McLaren Vale, Fleurieu Peninsula (Wk 18)

It is usually easy to pick a picture which epitomises the area we are visiting but the Fleurieu Peninsula has it all: amazing calm beaches, jettys stretching into the clear water, rolling hills and more vineyards than you can shake a stick at. We could have spent weeks here but arrived on 10/03/2020 and heading off north to Adelaide on 13/03/2020.

As soon as we arrived we went to the coast to Port Noarlunga where Paul did part of his diving instructors course a few years back :-). The bay has a jetty which used to stretch out to the reef but these days they make it harder to access to keep what is left of the reef. A beautiful bay.

The next day we did a road trip from McLaren Vale to Victor Harbour on the east coast of the Peninsula which has a ‘road and horse drawn tram’ bridge to Granite Island. We then headed to the west coast taking a detour on some dirt tracks with amazing views. Morning tea was held at Normanville overlooking Carrickalinga beach which had another jetty.

Going up the west coast we stumbled upon a dam (tight squeeze passing a car – would have been interesting with the van…) on the way to the last beach of the day, Port Willunga whose jetty was in ruins. We decided to brave the cold (for Queenslanders) water and take a dip. Boy was it cold but I can now say I have braved the southern ocean.

Later in the day we went for a wine tasting at a cellar door next to our caravan park. Its grape picking time and got to see machines in action – the machine gets over the vine and ‘shakes’ the grapes off. The vines before and after look the same …… except the grapes are gone.

Today 12/03/2020, at D’Arenberg vineyard for wine tasting and late lunch. An amazing vineyard with old and new brilliantly combined together. Fabulous wines and food. There was also a Dali exhibition which we enjoyed with yet another glass of wine…. luckily even the reproductions were a little too expensive for us.

Tomorrow we head for Adelaide for a couple of days.