join in with most of the proceedings. They were a little high church with excessive use of the incense, but maybe I just caught the posh mass that day!
I'd booked myself onto three coach tours in the next week so that I could see some of the surrounding areas of Adelaide. The first was to the Murray River which travels through most of the state of Victoria then into South Australia. We had to drive about an hour and a half through the pretty Adelaide Hills down to the river to take a ride on the Proud Mary boat for a couple of hours. The Murray is very wide and there are boathouses along it. It is hard to believe that a few years ago the water was at dangerously low levels due to a ten year drought in the country. A trip up to a lookout to see some spectacular views along the river and a wander around the town of Mannum preceded a visit to a wooden toy factory where
they have a 60ft high rocking horse outside to attract visitors. Unfortunately it doesn't rock, but you can climb up to a platform on the horse's back - more for kids really ;-)
Moving to Jean and Andy's place was straight forward and I drove them to the airport for their flight which meant I had the use of their car for the duration. I just had to get used to the various gadgets which opened security gates and the garage door and make sure I didn't set off any alarms! They have a lovely townhouse in the south of the city with all mod cons so I was very comfortable there.
My next tour was to the Barossa Valley and the German town of Hahndorf. We went to Richmond Grove winery where we were given a tour and the process of making the wine was explained. They were in the middle of harvesting the grapes so we were there at a good time. They usually do most of the picking at night because the temperatures are lower which is better for the process. It is nearly all done by machine. A quick wine-tasting ensued then we were
back on the bus to travel to the Chateau Barrosa for lunch. It is a beautiful building with a restaurant, a collection of fine antique china and lovely rose gardens. Next stop was Hahndorf, the most famous of many German towns in the area settled in the mid-19th century by Lutherans escaping persecution in Europe and wanting to set up farms which was encouraged by the authorities. The town itself was quite quaint with a few German influences, although no one there actually spoke German, much to the disappointment of a couple of German tourists!
The next day I got the tram down to Glenelg and spent the day enjoying the seaside. There was a school beach volleyball competition going on and other kids were having surfing lessons - a common sight over here, lucky things!
My final tour was to Victor Harbour, the Fleurieu Peninsula and the McLaren Vale wine region so we covered a lot of miles. At Victor Harbour there is a horse-drawn tram which takes you out to Granite Island, a nature reserve. They also have camel rides on the beach there. We visited the Tintara Cellar Door for a little more wine tasting
(has to be done!) then went on to our other destinations where were saw more beautiful beaches and lovely seafront houses.
I picked Jean and Andy up from the airport on a Monday evening and caught up with their news before spending my last night at theirs. The next day I was off to The Outback and I must admit to a bit of apprehension about the temperatures and the conditions.
Overall, my time in Adelaide was a little more relaxed than my previous destinations. I must admit to being a little disappointed in my reaction to the city because I went there thinking that I would really like it from what I'd read about it and with many Brits choosing to live there and loving the climate. Perhaps it didn't help that they were experiencing a particularly hot summer so I struggled a bit in the heat. I enjoyed the surrounding areas which were very picturesque, but the city itself didn't grab me.
Many thanks again to Jean and Andy for their hospitality and their time, it was lovely to get to know them.
Until next time...
Jo :-)
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John V
non-member comment
Adelaide etc
Glad to hear all is going well. The photos are great! Ann would sympathise with you about youth hostels - we stayed in one in Belgium the year before we got married, and she said " Never again" - she was in a four person bunck bed with loads of noisy girls in the room. And she had to scrub a staircase as her job with a bucket of cold water! Give her a hotel anyday! + We look forward to seeing you back (next month?) and will give you a job, please, as Audit examiner to our charity, as we are over the £25000 limit this year. Joe did very well in his exams and interviews and has accepted a place at Haberdashes Askes-7th highest placed independent schoolk in the country. All very pleased! See you soon, Love, Ann and John