Day two in Adelaide was a day to explore the city and we enjoyed walking over 15,000 steps doing so.
Central Market and Botanic Gardens
First, we ventured to the Central Market in downtown Adelaide which was a cavelcade of fresh veggies, meats, cheeses, and bakery products. It was smaller than the Melbourne farmer’s market but it was contained inside a building and more organized. Sue was excited to see some minced lamb. Baaaaa.
Then we walked a mile, in 95 degree heat, to enjoy the Adelaide Botanic Gardens where we enjoyed a cheese and bread lunch at the wine expo there. In the late afternoon, we walked another 1.5 miles to the hotel where we were delighted to jump into the inviting pool.
The Fringe Festival
The highlight of day two was meeting up with California expat Steve and Jamie Kernaghan. They picked us up and whisked us away to the famous Fringe Festival in Adelaide, a late-Feb to mid-March annual event. We saw the show Soap which was like a mini-Cirque du Soleil where an ensemble cast of seven performers exhibited a variety of talents including: gymnastics, juggling, choreographed dance moves, contortion-stretches, and lots of humor… all inside and on top of six old claw-foot bathtubs, with water falling down onto the stage!
Steve, Jamie, Sue, and Ted then went out to dinner at Africola, a restaurant featuring flavors of South Africa. We chose the dinner menu item called “Feed Me” which means the chef selects a surprise three-course meal. It was exquisite, with dozens of different flavors and lots of locally sourced products. Sue liked the grilled pumpkin dish and the hummus with sunflower seeds and African flatbread. Ted enjoyed the flavor of the clams, chicken, and charred pepper vegetables.
It was great seeing Mike Kernaghan’s son. His mom, Cricket, lives in Idaho, and we shared pictures of the four of us together with both of them. Steve and Jamie are the fourth couple we’ve met up with in Australia.
Last Day in Australia – McLaren Vale
The next day was our last full day in Australia. We visited a second wine region- the McLaren Vale. If the Adelaide Barossa Valley is like Napa, then the MacLaren Vale is more like Sonoma Valley. We stopped at two wineries.
First, was a visit to Samuel’s Gorge. Every wine was delicious. We stayed so long, we met the winemaker, Justin, and tasted seven different wines, poured by Michael. Next, we visited Coriole Winery, and after tasting some beautiful wines, we had a picnic of cheese and crackers on a bench in the shade of the winery. Both of these wineries were personal recommendations by Steve and Jamie Kernaghan, and were also listed in Lonely Planet as two of their top five wineries for the McLaren Vale. One of the wonderful aspects of wine tasting in Australia is that for the most part the wine tastings are free and often include up to twelve tastings. As usual, we enjoyed talking to others at the winery. We will remember Cynthia and Matt.
At end the day, we drove a half hour to the beach at Aldinga, just south of McLaren Vale. We were able to drive the car right into the beach, and Ted enjoyed a nice swim!
We had three perfect days in Adelaide! We are in the last two days of our trip, first flying in the afternoon back to New Zealand, and the following day flying from Aukland back home.
Thanks for following our adventures!