After an enjoyable nights sleep in a free camping reserve In Langhorne Creek, we left early, picked up a coffee and a brekkie barm from the local general store and drove 20mins through vineyards to Strathalbyn. As the name suggests it has Scottish origins and was originally established in 1850 around the time of the gold rush in Northern Victoria.

It’s a very pretty place, with immaculate gardens set around a quaint river and blessed with friendly people who we met as we walked through the centre.

We’ve been so impressed by the many towns and small communities we’ve visited over the last couple of months, there is a real sense of pride with centres vibrant, free of rubbish and well kept. The Aussies are setting the way and we would do well to try and replicate their efforts back in the Uk.

We then moved on to Goolwa, a larger town on the south coast where we went to see the wild life sanctuary on the Murray River.

We first drove over to Hindmarsh Island to see the mouth of the mighty Murray River as it meets the ocean, on the fringe of Coorong National Park. We visited the southern end of COP the day before and can now appreciate the scale and diversity of the parks area.

Despite having had an Aussie pie for lunch, we were very tempted to have seconds and fish and chips along with a glass of vino from the winery we visited only yesterday. God the Aussies know how to enjoy the best things in life.

Next stop was the wildlife sanctuary that sits alongside the Goolwa Barrage, manmade damns to help with water redistribution across Southern Australia and as far afield as NSW.

We got to see pelicans and seals up close and watched as they fed and bathed alongside the damn, that creates a fantastic place for both to eat as the fish are deposited out of the weir.

With the sun still shining into late afternoon, we moved down to Horseshoe Bay, in Port Elliot where we are staying for the evening.

It was great to watch the local kids arriving at the beach to do their surf training post school. Such a great lifestyle and one that embraces the great outdoors. Happy days.

Tomorrow we are off to Victor Harbor and Encounter Bay. We are now 50 miles south of Adelaide and plan to spend a few days in the area and catch up with relatives who live close by in Torrens Vale.