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This includes the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island...

DAY 42 (Christams Day): We awoke to a light breakfast, and left, about midday, for our Christmas dinner at ‘McLaren on the Lake’, a winery. A trio of two (don't ask!) played jazz background music as, first the soup, then seafood platters, were served. The latter consisted of calamari and huge prawns plus muscles and oysters in their shells. The rest of the meal was buffet-style with everything you would expect for a Christmas meal and more - a cheese table, a gateaux table, a fruit table, a kid’s meals table, two hot meat’n’veg tables and a huge spread of salads – enough to feed three or four times the number of guests. Two of our party had booked a room, so we spent part of the afternoon with them. Then back to base, before setting off for a trip to Silver Sands, where we drove down on to the beach at sunset (not a particularly notable one as it turned out) and then drove the coastal route back to Brighton and Genelg, Adelaide’s seafront. Ending the day with a walk along the promenade, we were amazed to see large numbers of 20-somethings in street cafés and queuing to get into clubs on Christmas Day!

DAY 43: This write up is late, so it will be short of detail (thank goodness for that?) – after lunch at ‘home’, Terry and Roz drove us to Mount Lofty, a wooded hilltop with an impressive view over Adelaide, the coastline and, from a second viewpoint, the Piccadilly vine-growing valley. Then on to Bridgewater Mill, with the largest water wheel I’ve ever seen. We picked and ate some plums from a tree on the river path. Next stop was a pub for a cold beer, before a drive around the local countryside.

DAY 44: Terry and Roz acted as tour guides again, driving us South to Victor Harbor, where we took a tram ride to Granite Island, pulled by a Clydesdale horse, across a long wooden ‘bridge’ . We spotted a young penguin close to the path just before returning on foot (during a thunderstorm). We then travelled East along the coast to Port Elliot, Goolwa and Hindmarsh Island, the last being a new development designed around a marina. We travelled back through the countryside around Currency Creek, Ashbourne and Clarendon.

DAY 45: Again I am writing this several days late and it will therefore be short on detail – Terry and Roz drove us into Adelaide city where our first stop was the Botanical Gardens, where we spent a relaxed hour or more strolling among the plants, which ranged from herbs and lillies to palms and an avenue of gum trees. There was a unique glasshouse based on one built in Bremen, which had been demolished long ago. We walked from there, past some impressive stone government and university buildings to the South Australian Museum, which included impressive displays of aboriginal and natural history.

DAY 46: Today we set out north-west for Hahndorf, a very German town. Its ‘High Street’ was a long, straight, tree-lined road of shops and eateries, many of which have German names, products and/or connections, although we did spot a very English sweet shop and Devonshire Cream Teas for sale. Most of the streets also bore German names. The rest of our trip was a drive through the countryside to the North of Adelaide. I spotted my first emu in the wild, many vineyards* and a herd of what I think were Fallow Deer (being farmed), plus Father Christmas riding in a wagon made of newly harvested hay.
*Terry and Roz told us that the rose growing at the end of each row of vines was there to warn the growers of a vine infection - it shows itself on the roses first.

DAY 47: Terry and Roz very kindly lent us a car and we set off for one of their nearest beaches, Seacliffe – wide, sandy and popular. After paddling our way from one end to the other and back, we left for a browse and a coffee at the Harbour Town shopping mall. By now the temperature was getting up to the predicted 37°, so we moved on to St.Peter’s Cathedral, a peaceful and cool building with both traditional and modern stained glass worth seeing. Back into the heat, we took a few pics of the attractive River Torrens, but decided the temperature was still rising (it reached 42°, the highest in December since 1939) and we left for Marion Shopping Mall and its air-conned cinema. The evening was spent relaxing with Terry and Roz. The temperature difference between here and the UK was 50° today!

DAY 48: On the road by 07:00 for the Cape Jervis 09:00 ferry to Kangaroo Island. There was a fair bit of forward and sideways motion during the 50min crossing, but we had taken sea-sickness pills and were fine. After a 30km drive along unsealed roads, we stopped at Seal Bay, to watch the Sea-Lions (there's a pun in there somewhere!). Then off to Kelly Hill Caves. Unfortunately, the caves were ‘guided tour’ access and we had mistimed our arrival, so we moved on to the Koala Walk at Hanson Bay Sanctuary, where it was quite easy to spot the inhabitants. One actually called out, making a noise somewhere between a real bear and a pig, very deep and loud. Off once more, we soon reached Flinders Chase National Park, visiting the Remarkable Rocks (which really are!) and Cape du Couedic, where we saw a large colony of seals, and a cave known as the Admiral’s Arch. Then a long drive across the heart of the island to Kingscote - a seaside town, where we watched Pelicans being fed, before returning to the ferry for a 19:30 crossing (about 300kms on the island!) and the journey home. Thanks, Terry, for driving us around all day.

DAY 49: Today it is pouring and the temperature has dropped to a much more comfortable 29°. We thought we’d take a look at property and what we could buy if we were to emigrate (not a serious thought!). The very first showhouse we looked at was around 430,000A$ (£181,000) for, at street level: lounge, study, bed1 (shower, toilet and twin basins in ensuite wetroom; walk-in wardrobe), all with ceilings following the roof angle; plus, up half a storey: open-plan kitchen-dining-living area (of 11.9 x 8m!), verandah, wc/basin; and, down half a storey: 2 bedrooms, shower/bathroom, wc, laundry, retreat (you invent a use!), 2 patios and double garage. This house was top of a range and huge. Admittedly the plot of land, all landscaping, paving, fencing and, internally, floor tiling and heating/cooling were extra, but, near the bottom of the range, in a single storey design, was a similar specification at 130,000A$ (£54,700) – call it £150,000 all in, with a seaview, all necessary amenities local, and the city centre only half an hour away. Tempted? We travelled several areas comparing property types and then, after a lakeside picnic, made it to Port Adelaide for a wander through a bank holiday market. This was followed by a stroll in the River Torrens park, through the magnificent railway station (it got us out of the rain) into the casino above (sounds and sight remiscent of las Vegas!).