South Australia (1) - Port Augusta

Port Augusta & Clare Valley

Welcome to post 1 of the South Australia trip! Gill and I were away for five days over the Easter & the Anzac Public Holidays. We flew in to Adelaide and having hired a car drove the 5 hour trip north to Port Augusta, which is where the ocean meets the outback. We drove back to Adelaide via the Clare Valley, and then to McLaren Vale for a wine tasting tour before driving around the Fleurieu Peninsula and flying back to Sydney.

In Port Augusta we went on an 'eco-cruise' up the Spencer Gulf, a body of salt water that cuts right through the outback from the ocean, with mangroves, red cliffs, stunning views across to the Flinders Ranges, not to mention a pod of dolphins....



We drove back to Adelaid via the 'back roads' (!) and stumbled across this little outback town called Koolunga....

Further south, we went to the Clare Valley - one of Australia's premier winegrowing regions, famous for its rieslings. We stopped at two cellar door wineries: Tim Adams, which has international awards for its rieslings, and the smaller, lesser known Crabtree winery whose whites were superb; probably the best wine we tried on our trip.

The next post will be on Adelaide, Mclaren Vale and the Fleurieu Peninsula. I may not get time to write it before Sunday though; first rugby game of the season tomorrow (for the U14s). We have an away game in Orange. Orange is a five hour coach drive from Sydney.