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It’s not just a click-bait internet thing, I actually did it.
But more on that later.
Energized by Perth’s perfect weather, it was time to venture east and see more of Australia. This time, the destination is Adelaide. On the country’s south coast the small city is a kind of junction for how you want to experience Australia. Go north and you’ll hit the Outback and Ayers Rock, or Uluru as it’s called by the Aboriginals. Stay east along the shore and you’re on your way to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road.
Find out which path I chose in the next blog post. (OK, THAT’S click-bait).
So what is there to do in Adelaide, Australia in October? Turns out, not much. I flew from Perth to Adelaide and found a good deal on a downtown hotel. It had an interesting setup with a big central kitchen area on each floor. You could cook, make coffee, socialize, go online. It made the building feel more like a college dorm and I mean that in a good way.
The big draw in this part of the country is booze, and wine in particular. In the last 20-years or so, Australia’s reputation as a wine-maker has really taken off and now it’s drawing wine aficionados from around the world. While I’m firmly a beer guy, I’m happy to expand my horizons and learn a thing or two. I took an organized day tour that made stops at four wineries in the Barossa Valley. It was a great way to see the countryside, meet new people, and try some wines that aren’t even shipped out of the country (We’re missing out on some good stuff!).
My alcohol-infused adventure in Adelaide continued later that week at an Oktoberfest celebration. Some Aussie marketing guy has a brilliant scheme. He throws four or five “official” Oktoberfest parties all over the country. One event is held each weekend in places like Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. The genius part is that all the corporate stuff is done once, locking in sponsors, beer vendors, logos, signs, etc. He just moves it from city to city each weekend in October and has the same event. It’s the Lollapalooza of beer fests.
And who knew Australians were so German?!? An uncomfortably high percentage of guys were dressed in lederhosen and more than a few women tried to pass themselves off as the St. Paulie girl. And the German theme doesn’t stop there. Go to Australia and you’ll see a schnitzel special on almost every menu. On Wednesdays it’ll be $10 or $15 for a schnitzel and a beer. Throw THAT “on the barbie.”
And speaking of alcohol…that leads me to a lovely couple I met during a trip to Henley Beach outside Adelaide. I had visited several seaside establishments for food and refreshments that day when I got to the Henley Surf Life Saving Club. While standing in line for a beer I started to razz a woman for the NY Giants shirt that her husband was wearing. She explained that it was a souvenir and he wasn’t really a fan. Then, she warned me about the crappy local beer I was ordering and steered me to safety. Soon I was telling her about my trip and she invited me to join her husband for drinks on the deck overlooking the ocean. For hours, the stories and cocktails kept flowing and the three of us fast friends watched in awe at the sunset that unfolded before us.
This is my favorite photo of the trip.
