Nothing To Do But Fish

We'd planned to stay our next night at Port Pirie, on South Australia's York Peninsula, but after rocking into town and doing a lap in about 30 seconds and discovering that the port is more industrial then tourist-friendly, we thought we'd drive a tad more up the coast.

This is when we stumbled upon the paradise that was Port Germein. In the brochure it boasted excellent fishing, a lush and welcoming water side caravan park, coffee shops and kiosks and an impressive record for the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. But alas, it seems the brochure was printed in 1975, because when we arrived, the fish were non-existent, the caravan park had long turned to dust (literally!), all the shops in town had closed down except for the pub and the wooden jetty had lost a few metres due to storm damage.

Too late to go on, we booked in for the night and got our bikes off the back of the car to ride the 1.7km each way along the wooden jetty (in which the water only became visible somewhere in the final 500metres). Yep, a record breaking long wharf. Congrats, Port Germein. At least the brochure got something right. But what really deserves an award and national recognition is how the local fisherman get their boats out of the ocean.



With no boat ramp because of the huge low tides and because the sand bank is so long and flat, these crafty fisherman have invented a crazy cross between a tractor, a giraffe and a turtle i.e. A tractor with really, really long legs. That drives in water. Check it out!

And now watch it in action!

Yours still marvelling at this masterpiece,

Odette

Yorke Peninsula

From the vines of the Barossa, the next stop on this trip around Australia couldn't have been more different. The Yorke Peninsula looks like a hot, dry piece of earth from the highway, but once you hit the coastline, it's pretty special.

We met some fellow kombi travellers at Moonta Bay, who say that the area is one of the most beautiful places they've had the pleasure of camping at. There's not alot in the town itself (or for a radius of about 200km) but the caravan park backs up to the ocean and the sunset is truly magic.

The view from our camping spot by day (the town is known for its great fishing off its wooden jetty - you can throw in a net and you're sure to catch at least 10 blue swimmer crabs in about an hour.)

The view from our camp spot on dusk.

Enjoying the sunset with our new kombi mates. (We took turns touring each other's vans. Lame? Maybe just a tad!)

Yours in the great outdoors,

Odette

Drunken Tales From the Barossa

It's difficult visiting a wine growing region without sampling some of the produce of the area. Maybe difficult isn't the right word. Impossible. Yep, that fits a little better. So after making our way out of Adelaide and loving that the kombi is going like a dream, Luke and I decided to check out what else Adelaide has to offer. First up, a night at Belair National Park, a pretty spot just 20 minutes from the city centre of Adelaide with some great bushwalks - even though it's terribly dry at this time of the year.

Next stop was the Adelaide Hills, which are a truly beautiful side-step out of Adelaide and definitely worth visiting - just fly into the city and hire a car for the weekend. Go on! If English style gardens, award winning cafes and restaurants, and heritage-drenched towns are your thing, you'll love the 'Hills.

And if you're out that way, you can't go past the German town of Hahndorf. Some might say it's kitsch but we thought it was kinda cool with all its kranskys and beer mugs.

And after you've eating y0ur wienerschnitzel, drop by and see something else that's totally out of the ordinary in the pretty backdrop of Adelaide's hinterland - the world's biggest rocking horse. But be prepared to pay $2 if you want to climb the thing. It's in Gumeracha.

And finally we make it to the beautiful Barossa Valley. Let's just say that it all started where Adelaide's first wine was made - at Jacob's Creek. Although obviously times have changed from when an English settler took up camp on the creek bed of the actual Jacob's Creek and thought the Barossa's mild Mediterranean weather was perfect for growing wine grapes. Now, the business of wine is BIG business. And often how popular or well-selling the wine is can be measured by how expensive and architecturally lavish the vineyard is. Jacob's Creek must be doing well at LiquorLand.

Penfolds has obviously sold a drop or two as well...

But as the afternoon wore on, all the wines started tasting pretty much the same. And the music coming from our laptop was getting louder and louder. Oh and I also want to take this opportunity to apologise to my sister Noni for that phone call pretending to be a Thai restaurant ringing with her takeaway order. We thought it was funny at the time. hehe.

And if you can wake up at a reasonable hour the next day and your head isn't pounding from all that sampling, throw on your darkest sunnies and check out the Barossa Farmers Market. All the foodies from around the area are there to sell their wares. We bought some homegrown strawberries and fresh pumpkin bread. Delicious.

Yours in the great outdoors,

Odette

Bad Wrap Banished

Adelaide seems to cop a lot of bad press so I couldn't wait to meet and shake hands with South Australia's capital city to see why people give her such a hard time. And after spending over a week exploring all that Adelaide has to offer, the only conclusion I could come to as to why people would call this city 'boring' or 'waaay too small to worry about' or 'pretty uneventful' is because they really haven't given her a fair go.

Adelaide is a gem. A small gem in comparison to say, Sydney's urban sprawl, but a very pretty gem with plenty going on. If Adelaide were an ad in the local newspaper's personal column, this is how she would read:

SMALL TIME GAL WITH BIG HEART SEEKS ONE TIME COMPANIONSHIP, REOCCURING FRIENDSHIP OR SOMETHING MORE PERMANENT

-Looking for a good time? One of Australia's oldest cities is too!

-Intelligent and well-read with an arts and festival scene to rival none other.

