Tuesday tales

Australia feels very familiar if you're a Brit. The language is the same obviously, and, unlike USA, they don't phoneticise the spelling - they just leave it the same quirky way we do. Many of the place names came directly from the first immigrants, hence Brighton, Hove, Exeter, even Peterhead and Greenock.

On TV, there are many familiar faces and styles of TV programmes - sometimes they import British shows intact, other times they "Aussie-fy" them using local presenters. One programme they have only recently taken on down here is I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. In the UK, we send the contestants to Australia, but here they are sending them to Africa!

They drive on the left as well, but, unlike us, they have gone fully metric - road distances are kms and weights are all kilos and volumes litres etc.

There are little differences/quirks, however. Did you know it's illegal to park facing the wrong way? No, I didn't either - until yesterday. Jo and I drove down to nearby Henley (there you go again) and Glenelg in Chris' car and when we came back, I drove up from the beach - eastwards. Their house is on the right and the road was completely clear so I just pulled over and parked facing the way Chris normally goes. I thought it might save him making his usual U-turn in the road, but I was advised otherwise when Kelly got home. Whoops - quick change!

We spent Tuesday morning on deserted Henley Beach, reading our books and occasionally snoozing (in my case):

Lunch was at Stella's (http://www.stellarestaurant.com.au/) where we had lunched with Kelly a couple of years ago. We then (in the car this time) re-traced our steps of a few years ago when we had walked along the coastal path to Henley from Glenelg - and back.

Parking in Coles' car park was easy, free and very convenient - right next to Jetty Road, where it's very difficult to find a parking space. That's another difference from the UK - we expected there to be some fee or time restriction for parking in the supermarket car park in the heart of a busy tourist area, but there was none.

A little bit of shopping - including some browsing round the various book stores - and then we were home - just ahead of Kelly and Miller.

Today, Kelly is off work and has been to the gym again and we are now breakfasting. Plans are to head to the Barossa for a winery and a microbrewery.

Monday - start of week 4

It was 3 weeks ago yesterday that we descended on the Steeles, having left Aberdeen 2 days before, so we're officially now more than half way through the longest single holiday we've ever taken. We've kept ourselves busy so time certainly hasn't passed slowly.

Being home alone at the start of the working week affords Jo and I endless choices. We took our time - leisurely breakfast, shower etc plus some essential clothes washing - but we eventually headed out about 11 am, heading north towards Outer Bay. It was a lovely sunny day, albeit with a strong prevailing wind from the south. The walkway beside the dunes and beach is very nice. At one stage, when it got a bit closer to the main road, we opted to head down to the beach and have a paddle along there. It was a fair distance away:

Heading back towards the walking/cycle path and the marina, we came across swathes of the washed-up dried seaweed, which we attempted to walk through. At times, it felt like a swamp, but we made it through and headed up towards the Port Authority at Outer Harbour, where we met a lovely couple, originally from Swansea, but who had been in Oz since 1971. Peter and Pat still sounded as Welsh as could be and she, in particular, was very talkative and effusive, belying her 77 years.

They had arrived at the same spot as us to take a photo of the cruise liner they would be taking in October - flying to London, then cruising down to Madeira, across the Atlantic to the West Indies, through the Panama Canal, on to Tahiti and then Australia. All of this in what we thought was a pretty small boat - we would have thought twice about crossing the Channel in it, although they said it berthed 600 in all. 45 days in this on the high seas - no thanks - but they were keen.

We stopped for a quick bite of lunch at an Italian cafe at the marina:

Now it was the long walk back home - but we had to do some shopping first of all, which meant walking past Derby St. to the Semaphore Road shops and then back again, adding unnecessary miles to what had already been a longish walk in the unrelenting sun - 20 kms in all, taking 6 hours, including lunch and shopping.

Chris did gym this morning and Kelly this evening, after which she picked up Miller and came home, not long after we arrived. Dinner was fritattas by Chris, with salad made by Jo. We were all off the wagon again and the wine was flowing - but we all had an excuse, having done a fair degree of exercise today.

Incidentally, bush fires today down at Yankalilla, where we just came back from yesterday.

