On our drive to the Barossa we travelled through Echunga, a small town in the Adelaide Hills, where one of Eric's golfing mates from home owns a vineyard. I was keen to stop for a pretzel morning tea in Hahndorf but there was far too much traffic in the narrow streets, this being a Saturday morning. Then we came down the steep M1 and through a tunnel where heavy vehicles are speed limited to 60km/h. All of which had me very stressed with our van on behind but Eric negotiated us safely through it all.
Now we are set up at the Centenary Park in Greenock. Unlike the well known German influence in the Barossa, this area was settled by Scots.
After lunch we went for a stroll to have a look at some of the historic buildings. As well as wine offerings, we found Greenock Brewers housed in an 1860’s wheat store. Across the road is the still functioning Laucke grain mill. It was originally built to produce flour but these days it produces and stores stock feed.
Guess who we bumped into at the brewery? Jenni and Glenn dropped in on their return from Nuriootpa where they have been shopping for supplies at Aldi. After several samples we returned to the vans and the boys had a game of petenque on the piste right here in the park. There is also a green oval with grand stand and toilets we can access, several tennis courts and a children's playground.
Sunday 24th Nov
Time for a Sunday Drive. We all went in the Munday's car to Nuriootpa, the valley's main commercial centre, where the Smiths did their grocery shop. Nuriootpa is home to Penfolds, First Drop and Wolf Blass, to name just a few of the well known ones, but we are not doing tastings today. Instead we went to Maggie Beer's Farm Shop where they encourage you to wander around the displays and taste all the products. Everything we tried was delicious but we managed to only buy a couple of what was on offer. It's not cheap after all. We wandered through the hutches where the pheasants are kept and I took the opportunity to visit the herb gardens too. Everything was in perfect order, I guess it can be when you employ all those staff.
Next stop Lyndoch as I had read that they have a fine German Bakery and I still have my heart set on a pretzel. I used to have to stop and buy one every time I travelled through Dhoby Ghaut MRT in Sg, but I haven't had one since. And I still haven't. They were not on the menu and unfortunately the bakery fare didn't live up to the write-up I had read. Pity, as there are so many other good options we could have chosen. Lyndoch is home to Kellermeister, Chateau Yaldara and 1847 Wines.
Next stop Tanunda where we worked off lunch walking some of the heritage trail. There is still a strong Lutheran feel to the place and no matter which way you look there is a vineyard at the end of the street. There's Stanley Brothers, Richmond Grove and Peter Lehmann to name a few.
On the way home we travelled through Seppeltsfield. This is over 420 acres of ancient vineyard, gardens and heritage-listed architecture. It is like a small village in itself. There is even a family mausoleum, a tribute to the family who established one of Australia’s oldest wine estates and played such a pivotal part in this region’s history. Whilst the Seppelt expansions of Great Western and Rutherglen were highly prized, it was always the original home of Seppeltsfield in the Barossa that was regarded as the jewel in the family crown. Over 2000 Canary Island Date Palms line a five kilometre avenue approaching the estate. The Avenue of Palms was planted by Seppeltsfield workers during the Great Depression when no one was buying wine but the owner did not want to retrench all his workers. What a wonderful legacy.
Returning to Greenoch, I retired to our van with a good book while the rest of them returned to the brewery for a beer and to watch the test match.
Monday 25th Nov
We have been trying to book a game on the Sandy Creek Golf Course but no one ever answers the calls. Hoping the course is not closed on Mondays, we took a drive there on the off chance. Turns out they have struck some trouble in October, the club now running on volunteers. We spoke to some players who happened to be members and they assured us we were welcome to play. They also told us about the preferred lie local rule. Unfortunately though, that only applies if you are actually on the fairway! Lovely undulating course with tree lined fairways instead of that dreadful tufty grass you get on a links course. I loved all the grass trees too. I'll miss them when we start heading north. Some form a ‘trunk’ from old leaf bases stacked on top of each other and stuck together by a naturally occurring resin. We learnt when we were on Kangaroo Island that this resin was once known as yakka gum and the trees were commercially cut down and shipped offshore. The same resin is traditionally used as glue in spear-making and in patching up water containers. Its the the flowers spikes I love, they are all so individual; some bent and others as straight as spears. I have taken lots of pictures of them, I could treat you to a selection like the bark collages but then Eric's fears would be confirmed.
Eric and I stopped in Gawler, the oldest country town in SA, for a very late lunch before driving back through Seppeltsfield which had captured our interest yesterday. Joseph Seppelt emigrated from Silesia, the same region of Prussia that the family of Maggie Beers' husband did. Joseph bought his family and tobacco factory workers with him. He purchased 158 acres of land in 1850 at £1 an acre and designated it ‘Seppeltsfield’. The first vines were planted and soon wine was being sold. The cellar was completed in 1867 and just one year later, the founder died suddenly in 1868. His wife raised 13 children and the eldest took over and expanded the business. The company remained in the Seppelt family until 1984 and has since changed hands many times. We just couldn't get over the grand scale of the buildings.