-Shopaholics need not apply but those with an interest in vintage wares and up-and-coming designer duds won't be disappointed.

-All religious affiliations welcome - there's a church on every corner.

-Must have an appreciation for fine food and fresh, locally grown produce and wine.

-Lovers of the great outdoors graciously accepted, with National Parks, agricultural land and the ocean all promising good times.

-Children and animals welcome.

-Looking forward to an exciting future together!

Oooo... see? A quick weekend affair with Adelaide seems more and more appealing, doesn't it?

There are SO many things to do in this city.

We celebrated our two year wedding anniversary with a yummo meal at the newly rejuvenated seaside suburb of Glenelg. There's tons of restaurants to choose from and whether you decide to dine day or night, there's always a bunch of people around which adds to the holiday vibe.

If it's shopping you're after, go straight to Rundle Street Mall. This is where all the major chain stores plus a bunch of smaller, more unusual shops can be found. Oh, and don't walk past Haigh's chocolate shop. Their stuff's so good, not stopping to sample some of Adelaide's best chocolate would be a crime. Or take a free tour of the factory. Hmmm... And pat the bronze sculptured pigs in the mall. Or get your photo sitting on one. Whichever you prefer.

A walk along the Torrens River is a must, and while you're going, check out the University of South Australia, the National Art Gallery and the Botanical Gardens (the only place in Australia that grows MASSIVE lillypads straight from the Amazon!) - all within walking distance. All prove to the Adelaide sceptics, that this place has a lot going on in it's small city grid.

Next stop, the Barossa!

Yours in the great outdoors,
Odette

As Good As New

We were having some pretty major problemos with our kombi Jefro before heading back to NSW for our two week break, so our first stop after arriving back in Adelaide was to a VW mechanic. Is it just me, or is anyone else experiencing a touch of deja vu?

We had the van booked into Volks Care, after it was highly recommended on the VW kombi forums online (HOT TIP: If you ever need a kombi mechanic and you're away from your home town area, check out http://www.kombiclub.com/ for recommendations of trusted kombi mechanics from other kombi owners throughout Australia).

In the end, after Luke replaced Jefro's condenser, fuel filters, points and tried carbie cleaner and metho in the petrol (C'mon, props to the boy for trying!), the tiny part making our van sick was the rotor button. Replaced, tuned and back on the road and the kombi is going like a dream.

Hence, if you're after a VW mechanic in Adelaide, we highly recommend:

Volks Care

22 Tania Avenue, Windsor Gardens, South Australia

Phone: 08 8369 1233

Yours in the great outdoors,

Odette

We're baaack!

Luke and I are back on the road after two lovely weeks back in NSW, that seemed to fly by.

Here's a few of the things we got up to...

Caught up with family (L to R: Little bro Tully, little sis Noni, me and Luke) at the parent's place before getting my wisdom teeth out.

Witnessed our beautiful friends Sarah and Adrian get hitched at Newport. Congrats guys!

Hung out with the girls! (L to R: Newly married Sarah, newly engaged Jess, newly promoted Kate Boosty, newly graduated from Uni Kate, myself and newly off the plane from London town for a quick visit Erin!)

Babysat our gorgeous four month old niece Morgan, who is smiling and getting bigger and bigger every time we cuddle her.

Ate ice cream with Luke's nana to celebrate her 80th birthday. Thanks so much for having us!

So with so many catch-ups and get-togethers going down over the past two weeks, our time away from the van seemed like but a day. But now we're back on the road, there'll be no trippin' on over the border back home for quick visits for a while (have you seen how much an airfare costs from Perth to Sydney!! Yikes!). Miss you all already!

Yours in the great outdoors,

Odette

Giddy Up!

If you're after an animal encounter on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, Victor Harbor is a great place to start. For those who like their animals relaxing and rare - visit in winter and see the Southern Right Whales basking in the shores of Encounter Bay. For those who like their animals bitey, and a little more elusive, the Great White Shark breeds in the Southern Ocean, just off the coast. But for those who like their animals placid, dependable and well tempered, head over to the Granite Island jetty and meet the beautiful Draft horses (Thomas was the horse on duty when we said hello) who will take you on a ride to discover one of Victor Harbor's most beautiful city sights.

Granite Island is just 2km from the city centre of Victor Harbor and is a refreshing burst of nature on a beautiful stretch of the coast. You can catch the famous horse drawn tram from either the mainland, or from Granite Island - it departs every 40minutes, or you can throw on your sneakers and hit the pavement instead.

We decided to walk across to the Island, which is full of beautiful walking tracks that overlook the amazing limestone rocky coast. There's a great view of the town of Victor Harbor looking back from the Island as well, which is worth the 10minute wander getting over there. A visit to the lovely Granite Island Cafe for a little treat is a must, before catching the horse tram back to the mainland. The tram is $7 return or $5 one way and is a great way to take in the surrounds. What a nice day out!

Yours in the great outdoors,

Odette

P.S. I'm writing this little post, overlooking the beautiful Manning River at Luke's parent's place in Cundletown. Luke and I have once again taken a little holiday from our holiday to party on down at a friend's wedding in Sydney and catch up with friends and family. Oh, and I had two wisdom teeth taken out as well, just to make the plane ride worth it. Ouch! We'll be picking up Jefro the kombi next Tuesday to continue our Aussie adventure.