So much good wine, so little time; South Australia's Limestone Coast
Aug 19th, 2014, 04:29 PM
#21
Hi Dot -
Spring has definitely come early here in Perth, but it was so cold in SA that all the lambs surprised me. Although even as I type this I'm wondering why I think lambs can't be born in the winter....they don't know it's cold. I obviously don't know much about sheep.
Keep that nice weather for us - we're headed down there in less than two weeks!
Toucan - I can smell a chocolate café from across the county and SA is blessed with chocolate. The abundance and variety of chocolate shops there is pretty amazing, especially considering their small population. Here in WA we have more people, but a severe shortage of chocolate (!), and only a few places where you can pop in for a chocolate fest. It's just wrong.
Spring has definitely come early here in Perth, but it was so cold in SA that all the lambs surprised me. Although even as I type this I'm wondering why I think lambs can't be born in the winter....they don't know it's cold. I obviously don't know much about sheep.
Keep that nice weather for us - we're headed down there in less than two weeks!
Toucan - I can smell a chocolate café from across the county and SA is blessed with chocolate. The abundance and variety of chocolate shops there is pretty amazing, especially considering their small population. Here in WA we have more people, but a severe shortage of chocolate (!), and only a few places where you can pop in for a chocolate fest. It's just wrong.
Aug 20th, 2014, 10:48 PM
#22
Days 5-6 – Falling in love with Robe
I liked Robe the minute we pulled into town and meandered along its quiet main street lined with historic buildings. This village of ~1,500 residents situated along Guichen Bay has a seafaring history that dates back to the early 1800’s. These days it’s known for its rock lobster and is a popular stop for travelers driving between Melbourne and Adelaide. This is a town with something for everyone, be it beaches, fishing, golfing, bushwalks, lakes, history, etc. It’s no wonder that the population of Robe grows to 15,000 during the summer months. All the more reason to visit in July!
http://robe.com.au/?page_id=54
Our accommodation:
http://www.dunesatrobe.com.au/
Once again, my research paid off, this was a wonderful little place, one of two free standing beach houses separated from West Beach by, yep, dunes! Our little two bedroom cottage was perfect; it was spotless, roomy and warm, colorful and well equipped. The owner has obviously put a lot of thought and love into her cottages. There was even a backyard, which would be ideal for summertime barbecues with the family; a lovely place indeed ($124 per night, reduced winter rate, no breakfast or internet). I found it interesting that the cottage was only a five minute walk from the beach, yet we couldn’t hear the ocean until we crested the dunes. In fact, I’d not have known the beach was there had I not known it was there, if you get my drift.
I’d read wonderful things about Sails, a seafood restaurant in Robe, but it was closed the first night of our stay, so we ended up having dinner at Pizza Project (formerly Vic Street Pizza), which was so good that we ate there all three nights.. The building may have been unheated (imagine that), but the pizza was excellent, and at $19-22 dollars for a pie that adequately fed two people, we were more than content to work our way down their list of offerings each night, sampling the margarita, the rosemary potato, rocket, four cheese and caramelized onion (yes, potato, and boy was it filling) and the pepperoni, olive, sweet/sour onion. Excellent, every bite.
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUs...Australia.html
Mahalia Coffee was on my ‘must do’ list, so we sought them out for coffee our first morning in Robe. We’d not have found them without some help, as they’re located in an industrial area on Flint Street. This place is a bit of an oxymoron, they refer to it as their factory, and we did see people working in a back room, but the much anticipated smell of roasting coffee was completely absent. Their shop is more gift shop than coffee shop; it’s fresh, pretty and kind of girly. Although I loved both the shop and their coffee, I missed not being able to purchase freshly roasted coffee ground to order. Perhaps they’re just too small.
http://www.mahaliacoffee.com.au/
The first day we drove up to Cape Jaffa, stopping at the Cape Jaffa Winery for an interesting chat and some nice wines, including Marsanne, which we don’t see much of here in Australia. We drove out to the very tip of the cape where it meets the ocean and walked the guano riddled jetty; the beach was covered in seaweed, and rather pungent. It reminded us of our last trip to SA and how disappointed we were with the beaches, apparently having been spoiled by the beautiful white sand beaches we have in WA. There wasn’t much to Cape Jaffa, no township to speak of, just a few houses and some mighty big boats.
We drove up to Kingston SE, hoping to climb to the top of the Cape Jaffa Lighthouse for some views, (re-located from Cape Jaffa), but it was fenced in and the gate was locked; apparently it’s only open during school holidays or by special request. Kingston is a good sized community with lots of houses lining the foreshore, but it took us forever to figure out where town was, such that it is. Not having researched Kingston’s food options, we lunched on the very average offerings of the Cottage Coffee Shop.
No visit to Kingston SE (the SE stands for south east as evidently there’s more than one Kingston in SA) would be complete without the obligatory snaps of 17 meter tall Larry the Lobster, dubbed as “one of the most impressive of Australia’s Big Things”. Any town that considers a tractor museum and a gigantic fiberglass lobster major attractions....well, you get the picture.