The not for profit arts and crafts organisation, JamFactory, runs a regional extension at the estate, including studios for ceramics, jewellery and leather. There was also a gallery and shop with some fascinating glassware. I took a look through there while Eric made a bee-line to the tasting room. Like the scale of the rest of the place this was cavernous. They had tiny bottles of Para Port that date back to the 1800's worth thousands of dollars. We passed on them and bought home some C21st shiraz.
Back home we shared dinner in our van with another chilly wind making it too uncomfortable to eat outdoors again. We drew up plans to move on tomorrow. We are headed for the Yorke Peninsula.
Now we are set up at the Centenary Park in Greenock. Unlike the well known German influence in the Barossa, this area was settled by Scots.
After lunch we went for a stroll to have a look at some of the historic buildings. As well as wine offerings, we found Greenock Brewers housed in an 1860’s wheat store. Across the road is the still functioning Laucke grain mill. It was originally built to produce flour but these days it produces and stores stock feed.
Guess who we bumped into at the brewery? Jenni and Glenn dropped in on their return from Nuriootpa where they have been shopping for supplies at Aldi. After several samples we returned to the vans and the boys had a game of petenque on the piste right here in the park. There is also a green oval with grand stand and toilets we can access, several tennis courts and a children's playground.
Sunday 24th Nov
Time for a Sunday Drive. We all went in the Munday's car to Nuriootpa, the valley's main commercial centre, where the Smiths did their grocery shop. Nuriootpa is home to Penfolds, First Drop and Wolf Blass, to name just a few of the well known ones, but we are not doing tastings today. Instead we went to Maggie Beer's Farm Shop where they encourage you to wander around the displays and taste all the products. Everything we tried was delicious but we managed to only buy a couple of what was on offer. It's not cheap after all. We wandered through the hutches where the pheasants are kept and I took the opportunity to visit the herb gardens too. Everything was in perfect order, I guess it can be when you employ all those staff.
Next stop Lyndoch as I had read that they have a fine German Bakery and I still have my heart set on a pretzel. I used to have to stop and buy one every time I travelled through Dhoby Ghaut MRT in Sg, but I haven't had one since. And I still haven't. They were not on the menu and unfortunately the bakery fare didn't live up to the write-up I had read. Pity, as there are so many other good options we could have chosen. Lyndoch is home to Kellermeister, Chateau Yaldara and 1847 Wines.
Next stop Tanunda where we worked off lunch walking some of the heritage trail. There is still a strong Lutheran feel to the place and no matter which way you look there is a vineyard at the end of the street. There's Stanley Brothers, Richmond Grove and Peter Lehmann to name a few.
On the way home we travelled through Seppeltsfield. This is over 420 acres of ancient vineyard, gardens and heritage-listed architecture. It is like a small village in itself. There is even a family mausoleum, a tribute to the family who established one of Australia’s oldest wine estates and played such a pivotal part in this region’s history. Whilst the Seppelt expansions of Great Western and Rutherglen were highly prized, it was always the original home of Seppeltsfield in the Barossa that was regarded as the jewel in the family crown. Over 2000 Canary Island Date Palms line a five kilometre avenue approaching the estate. The Avenue of Palms was planted by Seppeltsfield workers during the Great Depression when no one was buying wine but the owner did not want to retrench all his workers. What a wonderful legacy.
Returning to Greenoch, I retired to our van with a good book while the rest of them returned to the brewery for a beer and to watch the test match.
Monday 25th Nov
We have been trying to book a game on the Sandy Creek Golf Course but no one ever answers the calls. Hoping the course is not closed on Mondays, we took a drive there on the off chance. Turns out they have struck some trouble in October, the club now running on volunteers. We spoke to some players who happened to be members and they assured us we were welcome to play. They also told us about the preferred lie local rule. Unfortunately though, that only applies if you are actually on the fairway! Lovely undulating course with tree lined fairways instead of that dreadful tufty grass you get on a links course. I loved all the grass trees too. I'll miss them when we start heading north. Some form a ‘trunk’ from old leaf bases stacked on top of each other and stuck together by a naturally occurring resin. We learnt when we were on Kangaroo Island that this resin was once known as yakka gum and the trees were commercially cut down and shipped offshore. The same resin is traditionally used as glue in spear-making and in patching up water containers. Its the the flowers spikes I love, they are all so individual; some bent and others as straight as spears. I have taken lots of pictures of them, I could treat you to a selection like the bark collages but then Eric's fears would be confirmed.
The not for profit arts and crafts organisation, JamFactory, runs a regional extension at the estate, including studios for ceramics, jewellery and leather. There was also a gallery and shop with some fascinating glassware. I took a look through there while Eric made a bee-line to the tasting room. Like the scale of the rest of the place this was cavernous. They had tiny bottles of Para Port that date back to the 1800's worth thousands of dollars. We passed on them and bought home some C21st shiraz.
Back home we shared dinner in our van with another chilly wind making it too uncomfortable to eat outdoors again. We drew up plans to move on tomorrow. We are headed for the Yorke Peninsula.
It feels good to have read your post. I got a lot of good thoughts here. You must be brilliant to have come with writing articles that could inspire and help a lot of your readers. I feel like going to visit this site more often. Beauty and health
ReplyDelete