Tuesday, 2 June 2015

Shiraz Trail (Mclaren Vale to Willunga). SA.

The Shiraz Trail is a 9km section of the Coast to Vines trail which is 37km long.  The Coast to Vines Trail goes from quaint Willunga, McLaren Vale, Seaford Rise, Onkaparinga River, Hackham, Reynella & finishes at Marino Rocks. 
Taringa (Binny Road) & Pikkara were 2 of the stops for the trains when they ran along this track, passing many vineyards.  Pikkara is near to one of our favourite winery's Wirra, Wirra, which was originally established in 1894 by the South Australia eccentric & cricketer Robert Strangeways Wigley. Wirra Wirra prospered in the early days, in fact until Wigleys death in 1925, when the winery ran into disrepair and was eventually abandoned.  Thankfully for all of us, it was rebuilt in 1969.
On one of my wintery days off, I decided to get out in the country and fill my lungs which fresh air and my hair with rain!!  This is such a pretty walk and changes through the seasons.  I have tried to capture some of the stunning topography and other things I found interesting.


The path to Willunga.

???

Pretty.

Nice yet........

weird.

Many trees.

Doesn't look much from a distance, but

Close up is a different picture.

Lots of these, always hiding!!

See the 3 little finches eating the Olives.

Arrhhhhhh! 

Just Nice.

Vineyards to Hills.

Vineyards.

A nice bit of colour. 

Pretty special.

The colours of our trees.

Scenic.

Dainty yellow.

Green Hills.

Un pruned Vines.

Artistic?

Vines everywhere.

This machine trims/prunes the vines, it moves so slowly you would have to be very patient to drive this!!

Strange.

Nice.

Soooo relaxing!!

Young Vines.

Young Vines to the hills.

Wild Olives.

Love this & if you look closely you can see the hills in the droplet of water!!

Amazing.....love this.

I have seen pictures just like this on the front of Olive Oil bottles!

Olives every where!

Probably a weed, but I liked it!
 
Vines.

Delicate.

The Autumn Colours.

Delightful.

Purple Bells.



Willunga Rose Garden, with over 700 Rose bushes, timber arbours, park benches, gravel tracks & slate paths.


Timber armours.

Perfect.

Delicate.

Pretty.

Rose bud.

Timber armours.

A stunning tree.

Love how this bark, curls & rolls.

A Galah trying to stay dry.

Willunga golf course.

Willunga Golf Course.

I meant a man on the track, picking Olives.....I asked him why he picks the Olives and then puts them in water, because if they are table Olives it stops them from bruising! If you were making oil it doesn't real matter. I was checking out the sizing as really I knew nothing about Olives.
 

Tuesday, 3 February 2015

Coffin Bay 2. SA.

Some of the place's we visited whilst in Coffin Bay area - Coffin Bay National Park, Templetonia lookout, Yangie Bay, Flat Rock, Point Avoid, Golden Island lookout, Rabbit Island, Mount Dutton bay, Port Douglas Bay, Kellidie Bay, Point Sir Isaac, Lake Wangary, Wangarry & Port Lincoln.

The Bay from a different angle on our early morning walk.

The marsh to Bay.
 

Me on our walk.

Beautiful.

Emu's around Coffin Bay.

Kangaroo's

Coffin Bay national Park.

Coffin Bay national park.

Trevor & Steve Coffin Bay NP.

View of the National park.

Beaches in the National park.

Rock, Beach & Ocean.

Me on the beach.

Steve at Point Avoid.

Spectacular scenery.

Simply stunning.

A little splash today!!

Calmer Waters.

Steve enjoying the views.

Rocky Coastline.
 
We have been extremely busy, whilst at Coffin bay, we did steak night at the pub, Music afternoon at the pub, the 1820 cafĂ©, mixed with fabulous character's/neighbours who all made us so welcome, used the free booze bus, had Australia Day breakfast on the foreshore, with councillors, holiday makers & locals alike!! We went to the pig farm for Pancakes (strange folk around here)!!!lol
Trevor & Cheryl have been fantastic host's and informative tour guides, spending hours driving us around and sooooooo many laugh's!!! Great friends we met at Horizontal falls.
 
Rock formation.

A small bay at a secret location - soooo secret I can't remember the name!! 

Rocks & the water is so pristine.

Looking back to town.

 
Steve at Gallipoli Beach.

Stunning Gallipoli Beach.

Cheryl, Trevor & I at Gallipoli Beach.

Me!!

Steve.


Scenic sights.

Unspoiled landscapes.

Sand dunes.

A baby pig - from the pig farm!!! Yummy bacon!!!

Spectacular scenery.
 
Me, Cheryl & Trevor enjoying the scenery.

Steve with Rabbit Island on his head!!
 
 
We truly love Coffin Bay and it is with great sadness we leave this time, we will be back again & again!! We travel through some stunning very clean & remote little towns, Cummins, Lock, Cleve, Cowell, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Horicks Pass (1846), Wilmington, Melrose, Murray Town, Laura, Georgetown & our over night stop at Clare.
 

The Ocean meet's the baron land.

A mine -look at the colours.

Colours of the mine.

How many colours?

The true South Australia.

The dry land's, we call home.

The pale landscape of SA. 
 
We depart Clare and finish our final leg to McLaren Vale!! We have set up camp, caught up with some excellent friends and know we are home!! (For a while)!!