Last day of our holidays

October 17 2011, 4:44 AM

On the last day of our holiday (Friday) we did go back to Clayton Bay to see the photo exhibition of Cynthia Jones. She certainly has the talent to pick the right moment. Many photos that I wouldn’t mind having on our walls.

Her camera certainly is in a different class to my camera – but I don’t think I can blame my camera. It is the grasp of the moment and the way Cynthia manages to process the photo to something special. All the same – her exhibition was and is an inspiration for me.

After the exhibition we drove around the village of Clayton Bay. I really could live here.

We had lunch in Victor Harbour – same Pub we had lunch on our last visit. How boring can your get?

Ended up with a nice afternoon sleep.

Now that we are back in Queensland, Bracken Ridge, I am amazed how much noise there is. Trains, cars driving across the speed bumps, dogs barking – I thought we were living in a quiet area. But compared to Brooklands, this is unbelievably noisy.

When will we return to South Australia? I don’t think it will be very soon. Hopefully our next visit will be in a 4×4 towing a caravan.

Clayton Bay, Goolwa

October 14 2011, 3:34 PM

In the flyer left by our host in the cottage "This month in Alexandrina" Lesley read about a photo exhibition in Clayton Bay. Cynthia Jones exhibition "It’s all about the Water" showcases photos around the water. Unfortunately we arrived a day early! The village of Clayton Bay is such a delightful spot. It lies on the shore of Lake Alexandrina and overlooks Hindmarsh Island. Nice spot to live.

In Goolwa we drove along the foreshore and passed the barrage that regulates the water flow into lake Alexandria. Back in May, we passed through the locks in the barrage. I read something in the local paper that the barrage from the Murray had been opened due to the amount of water flowing in. Not sure whether this is the case here as well.

We had lunch at Aquacaf in Goolwa, a restaurant that was recommended by Genevieve Harris, the chef that Lesley had at the Saturday Cooking class. Just Fish & Chips and a small side salad. But very well done in a beautiful setting.

For dinner we had a BBQ on the front patio at the cottage. It was lovely sitting outside, watching the birds and enjoying a glass of Riesling.

It was getting cool though and by the time the sun set, we were inside enjoying the warmth of the fire.

More photos around Brooklands

October 14 2011, 4:00 AM

Trip to Second Valley

October 14 2011, 3:53 AM

I read about Second Valley being an interesting place to visit – as well as having read a good review on tripadvisor for the restaurant Leonards Mill in Second Valley. So we set off towards the west coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula. First stop was at a lookout above Victor Harbour. Good views towards Granite Island and the Bluff.

Moving on towards the west coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula, I loved the scenery. Rolling hills. Cattle properties. Lots of sheep.

We stopped at Dennis Beach.

We made our way to Second Valley, the village. The valley extended a long way along our route with plantations along the way. The jetty in Second Valley was under reconstruction, which in a way spoiled the tranquil setting. All the same, the cliffs and rocks along the beach were impressive. There even were some people on the beach enjoying the sunshine. (Yes – finally a beautiful day). You might be able to spot some towels and bathers drying on the rocks.

HMAS Hobart was scuttled off the coast in Lady Bay and the anchor is pointing in the direction of the wreck. The wreck is a diving wreck for scuba divers – must be interesting to explore this ship which has seen three deployments to Vietnam.

As it was time for lunch we returned to Leonards Mill restaurant at the entrance to Second Valley. This really is a former mill – the old workings of the mill are part of the restaurant decor. We had a lovely meal. Goat Cheese tartlet as a starter and Atlantic Salmon wrapped in panchetta for Lesley and I had Prawn and Pork cakes as entrée and The Miller’s Lunch for mains. Yum.

