Langhorne Creek

Monday 11th November
We first came upon the Murray on 7th Oct at Barmera and have been following it up and downstream ever since. Today from Loxton we left it to follow the major road network. That took us through the wheat belt area and Karoonda where we found some more silo art and stopped to refuel.

 Along the way we passed innumerable wheat fields stretching out between tiny townships that were once viable but no longer home to more than a silo.  We did however see both Bustards and Cape Barron Geese to keep us interested. 

Eventually we pulled-up in Langhorne Creek setting up at Frank Potts Reserve, just on the outskirts of town. It's beside the Bremer River, which is unfortunately dry, but it's a lovely spot under shady gums with nice big grassy sites. Frank Potts was the founder of Bleasdale winery just beside us, which has remained in the Potts family to the present day. Perhaps we should drop in to pay our respects in the coming days.

In the afternoon Eric and I took a drive to Milang, on the banks of Lake Alexandrina, the final resting place of our mighty Murray before it makes its way to the ocean (if and when the sandbar is dredged from the channel). We were entranced by all the pelicans resting on a small jetty, along with little black cormorants, caspian and whiskered terns. There were also a cluster of quaint fishermans' cottages lining the bank in the lovely little township. 

In this neck of the woods you can have water as far as the eye can see (as in the picture above), or be travelling beside lush vineyards on one side with sun bleached wheat on the other. We love the old homes built from local stone, many of them beautifully restored. And you can expect the unexpected to be coming towards you on the road.

Returning to our van we enjoyed a beautiful sunset as Eric set about cooking paella for dinner and we chatted with the other travellers. The couple next to us are from nearby Bordertown, but they came here to visit Sofie's Patch (Gardening Aust. ABC TV) in Little Hampton as she had an open weekend. What a shame we missed that! Probably saved some money though, they have a truck load of plants on board.

Tuesday 12th Nov
We woke to a cool and cloudy start to the day and the forecast suggests it is not going to get much better this week. We've been in touch with some friends who live locally and we are booked to have lunch with them at a local winery tomorrow. That helped us make plans for today which began with retreating to the van to wrap our hands around a hot cup of coffee and put thick socks on. Jenni and Glenn took off sightseeing around the Fleurieu Penninsula and we will too ....soon.
When we were ready we set off for Strathalbyn. This is a charming town which dates back to 1839. Settling here, the first residents farmed in the Angas Valley; establishing cropping, grazing and vineyards. Many heritage buildings still line the streets and a beautiful park sits beside the Angas River which meanders through the centre. After lunch at the bakery we followed a walking trail through town featuring many of the best preserved buildings and the park.

We found the life-sized sculpture created by renowned Goolwa artist James Stewart, a tribute to revered Australian motorcycle icon Kenny Blake. It is made out of mechanical parts of all shapes and sizes welded together. A local lad, he started racing his 1964 Triumph motorcycle in 1966, and went on to win 11 national championships and compete at the Isle of Man. In honour of him, the annual Kenny Blake Festival of Motorcycling is held at the town’s oval on his birthday.

From there we drove to the historic wharf at Goolwa but almost got blown into Lake Alexandrina in the fierce wind so it was quickly back into the car and over the infamous bridge to Hindmarsh Island. There has been an enormous amount of development here around a man-made marina & waterfront development called Coorong Quays. Reminds me of Noosa Waters, so fake. We drove on to the Murray Mouth viewing site and then went looking for birds in the wetlands. So cold down here! Back in the car quickly to enjoy the weak sun through the shield of the windscreen. 

And so the Murray Sojourn of our travels is complete, from Yarrawonga to the mouth. She's a mighty resource that has served her community well since recorded history and even before. We should be taking greater care of her. When we arrived home we took a short walk across the road to The Winehouse which serves up four award winning wine labels; Ben Potts Wines (6th generation of Bleasedale establishment) John Glaetzer (his uni friend) John's Blend,  Gipsie Jack, and Heartland by Ben Glaetzer. If that’s not enough, they are also home to Langhorne Creek’s first craft beer label, Meechi Brewing Company. Good thing it wasn't far to walk home carrying our new cellar items. Did I mention our cellar is under the bed? 
Wednesday 13th Nov
Today we enjoyed lunch at Lake Breeze Winery with Cindy and John from Victor Harbour and Leonie and Greg from Little Hampton in the Adelaide Hills. It was their wedding we attended down this way last year. Cindy was our Principal at Katherine School of the Air and then later Eric was her Assistant Prin at Gray Primary in Palmerston. Leonie was my Principal at Top End Group School and Greg was the AP. When Greg took leave at some stage Eric acted in that position. It was a very pleasant couple of hours with good food, nice wines and great company. Gleaned lots of recommendations for our Kangaroo Island stop over from these locals. 

On our way back to town we called in at Bremmerton and then Bleasedale Wineries. The last of these is celebrating their recent Jimmy Watson Award Win at the recent Melbourne Show. Frank Potts established the winery here in 1849 and it is still in the hands of the Potts family. A boat builder by trade, he still must have been a remarkable man to build the massive lever press and port vats from red gum on the property. 

In the evening, just as we were heading to bed, I received a text and then a phone call from the excited Alawa team who were attending the NT Natural Resource Management Awards in Darwin. The entry that I compiled on behalf of the school in the Junior Natural Resource Management Award won! And they also won the People's Choice Award. I'm feeling pretty chuffed because I always felt the submission was strong, but mostly because I am confident what has been undertaken by the school is sustainable without my presence. I hope they go from strength to strength, after all we can't continue to sit and wait for politicians to make a move. It is the next generations that need to drive this. Accepting the award were Linda (Farm Teacher), Bob (Farm Manager) and Sandy (She Who Must Be Obeyed). Next they will head off to the National Awards with some of the Alawa students to present the material.