The Great Ocean Road Bids Us Farewell

Australia is indeed blessed. Here is an immense island rimmed by thousands of miles of sandstone headlands, bays with azure waters and golden sand beaches. Living with the sea is an integral part of being an Aussie. Our last two days before returning to Canada were spent, appropriately, driving from Adelaide to Melbourne which, happily, includes the famous Great Ocean Road, probably the most beautiful coastal drive in the world.
The first day was mostly inland with some glimpses of the coast. We stayed overnight at Robe in South Australia, an attractive town with dozens of historic buildings of buff sandstone blocks and dating to the early 1800s. An obelisk (a cheap version of a lighthouse) built in 1855 stands guard on a cliff with turquoise waves pounding against the rocks below.
The second day we were immersed in the incredible beauty of the Great Ocean Road. Viewpoints were many, but the best was the Twelve Apostles (OK, perhaps only 9 and a half), large jagged stacks of rock that have been separated from the mainland by erosion. Mist swirled, waves rolled in from far out in the Southern Ocean and they stood impassively like giant sentinels.
The narrow winding road, often marked with "Drive on the left in Australia" signs led us to a broad white sand beach where we stripped down to our bathers for a final bit of sun.
Then the road turned inland and all too soon we were in Geelong and then Melbourne. Next day a giant metal box with wings carried us back to the tail-end of a Canadian winter.

The Barossa Valley and Other Vinophilic Temptations

As my dearest and I discovered after many a blurry morning, Australia is a wine lover’s (vinophile’s?) paradise. Everywhere we went we saw rows of vineyards, often draped in netting, marching up and down rolling hills: in Tasmania, on Kangaroo Island, and in hundreds of places in South Australia and Victoria. It is clear that wine is one of Australia’s main industries.
Furthermore, it’s easy and inexpensive to purchase wine. In Canada, liquor stores are government-run, over-priced and inconvenient. In Australia, Bottle Shops, as they are called, are ubiquitous and, get this, many of them are drive-through. Best of all, the prices are very reasonable, starting at $5 Australian per bottle; boxed wines are even more of a bargain. Of course, some wines such as the famous Penfolds Grange can exceed a thousand dollars per bottle.
One day we made a pilgrimage to the Mecca of wine, the Barossa Valley north of Adelaide in South Australia, where world-class wines have been produced since 1850. We wended our way through gentle arid hills dotted with eucalyptus trees. The vineyards, which spread everywhere, were turning golden and the harvest had just passed. With 73 wineries to visit (another 50 don’t have visitor’s centres) we selected three that sell widely in Canada: Jacobs Creek, Penfolds and Wolf Blass. The size of these operations was impressive and far larger than anything we have seen in Niagara or the Okanagan. The drive through the beautiful valley was grand and the tastings were wonderful. It was a delightful day ... as we can best remember.

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For information: http://www.southaustralia.com/ & www.barossa.com

Adelaide: Warmth and Great Eats

Adelaide is a warm city, hot even. It’s early fall and today was 33 deg. C. Known as the city of churches, Adelaide is unusual because its downtown is laid out with geometric precision. The “square mile” was designed in 1836 with broad north-south and east-west boulevards and symmetrically-located parks. This inner core is surrounded by a ring of green space and only then do the suburbs begin.

North Terrace, along the northern edge of the square mile, is the cultural area. We walked slowly from one shady patch to another, stopping at park benches to sip water as we visited the old and new parliament buildings, the art gallery, the state museum, the University of South Australia, the Adelaide Botanic Gardens (established in 1855), Government House and other historic dwellings. A few hundred metres to the north, the river Torrens flows along.

The Hilton Adelaide, our home for several days, is located almost in the exact centre of the square mile and conveniently is next door to the bustling Central Market, which is crammed with shops and booths selling every conceivable item produced by mankind. It also has a fabulous selection of Asian food outlets.

Happily, a stop for trams, which are free in the square mile, lies directly in front of our hotel. Yesterday we took the tram westward to historic Glenelg on the coast. Tall palm trees, a broad beach, old sandstone buildings and hundreds of restaurants, cafes and shops greeted us. In contrast to the brash vibrancy of Sydney’s surf beaches, Glenelg has a genteel and charming dignity.

Best of all, Adelaide is surrounded by world-class vineyards including the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and the Clare Valley. Wines and good food are a way of Aussie life, a wonderful gastronomic hedonism. Gouger and Rundle streets are non-stop rows of restaurants and cafes and in the evenings my dearest and I jostled with happy crowds to find empty spots amongst the tables that spill onto the sidewalks. Ah, it’s bliss to dine al fresco in the warm air with a good bottle of Aussie wine.

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For information: http://www.southaustralia.com/ & www.hilton.com

& www.touradelaide.com