We were curious about Coorong National Park, so we continued driving north, but turned back a short time later, suspecting the long detour wasn’t worth the effort given the prairie-like landscape, no ocean in sight. Ugh. We’d be back up here soon enough anyway.
Once again back in pretty Robe, we walked the Clifftop Walk, accessed from West Beach. Wow, what a contrast. Blessed with a sunny afternoon, the jagged limestone cliffs and deep blue sea were a sight to behold. I was in photography heaven. The trail eventually left the coast and led along the marina and through town. The sheer number and size of the homes along this stretch threw me for a loop. I later learned that most of these are holiday homes meant to house the hoards which descend upon Robe over the summer months.
Our second day in Robe was spent working off some pizza, i.e. walking in Little Dip Conservation Park where we explored a 3.25 mile section of the 4x4 track that begins at the Stonyrise Campground. Once again the coastal views were pretty incredible. We also walked the 2.7 mile stretch along Guichen Bay from Fox Lake to Town Beach and back, a nice stroll despite the gloom.
We took in the startlingly green views from the top of Beacon Hill Lookout, which made the layout of Robe and the surrounding lakes and bays easier for my spatially confused self to comprehend. We explored the historic buildings in town and had a lovely lunch at Providore; excellent spinach and ricotta gnocchi and Red Emperor fish and chips, and lots of it ($41 with flat whites).
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restau...Australia.html
We ended our day at the charming historic Caledonian Inn, sipping drinks and utilizing their free wifi, seated at the best table in the house, next to the open fire. Everyone in SA, Robe in particular, had been incredibly friendly and welcoming, we felt as if they genuinely wanted us to be there.
http://caledonianinn.net.au/
To be continued....
I liked Robe the minute we pulled into town and meandered along its quiet main street lined with historic buildings. This village of ~1,500 residents situated along Guichen Bay has a seafaring history that dates back to the early 1800’s. These days it’s known for its rock lobster and is a popular stop for travelers driving between Melbourne and Adelaide. This is a town with something for everyone, be it beaches, fishing, golfing, bushwalks, lakes, history, etc. It’s no wonder that the population of Robe grows to 15,000 during the summer months. All the more reason to visit in July!
http://robe.com.au/?page_id=54
Our accommodation:
http://www.dunesatrobe.com.au/
Once again, my research paid off, this was a wonderful little place, one of two free standing beach houses separated from West Beach by, yep, dunes! Our little two bedroom cottage was perfect; it was spotless, roomy and warm, colorful and well equipped. The owner has obviously put a lot of thought and love into her cottages. There was even a backyard, which would be ideal for summertime barbecues with the family; a lovely place indeed ($124 per night, reduced winter rate, no breakfast or internet). I found it interesting that the cottage was only a five minute walk from the beach, yet we couldn’t hear the ocean until we crested the dunes. In fact, I’d not have known the beach was there had I not known it was there, if you get my drift.
I’d read wonderful things about Sails, a seafood restaurant in Robe, but it was closed the first night of our stay, so we ended up having dinner at Pizza Project (formerly Vic Street Pizza), which was so good that we ate there all three nights.. The building may have been unheated (imagine that), but the pizza was excellent, and at $19-22 dollars for a pie that adequately fed two people, we were more than content to work our way down their list of offerings each night, sampling the margarita, the rosemary potato, rocket, four cheese and caramelized onion (yes, potato, and boy was it filling) and the pepperoni, olive, sweet/sour onion. Excellent, every bite.
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUs...Australia.html
Mahalia Coffee was on my ‘must do’ list, so we sought them out for coffee our first morning in Robe. We’d not have found them without some help, as they’re located in an industrial area on Flint Street. This place is a bit of an oxymoron, they refer to it as their factory, and we did see people working in a back room, but the much anticipated smell of roasting coffee was completely absent. Their shop is more gift shop than coffee shop; it’s fresh, pretty and kind of girly. Although I loved both the shop and their coffee, I missed not being able to purchase freshly roasted coffee ground to order. Perhaps they’re just too small.
http://www.mahaliacoffee.com.au/
The first day we drove up to Cape Jaffa, stopping at the Cape Jaffa Winery for an interesting chat and some nice wines, including Marsanne, which we don’t see much of here in Australia. We drove out to the very tip of the cape where it meets the ocean and walked the guano riddled jetty; the beach was covered in seaweed, and rather pungent. It reminded us of our last trip to SA and how disappointed we were with the beaches, apparently having been spoiled by the beautiful white sand beaches we have in WA. There wasn’t much to Cape Jaffa, no township to speak of, just a few houses and some mighty big boats.
We drove up to Kingston SE, hoping to climb to the top of the Cape Jaffa Lighthouse for some views, (re-located from Cape Jaffa), but it was fenced in and the gate was locked; apparently it’s only open during school holidays or by special request. Kingston is a good sized community with lots of houses lining the foreshore, but it took us forever to figure out where town was, such that it is. Not having researched Kingston’s food options, we lunched on the very average offerings of the Cottage Coffee Shop.
