Adelaide is keeping us entertianed, if not warm.

Oh the differences in weather temperatures around Australia.  We were sweating it out at Tennant Creek with minimum temperatures only getting down to 30 degrees, but now we are in Adelaide where the maximum isn’t getting much over 25 degrees.  Add in a cool coastal breeze and you have the McCulloch family eating indoors and sleeping in winter PJs with the heater on overnight.  Wednesday morning and we were meant to catch up with friends in the morning and afternoon but there had been a change of plans for both lots so we ended up having a free day so decided to go and explore the Adelaide Zoo.

The zoo is actually right in close to the city which would make it easy for visitors to get to.  We were lucky and scored a park right out the front near the entrance.  Considering we were over half an hour early that would explain why we got such an awesome park so easily.  I did look at Jason with the confused look as to why we were here so early when it wasn’t open.  He had just guessed the opening time and not actually looked.  Lucky for us the coffee shop at the entrance was open so we were able to grab two coffees to tie us over.

They weren't keen to stand beside each other.

My cheeky monkeys.

Off exploring.

This guy followed us around the enclosure.
 

It is a beautiful zoo and we had a fantastic time walking around it.  Even Hamish walked around the majority of it, only getting a bit tired before lunch.  They had a young animal barn where the kids could feed and pat some farm animals.  Of course Kayla wouldn’t go up and pat the rabbit but was happy to check it all out.  Hamish on the other hand was a little too eager and went straight in to pat the animals.  They made the most of the opportunity and grabbed the bag of food from his hand, scaring and upsetting him for a bit but he quickly recovered and was off again.  There were even a few animals we had never seen or heard of before so well worth the visit.

The Panda was having breakfast.

Just chilling as you do.

We stopped for lunch before we decided to make our way back towards Sturt/Marion as we had put our laptop in there to be fixed on Monday and they said it would be ready on Wednesday.  Before we left we traded in our tickets to the zoo for a zoo pass.  It costs a bit more but it actually gives us a year’s entry into the majority of zoos in Australia (Adelaide, Melbourne, Taronga – Dubbo and Sydney, Montano and Perth) so we thought we might get our money’s worth, even if we only do the Perth one.

Cute little bilby.

Why hello there, someone wanted their photo taken.

Of course we called the laptop repair place on the way to see if it was ready but were told that they are just waiting on the part to arrive and that it should arrive soon and be done by the end of the day.  So we headed back to the Marion shopping centre to finish the Christmas shopping as Jason still had to get mine and well I realised I had only bought Kayla’s Santa presents.  Poor second child.  The shopping centre today seemed way more chaotic and busy but we managed to finish the shopping and also had the presents gift-wrapped so we could get Kayla’s present back to the car without her seeing.  It also saved me trying to wrap it as part of it was a fishing rod!

Unfortunately the laptop was still not ready so we called it quits and headed home.  I was annoyed as I knew I was only getting further behind in the blogs, updating the budget and distances travelled in the caravan.  Oh well it will just have to wait.  On the way home Jason and I were discussing how we hoped that the family with three boys were back at their van so we could sit down and relax and the kids could go off and play together.  When we arrived back we were in luck as they were home, but we would soon realise that this would turn out to actually work against our plan of relaxing.

The two eldest boys came over and played at our van, not that we minded but it was the constant going in and out of the van, again not too bad.  Though when one of them started to eat our treats it was pushing the boundaries.  Again we don’t mind sharing but when he picks up and eats half of my soft cheese (all in one chunk) I get quite annoyed.  He then proceeded to pick up all the sliced salami, leaving none.  Okay kid, one thing you need to learn about me is if you eat all my special treats then you are going to get on the wrong side of me!  We just had to explain to him that you only take a little bit at a time, and he is more than welcome to have some but finish what you have and leave some for the rest.  Unfortunately by then it was too late and our special treats from the Adelaide City Markets were gone.

Hamish had a blast playing with them though but we ended up way more exhausted as there were more questions to answer and more setting boundaries of what they can and can’t do.  So that evening we locked ourselves inside for dinner, it was way too cold to eat outside and watched the movie ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ which was hilarious and I think made us look semi normal.   Well we haven’t got to the point yet of where the kids have to get out and push the car to get it started and then run and jump in as we can’t stop.

Thursday was deemed rest day.  We had just been running around trying to do everything and I think it finally caught up with us.  Not to mention the van was starting to look quite dirty and we had been saying for ages we were going to give it a good clean but hadn’t.  So we started the day with some Christmas crafts with the kids before sending them outside to play whilst we washed the walls and cleaned out the van.  It felt quite liberating to get on top of it all.  We also finally got the phone call to say that the laptop was fixed so Jason took Kayla for a drive to pick it up.  We were hoping that she would fall asleep on the way back.  We weren’t in luck.  I have no idea where this kid gets her energy from.  She just goes and goes.

