In and Around Adelaide

We pulled in to Adelaide's Keswick Rail terminal a few minutes ahead of schedule. After an impromptu city tour, our coach driver dropped us off at the East End Astoria, our home for the next 2 nights. After a night and a day on the train, I think the group appreciated the extra space that serviced apartments provide over the standard hotel room. The downtown area of Adelaide is surrounded on all 4 sides by parklands, which were mapped out by Colonel Light to be at least one full cannon shot wide, and relatively open, to allow it to be easily defended against attack (though by whom we weren't quite sure). Dave and I picked up a half-dozen superb local bottles of wine to share with the group, which by now had been joined by Bill and Rose Allen, veterans of Dave's previous expeditions.

Saturday 30 November

I was surprised at how few cafes were open for breakfast in the downtown Adelaide area on a Saturday morning, but in fact I realised later there were several immediately adjacent to where we were staying. There was however beach volleyball on offer.

Adelaide is justly famous for its gardens, churches, museums and galleries. This is Bonython Hall, on the North Terrace campus of the University of Adelaide.

Nearby is this bust of Douglas Mawson, who is most widely known as one of the great Antarctic explorers. Less well known is that he was a geologist by training, and spent a good deal of his early career studying the Flinders Ranges in South Australia, which was to be our next destination. In fact, it was his finding evidence of glacier activity in the Flinders Ranges which led him initially to the Antarctic continent.

We spent part of the morning exploring the excellent South Australian Museum, including their "In the Footsteps of Sir Douglas Mawson" exhibition, and their extensive collection of minerals and Opal Fossils. 2002 also happens to be the "Year of the Outback", a series of events and celebrations to help promote outback tourism, industry, and a way of life. They even managed to schedule an eclipse to go with it... Oh, and if you're not sure what "Dunnies" are, take a look here.

Sadly, we only had one free day in Adelaide, and since most people wanted to do different things, we split up into smaller groups. Some took a day trip to Kangaroo Island, some went off to explore the Adelaide Hills region, while some of us just felt like a picnic. So Vince and I, along with Debra and Nelson Copp, went off to Adelaide's Central Market for some fresh bread, dips, cheeses, fruit, and wine, and spent a very pleasant lunch hour in Victoria Square, while the tram to Glenelg rattled back and forth.

After lunch, we decided we just had to do some wine-tasting, but preferably without having to drive anywhere. Fortunately, the Petaluma Winery at Bridgewater Mill is on the route of the 165 suburban bus, so off we went. I have to say, their 2002 Clare Valley Riesling is excellent, but we had to try their entire range just to be sure...

Having seen a bit of the Adelaide Hills and been suitably impressed by the wine, it was back into Adelaide, then off to the seaside suburb of Glenelg on the tram. It may look like an antique, but when this thing gets out of the city it fair bowls along! For my parents especially, it took them back to the grand old days of the Dunedin trams.

What better way to end the day than with fish and chips, while watching the sun set over water? We watched closely, but there was no Green Flash on this occasion. I only wish we could have spent more time in Adelaide, but the impending rendezvous of the Sun and Moon, together with the (even less flexible) train schedules allowed us just this one day.

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