No visit to Kingston SE (the SE stands for south east as evidently there’s more than one Kingston in SA) would be complete without the obligatory snaps of 17 meter tall Larry the Lobster, dubbed as “one of the most impressive of Australia’s Big Things”. Any town that considers a tractor museum and a gigantic fiberglass lobster major attractions....well, you get the picture.
We were curious about Coorong National Park, so we continued driving north, but turned back a short time later, suspecting the long detour wasn’t worth the effort given the prairie-like landscape, no ocean in sight. Ugh. We’d be back up here soon enough anyway.
Once again back in pretty Robe, we walked the Clifftop Walk, accessed from West Beach. Wow, what a contrast. Blessed with a sunny afternoon, the jagged limestone cliffs and deep blue sea were a sight to behold. I was in photography heaven. The trail eventually left the coast and led along the marina and through town. The sheer number and size of the homes along this stretch threw me for a loop. I later learned that most of these are holiday homes meant to house the hoards which descend upon Robe over the summer months.
Our second day in Robe was spent working off some pizza, i.e. walking in Little Dip Conservation Park where we explored a 3.25 mile section of the 4x4 track that begins at the Stonyrise Campground. Once again the coastal views were pretty incredible. We also walked the 2.7 mile stretch along Guichen Bay from Fox Lake to Town Beach and back, a nice stroll despite the gloom.
We took in the startlingly green views from the top of Beacon Hill Lookout, which made the layout of Robe and the surrounding lakes and bays easier for my spatially confused self to comprehend. We explored the historic buildings in town and had a lovely lunch at Providore; excellent spinach and ricotta gnocchi and Red Emperor fish and chips, and lots of it ($41 with flat whites).
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restau...Australia.html
We ended our day at the charming historic Caledonian Inn, sipping drinks and utilizing their free wifi, seated at the best table in the house, next to the open fire. Everyone in SA, Robe in particular, had been incredibly friendly and welcoming, we felt as if they genuinely wanted us to be there.
http://caledonianinn.net.au/
To be continued....
Aug 21st, 2014, 01:18 PM
#23
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Oh I'm so pleased you enjoyed Robe and Mt Gambier, quaint eh ?
I was starting to get a bit worried when you were around Naracoorte, hoping we hadn't given you a bum steer.
I spent a few hours extracting every last morsel of crayfish from its shell at The Cally, cute pub too.
I do hope you got to the good bits of the Coorong near the mouth of the Murray River.
The other Kingston is a few hours north east of Adelaide, Kingston on Murray, not surprisingly, it's on the Murray. Neither Kingston is worth a second visit (unless perhaps for water skiers).
Thanks for providing this candid report, a gem for sure for any future trip planners.
Cheers
I was starting to get a bit worried when you were around Naracoorte, hoping we hadn't given you a bum steer.
I spent a few hours extracting every last morsel of crayfish from its shell at The Cally, cute pub too.
I do hope you got to the good bits of the Coorong near the mouth of the Murray River.
The other Kingston is a few hours north east of Adelaide, Kingston on Murray, not surprisingly, it's on the Murray. Neither Kingston is worth a second visit (unless perhaps for water skiers).
Thanks for providing this candid report, a gem for sure for any future trip planners.
Cheers
Aug 21st, 2014, 06:14 PM
#24
No one gave us a bum anything sartoric; we were hell bent on visiting Coonawarra. And I'm glad we did, as now it's out of our systems.
Where exactly were those good bits of the Coorong? I think we missed them.
Some photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8/
Where exactly were those good bits of the Coorong? I think we missed them.
Some photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8/
Aug 21st, 2014, 06:16 PM
#25
Oops, that link is for my whole photostream. Here are the SA photos.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...7646101767683/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...7646101767683/
Aug 21st, 2014, 06:28 PM
#26
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Along the Younghusband Peninsula (so named for its shape I expect) there used to be some shacks right on the sand. The bird life and sea life was prolific.
This was a long time ago, and they were all privately owned but on leasehold land. Even 35 years ago they were talking about not renewing leases and demolishing any structures there on. Maybe the shacks have gone, but the national park is still there. I liked Goolwa too, and have many childhood memories of Victor Harbour and Granite Island.
Your photos are great, those yarn bombers are a wild and crazy bunch !
This was a long time ago, and they were all privately owned but on leasehold land. Even 35 years ago they were talking about not renewing leases and demolishing any structures there on. Maybe the shacks have gone, but the national park is still there. I liked Goolwa too, and have many childhood memories of Victor Harbour and Granite Island.
Your photos are great, those yarn bombers are a wild and crazy bunch !
Aug 21st, 2014, 06:48 PM
#27
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Oh, and I've been wanting to ask : have you been to the Kimberley ? I expect so, but if not, please have a look. Some of the most awe inspiring scenery in Australia I reckon, great walks and a real outback experience.
