Nothing says Sunday morning like a pina colada donut. This was our bakery stop in Port Elliot and what a delicious and delightful surprise it was.

Thankfully Andy had a big enough bite to get most of the donut into his mouth, with only a little resting in his beard and on the end of his nose.

After that kind of feast, his punishment was a swim out in the bay to work off this extra calories.

Along with some light gymnastics!!!

With the sun making a welcome presence we enjoyed an afternoon at Horse Shoe Bay and Middleton beaches, with a walk on the letter to watch a local surfing competition.

After an enjoyable and relaxing day on the beach, tonight we met up with Andy’s ‘cousin’ (second) Sue and her husband Paul and daughter Jayne. We last met up in the same Italian restaurant in Victor Harbor some 10yrs ago.

So good to see them all and enjoy a meal together. We caught up on everyones movements over the last few years, as well as hearing stories from our respective youths!

Tomorrow we head over to their place near Yankalilla for lunch and a tour of the house before it’s sold.

Being Saturday it was farmers market day in Port Elliot. As we approached there was the sound of a brass band playing ‘we do like to be beside the seaside’… Oddly it felt we were back in the Uk.

After checking into our new camping ground on the beach front, we made our way along the coastal path through a reserve. The great thing about these green areas next to the beach is they are so well kitted out. There are hot electric cooking plates for bbq’s and lots of seating and shade that encourages people to come together. As we walked through there was a ‘party’ going on with c. 60 people enjoying food and chat in the sunshine.

Being British we never miss an opportunity to hit the beach even when the clouds are out and there’s none else braving the cooler temperatures.

This part of Victor Harbor has a great walking and cycling path which we have used to get in and out of town and to enjoy the views and wildlife that resides in the sand dunes.

Tonight we retired early to the campervan for some food and vino, before going into town for a wander and as it turned out some hot chips. It’s the weekend after all:

On the way into town we passed the interesting sign welcoming people to a coffin club. Given we are outside school holidays, the average age here is 60+, so they could be busy!

After purchasing a ‘cones’ worth of chips, very reasonable at just 3 dollars it was clear that they could have fed a family of 4 – I can testify that a large chips portion might feed the whole of Victor Harbor.

With the sun setting we took another walk along the causeway and watched the sun set and tried to look for penguins returning after a sea borne week of feeding, but to no avail.

What is very evident from our travels across Australia is the revision in the history telling on signs and info centres, with the Aboriginal pre-European times being seen as more significant and an acceptance that Britain’s ‘discovery’ of Australia ignored the fact that it was already populated with a history and traditions which were sadly ignored and eradicated.

They (Australia authorities) are doing their best to revise this by acknowledging the original owners of the land and the stories that sit alongside the Aboriginal history, passed down verbally from generation to generation.

The ‘occupied land’ memorial below signifies these changes with references in the coloured poles, one representing Britain, one the French and the last the forefathers of the land pre-European arrival.

Today was spent relaxing, as we walked & explored Victor Harbor and Granite Island.

After our customary coffee stop at a cafe close to the beach, we made our way into town and to the causeway leading out to Granite Island.

We were last in Victor Harbor some 10years ago when the old wooden causeway was still in use. In the intervening period it’s been replaced by a modern concrete structure with a lane for the horse drawn tram.

Today was clear skies, so the ocean colours were so much more vivid and the water a lot more inviting for a swim.

We decided to do the 2k walk around the island in search of dolphins and possibly a penguin. The views back around Encounter Bay were stunning. On days like these it feels good to be alive and one with nature.

Victor Harbor was once a major seaport for fishing and goods being transported off up to Adelaide. Various piers and breakwaters were built, replaced and then became obsolete being replaced by roads.

The harbour now offers tourists and locals alike the opportunity to fish or just take in the beautiful surroundings of the bay.

The rocks in the breakwater amount to over 200,000 tonnes of huge granite boulders. They were mined on the island and then moved into position by basic machinery, despite the lightest being over 20 tonnes. Incredible work.

