Playing possum in Adelaide!
Seaduced
John & Jane Craven
Wed 18 Feb 2015 10:59
The first night we were exhausted so just crashed out in bed until we heard a strange noise outside - there was something or someone on the roof! I woke first and obviously, being a wimpy girl, woke John up as there was no way I was investigating!
John heard the noise, and leapt out of bed, weapon in hand, ready to ward off intruders! Having heard the noise for a second time, his bravado having wore off almost instantly, he cautiously peeped through the curtains - nothing to be seen, then, there it was again, a thumping noise on the roof accompanied by lots of spitting and hissing. We turned on all the lights an fans in the cabin trying to scare off any potential intruders. Eventually, having decided there was no way he was going outside to confront anything(one), we decided to go back to sleep and investigate further in daylight.
From the blog title, you have possibly guessed the culprit by now!
Looks quite cute....
Until they start fighting!
I hope you can see these pictures - I only got brief looks at the possums over the next few nights and couldn't get a photo quick enough! They were around the sites most evenings fighting, hissing and spitting, but eventually we got used to the noise, at least they didn't try and climb on top of the tent!
Whilst in Adelaide this time festival season had started. Adelaide is famous for festivals and it seems any excuse for a festival is good enough. The season lasts 2/3 months and starts with the Fringe Festival which, like Edinburgh, is loads of shows each day in various venues such as bars, hotels, outdoor spaces and even churches! There are huge 'fairgrounds' set up around the city, one of which, 'The a Garden of Unearthly Delights', was about a ten minute walk away. It seemed a shame to miss out so we got the brochure and tried to decide what to see. This was quite a daunting task, the brochure was over 100 pages and in about 6 sections, comedy, both stand up and shows, music, family, etc etc, something for everyone. Once we chose comedy, and crossed all the shows not started yet, and not playing that night, we were left with a very long shortlist! We went for a Blackadder based show based on the first royal variety performance in 1598 (or so)! It was very good, very funny and we were soon laughing out loud, however, the Aussies, didn't really get it the same. They do show Blackadder on tv here, but maybe it's just not their type of humour!
Lord Puncy and Balddick!
After the show was over we went to explore 'The Garden'. Best described as a fairground for adults, lots of shows on in small venues dotted around, bars, food stalls and fairground rides. There are also quite a few famous names here as well including Hollywood actor and previous Neighbours 'star' Guy Pearce, but his show was totally booked for the whole run. The problem in Adelaide is the weather - when we went out at 6pm it was boiling hot, still about 30 degrees, and far too hot for the jeans we were wearing, but post show the temperature seemed to drop considerably, although probably still over 20 degrees, and by 10.30/11 we were heading home as it was just too cold to stay outside any longer!
Whilst in Adelaide it would have been somewhat remiss of us not to visit the world famous Barossa Valley for a(nother) spot of wine tasting. The wines from this area and in particular the Shirazs have been some of our favourite while we have been travelling here.
The day out was fab, as usual lots of wine to taste, from the white Semillion to the Shiraz that the region is famous for. Also, surprisingly, the ports in the first winery were so good we had to buy a couple of bottles - it would have been rude not to especially as they are not available anywhere else and they will make a welcome addition to our wine cellar!
It was quite difficult finding a tour that did not involve a visit to either Jacobs Creek or Penfolds wineries, neither of which appealed as the wines we get from them in England are rubbish and this is why. In general if you water your vines too much the grapes become huge and the juices, used in that lovely wine, are actually diluted. That said, dilution apart, you get a whole lot more juice for your grape. People like Jacobs Creek simply fill their grapes with water and then produce vast quantities of rubbish quality wine, largely for export as no self respecting Aussie would touch the stuff! When we went past their factory, this seems a more appropriate word than winery, we saw the huge steel tanks used in production. There must have been about 30-40 tanks and each holds about one and a quarter million litres of wine! Production of wines such as oaked chardonnay is also speeded up by adding oak chips to wine rather than using oak barrels for ageing - all in all a cheap way of mass producing wine.
The surprise of the day was the winery where we had lunch, Peter Lehmann. This company do not grow grapes, they simply travel around the region to find the best grapes to make the wine they want to make. This started years ago as a means of keeping the growers in business when the Aussie government decided that Barossa wine would never take off and the land should be used to grow something useful that would help the economy! Fortunately, by buying the grapes off the farmers and making the wine, Peter Lehmann managed to save the valley, and so grape and wine production continues - phew!
Whilst travelling to the Barossa valley we went through the area that a month ago was badly burnt in the bush fires. What is very strange is that one village, right in the fire's path was completely untouched - the fire reached the edge of the village and actually went round it leaving all the fruit trees that are grown there untouched and resumed its trail of destruction on the other side. There are various stories relating to the fires of obvious tragedy and destruction, but one which restores your faith in human nature was the one about the horses. A family had 20 horses which they did not have the time or suitable transport to move them before the fire reached them. In order to save the horses, they painted their mobile number on each horses' hooves and cut the fences down setting them free to run from the fires. When the papers got hold of this story, it was made public and all of their horses were returned safely.
The devastation is clear to see and the land will take a long time to recover, although replanting is already underway. Note to all you wine drinkers though - avoid wines from the Adelaide area with a vintage of 2015 as they will be somewhat smoke tainted in taste as the grapes had yet to be picked when the fire started!
These are some of the oldest vines in the world - older than most of the European ones. These were planted in the mid to late 1800s just before an epidemic of phylloxera hit European vines destroying everything in sight.
Acres of vineyards
The whispering dam. This is 140m long but built in such a perfect curve that you can stand at one end and have a conversation with someone at the other - marvellous!
We returned to our cabin for the last night in Adelaide as we had an early start for our flight to Bali.