I know you don't like hot weather, but winter is perfect up there.
I know you don't like hot weather, but winter is perfect up there.
Aug 21st, 2014, 09:23 PM
#29
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Fab photos, Mel. Love the geese mural. Where is that?
The yarn bombers are very clever. I had never heard of them until your report.
I chuckled when I saw the Rocking Horse, as I have a similarly-positioned photo plus a little Rocking Horse that I bought at the shop at Gumeracha, SA. I most definitely need to return to South Australia.
The yarn bombers are very clever. I had never heard of them until your report.
I chuckled when I saw the Rocking Horse, as I have a similarly-positioned photo plus a little Rocking Horse that I bought at the shop at Gumeracha, SA. I most definitely need to return to South Australia.
Aug 21st, 2014, 10:11 PM
#30
Hi dotty -
The geese mural was under a rail bridge in Naracoorte. We saw it the morning we walked along the creek.
I'd never heard of yarn bombing either. I saw the bench in front of a shop, then began to notice yarn wrapped around railings and telephone poles and dangling from trees. That night I googled "yarn Penola' and pulled up some interesting info about it.
http://yarn-bombing.com/tag/south-australia/
Gumeracha was a nice surprise, We drove out there to see the rocking horse but had no idea there was a wildlife center until we got there. It was great fun, I felt like a big kid.
The geese mural was under a rail bridge in Naracoorte. We saw it the morning we walked along the creek.
I'd never heard of yarn bombing either. I saw the bench in front of a shop, then began to notice yarn wrapped around railings and telephone poles and dangling from trees. That night I googled "yarn Penola' and pulled up some interesting info about it.
http://yarn-bombing.com/tag/south-australia/
Gumeracha was a nice surprise, We drove out there to see the rocking horse but had no idea there was a wildlife center until we got there. It was great fun, I felt like a big kid.
Aug 22nd, 2014, 08:01 PM
#32
Day 7 –
After breakfast and caffeine at Providore (Eggs Bennie for one, flat whites for two $25.50, good food, friendly service) we left Robe in the rain. We blew through Kingston SE and continued north on the Princes Highway. We were on our way to the Adelaide Hills, but we hoped to explore a bit of Coorong National Park en route, which extends some 130 kilometers along the coast and is recognized as an internationally significant wetland. We’d been told at the Visitors Center in Robe that this is an area some love and many don’t, and we’d been given some suggestions on where we could access the park without blatantly violating our rental car contract.
http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/par..._National_Park
Our first stop within the park was Jack’s Point, where we followed the walking track to the Pelican Observatory (20 minute return), which overlooks a series of pelican breeding islands. This is a protected area, with large fines incurred for getting closer than 140 meters, an impossible feat unless one swims or has a boat. The distance was so great that we could only see a few white specks that we assumed were pelicans. It was a nice little stroll though.
We next stopped at Parnka Point, the narrowest point between the northern and southern Coorong lagoon, which promised ‘great scenery’. As we turned off the highway, we noticed that the standing water from the recent rain came up right to the road. We followed the 4.5 km stretch of unsealed road to the water’s edge near the boat launch. We wandered around a bit, taking in the mildly interesting lagoon views. It seems we both fell into the category of those who don’t love the Coorong area. It just didn’t appeal to us.
Curiosity satisfied, we continued driving up the Princes Highway, hugging the coast until the road turned inland towards Meningie. One of the ladies in the Visitor’s Center had suggested we drive the loop around Lake Albert, but upon closer inspection of the map, it appeared to include a long stretch of unsealed road and a water crossing. Not knowing what we were getting ourselves into, we decided against the detour.
At Tailem Bend we turned off onto B45 towards Strathalbyn. Near Wellington the road disappeared into the water and we came upon a queue of cars. We pulled off to investigate, and saw that the cars were boarding a ferry to cross the river. This was completely unexpected; we joined the queue (no charge to use the ferry) and were soon on the other side in the township of Wellington. I’ve just this minute learned that the Murray River is 25 meters deep at Wellington, and that the surface is only one meter above sea level (thanks Wikipedia!).
Soon we were on the Fleurieu Peninsula, the landscape a vibrant green and impossibly flat, surrounded by vineyards, road signs warning of flooding, and water pooled on the road. We entered the Langhorne Creek wine region, resisting the urge to stop and explore. Abruptly the landscape became hilly as we approached the pretty little town of Strathalbyn.
http://www.southaustralia.com/info.aspx?id=9002641.
We turned on B37 towards Mount Barker and slowly crept into the Adelaide Hills via the Angus River Scenic Route (B33), a beautiful stretch of road winding through the countryside.
Ah yes, I remember this. We’d only spent an afternoon in the hills on our previous visit, just enough time to whet my appetite for more of this beautiful part of South Australia. We were now in the Mount Lofty Ranges, amidst a maze of valleys, bright green undulating hills and small historic settlements that ooze country charm. This part of South Australia really strikes a chord with me. It’s like New Zealand with koalas; a startling contrast to the flat sameness of Coonawarra.
