Alright – just got music going…. Gotta love “Tapes ‘n Tapes”… Their song “Insistor” always wakes me up and makes me want to dance.
Right – So I got off the train in Adelaide at about 7:30 am on Tuesday, 29 September. Kathy (Dave’s Mum) was already there, having stored her bags and walked from the bus station (where she had taken the overnighter from Melbourne). After a big hug and collecting my bags, we walked back to the bus station – not a terribly easy feat with my massive bag and 2 extra bags, but I persevered (with mum carrying my brown bag for a bit).
From the very beginning I didn’t put a very good “street smart” show on – I put a $20 bill in the luggage locker when I only needed $10….. I had failed to read the “no change given” sign!!!! It’s fair to say that I was more than annoyed with myself, but Kathy reckoned I just wouldn’t have a coffee or two and brushed it off.
Once our bags were safely locked away we set off to explore the city. It was still early – 8ish I guess, so all the attractions we were interested in visiting were closed (Tandanya – the aboriginal center, the museums and galleries, etc). So, after a complete circuit on the free city bus, we opted for the botanical garden.
The gardens were LOVELY. We never did explore the whole place, and never did make it back – but what we saw was gorgeous. I’m not sure what Kathy’s favorite part was, but for me there were two:
The Amazon Waterlily Pavilion
The Amazon lily wasn’t flowering, but the blue Nile waterlily was beautiful
The massive Wisteria tunnel was my next favorite – mostly because it reminded me of my mom, she would have been wowed! (oops - thought I had the picture on my thumbdrive!)
Quite a bit of it was blooming and buzzing with bees
I saw some yellow “kangaroo paw” (and yes, their paws do look a bit like that open flower!..... see pictures in upcoming blog)
I was surprised to find that the “miner” birds (seen all over Cunderdin… see previous blog pictures), were actually nectar feeders! (I assume they are bit of an “everything” bird – eat whatever comes along)
Kathy spotted a nest of baby birds while I was staring at a blossoming (cherry?) tree. We were lucky enough to watch the parents feed the two chicks.
The economic garden (plants with uses to be sold) was vaguely interesting – I learned that catnip has more uses than getting cats wired…. Medicinal: relieving intestinal cramps, baby colic, and toothaches. Culinary: flavor soups, stews, sauces. General: CATS… and bee attractant.
It was a beautiful, sunny day to stroll through the cactus display…..
….before hitting the palm house (which was far less interesting inside than the actual building). However, the crown of thorn plant was neat.After such a lovely morning, we headed to Tandanya for the noon cultural performance. We contemplated the aboringal paintings in the gallery before the interesting didgeridoo presentation.
After a yummy bite at a Thai restaurant on Rundle (a street known in Adelaide for its 2 blocks of pedestrian mall), we walked about town a bit more. Though we were both vaguely intrigued with the “Ayers House” we weren’t paying an entry fee. So, we picked up a few groceries instead and headed to the bus station to catch our ferry to Kangaroo Island.
Kangaroo Island is virtually weed and pesty-animal free, so there are some restrictions on what you can take over (though there appeared to be no formal quarantine). It’s also home to strains of “pure” ligurian honey bees (from Italy, ages ago). They are quite proud of these disease-free and pure bees, so no used bee-keeping equipment is allowed.
The shuttle ride from Adelaide to Cape Jervis passed through beautiful, green hills and pastures….. Not that I saw much of it! I slept nearly the whole way! I was awake enough to spot a couple kangaroos laying in the green shade! That was the first time I had seen kangaroos lying down!
The ferry ride was pretty short (an hour?) and uneventful. I was surprised at how well I could feel the swells on such a large boat – a catamaran. The blue skies and warm weather (it was warmer outside on the decks than it was in the air conditioned cabin!) made taking pictures an easy chore:
Lighthouse off Cape Jervis as we depart
Sunset over the water – not dramatic, but made for a lovely close to a good day.
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