The Miller’s Lunch
A modern day take on the “ploughman’s lunch”. A rustic platter showcasing our
house made pate & dips with locally baked artisan breads, grilled chorizo with
caramalised onion, roasted Italian vegetables with marinated fetta, McLaren Vale
olives, green beans with tomato & chilli, smoked & cured meats & matured cheese

On the way back we stopped at Wirra Wirra cellars. The cellars are in a lovely setting in McLaren Vale. The wines weren’t bad either. It’s a pitty the driver always has to restrain himself. The fence that you can see in one of the photos is massive, real tree trunks. The photo doesn’t really give the right impression.

On the way back (or was it on a separate trip?) we stopped at a lookout above Port Elliot. The photos show the view across to Goolwa and Lake Alexandria.

Walk around Brooklands Property

October 11 2011, 4:14 PM
When we returned to the cottage we had a chat with Tony. Turns out that the Brooklands property has a connection with the Heysen’s. Tony and his wife bought the property from one of the son’s of Hans Heysen, Stefaan Heysen. Read more about the history of the property on the Brooklands website.

I had a walk around the property and the photos have all been taken from the property.

Hans Heysen property The Cedars

October 11 2011, 4:05 PM

We went back to Hahndorf to visit "The Cedars", the property that the painter Hans Heysen lived in for many years until his death in 1968. We were able to visit his studio which is still the same as when he died.

The guide brought the man and his art much closer to me, getting a real feeling of his genius. The house were they lived is also preserved the way it was, showing not only numerous paintings but also the way they lived.

No photos could be taken inside, but the garden and the property can be explored freely and the following photos are from the property.

After visiting The Cedars we went on to visit Woodside Cheese Wrights. Their cheese Etzy Ketzy got a mention on Maggie Beers show and our tasting certainly lived up to that review. Delicious. We bought a round which served us for dinner one evening.

An other lazy day

October 11 2011, 2:37 AM

Monday once again was a dull day. We went out and did a bit of food shopping. More bird photos… same bird eating different insect.

And I would say different bee as well.

Weather cleared up enough to light the weber-q on the patio for lamb chops for dinner. It stays light really long – it doesn’t get dark till about 7:30.

Bird Watching around Brooklands Heritage Cottage

October 9 2011, 6:28 PM

The day started with rain, improved a little bit, but dull all day. Stayed in and around the cottage. Tony helped lighting the fire but I still have difficulties keeping it going.

We did a bit of bird watching, just around the house. Tried to identify the birds. We think this is a White Necked Heron.

And this a White Faced Heron:

Is it a Jacky Winter?

A Superb Fairy Wren:

and an other photo of the same bird.

The bee is not a bird – but might be a victim soon! Bee on lavendar.

Dinner at the Royal Hotel in Port Elliot. The Royal Sizzling Platter. A nice steak with seafood on a sizzling iron platter.

A walk in the bush/Dinner

October 9 2011, 6:10 PM

I still had a bit of time as the sanctuary closes at 4 and I was due to join Lesley as a dinner guest at 6pm. I stopped at the Stirling Cemetry and found a track heading into the bush. Another nice spot.

The Thai Banquet was great. All the food was top quality. I had a good time talking to other guests. We were served some excellent wines – alas as I had to drive back, I had to restrain myself and pass up some of the offerings. Glad I did – just 5 minutes out from the cooking school we were pulled over by the police for a breath test. My first time ever! Glad to have successfully passed that test.

Back to Adelaide Hills

October 9 2011, 5:08 PM

Lesley was booked into an other cooking class at 2pm on Saturday. On the way up we dropped into the Willunga Markets. Would be lovely to have something like this close to home! We had lunch in a café at Aldgate. Good Soup with nice bread.

I dropped Lesley at the cooking school at 2pm and went on a bit of a drive. I noticed a sign to a wildlife sanctuary. That would be a way to pass the hours. So I drove to the Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary, and enjoyed walking around this beautiful property. It used to be a dairy farm but was purchased by a conservationist to conserve endangered Australian wildlife. Since 2010 it is part of the Australian Zoo.