Four hours after leaving Robe we were pulling into Macclesfield.
I was a bit clueless about where to stay in the Adelaide Hills; the numerous villages and townships are a bit confusing when trying to sort things out from a computer. So, I just took a stab in the dark and booked the first place that caught my eye.
http://www.longviewvineyard.com.au/
Longview Vineyard is aptly named; the views from its Angus Valley location are expansive and stunning. We didn’t receive a particularly warm welcome when we arrived; the proprietor seemed distracted, and it’s no wonder, they’re adding a new block of accommodation and the place was a construction zone. The heavy equipment combined with the recent rain had turned the vineyard’s roads into a mud bath. We had a bit of trouble getting to/from our unit, but things improved over the next few days. Our apartment was clean, modern and well equipped ($140 per night). The refrigerator contained an astonishing amount of breakfast provisions; three large packages of bacon, a dozen eggs, a loaf of bread, three large tomatoes, cheese, juices, butter and jam, as well as a basket of cereal and cookies and a complimentary bottle of wine.
Unfortunately, the odor of cooked bacon from the previous guests was overwhelming. Despite us leaving the windows open while we were out during the day, we couldn’t get rid of the smell.
We’d been given very detailed instructions for operating the heater, but it took forever to come to life and warm the place. We also had trouble with the television and Wifi, just as we had in Naracoorte, making us wonder what’s up in South Australia. We mentioned this to the owner and he had no explanation other than to say they were lucky they even had electricity in Macclesfield.
All in all the accommodation worked well for us, but considering the troubles we had with the heater, a heated mattress pad or electric blanket would have been much appreciated.
I think it's worth mentioning that we pay much more for much less in WA; similar accommodation here doesn’t include breakfast, let alone Wifi, so despite the issues we had, all of our accommodation in SA was very good value by WA standards. It’s just annoying when things don’t work as they should.
Macclesfield is home to two pubs, a post office and not much else, so after getting settled we drove to Hahndorf via Echunga, a gorgeous 18 km drive, even in the rain. You’ve probably guessed our destination...yep, Chocolate @ No 5 for another dose of chocolate bliss ($17). But even I can’t live on chocolate alone, so we also sought out solid nourishment. Due to the time, most restaurants were no longer serving lunch. This happens to us often when we travel; we call it the “witching hour’. We made due with the first place we could find offering food, the Hahndorf Kaffeehaus, where we noshed on bratwurst with sauerkraut and a salmon roll, nothing special, but it worked in a pinch.
Naturally, minutes after we’d eaten we stumbled upon the Hofbrauhaus of South Australia, the lively 150 year old Hahndorf Inn, home to an impressive range of German beer and heaping plates of German fare. The minute we walked in we were assaulted by fumes. I scrunched up my nose and turned to Bill who none too quietly blurted “it smells like farts in here”. It did indeed. I guess it stands to reason that a beer hall would smell of beer farts, although I don’t recall having this experience in the many beer halls I’ve been to in Germany. We stuck around long enough for Bill to have a beer and to ogle the insanely massive plates of food at neighboring tables. I couldn’t resist picking up a slice of Black Forest cake for later, but it wasn’t very good.
http://hahndorfinn.com.au/?page_id=99
To be continued...
After breakfast and caffeine at Providore (Eggs Bennie for one, flat whites for two $25.50, good food, friendly service) we left Robe in the rain. We blew through Kingston SE and continued north on the Princes Highway. We were on our way to the Adelaide Hills, but we hoped to explore a bit of Coorong National Park en route, which extends some 130 kilometers along the coast and is recognized as an internationally significant wetland. We’d been told at the Visitors Center in Robe that this is an area some love and many don’t, and we’d been given some suggestions on where we could access the park without blatantly violating our rental car contract.
http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/par..._National_Park
Our first stop within the park was Jack’s Point, where we followed the walking track to the Pelican Observatory (20 minute return), which overlooks a series of pelican breeding islands. This is a protected area, with large fines incurred for getting closer than 140 meters, an impossible feat unless one swims or has a boat. The distance was so great that we could only see a few white specks that we assumed were pelicans. It was a nice little stroll though.
We next stopped at Parnka Point, the narrowest point between the northern and southern Coorong lagoon, which promised ‘great scenery’. As we turned off the highway, we noticed that the standing water from the recent rain came up right to the road. We followed the 4.5 km stretch of unsealed road to the water’s edge near the boat launch. We wandered around a bit, taking in the mildly interesting lagoon views. It seems we both fell into the category of those who don’t love the Coorong area. It just didn’t appeal to us.
Curiosity satisfied, we continued driving up the Princes Highway, hugging the coast until the road turned inland towards Meningie. One of the ladies in the Visitor’s Center had suggested we drive the loop around Lake Albert, but upon closer inspection of the map, it appeared to include a long stretch of unsealed road and a water crossing. Not knowing what we were getting ourselves into, we decided against the detour.
