Our arrival in Adelaide was spectacular. Driving down the Adelaide Hills rewarded us with a beautiful view of the entire city. To the left, the beaches; in the middle, the city; and to the right, the Adelaide Hills. Before reaching Henley Beach, we had to drive through the city for quite a while. Anneleen, a friend I met at diabetes camps in the past, lives there. She kindly welcomed us as locals and provided us with a place to stay for the night. After camping in unpredictable weather, it was a much-needed break. She offered us a glass of wine, and we enjoyed the slightly warmer temperatures, which were very welcome after the chilly days we had experienced. Later, Anneleen prepared a delicious and low-carb oven dish for us. Before going to bed, we enjoyed a warm bath and slept in a comfortable and soft bed for the first time in 10 days of camping.
After a refreshing shower and a tasty breakfast, we chatted with Anneleen’s boyfriend, Karel. He told us about his work at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital and gave us some tips for our stay in Adelaide. The decision was made: we had to buy a new fridge. On the way to the 4WD Super Center, we came across a car electrician specialized in camping. He gave us some informative explanations, and it turned out that the equipment in our car wasn’t reliable enough. We decided to buy a new fridge before agreeing to his proposal, which would cost us some money. Most fridges for cars are very expensive here, up to 2000 dollars. We opted for a slightly cheaper one that was still good enough for our needs. We also agreed to have the car electrician install a battery booster, a new 400 Watt converter, and a battery level indicator. It was a significant blow to our budget but necessary for our long journey ahead. The car is our home, so it needs to be well-equipped. We didn’t want to encounter any problems in the middle of nowhere. After shopping at ‘Coles,’ we spent the night at Bel Air Camping in the Adelaide Hills.
The next morning, we headed towards the Botanical Gardens and Mount Lofty. We quickly spotted a koala freely roaming on the ground. It’s not something you see often, so we were lucky. It disappeared into the woods, and not long after, we heard a loud roar. The sound resembled the roar we heard during our first camping trip in the woods, which we thought was wild boars. But it wasn’t! It was male koalas.
While walking in the Botanical Gardens, we spotted two more koalas in the trees. The gardens were incredibly vast and beautiful, with various plants, pleasant walking paths, and lakes. The Mount Lofty lookout offered us a stunning panoramic view of the entire city. It was simply breathtaking. A third koala couldn’t hide and revealed itself in the trees. We still felt like going for a short walk, so we continued to Morialta National Park. The temperature rose, and we decided to extend the walk a bit. Soon, it became quite challenging as the trail steeply ascended with a deep abyss on the left side. Not far ahead, we encountered a snake that startled us as much as we startled it. All three of us jumped in the air. We ran (for our lives) past the snake.
When we reached the waterfall, it became clear that the path ended there, and we had to return, passing by the snake again. We loudly talked our way back down the entire track. Fortunately, we didn’t encounter any more snakes. Snakes are impressive, but they seem to become more aggressive if you see too many of them. We arrived back at the car and spotted a fourth koala. What a fantastic day filled with nature and wildlife. We spent the night at Levi Park, a camping site in the city center that is slightly more expensive than others. This was because we had plans to meet Anneleen and Karel in the evening to attend the OzAsia Festival in the city. It was a food truck festival with delicious Asian food and drinks. We ate and danced. It was a very enjoyable evening, and we slept soundly in our cozy bed.
The following day, we thought it would be a good idea to drive to a campground and have a moment of rest. Camping Bel Air was the cheapest option, and we found it to be excellent last time. We set up our tent, rolled out our awning, and enjoyed bacon and eggs for breakfast. We spent most of our day at the campground, writing blog posts, doing laundry, resting, and simply enjoying doing nothing. After dinner, we enjoyed the slightly warmer evening outside. The feeling of not having to check out the next morning was delightful. We slept in and took the time to make ourselves presentable. Anneleen and Karel picked us up for a day of wine tasting in the Adelaide Hills.
Our first winery was ‘Anvers,’ run by a woman from Antwerp who has been living here for 30 years. We had a delicious cheese platter, arancini balls, calamari, and pizzas paired with a tasty red and white wine bottle. Their red wines are exported to Belgium. The two owners of Tomorrowland visited a week ago and selected one of their wines to serve at their festival and in their new restaurant, MESA. We enjoyed sitting outside in the top temperatures. Afterward, we couldn’t resist and bought two of their best wines. Our second winery was ‘Between The Vines,’ run by one of Karel’s colleagues. Here, we did a wine tasting of six wines, including sparkling wine, a rosé, two whites, and two reds. We enjoyed the beautiful view of a pond and played a game of chess. It was a delightful experience! We also purchased one bottle of wine from there. Afterward, we all went to eat at the Bel Air Hotel to conclude the enjoyable day.
The next day, we checked out and drove to the car electrician to resolve our car issues. Around the corner, we had a coffee and cola and waited for an hour. We were so relieved that all our equipment was finally working properly. The construction in the trunk of our car wasn’t really sturdy enough. We went to Bunnings (the local hardware store) and bought screws, L-profiles, and a small electric screwdriver. Anneleen and Karel moved into their new home, where we could stay for another night. The four of us went to eat at the Belgian Beer Café. We had mussels, and I had a Duvel. It was lovely to indulge in those Belgian traditions. The mussels were smaller than what we’re used to, but the taste was okay. We slept wonderfully in a real bed again.
The next morning, it was time to strengthen the construction in the trunk of our car. We took everything out of the car and screwed some L-profiles into the wood and the car. The sun was shining, and we took out our solar panels. Inez noticed that the green light wasn’t on. We returned to the car electrician for a second opinion and hopefully a solution. After testing everything, it turned out that the problem was the cable of the solar panel. We immediately decided to buy a new solar panel to fix that issue. In the evening, we had delicious spaghetti Anneleen made for us.
It was time to explore the city center. We headed to the Central Market and indulged ourselves. We bought delicious dips, French baguettes, and authentic French cheeses. It was delightful! We went to have Jasmin Flower Tea and cappuccino. As you walk through the city and look towards the end of the main streets, you can see the mountainous landscape surrounding the city in the distance. We took a stroll along the main shopping street, Rundle Mall. It felt a bit strange to see Christmas trees standing as summer approached.
Inez was tired of drinking instant coffee at the campsite every morning and bought a moka pot and some freshly ground coffee. We continued our walk along the main shopping street, Rundle Mall. Inez bought some new T-shirts at H&M, and I got a haircut. The weather was still pleasantly warm, and we enjoyed sitting on the terrace at Regattas by the water. A refreshing Cooper Sparkling pint and an Espresso Martini hit the spot. We also ordered a delicious seafood platter to share. We visited Karel at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, and he gave us a tour of the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). As a finale, we enjoyed a cheese and wine evening just the two of us. We bathed, watched TV, and closed our eyes for the night.
The next day, it was time for our trip to the Flinders Ranges. Our first stop was Melrose.
X Ely & Inez
I'm convinced that you should do what you love and go for what you want in life. I go through life with a no-nonsense mentality and a passion for travel, blogging, and the digital world. In 2018, I embarked on the journey of my life with my girlfriend, and since then I want to continue traveling and discovering the world.
Wat een leven. Groot gelijk maar beginnen jullie toch.wel echt te missen. Mooi verhaal
Daddy
Dat is tof….Melrose Place….precies Neighbours op tv ???? Hier begint de winter bijna…weg terrasjes ???? XX