In other news, which some may know already, it looks like the planned wedding at Drumtochty Castle in the summer of 2016 won't be happening after all. Other priorities have taken over and it is now more likely that the wedding - when it happens - will be in Australia, probably at Coriole Winery, where we were on Sunday, at some time to be determined. Await more news from Chris and Kelly in due course.

Weekend in Carrickalinga (2)

Early Saturday morning, Chris went to get some groceries and Kelly, Jo and I took a stroll down to the beach with Miller. He loves the water - check out this video - http://youtu.be/qIuLCFj2fBA

David and Lorene rolled up - slightly unexpectedly - just as we were getting ready to drive back to McLaren Vale for lunch at the lovely Coriole Winery, but it was no problem to increase the table size to 6. Miller had to be entertained whilst we waited for our food so I took him for a wander round the grounds:

Here we are at lunch:

and here's Jo and I, sitting in the lovely spot where we drank wine a couple of years ago:

Back at Carrickalinga, Lorene was sporting the hat that Kelly was wearing on the infamous day of the near-drowning incident when Chris' Uncle Harry's boat sank a couple of years ago:

We had a good go at the wine stocks that evening and, as a result, we all signed the pledge the following morning - Sunday was to be another alcohol free day for us. I tried to go a step further and have a little bit of early morning exercise, using one of the bikes in the large shed. Unfortunately, technical issues spoiled things a bit and I only managed a very short ride:

Chris made us all a really hearty holiday breakfast of bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes and toast and then it was time to tidy the house before heading back up to Adelaide.

This Monday morning, Jo and I are home alone again and will probably go for a walk. It's due to be another modest temperature day - just 25C - so it should be perfect for us if we get going mid-morning. Forecast is for the thermometer to rise back to the 30's for the weekend.

Weekend in Carrickalinga (1)

Kelly, Jo, Miller and I headed south on Friday to the holiday home that Chris and Kelly had rented for the weekend. It's one of their favourite spots and it's an area Jo and I knew as well, having just spent a week in nearby Normanville.

We took a detour in to Glenelg - another place we know well, having stayed there on our two previous trips Down Under - to get me a new pair of thongs. (Don't panic - that's Aussie for flip-flops!) We bypassed the dancing waters in the square at Glenelg - Miller was in his element:

He didn't even mind when the waters shot up his trouser leg - as witnessed above.

We had lunch overlooking the Marina, adjacent to the apartments we used to stay in. Miller had his favourite Babycinno:

Further south, we had another quick pit stop at Myponga Brewery:

It's known as the Smiling Samoyed brewery - and here's why:

Finally we arrived at what we thought would be a beachside "shack" in Carrickalinga:

This is the view from the upper decking:

Chris arrived a bit later - after a day's work, and having picked up the emergency supplies of red wine and champagne, which we planned to attack over the 2 nights here.

More to follow.

Thursday week 3

Of course, it's now Friday morning in Adelaide and I'm celebrating Andy Murray's success in winning through last night to another Aussie Open Final on Sunday. Hope he does a bit better than the last time we were in Melbourne 4 years ago.

The train journey in to the city yesterday was easy. We got on at Peterhead station and were advised by a friendly lady not to bother buying tickets on the train but just to wait and do it at the machines when we arrived in Adelaide. Well, there were no machines so we had to stand in line at the information kiosk - and, incidentally, they don't give free travel to overseas Seniors - only locals.

We had a to do/wish list but there was nothing really desperate on it so we weren't really in despair when we failed on most of the tasks. We managed to get me a new watch strap and I did pick up a book from the Oxfam store, but otherwise it was failure.

We had a lovely fatty nibble and drink at Brunelli's and we hoped to have a beer at the Exeter but it seems there has been a change of ownership there and it was all Cooper's beers so I exited and we went instead to the nearby Elephant British Pub. It was OK but perhaps we should have popped in to the Austral instead.

Only one photo from yesterday - Miller sweeping up:

Today we're getting ready to head back down south again - to a house in Carrickalinga that Kelly and Chris like to go to. A couple of nights there and then back on Sunday evening.