After a walk around the port, we returned to Horseshoe Bay in Port Elliot and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon watching the local schools surf competition against their teachers. Great way for them and us to finish the ‘working week’.

With it being Friday we decided to pop into the local pub/restaurant called Salt on The Strand. Great little place with a good vibe and excellent drinks and music.

Tomorrow we are off to the weekend markets in Port Elliot and Victor Harbor and to a new campground close to the beach where we plan to spend the weekend relaxing, before meeting up with relatives who live in the area.

We’ve included a google map to show where we are staying relative to the city of Adelaide, where we plan to head over the next few days before moving up to the Adelaide Hills and Barossa Valley.

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.

Goodbye to picturesque Robe and hello to Coorong National Park.

We had a mid-morning stop off at Kingston, to admire the pier & Larry the Lobster (the fishing mecca).

We then pushed on along the coast through the CNP and up to Wellington and our ferry crossing across the Murray River that leads to Lake Alexandrina.

Our afternoon stop was the wine growing area of Langhorne Creek, home to 6 wineries which like Coonawarra excel with their Cab Sav production due to the rich red soil.

Starting to really enjoy the cellar door concept. Pop into a winery, try out their wares (5 or 6 varieties of red, white, rose and sparkling) before picking your favourite and settling down in the afternoons sunshine.

After a relaxing afternoons wine tasting, we settled into our camping ground in the centre of Langhorne Creek along with another dozen or so of like minded wino’s (camper’s and caravans).

The evening was spent listening to the Kookaburras squawk as we finished off a bottle of white in the last of the sunshine.

Today was one of our more relaxed & casual days!

We decided to stay in Robe and after changing camp grounds, hit the beach for some R&R. Unfortunately, the sun didn’t get the message and after a hour, we decided to seek advice from the local tourist information centre and went out on a coastal walk to see an Obelisk acting as a lighthouse…:

Robe has an interesting history, welcoming over 15,000 Chinese immigrants back in the 1850’s when the gold rush hit, who then proceeded to walk 200 miles from Robe port to chase the trail and the dreams of wealth.

To recognise this Chinese influence, a monument to their arrival sits in the port.

The Obelisk, which acted as a lighthouse, minus the light in years gone by, now sits in splendid isolation on the rocks, away from human interaction due to the onslaught of the sea’s erosion of the porous limestone rocks that sit along the whole coast.

We enjoyed a pleasant couple of hours walk and wowed at the impact of the sea and the caves and bridged islands that have been formed.

As the sun started to take its toll, we made a tactical retreat to a wine tasting event in the centre of town.

After trying a number of whites, dry and sparking varieties, Michelle went for a Sav Blanc & Chardonnay blend, whilst Andy took the modern Aussie route of a sparking cool Cab Sav Shiraz blend. Magical!

This day time drinking was only ever going to end up one way… with a visit to the Robe brewery on the outskirts of the town. Its claim to fame is that it’s the only wood-fired brewery in Australia.

What a great set up, with the place readied for bands to play and for the party to continue into the evening.

Andy kept with his love of XPA and ordered a hoppy number, whilst Michelle went non-alcoholic and a water melon soda mix.

After all this day time drinking, it was inevitable that the evening would be more relaxing, as we chilled in the van and looked out over the calm ocean and planned tomorrow’s excursions.

Our next stop is Kingston, 30 miles up the coast, with a layover at a camel farm on the way for a camel milk coffee and ice cream!

Finally to help better understand where we currently are in South Australia, we’ve included a map below with Robe highlighted. It’s about 185 miles south of Adelaide and 500 miles west of Melbourne, with miles of beaches and parkland on either side.

Waking this morning to find sheep around the camper was an odd but enjoyable way to start the day.

Andy headed off on his daily 10k running pilgrimage, which today took him down the less scenic Princes Highway in the morning fog.

