McLaren Vale, South Australia update

The neighbours farm, McLaren Vale 

Is it Christmas time already? Where has the time gone? 

The last several weeks have disappeared in to the dust and we are still happily on a garlic farm in South Australia!

Taking a dip at Maslin beach (not the nude end)

We're having an absolute ball in the McLaren Vale. In all honesty, cleaning garlic isn’t exactly challenging, perhaps a little tedious but boy oh boy, motivating ourselves isn't difficult with the promise of a spicy full-bodied red or two, or three, waiting at an unexplored cellar down the road.

Baking german Christmas cookies to share!

In the mornings our responsibility is to sit in the old farm barn on dusty plastic chairs and clean the garlic. Toothbrush in hand we swipe away the dirt and work until the dust covers our clothes and layers up our fore arms. 

Last week though for a change we spent a morning planting just over thirty new trees around the property, digging large holes and filling them up again then making up trays of tiny seedlings, the garden is booming! 

On Saturday's we join Colin at the Willunga farmers market as he sells the garlic to local buyers, so there is certainly a lot to do!

Feeding local Kangaroos

Our day typically finishes up for lunch more or less around 1pm and then we have the afternoons to ourselves. We've had some lazy afternoons watching game of thrones on the computer, baking German cookies and just hanging out with all the farm animals. 

One of our daily tasks has been to feed the Alpacas, sadly one passed away and worse the house chicken got eaten by a fox, so we're keeping a close eye on everyone else! 

A lot of what we decide to do is weather dependant, when it's a little cooler we have more energy to go out. We like to go out as much as we can after a morning in the barn, sometimes just for a walk down the road for some drop bear spotting and kangaroo hunting! Initially we had some trouble spotting anything, secretly camouflaged by the gum trees, but now we see Koalas everywhere along the road. Its fascinating to see how little they move each day, either just across the road or to the neighboring tree, the kangaroos, well they are far more elusive.

Welcome to Adelaide 

Maslin Beach

If we aren't visiting a wine cellar, (click here to link to our wine route blog) we like to spend a few hours swimming or exploring at the beach. 

Down the road, travelling East is the coastal township of Port Willunga. Willunga beach had its five minutes of fame when sadly in 1888, a sailing ship ran aground during a fierce storm. 

It became one of South Australia’s worst maritime disasters. 



Now a popular diving attraction, bits of the old ship are visible poking out of the water, but we like to just waddle in the blue water. Across from the bay is then Maslin beach with its beautiful golden sand. At low tide the remnants of the old jetty built in 1915 can often be seen jutting out of the ocean and along the sandstone cliff are small caves that were once built to store ropes and nets. Here we prefer to swim as the blue water is crystal clear and warm!

Noorlunga Beach, Noorlunga, SA

Noorlunga Beach, Noorlunga, SA

Maslin beach

We are really enjoying ourselves immensely on the farm, from hearing kookaburra in the tall pines laughing with each other early in the morning to the stunningly clear star filled nights! The weather is hot, but bearable. Last week we had some rain come through which lasted a day, the first rain since we arrived… it reminded us a little of a grey Auckland day except it stopped and it was quickly back to 30 degrees again! The smell of the gum trees and the warm dry dust after the wet assault was absolutely sensational.

Hanging out in the beach caves

So other than jaunting around the barren countryside visiting wildlife parks and wineries we will be shortly putting down our toothbrushes returning to Melbourne, Victoria for Christmas.

We would like to take the time to wish all our family and dear friends a safe and happy Christmas! We hope that the new year will bring you adventure, challenge and more motivation to follow your dreams. Keep in touch and we will be blogging early in the new year!

And for some final well meaning thoughts we would like you to share with you the following advice we've picked up this month...... In wine there's wisdom, in beer there's strength, in water there's bacteria! People sensible people, drink wine!

Merry Christmas!!!

Tot siens,

John and Kara