Some observations of the little bit of this vast continent that we've seen so far on this visit:

• Ants - lots of them - especially in Derby St. Thankfully not in the house.
• Barkless trees - huge chunks of bark appear to fall off the trees entirely randomly. Mind your head!
• Not as hot yet as previous visits - very pleasant in fact - we've only had a few days in the 30's so far.
• Mosquitoes - I've had a few more bites than on previous visits. Nothing more than an irritation, however, and nothing like as bad as Scottish midges!
• Spiders - the house Huntsman is nowhere to be seen. Where has she gone? There is a spider in one of Kelly's car's mirrors, however, as you can tell from the webs that are there every day:

Wednesday

I made a start on this blog diary entry last night but didn't get very far. It's now Thursday morning and therefore the present tense no longer applies.

Jo's watching The Block on TV so I'm passing the time by blogging about today's events.

Kelly was off work so she took us on a drive up the Adelaide Hills, just past Hahndorf to the Kiddies' Farm Barn. Miller took a shine to some of the animals, but, strangely, not the little cute ones like the kid goats and the Guinea Pigs.

It's definitely more of a farm and not a zoo - you're allowed to enter the outdoor pens and feed the large animals. We had one packet of feed and Jo was carrying it when we entered the enclosure containing the deer, who instantly accosted her for it:

They were harmless, but quite aggressive in their search for the goodies and Jo felt quite intimidated. One of them ripped the bottom of the packet open and seed scattered everywhere, whereupon Jo threw the rest away, hoping the deer would then go away. No chance - they reckoned she must have had more and when she and Kelly turned their backs on them, the deer started to nibble at the bottom of their cardigans. (We were up in the hills and it was still morning so there was a bit of a chill wind at times).

Miller really loved the old tractor that was lying around:

Lunch was at a pretty little place in Hahndorf - speciality salads - after which we headed back down to the city and took a slight detour out to have a look at Penfolds Magill Estate. They had tours and tastings going on, but there was also a huge amount of building work going on - apparently a major extension of their visitor facilities. With Miller asleep in the car with Kelly, Jo and I just popped out for a few photos, including these ones of the beautifully maintained old buildings:

We got back to Semaphore mid-afternoon, affording me the opportunity to go for another cycle and attempt to justify the beers that would end my very brief alcohol abstention. I headed south along the beach esplanade this time - right in to the teeth of what was a pretty strong wind coming off the Southern Ocean. I guess the last land the wind crossed would be Antartica, but you would never know it - it was strong but warm. This is the track I cycle on:

I only went as far as Grange, where Jo and I had walked to a couple of weeks ago, so it was just a little longer than yesterday at 19+ kms. Here I am at the cafe that Jo and I had breakfast at:

My knee has coped well with our various walks and the 2 recent cycles - it must have known that my appointment to fix my torn cartilage was imminent and, sure enough, I've just had confirmation that the operation will be on Monday 23rd February - just 2 days after we get back.

Today (Thursday) Jo and I are home alone again and are planning to catch the train in to the city to have a stroll around and do a bit of shopping. Chris' car is also available, but I don't think we'll need it.

Tuesday - down day

Yesterday was very quiet - Miller was at Day Care and Kelly and Chris were back at work, so Jo and I were home alone. Jo wasn't feeling on top of the world - listless is how I would describe her - so all we did was walk down to Semaphore Road and buy the ingredients for the salad for tea from Foodland - although we did stop for a cold drink and some dips at Swedish Tart.

We also decided to have an alcohol free day - our first since we came here. Surprise, surprise, Jo's feeling better today.

It's Wednesday so Kelly's off and we're planning to go somewhere today - perhaps a winery and/or the Kids' Farm Barn. She's just back from the gym - Chris was at his gym before he went to work, so we were in charge of Miller between gym sessions. Jo skulked in her room for a while before Miller and I invaded her space.

I did, however, manage my first cycle of the year yesterday on Chris' bike, complete with Miller's baby seat. I stayed off the road and cycled north up the beach jogging/walking/cycling path, covering a modest 16 + kms and stopping for occasional photo opportunities, including this one at the Marina:

Australia Day

Well, it was a delightful, if slightly boozy, day yesterday, starting with champagne - 3 bottles' worth - for brunch at 11am. Chris' Dad David's specialty is devilled eggs so we had these with smoked salmon pancakes, followed by large shell-on prawns/langoustines/shrimp - delete as appropriate, depending on which country you're from.

