The Great Ocean Road Trip 3 - Port MacDonnell to Hahndorf and Adelaide.

Part 3 of this trip, has us heading off to view the sights of Adelaide. From Port MacDonnell we had a long drive of 5 hours past Mount Gambier and on to Hahndorf, for our first 2 night stay.

Filling up before we leave.

On the way, around Mount Gambier is many, many pine forests. We stopped to take a photo as the long lines of trees, neatly trimmed  stretched for miles.

Looking at Fungi.

Trees

And more trees

 Mostly driving along this area, once we had passed all the trees, it  is very flat ground, right to the horizon and sheep farms.  There was an area in the Coorong with mud flats. The sky was amazing.

Mud Flats

Big  Sky Country

 We stopped for lunch at Meningie on the Murray river, and it had started to lightly rain by this stage.

Lunch Stop Meningie

Black Swans on the river behind our lunch stop.

We also had a  quick stop at Tailem Town, another village tourist complex, that is set up with many houses and cars and items from old towns, but it would have taken most of the day to view it, it is so large, a small town on its own, so we decided to visit another trip.

  What a fabulous place Hahndorf is, as we entered, the trees lined the main street and some were just  starting to turn colour for Autumn.

Main Street -Hahndorf

 Once we found our caravan park we set up immediately and sat outside for happy hour, while I thought about dinner. Starting to feel a bit weary at this stage, as now Day 8, since we set off.

Happy Hour.

Next morning we drove to the town early, and walked up and down the main street. Lots of cutesy shops and a butcher with German sausages and smoked meat. John got one of each which I told the butcher he should sell as "The German Pack". He liked the idea and I often wonder if he took it up. There were lots of German speaking tourists here, like bees to a honey pot. Spent the whole day there and had lunch of German food at one of the many cafes.

One of many shops, I  liked the vine.

I couldn't resist a duck.

In the end I bought a duck and it now sits on my cupboard, of course it had to be one with shoes.

 These boot were made for walkin'

Outside this shop we found a German couple who owned it,  and they were playing a piano accordian and tamborine. Dressed in full German costume of red, with black trim.

Lovely Cuckoo Clocks from the Black Forest in Germany. Very nice but dust collectors.

It was a brilliant day.

Waiting for John, with my Duck.

Of course for dinner was a collection of german sausages followed by an  early night. Being a tourist is exhausting.

 Day 9 -  a Friday had us heading off to Adelaide early, for a morning bus trip around the city. We only just made it by 9am. as the traffic was typically peak hour, but larger than we both thought. Luckily we allowed an hour to go 25mins normally.

Bus for the morning.

We had two half hour stops for the morning the first was the cathedral,

St Francis Xavier's Cathedral

and the second was the Haighs chocolate factory where we saw the staff making Easter Eggs by the million all shapes and sizes. We were given lots of samples including chocolate almonds. The quantity of eggs being sold was also a surprise, great huge baskets of it were being given to the sales ladies.

One of many different varieties of eggs.

They are very famous for covering their eggs in foil, and we watched the girls do this by hand.

$144.80 - who would like one?

Very large single eggs.

 
 Walls and walls of chocolate.

See the brown tin in the middle, next to the duck bags.

In the end I bought a tiny tin of 5  chocolate Bilbies, which is to the right of me. Will keep the tin in the van for washing machine money, and to remind me of a great trip. The Bilby an Australian  native animal, looks like a large rat, basically, and were very nice in chocolate.

The largest chocolate frog I have ever seen.

It is amazing how many tourists want to take your photo for you..

After this tour was finished we headed off to China town for lunch, which was handily just across the road from the bus depot. The weather was also quite hot.

The Entrance.

Down the main Street of China Town.

This area mainly is a large food court, of many many different nationalities. It was also very crowded. I chose a Japanese Bento box, my favourite, and John as usual got Chilli squid, his favourite. We do this every time, after walking around and around all the food courts. One day we might try something different.

Next to china town is one of the largest Fruit and Veg. Markets I have ever seen.  We stuck to the one path as deviating would get you lost in a flash.

One isle.

Stores Changing to Non Food ones

As we got deeper and deeper into the complex, we also came across quite a few expensive jewellers, and flower shops, a few boutiques, and tourist ones. It was enormous.

Then we caught the  free tram to Rundle Street, after finding a lady in this complex, who was a tourist information bureau. A. she told us how to get out of there and B. where to catch the tram.

John had been to Rundle Street many years ago as a boy, and wanted to find the fountain.

I Found A Pig.

This was not the mall he expected.

I loved him

Eventually we found the fountain, which was very old and at the beginning of the Arcade which was what  John really remembered.

I was glad to sit down.

Entrance Adelaide Arcade

One thing about Adelaide, is they do love their original houses, and keep them rather than modernizing. I am glad they kept this original arcade.

Impressive Coat of Arms, at the very top

Original arcade with a very nice victorian floor.

Glassed in Roof

If you need a rolex, this is the place to get one.

Home Sweet Home.- Hahndorf

Another very tiring day. We had booked Kangaroo Island for the next two days, and a shear chance of reading tourist pamphlets, let us know we also had to book the ferry. The first ferry, back at Sorrento, same company you just rocked up to and on you went $130 one way.

Booking this ferry turned out to be $700 return, for the same amount of travel. So we very quickly cancelled our nights, apparently that happens a lot, and I am not surprised way to expensive, and we organized 3 nights at Brighten Beach, which was our next visit. It was on the beachside of Adelaide. We were very lucky to get this as it appeared that the weekend was a long one for a special Football game.

So off to Brighten Beach- Adelaide,  we went.