World Australia South Australia Adelaide

Jason and Dawn - Around the world 2011

Aus - Day 138,139 - Adelaide Hills Sep 20, 2011

Adelaide, a gracious, well-planned city is set on a narrow coastal plain between the rolling hills of Mount Lofty Ranges and the blue waters of Gulf St. Vincent. Population of 1.1 million, this city is laid out on a grid pattern, its wide streets allowing easy access for locals and visitors. Adelaide is the only city in the world completely surrounded by park lands. Coming in from the North end of town doesn't really show you much beauty of Adelaide at all being it is the industrial end and not very esthetically pleasing to the eye. As we made our way deeper into the city towards the downtown core it became apparent as to why Adelaide is named one of Australia's most beautiful cities. The streets are clean and free of garbage. The local homes all have an old Victorian build to them. Wild flowers and perennials abound every where. The streets are line with beautiful trees. The downtown housed many old historic hotels, taverns and buildings that they have kept and restored back to their full character. We drove around at night and admired the lit buildings and old style neon signs. Districts were a buzz and it appeared as though everyone clearly had an agenda and knew where they were going. It's a cool city to see. Second day in we drove to 'Light's Vision Lookout' which offers views of the city's broad streets and spacious parks set among the downtown core. It was drizzling rain on and off this morning so our view was not as clear as we would have liked it to be but soon enough the sun came out and adorned us with its warmth. We grabbed our mats, laptop and water and did Yoga P90x style on the college grounds just below the lookout. We decided to make our way out of Adelaide and head to Barossa Valley through the Adelaide Hills. Know for their scenic blend of gently rolling hills, market gardens, vineyards and orchards with historic towns and farm buildings nestled in valleys. Barossa Valley has a climate similar to France's famous Bordeaux and boasts 76 wineries. The drive through the hills was spectacular, the winding roads nestled in quiet vineyards and orchards with its pristine country air and fields lined with sheep. This begins roughly 50km's out of the city, Adelaide Hills is what makes Adelaide so beautiful. We came across enormous Cherry orchards in full bloom, rolling hills covered in lined rows of grape vineyards and the occasional stray sheep blocking the road. We made our way to Tanunda, the town in the heart of the Barossa wine region. It was the focal point for early German settlement, growing out of the villages of Langmeil, established in 1843. This is a wonderful little town with lots of charm and beauty. Old historic buildings line the streets, old fashioned style homes, quaint stores and bakeries with the fresh smell of delicious delights add to the charm of this town. This is definitely a place where Jason and I could see ourselves moving to. Tonight we will stay in a local neighborhood and tomorrow we will hit some wineries!

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