Waking up to sunshine can’t be understated and added to this beauty and awe – for once this does not refer to Michelle, but the scenery that surrounded us at our stay at Bellwether Winery.

It was so breathtaking and will live long in the memory.

The winery was also home to a resident donkey, Jose who appeared to take a shine to us, presumably thinking there was food on offer.

After a lovely morning coffee, we had one more walk around the estate before saying goodbye to Sue and her team.

Our next stop was back on the coast in Robe. It’s blessed with beautiful beaches along with a quaint high street with numerous eateries.

Founded by Cornish immigrants in the 1860’s, there are similar styled buildings as well as a laid back South West England feel.

Like its English cousin, the white sandy beaches are breathtaking and we enjoyed walks throughout the day, notably out to Long Beach, where the fishermen park their 4WDs right beside them on the sand.

The hot weather has stayed with us and topped 35 Celsius today, however the water temperature was unseasonably cool at little over 15 Celsius, v cool for this time of year. As a result it took a while to pluck up the courage before submerging.

After dropping into the local bottle shop and supermarket, we returned to the camper to enjoy the view of the lake as the sun set. Doesn’t get much more beautiful.

A wine drinkers dream day.

Today we headed in land to tour around the famous Coonawarra region, home to over 30 different wineries and vineyards.

As luck would have it, each winery is open every day from 10-5pm. They a cellar door policy, enabling you to pop in and for a small fee (or for free in 2 of the 6 we visited) try their various wines, which range from 6 to 14 different wines per winery.

Thankfully each glass was a mouthful, otherwise we may have struggled to get beyond the first stop!

Due to the red soil type, known as Terra Rosa the Coonawarra region produces some great wines notably red, although we did taste some Riesling along with chilled & mixed grape wines, that work really well in the 30 degree heat of South Australia.

After our first stop at the Redman vineyard, we picked up the Coonawarra walking tour, which meanders through vineyards and side roads taking you to 6 wineries all within 3km. One hell of a walking tour!

The sun was in full bloom and hit a slightly uncomfortable 38 Celsius, however the addition of great wine and a gentle drunkenness helped to diminish its effect.

The venues of some of the wineries were very impressive, with restaurants and also offering up as venues for weddings and other major celebrations.

On one of our stops, at Brands & Son’s we were presented with 14 different wines to try, which was a challenge not to be passed up!

Added to this we got to walk around the original ‘cellar’ which housed wines going back to the 1950’s.

Our arrival at the next winery, Ottelia was next level, with a tasting menu to match each wine.

The owner was so very kind and spent over 45mins talking us through the various wines and explaining why they are constantly experimenting with different grape combinations to create new wines that we’ve never seen before, certainly not in the Uk. Chilled reds seem to be the next big thing.

Our 5th wine stop was at the famous Wynns vineyard. They are one of the largest wine producers and export across Australia and the world. The set up was huge, but again the service was great with servers offering 5 or 6 wines to try for just 5 dollars. Needless to say we felt obligated to buy at each of our stops.

On our final stop we came across the world championship boules tournament in downtown Coonawarra, a town of just 76 people. Quite surreal to see teams from as far afield at Thailand coming to play the Aussie version called Pétanque.

Our evening stay was at Bellwether Wines where we were glamping in our campervan and having one final wine tasting event for the day.

The surrounds were amazing and we felt very lucky to be staying in this chic converted sheep shearing farm.

The place was completed refurbished 15yrs ago by Sue Bell and is now a restaurant/boutique winery/kitchen and all round wine central.

Not only were the wines great, but Sue had prepared us a food platter for our evening meal which has to be the best we have eaten since being away. Not only did it look amazing, using herbs and plants for her garden, it tasted fabulous and made our stay so very special.

After finishing off the dips and cheeses, along with a bottle of Chardonnay we retired to enjoy the views from the back of our camper. It felt so special as though we had the whole place to ourselves.

The next few hours were then spent marvelling at the 500yr old gum trees that surrounded our van.