Earlier on, I'd taken Miller for a walk/carry down to the beach, to allow his parents to get on with the preparations for the big day. The table was set:

Even the front door had the flags up:

Miller was waving the flag too - check this video out - http://youtu.be/HsSfwGIk_fY

Miller loves the beach - his eyes widened when we arrived there - http://youtu.be/GOIVcdn5kok

He looks a little sad - thwarted by the wall of seaweed - here, however:

Chris' brother Matt belied his apparent reputation and arrived not too long after his parents, armed with a pile of bacon and promising to do the barbie, putting his young brother out of his usual job. Before that, however, a couple of beers and then, in deference to the previous day's Burns Day, Chris got the whisky out - the bottle Ross gave him last year:

Perspective is a wonderful thing. Matt is quite big and David is quite small, but the photo above exaggerates this somewhat. Drams - and it's not even noon yet!

Meanwhile, Miller is in heaven, getting the full attention from both his Grannie and his Nan:

Matt's barbie consisted of bacon, large mushrooms, tomato and fried eggs and we had large rolls as well.

Later on, we thought it would be a good idea to go for a short stroll and find a coffee somewhere. Matt took Miller in his stroller:

We had been led to believe there was Aboriginal/original/indigenous Australian dancing and music going on down the shore and sure enough there was plenty of activity, but it was mostly rock/blues music. We then wandered off to the Palais for coffee, where Miller was again being spoiled:

Back at the ranch, all that was left to do before David and Lorene set off home again was for a team photo. There's always one of the Steele's does something a little silly - but it wasn't Matt this time:

OK, let's try again:

We were still sipping red wine in the evening and nibbling away at leftovers when Kelly decided she wanted an ice cream - so we all had to have one. Connoisseur is a bit like a Magnum, only better. Salted Caramel was popular.

Sunday in the Adelaide Hills

Happy Australia Day everyone!

Chris and Kelly did the last of their shopping for today's celebrations yesterday morning and then we headed for the hills - back to our favourite microbrewery, the Lobethal Bierhaus - a little gem of a place that was really buzzing yesterday. Encouragingly, they're even in the process of installing 4 handpumps to serve British style real ale.

Lunch was lovely and we finished off our beers on the lawn:

Kelly and Chris obviously thought a session here was insufficient to keep our alcohol levels up to the standard to which they have recently been accustomed, so they took us on a slight detour to visit the beautiful little Pike & Joyce winery on the way home:

Back home, we had planned to have flathead for dinner, but none of us were really hungry so we just nibbled at scraps and settled down to watch some of the Aussie Open tennis. I ended up on the midnight shift, waiting for Andy Murray to finish off his opponent.

Here's one of Miller playing with my sunglasses:

I imagine Chris' parents will be getting ready to leave their home in Port Eliot about now to come and join us. Chris is cleaning the BBQ just now and Kelly is preparing some of the brunch, whilst Jo keeps Miller occupied. As for Chris' brother Matt, nobody is sure exactly when he will arrive - presumably with daughter Abby.

Saturday in Port Adelaide

We drove down to Henley Beach to go shopping in Foodland with Kelly on Saturday morning, and, in the afternoon, we all went to nearby Port Adelaide where there was a large scale graffiti-style art exhibition. Here's some examples:

Also in the Port was the oldest Clipper style ship in the world, shipped over to Adelaide from Scotland last year. It's even older than the only other survivor, the Cutty Sark, which also has a Scottish connection. Its "modern" name, the City of Adelaide, makes it obvious where it should reside. It's on exhibition just now:

Chris had arranged to meet up with some of their friends and we caught up with them at the Old Port Hotel Brewery. After a couple of drinks there, we wandered off round the Port a bit more:

The final bit was the kiddies' corner, where Miller had a ball - check http://youtu.be/aQafjq1wmII

Kelly and Chris are out just now shopping for the big Australia Day celebration tomorrow. Today is Burns' Day, however and we hope Andy can do the business in Melbourne this afternoon.