At Tailem Bend we turned off onto B45 towards Strathalbyn. Near Wellington the road disappeared into the water and we came upon a queue of cars. We pulled off to investigate, and saw that the cars were boarding a ferry to cross the river. This was completely unexpected; we joined the queue (no charge to use the ferry) and were soon on the other side in the township of Wellington. I’ve just this minute learned that the Murray River is 25 meters deep at Wellington, and that the surface is only one meter above sea level (thanks Wikipedia!).
Soon we were on the Fleurieu Peninsula, the landscape a vibrant green and impossibly flat, surrounded by vineyards, road signs warning of flooding, and water pooled on the road. We entered the Langhorne Creek wine region, resisting the urge to stop and explore. Abruptly the landscape became hilly as we approached the pretty little town of Strathalbyn.
http://www.southaustralia.com/info.aspx?id=9002641.
We turned on B37 towards Mount Barker and slowly crept into the Adelaide Hills via the Angus River Scenic Route (B33), a beautiful stretch of road winding through the countryside.
Ah yes, I remember this. We’d only spent an afternoon in the hills on our previous visit, just enough time to whet my appetite for more of this beautiful part of South Australia. We were now in the Mount Lofty Ranges, amidst a maze of valleys, bright green undulating hills and small historic settlements that ooze country charm. This part of South Australia really strikes a chord with me. It’s like New Zealand with koalas; a startling contrast to the flat sameness of Coonawarra.
Four hours after leaving Robe we were pulling into Macclesfield.
I was a bit clueless about where to stay in the Adelaide Hills; the numerous villages and townships are a bit confusing when trying to sort things out from a computer. So, I just took a stab in the dark and booked the first place that caught my eye.
http://www.longviewvineyard.com.au/
Longview Vineyard is aptly named; the views from its Angus Valley location are expansive and stunning. We didn’t receive a particularly warm welcome when we arrived; the proprietor seemed distracted, and it’s no wonder, they’re adding a new block of accommodation and the place was a construction zone. The heavy equipment combined with the recent rain had turned the vineyard’s roads into a mud bath. We had a bit of trouble getting to/from our unit, but things improved over the next few days. Our apartment was clean, modern and well equipped ($140 per night). The refrigerator contained an astonishing amount of breakfast provisions; three large packages of bacon, a dozen eggs, a loaf of bread, three large tomatoes, cheese, juices, butter and jam, as well as a basket of cereal and cookies and a complimentary bottle of wine.
Unfortunately, the odor of cooked bacon from the previous guests was overwhelming. Despite us leaving the windows open while we were out during the day, we couldn’t get rid of the smell.
We’d been given very detailed instructions for operating the heater, but it took forever to come to life and warm the place. We also had trouble with the television and Wifi, just as we had in Naracoorte, making us wonder what’s up in South Australia. We mentioned this to the owner and he had no explanation other than to say they were lucky they even had electricity in Macclesfield.
All in all the accommodation worked well for us, but considering the troubles we had with the heater, a heated mattress pad or electric blanket would have been much appreciated.
I think it's worth mentioning that we pay much more for much less in WA; similar accommodation here doesn’t include breakfast, let alone Wifi, so despite the issues we had, all of our accommodation in SA was very good value by WA standards. It’s just annoying when things don’t work as they should.
Macclesfield is home to two pubs, a post office and not much else, so after getting settled we drove to Hahndorf via Echunga, a gorgeous 18 km drive, even in the rain. You’ve probably guessed our destination...yep, Chocolate @ No 5 for another dose of chocolate bliss ($17). But even I can’t live on chocolate alone, so we also sought out solid nourishment. Due to the time, most restaurants were no longer serving lunch. This happens to us often when we travel; we call it the “witching hour’. We made due with the first place we could find offering food, the Hahndorf Kaffeehaus, where we noshed on bratwurst with sauerkraut and a salmon roll, nothing special, but it worked in a pinch.
Naturally, minutes after we’d eaten we stumbled upon the Hofbrauhaus of South Australia, the lively 150 year old Hahndorf Inn, home to an impressive range of German beer and heaping plates of German fare. The minute we walked in we were assaulted by fumes. I scrunched up my nose and turned to Bill who none too quietly blurted “it smells like farts in here”. It did indeed. I guess it stands to reason that a beer hall would smell of beer farts, although I don’t recall having this experience in the many beer halls I’ve been to in Germany. We stuck around long enough for Bill to have a beer and to ogle the insanely massive plates of food at neighboring tables. I couldn’t resist picking up a slice of Black Forest cake for later, but it wasn’t very good.
http://hahndorfinn.com.au/?page_id=99
To be continued...
Aug 29th, 2014, 09:43 PM
#33
Days 8 -9: Exploring the hills
Enticed by names like Kangarilla, Chookarloo and Dingabledinga we explored the hills, first driving towards Meadows via the Battunga Scenic Road to investigate the big green patch on our map, Kuitpo Forest Reserve.
