Our base for exploring the Barossa is Almond Hill B&B, in the village of Angaston. Easy to find on the outskirts of the town, we drive up the hill surrounded by flowering lavendar and rosemary, and pull in to park by a rhinoceros (iron) and the donkeys (two real ones), an alpaca and two sheep with week old lambs completes the menagarie. Read more
I love these Australian names, heading on the Fleurieu Peninsula out from Port Willunga, through Myponga to Yankalilla essentially following the Tribuke Dreaming Trail. We dropped off at Lilla’s, a café on the main road – they were closed but offered warmly to make a coffee while they prepared for the evening rush. Read more
Our base for exploring the Barossa is the amazing Almond Hill B&B and after a fabulous breakfast we head for our first coffee hit of the day– Blond Coffee on the main street of Angaston. It was a good choice (we come back three times before we leave), a deli style café with lots of space, great food, and large glass windows to watch the passing traffic.
I am staying in Port Willunga south of Adelaide, and we are heading off to the Barossa for a couple of days exploration. It’s a beautiful winter’s day as we drive through McLaren Vale (the other great wine growing region in SA). Through the vineyards we wind up into the Adelaide Hills. The idea of summer and bushfires is as far away as you can imagine – the fields are lush and green. The first signs of spring are all around us – the first grapes budding, almond trees, daffodils, tiny new born lambs. Read more
Doubtless Bay is touted as the ‘ultimate absolute beachfront’ destination in Northland. It was autumn, and past swimming for me – but it is still a beautiful time to walk and explore, and the weather was crisp and clear.
Carrington Resort is one of NZ’s luxury destinations – now with the Heritage Hotel chain it is set on the magical Karikari Peninsula. Its lovely low level traditional buildings are clustered on a knoll overlooking the golf course. We were welcomed warmly by Marara in reception and soon found we could borrow a golf cart and drive out to the beach – which of course we did. Read more
I can not believe I have been home in Waipu for over a month, the time has flown. What a fabulous time to be here in Northland New Zealand - it is balmy clear weather, the sea is warm and inviting, the beach is still mostly empty, there are waves to frolic in, the dog still swims and catches waves with me and Waipu is still one of the best little places in the world. Read more
It is so nice to be somewhere warm in winter, I guess that is why thousands of people from Canada flock to Florida in the winter.
It is 77deg, warm and mild with very little wind, the sea is like a millpond. Despite the warmth I have not seen one person in swimming – the locals just don’t think it is warm enough – kiwis would all be in – this is as hot as it gets for many of us! Read more
I have just had to defrag my computer, and think it is a pretty good description of what has happened for and to me during my travels – I have been defragged.
My understanding of what defragging is on a PC, (or rebuilding the desktop with an Apple Mac) is that under normal working conditions we create a lot of ‘mess’ on a computer – files are disordered, temporary files are created, we jump from one thing to another, leaving a messy trail behind. Read more
My friends Mary Hunt and Diane Neu gladly delivered me to Union Station in Washington – it was an excuse to take their adopted daughter Min to see the big trains, the model trains and the Christmas trees and decorations in this magnificent edifice. I also managed to get a picture with the President Elect! Read more
My friend Nigel asked me if there was anything special I wanted to do in Cornwall. Mostly I was happy to visit his favourite haunts, but The Eden Project was definately on my short list of must dos.
The Eden Project certainly did not disappoint – what a stunning idea, and even more stunning implementation. What imagination, what courage, above all what fun.
You could spend days here, but we happily spent four hours – wandering the outside gardens, sweating our way through the tropical dome, and then through the milder, but still very warm mediterranean dome, and then to the amazing educational centre. Read more
