We left Longitude 131 for the small airport at Ayers Rock for our flight to Adelaide, only to learn our flight had been delayed and that we were certain to miss our connection in Alice Springs.
Depending where you are, missing connections is usually no big deal. However, when you’re in the middle of the outback with very few flights in or out, it can become a problem or in the least, a major inconvenience. Longitude 131 was wonderful. Since our flight was going to be delayed for several hours, they took us back to the camp and provided us full use of the facility including meals and beverages. It certainly made the wait a lot easier.We ended up flying from Ayers Rock to Perth to Adelaide. That was the only flight the entire day, that would get us into Adelaide the same day--10:30 pm. If you’re not familiar with Australia, that’s like going from Chicago to Los Angeles to get to Dallas, definitely a long way around.
With only minutes to spare in Perth we were met at the gate and escorted to our Adelaide flight. Our luggage even made it!!!Kudos to Qantas Airlines. My gut feelings tell me if we were flying an American carrier we would still be waiting for our luggage!!!
We finally made it to Adelaide and arrived at our hotel well after 11:00 pm, exhausted, but in good spirits, rain and all. Geologically speaking, Australia is 90 per cent desert and when it rains, Australians are happy. Adelaide has been in a drought situation for seven years and any rain was welcome, even on their parade on Anzac day (April 25th, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand to honor members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I).The next morning we were not up bright and early, but managed to meet our guide at 10:00 am for a wine tour of the Barossa Valley, one of the most popular and best-known wine regions in Australia.
Lisa Lunzer, Carolyn Groves, Sabina and Alan Duke really enjoyed the wine.The Barossa Valley is about 70 miles north of Adelaide and, according to Ana, our guide for the afternoon, is renowned for its opulent styles of Shiraz, as well as producing excellent examples of Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon and Chardonnay.
After visiting three different wineries (Chateau Tanunda, Barossa Valley Estates and Langmeil Winery,) I agree with Ana, their Shiraz is wonderful, along with their Cabernet and Chardonnay. I don’t remember tasting any Semillon, but I’m sure it was good!!!
They served a delicious lunch!
Since our flights were delayed the previous day Ana graciously gave us a quick city tour of Adelaide. Adelaide is the capital and most populous state in South Australia, with a population of more than 1.1 million. I was impressed with all the parks and green areas set aside for recreation, which definitely gives the city a friendly feel. According to Ana, Adelaide is best known for its many festivals, its trendy food and good wines and its wonderful beaches. What’s there not to like!!?The rain was with us on and off all day. Instead of walking around the city several of us opted to peruse the large central market in downtown Adelaide, across from our hotel. The stalls in the market sell everything from toys to food to freshly baked goods.
You can get seafood with the tails twitching, meat that had breakfast that morning, and a lot of specialty mustards, jams, cheeses, nuts--you name it, they have it.
There is also a large section of the market devoted to Asian cooking and other ethnic-style foods. I managed to find the Haigh Chocolate shop, a specialty of South Australia. I also discovered that Adelaide is the home of Cadbury Chocolate. As a journalist I felt it was my duty to sample the different brands of chocolate, and report my findings. The Haigh dark chocolate was divine, but my preference was the Cadbury milk chocolate. It’s a hard job but someone has to do it!!!!
Directly across the street from our hotel was a lovely cathedral with an interesting story. It took 140 years to complete St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral. Since the parish lost many of its members (and their funding) due to the exodus to the goldfields in Victoria around 1851, the cathedral was designed to be built in 3 stages. Opened in 1858, the cathedral was finally dedicated in 1996.
You can’t write about Adelaide without visiting Glenelg or other beach communities close to the city. Glenelg is a popular tourist destination with its white sandy beaches, a variety of restaurants and a great place for clubbing. In fact, there is a trolley line from Victoria Square (the center of Adelaide)
that takes you right to the main square in Glenelg for a mere 25 cents Australian.
We managed a couple of hours in Glenelg and particularly enjoyed the museum in Heritage Hall.
Glenelg dates back to the mid 1800s and is the oldest European settlement on the mainland in South Australia.Our time was far too short in Adelaide. Because of the weather we didn’t do a lot of walking, which I think is the best way to become familiar with a city. It just means I have to go back and spend more time in Adelaide!
Join me next week on our adventures in Kangaroo Island.
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