We parked near the closed information center and set out on the first track we stumbled upon, The Heyson Track, which extends some 1,200 km from the Flinders Rangers to Cape Jervis (and here I thought the 965 km Bibbulmun Track in WA was long). Due to the swampy track and the numerous streams we were unwilling to trudge through, we didn’t get very far.
We had a bit more success with the Chookarloo Trail, although it was a muddy, log strewn mess. That big patch of green on our map turned out to be a forestry plantation and they were logging right on the trail. Kuitpo Forest was a bust.
We gave up on walking and followed the signs to McLaren Vale for lunch, seeking out Blessed Cheese, a little cafe we’d discovered in 2009. Bill loved his lamb curry but my ham and pea soup fell flat. The melting moment was fantastic though ($42 with one glass of wine and one flat white).
The afternoon was spent wandering, and visiting Hugo Winery in McLaren Flat, where we made our final wine purchases and arranged shipment to Perth.
I wanted to investigate a cute little coffee shop I’d seen, so our final day in the Adelaide Hills began in Hahndorf. The café in question was closed (on a Saturday morning in a tourist town!) so we ended up at nearby Café Assiette, where we caffeinated while reading their message wall (good coffee). Tourist town aside, Hahndorf isn’t particularly pedestrian friendly.
The plan was to explore the walking opportunities at Mount Lofty, but the rain and fog didn’t bode well, the closer we got the thicker it became, completely obliterating the views. We spent several hours wandering the gardens and valleys of the Botanic Garden, which is situated on the eastern slope of Mount Lofty. This is a beautiful spot and we saw a few koalas snoozing high in the trees, always a treat. We really enjoyed the trails here, hills and all.
http:t//www.adelaidehills.org.au/attractions/mt-lofty-botanic-gardens
We also visited the summit of Mount Lofty, some 710 meters above sea level, knowing even before we got there that there wouldn’t be any views, and sure enough, it was completely socked in by fog. We shared a nice slice of triple chocolate cake in the Summit Restaurant while watching tourist after tourist walk out onto the viewing platform and take photos of the wall of fog. It was a hoot.
http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/par...t_Lofty_Summit
Lunch found us at Grumpy’s Brewhaus near Hahndorf, where we shared a small Italian Job wood fired pizza. Our experience here left us a bit grumpy with its average food, poor value and cave-like atmosphere, so dark we couldn’t see what we were eating ($33 with a beer).
http://www.grumpys.com.au/
Curious about another one of Australia’s Big Things, we followed the Onkapariga Scenic Drive (B34) to Gumeracha, through gorgeous rolling countryside, the sun finally making an appearance. As we passed through town after town, we noticed the abundance of country pubs and chocolate shops; I’m convinced there are more chocolate shops in the Adelaide Hills than in all of Western Australia!
The pretty little town of Birdswood brought more amazing stone buildings that I’ll forever associate with South Australia; they really spoke to me. In addition to the Big Rocking Horse, the tiny town of Gumeracha is home to a toy museum, and much to our surprise, a wildlife park. We paid $1 each and joined the other kids wandering the park and enjoying the flawless afternoon. Great fun.
http://thetoyfactory.com.au/
We continued our drive, making a loop via Lobethal and Woodside, surrounded by orchards, vineyards, cows and ducks. A sign for Melba’s Chocolate Factory caught my eye, so naturally we detoured to their shop, amazed at its size and variety, settling for some licorice and freckles. We spent a little time exploring pretty Mount Barker before returning to Macclesfield.
It had been a day of pleasant surprises, which continued into the evening as we dined at Three Brothers Arms, one of the two pubs in Macclesfield. Wow, who’d have guessed that a town of 832 people would have such a good place to eat? Bill had another lamb curry, I went for the beetroot and goat curd tart ($55 with one drink each, excellent).
The morning of our departure we returned to Chocolate @ No 5 one last time. Needing caffeine more than chocolate, I found the perfect compromise in the mocha, dark hot chocolate with a shot of espresso. Heaven.
Well trained yanks that we are, we arrived at the Adelaide Airport hours before our flight, not realizing that check-in and security would take all of five minutes. We whiled away the time examining the lolly art, a mural consisting of 34,000 pieces of candy and weighing in at 200 kg. The things people come up with.
Our return flight was smooth and stress-free. Two thumbs up for Virgin Australia.
_______________________________________
Enticed by names like Kangarilla, Chookarloo and Dingabledinga we explored the hills, first driving towards Meadows via the Battunga Scenic Road to investigate the big green patch on our map, Kuitpo Forest Reserve.
We parked near the closed information center and set out on the first track we stumbled upon, The Heyson Track, which extends some 1,200 km from the Flinders Rangers to Cape Jervis (and here I thought the 965 km Bibbulmun Track in WA was long). Due to the swampy track and the numerous streams we were unwilling to trudge through, we didn’t get very far.
