Day 24: Wed 08 Mar 23

Day 24: Wed 08 Mar 23 - Adelaide

March 08, 2023

Wed 08 Mar 23 - Adelaide

15 Deg overnight, Steady, at times heavy, rain, and 20km/hr westerly winds. We woke to steady rain which persisted until about 1030, at which time we decided to go for a drive (37km) to McLaren Vale. We arrived at the Visitor Information Centre by 1115 and armed with some information we sat down for a late morning tea. From here we drove the short distance through McLaren Vale township to our first cellar door stop at Hardy's Tintara. No tasting here, although I do like the wine, it was more to experience the rich history and beautiful heritage buildings of this 170 year old winery. The giant fig tree in the garden is magnificent. From Hardy's, we drove to Wirra Wirra Vineyards, another wine which I have enjoyed in the past. No tasting here either, just another look around a historic McLaren Vale vineyard. Next stop was Kay Brothers, the oldest vineyard in the region, with great views cross the region. I hadn't heard of this wine before, so I had my first tasting. I wasn't keen on the Basket Pressed Shiraz, but the more expensive Hillside Shiraz was very nice, so I purchased a couple of bottles. Next stop when we left was the nearby and very eccentric d'Arenberg Winery with it's unique d'Arenberg Cube, a five-storey building resembling a Rubiks cube. The d'Arenberg Cube includes a fine dining restaurant, a wine tasting room, a 360-degree video room and the Alternate Realities Museum. The Cube is also currently featuring an exhibition of authentic Salvador Dali sculptures and artworks which we paid an extra fee to see. It was all very bazaar artwork, nothing that we would envisage seeing in our home (not only because it's very weird, but more-so that the sculptures are valued in the tens of thousands to multi million dollars). Still very interesting and worthwhile seeing. We ended our drive around McLaren Vale, leaving plenty to see on our next visit - we simply ran out of time to do everything we set out to see. We returned to the van by 1600, and I went out for a bike ride through the parklands surrounding Adelaide before returning for dinner and a glass of Barossa Pepper Jack. Despite the very ordinary weather this morning, it turned out to be a very enjoyable day.