The morning started with a coffee & brekkie sandwich stop off at McCourts garden cafe in Millicent. Andy is pleased to report that his love of bacon and brown sauce remains strong!

From there we made our way to the pretty town of Beachport.

After checking into Southern Ocean beach park, with its views over the Indian Ocean, we went off to view Pool of Siloam. It’s a salt rich lake where floating comes easy and the high salinity is supposed to be good for aches and pains.

After a walk around the sand dunes and lake, we hit the Southern Ocean scenic drive, passing various blow holes, beautiful beaches and impressive rock formations.

Later we went inland to see Lake George, only to discover that it’s dried up and is now nothing but a salt basin.

Having taken a good look around the peninsula, we focused our attentions on another attraction in Beachport, which pleased Andy no end, the local beach brewery.

The pub/brewery is well positioned facing out to the fishing pier with amazing views out over the ocean.

Andy was unsure of the local produce so thought it best to give each one a try…..

Not only was the beer, food and view outstanding, the bar had good WiFi too!

And to end the day we leave you with an amusing joke seen in the pub. Makes sense to some.

Sometimes seeing is believing. This was our experience today as we walked around Mount Gambier and marvelled at the extinct volcanos, numerous blow holes and the geological formations that stand proud on the otherwise flat plained landscape of South Australia.

Our day started with a circular walk around Blue Lake, the perimeter around the largest of the extinct volcanos.

What you notice most is the blue colouring of the lake,t is so vivid and emanates from changes to the algae in the water each November through to March. Outside of these times of the year, the water reverts to a grey colouring.

From there we went to the next geological site, Umpherston Sinkhole, which sits on the east of the city in an unassuming park.

The hole is significant in size and depth and oddly has a Victorian sunken garden at the base. It’s magical looking both down, and once inside up from the base, with the hanging foliage enveloping the edges like curtains to the land above.

The added inclusion of palm trees and rich green planting makes it feel like an oasis to the area around it. The city has several of these sinkholes, however Umpherston is the most impressive and well kept.

Departing the sinkhole we ventured over to the main tourist centre where a replica ship called the Lady Nelson proudly sits. Like many a ship navigating around the South Australian coastline it had an unfortunate ending, having been destroyed by natives in the early 1800’s.

We visited another sink hole and connecting caves in the centre of the city, aptly called Cave Gardens. Again these appear hidden away, sitting behind the Main Street appearing to have ‘landed’ from another world.

To better understand how these volcanoes and connected sink holes came into being we watched a fascinating documentary at the local Riddoch arts centre. the daily showing called Volcano, the story of Earth, Fire and Water, mixes aboriginal tales with the scientific knowledge and history and chartered how the landscape came into being after a number of violent eruptions on the South Australian fault line that divides it from the Antarctic plate. In total there were 5 eruptions in Mount Gambier creating three notable volcanic sites, side by side creating Blue Lake, Valley Lake and Leg of Mutton Lake.

Added to this there are numerous smaller lakes, formed from sink holes that were exposed when the land above collapsed.

We ventured to Little Blue Lakes, where the sink hole is up to 70m in depth and is a regular swimming and diving spot for the locals. When we arrived there were several young boys jumping into the hole from the outer rim and drop of 15m. Rather them than us!

Our nights stay was at a nearby pub, called the Bellum Hotel where we had secured a free camping site. As is the custom we went in for a beer and were taken aback by how busy it was despite being in the middle of nowhere. There was a lot of Friday night drinking being had, which did raise eyebrows as to how people got home as everyone appeared to be in their pickup trucks!

Before our camping ground was another extinct volcano, Mount Schank, which was formed about 5,000 years ago, at a similar time to the other volcano’s in Mount Gambier and along the fault line that runs all the way into the state of Victoria, roughly 750 miles away.

Tomorrow we head back along the coast to the seaside town of Beachport and on to Robe where we intend to relax and enjoy the beach’s and swimming.