We had a bit more success with the Chookarloo Trail, although it was a muddy, log strewn mess. That big patch of green on our map turned out to be a forestry plantation and they were logging right on the trail. Kuitpo Forest was a bust.
We gave up on walking and followed the signs to McLaren Vale for lunch, seeking out Blessed Cheese, a little cafe we’d discovered in 2009. Bill loved his lamb curry but my ham and pea soup fell flat. The melting moment was fantastic though ($42 with one glass of wine and one flat white).
The afternoon was spent wandering, and visiting Hugo Winery in McLaren Flat, where we made our final wine purchases and arranged shipment to Perth.
I wanted to investigate a cute little coffee shop I’d seen, so our final day in the Adelaide Hills began in Hahndorf. The café in question was closed (on a Saturday morning in a tourist town!) so we ended up at nearby Café Assiette, where we caffeinated while reading their message wall (good coffee). Tourist town aside, Hahndorf isn’t particularly pedestrian friendly.
The plan was to explore the walking opportunities at Mount Lofty, but the rain and fog didn’t bode well, the closer we got the thicker it became, completely obliterating the views. We spent several hours wandering the gardens and valleys of the Botanic Garden, which is situated on the eastern slope of Mount Lofty. This is a beautiful spot and we saw a few koalas snoozing high in the trees, always a treat. We really enjoyed the trails here, hills and all.
http:t//www.adelaidehills.org.au/attractions/mt-lofty-botanic-gardens
We also visited the summit of Mount Lofty, some 710 meters above sea level, knowing even before we got there that there wouldn’t be any views, and sure enough, it was completely socked in by fog. We shared a nice slice of triple chocolate cake in the Summit Restaurant while watching tourist after tourist walk out onto the viewing platform and take photos of the wall of fog. It was a hoot.
http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/par...t_Lofty_Summit
Lunch found us at Grumpy’s Brewhaus near Hahndorf, where we shared a small Italian Job wood fired pizza. Our experience here left us a bit grumpy with its average food, poor value and cave-like atmosphere, so dark we couldn’t see what we were eating ($33 with a beer).
http://www.grumpys.com.au/
Curious about another one of Australia’s Big Things, we followed the Onkapariga Scenic Drive (B34) to Gumeracha, through gorgeous rolling countryside, the sun finally making an appearance. As we passed through town after town, we noticed the abundance of country pubs and chocolate shops; I’m convinced there are more chocolate shops in the Adelaide Hills than in all of Western Australia!
The pretty little town of Birdswood brought more amazing stone buildings that I’ll forever associate with South Australia; they really spoke to me. In addition to the Big Rocking Horse, the tiny town of Gumeracha is home to a toy museum, and much to our surprise, a wildlife park. We paid $1 each and joined the other kids wandering the park and enjoying the flawless afternoon. Great fun.
http://thetoyfactory.com.au/
We continued our drive, making a loop via Lobethal and Woodside, surrounded by orchards, vineyards, cows and ducks. A sign for Melba’s Chocolate Factory caught my eye, so naturally we detoured to their shop, amazed at its size and variety, settling for some licorice and freckles. We spent a little time exploring pretty Mount Barker before returning to Macclesfield.
It had been a day of pleasant surprises, which continued into the evening as we dined at Three Brothers Arms, one of the two pubs in Macclesfield. Wow, who’d have guessed that a town of 832 people would have such a good place to eat? Bill had another lamb curry, I went for the beetroot and goat curd tart ($55 with one drink each, excellent).
The morning of our departure we returned to Chocolate @ No 5 one last time. Needing caffeine more than chocolate, I found the perfect compromise in the mocha, dark hot chocolate with a shot of espresso. Heaven.
Well trained yanks that we are, we arrived at the Adelaide Airport hours before our flight, not realizing that check-in and security would take all of five minutes. We whiled away the time examining the lolly art, a mural consisting of 34,000 pieces of candy and weighing in at 200 kg. The things people come up with.
Our return flight was smooth and stress-free. Two thumbs up for Virgin Australia.
_______________________________________
Aug 29th, 2014, 10:43 PM
#34
I love your Trip Reports, Mel!
Such good descriptions & just enough walking to balance out the food & liquid libations. I'm not quite the chocoholic that you are, although as my mother's daughter, I should be - but I'm a sucker for a good mocha on a cold morning or evening.
You two have seen & experienced more of our wonderful country than many of us and the way you do it shows you so much more than many going to the same places would see.
And btw - congratulations on being fully bilingual .... "Lolly" & "Candy" in the one sentence - well done
Such good descriptions & just enough walking to balance out the food & liquid libations. I'm not quite the chocoholic that you are, although as my mother's daughter, I should be - but I'm a sucker for a good mocha on a cold morning or evening.
You two have seen & experienced more of our wonderful country than many of us and the way you do it shows you so much more than many going to the same places would see.
And btw - congratulations on being fully bilingual .... "Lolly" & "Candy" in the one sentence - well done
