Last day means Wine Tour!!!!!!

Helloooo Possums, how have you all been!?? I am currently writing this on the plane from Adelaide to Sydney and feel like a proper writer!! Running low on battery tho and not sure how you turn the wifi off, so need to make it quick…..

So my last day dawned in awesome Adelaide and one of the favourite ways for the gang to end a visit it is with a Wine Tour.  Adelaide boasts some mighty fine wine making country, with the Barossa and McLaren Vale regions on the doorstep but we decided to change tack a little and visit the Adelaide Hills.  Good choice!!

So 7 of us piled into the Heggie’s bus and off we set, all frocked up and raring to go (even the boys, well raring to go not frocked up....) The first stop was Bird in Hand Winery where, as always, the wine tasting was flowing.  I will never get over how you can rock up to these places and just drink wine then just leave! No obligation to buy but some of the cellar doors do charge a little fee.  Not here tho so we sampled at least 8 of there fabulous whites, reds and sparkling , admired the amazing view, listened to the charming Alex wow us with his apparent in depth knowledge of wines which was accompanied by a classic Brendan quote ‘most of  it tastes like paint stripper to me’.  Priceless.

After stupid pictures next to a bus (see photo) we headed out to our stop for lunch, Mount Lofty Vineyard. Despite the fact that Carrie and I had not only written and printed off directions (12 mins) Graham took it upon himself to navigate.  Some half hour and a lovely tour of the back roads we arrived.

Wow! What a view.  A really small, hilly vineyard with a view that you would never get tired of meant for lots of photo opportunities before settling down for lunch.  Sparkling wine chosen and a sharing platter for two to myself for a starter, it was time to choose the main.  What would it be, Thai salmon, lamb, pie? Frittata.  I chose a bloody frittata.  Not entirely sure what it was but thinking ‘an omelette would be nice after a huge platter’ when the brick of potato cake arrived after my fabulous starter for two, it was to much merriment at the table.  Until they bit into the salmon…..

Thai fish sauce, despite its name, is not a sauce as such more an additive, a fact the chef of the day was not aware of.  Some wrangling with the owner about four peoples idea of bad salmon, a lot of humble pie on her part, salads ordered and roofs of mouths restored the meal was finished and despite it all, a return visit is a must!!

Slightly squiffy by this point, off we headed for our next stop, the

Ooooooo hang on we are coming into land, window shots of plane wings to be got and I’m still not sure if I turned off the wifi…….

Fear not we landed, wifi off or not, now where was I, Oh yes the next stop…..

That was the Handorf Winery, another gorgeous setting but this one had a twist and was the reason we picked it – Chocovino!  They have tasting experiences that match a chocolate to a wine, every girls dream (and some boys too no doubt) but we were a little late in the day for a major tasting, booking recommended, so we settled for a coffee with a selection on paired chocolates, spookily enough made by Red Cacao, the little coffee shop I found in Stirling the other day. They were amazeballs and unlike the boys who popped the small round balls of deliciousness into their mouths without a second though (that sounds a bit dodgy on reading it back…) we girls savoured every single gorgeous second of rich dark chocolate, chocolate mint and slated caramel…..I’m dribbling at the thought (that sounded a bit dodge too….)

This rounded off the wine tour nicely and chocolates bought, views recorded for posterity on cameras and large bubble wrap bottle protectors bought (see pic) we headed for home, full and some of us just a little merry.

The evening was all planned, a BBQ at the Bell’s, where the entire gang were together.  Amazing BBQ great laughs followed, reminiscing and remembering, making new memories and just generally having a great time with good friends. And it was great to see the kids all playing in their fabulous garden (and by kids I also mean the husbands who had a rather entertaining and competitive game of ping pong….) and we even managed a group photo, no mean feat when you see how many are in it! 

Towards the end of the evening there was a little elephant in the room (not just me with my expanding waistline!) mainly the fact this was my last night and goodbyes needed to be said to those I wouldn’t see in the morning.  With tears in our eyes but laughter in our hearts we bid farewell, safe in the knowledge that they had become far too good friends for me not to stay away too long (that’ll learn ya for being so nice!!)

Then it was home to my final night in the fab chez Heggie to pack all the clothes I never wore next to all the new ones, and try to accommodate some of the other bits and bobs I always accumulate on my travels.  It was to be a struggle in the morning to say goodbye to what I see as my Aussie family, but the saying ‘all good things must come to an end’ should be ‘all good things have a little break in them until you come back and start again’

So my next post will be my final day and my journey to pick up Pops and hear all about what he has been up to.  That, I fear will be a whole different kettle of fish…..!!

Until later, TTFN xxx