The Adelaide Hills

It seems strange to see the fall colours in June they are just beautiful!

We love the quiet country roads again

The Adelaide Hills is precious countryside!

After the long ride across the Nullarbar with nothing but wind, rain and desert scenery it was so nice to get back into wine country.    We dropped into Adelaide BMW to see if we could get a service for the bike but it turned out to be a long weekend here, the “Queens Birthday”,  and they would do it but it would be double time at $240.00 an hour so we decided the bike didn’t need the service quite yet!

Onto Mt. Lofty and the start of the “Adelaide Hills” ride, this consists of a tourist driving route thru small towns and vineyards, it was a bit late to set out and it did look like rain, but off we went anyway.  It was a lovely ride, along windy roads full of lush green fields, vineyards and the changing fall colors of the trees, so pretty, it reminded me of home with the crisp cool air. We managed to complete the route and avoided the rains, in total it took about 3 hours and we ended up staying the night in a town called “Hahndorf” (Australias oldest surviving German village with buildings, built by the Prussian settlers in 1839, still on the main street).  

The rolling hills and grape vines

Single lane roads and no traffic

We stayed in a little hotel called “the Stables”, this was one of those original buildings, attached to it was a great little cafe,  organic and homey, reminded me of the tree house cafe on SSI,  complete with wood fire going and great goodies to eat.

Off to the stables for coffee

The room was $85 a night and was on the upper level of the old stables, a tiny room but the interior walls were from the original limestone building so made it very interesting, just the kind of place i love to find for the night.  The owners were so friendly, the staff great, we also met some fellow riders with another GS who we sat and had a drink with, we are quite chatty these days, it will be hard when we get home, i can see it know people will say, don’t invite T & C over, they never shut up!!  How can you stop talking about, “the trip of a lifetime.” 

Our accommodations are in the old town stables

I just love riding in Aus, this country is so big with so few people, it seems to have a nice balance, we ride for miles and see so few cars, just beautiful scenery.  My mind feels so free to just float around out here sometimes i cant decide if im actually sitting on the bike or flying by myself, love it?  Its still pretty cold, 9degrees today, i think i put on every piece of clothing i own.  Trev took a picture of me as he said i looked ridiculous, well i might have and i must admit it felt like when my mother use to dress me to go out in the snow when i was little, everything was on so tight i couldn’t hardly breath, never mind move in it all!! Oh well i was warm, thats the main thing.

OK the weather has turned a
BIT COLD

On the ride out to the coast we pass some of the
 largest vineyards we have seen


They set the sheep loose into the vineyards to keep the grass down, great idea!

This is what is said about the “Adelaide Hills”:

“The regions 70,000 residents appreciate its slower pace, indulging in pastimes like bushwalking, wine touring, gourmet trails, “Open Garden” weekends, and long, lazy lunches after a game of golf.  Give yourself a little time, perhaps a weekend or week, and you can do the same.  Enjoy a summer stay in a farmhouse, hole up in a cosy cottage overlooking a winter creek, or savour the highlife in one of the Hills upmarket retreats overlooking famous vineyards. “

We loved it, we walked around the town of Hahndorf in the evening just as the shops were shutting, found a country inn for dinner, oh so lovely, wood fire burning, Trev tucked into a pint with meat pie and i had the country salad and we shared, it was so delicious, it made me wonder why i  never make meat pies for dinner parties, i know the guys would love them!!

Our route was Mt.Lofty, Summertown, Castanbul, Cudlee Creek, Gumeracha, Lobethal, Woodside, Hahndorf, took about 3 hours in total a must do if you come to this area. This is considered the “Cool Wine” Region, here you will find your “Penfolds”, “Tilbrook”, “Lindemans” wineries these vineyards are massive. 

This is also the time of year to harvest the apples, so their is everything on display made from apples, I have yet to try the apple pies, but I will.

This country just keeps getting better, back to the coast and over to Port Fairy, supposed to be a lovely seaside town with a harbour full of old fishing boats, time to try some rock lobster!!