Decorating some Christmas trees.

In the afternoon Jason took the kids down to the beach for a play as it wasn’t so windy whilst I caught up on a few jobs and a bit of the blog.  We also decided that we need to get out and do something a bit more for the day so we headed back down to the Semaphore Pier to walk along it.  We only got about half way before deciding that it was too windy and cold so headed back to the park.  Hamish wanted to go for a walk on the beach so I took him down whilst Jason and Kayla headed to the playground as it was a slight bit more protected from the wind.   

Low tide at Semaphore Beach.

Hamish out on the pier.

The seagulls taking it all in.

Sun setting over the water.

The late nights are really making us sleep in as we are just so wrecked.  I am assuming most families down here have awesome block out blinds in order to get their kids to sleep at 7pm.  We have tried but failed miserably as the caravan is just too light to put them into bed at seven and then there is the fact that if you want to go and look at Christmas lights at night then you don’t bother leaving the van until after 9pm.  Kind of takes the magic out of it so I don’t think this is the place for me to live in the future.  I love my Christmas lights and going to see them and having them up at home.  If I had a house here I would only have them on for half an hour before I turned them off to go to bed!

Today we decided to head back into the city and check it out some more.  We explored the mall a bit and the kids got their first experience of Haigh’s chocolates.  The speed at which they scoffed it down showed just how much they enjoyed it.  I didn’t get to pick anything out for myself as it was very busy and I just wanted to get the kids out of there before they picked up everything to buy.  Jason was just posting a parcel so when he joined back up with us I sent him in to pick something out.  He did get a selection of dark and milk chocolate coated nuts, but I was more dreaming of the different flavoured ones in the display counter.  A lesson learnt for me today; never outsource the task of chocolate selection.  Not that it really mattered as the ones Jason chose were very delicious. 

Kayla checking out her own reflection.

 The kids then had some Christmas decorations painted onto their arms before we made our way down to the Elder Park Café overlooking the Torrens River for morning tea.  It was a beautiful little spot overlooking the river and we enjoyed our very tasty treats before working them off on the paddle boats.  I thought I had gotten out of it with Jason going out with the kids, but half way through the allocated time slot he returned to the shore.  He wanted a break and it was now my turn to go out with the kids.  For a minute I didn’t think we were going anywhere, even with me paddling as fast as I could.  Eventually we got moving and I headed off against the wind, knowing that I would be rewarded for my hard effort by being able to drift back when I was tired.  Both Hamish and Kayla really enjoyed it and I am sure on a calm day it might be a lot easier.

Yummy morning tea.

A bit of Christmas artwork.

One thing I just love about Adelaide is how it seems so well set out and there are beautiful gardens and green areas everywhere.  Even just walking along the river is pleasant and relaxing.  It is quite different to Brisbane which has the expressway on one side and if it wasn’t for the Botanical Gardens and South Bank would look more like a cement city.  Not that we are the only city like that but credit has to be given to Adelaide for keeping theirs so beautiful and not building right up to the river’s edge (well in the sections we saw anyway).

 

Checking out the river.

Off they go.

Then it was my turn.

Since we had done more than our usual daily exercise we headed back to the caravan to all have a rest, especially whilst Kayla had a sleep.  In the afternoon we returned to the Semaphore playground to catch up with the Clarkson Family who we first met in Brisbane and are also down in Adelaide at the moment.  It was great to catch up again and share some travel stories.  As Michelle is originally from the south of Adelaide they were able to give us heaps of tips and tell us of a few must see things in the area.  As the wind had picked up again it was getting cold fast so we parted ways again but will hopefully get to catch up when we are back in Adelaide in January.

Saturday morning I woke with the dread that we had to move on the next morning but then I got excited as it was the last time that we were going to move before Christmas.  I thought I would like moving on after a week in one spot, especially after the shorter stays going through the red centre.  However I think when you are having fun it is hard to want to leave.  I really do envy the travellers who have no end date as you can then stay as long as you want in one place.  We really didn’t do much at all this day, other than get the car cleaned of all the red dirt and grime and well mess that had magically appeared in our car since we left Brisbane.  We could have possibly done it ourselves by taking it to one of those car wash places so we could vacuum it out, however we decided to outsource the job and enjoy a nice lunch while someone else did the work.  The budget allowed for it in my eyes and we hardly recognised it when we picked it up.  I just wonder how long it will stay that clean.

There is so much to do within an easy drive of Adelaide, but we have decided to leave them until the New Year when we need to fill in the time between returning from Kangaroo Island and getting back into Adelaide.  We think we will come back to Adelaide through Hahndorf and do more of the Adelaide Hills and that area then.