March 31 – April 3: Adelaide by Cathy

The alarm went off at 4:15 a.m., but all three of us moved pretty quickly to get ourselves out the door and on the road to Sydney by five o’clock (leaving a heavy sack of uncracked macadamia nuts behind). We were lucky with good, wide roads most of the way and with the exception of a few patches of fog, the skies were clear. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time for our afternoon flight, despite a frustrating hunt for the Hertz rental car return area.

This was our first flight on JetStar, Australia’s budget airline, and the first time we’ve had to check (and pay for) two of our three backpacks. The less-than-two-hour flight was fine, but our next flight on Nickel ‘N’ Dime Air, a 10-hour flight to Bangkok, might require a few in-air purchases.

The first thing we noticed out the plane window when we landed in Adelaide was tree-spotted golden hills. When I said it reminded me of the East Bay hills from the Oakland Airport, Jeff and Mick said they were thinking the same thing. The familiar-looking landscape immediately made us feel at home.

Avis “upgraded” our reserved compact to a Holden Colorado7, a mid-size diesel SUV, which unfortunately only the non-driving persons in our party were excited about.

When we arrived at our Airbnb in the Adelaide hills (Blackwood), Jeff was comfortable enough with the “truck” to negotiate the steep downhill driveway. We were greeted by Karen, our hostess, who lives with her husband, John, in the house above our unit.

Pictures from Airbnb.com

She showed us our new home, which smelled of the delicious loaf of bread she’d just made, and patiently listened to the three of us talking to her all at once. (I explained our starvation for other-than-us conversation.)

Karen explained that since it was Easter weekend, stores would be closing at 5:00. At 20 minutes to five, we jumped in the truck and did what Mick said was my quickest grocery shop ever. In Australia, both Good Friday and the Monday after Easter are national public holidays and unlike the 24/7 we’re used to, most everything was either closed or limited in hours.

I hadn’t realized that there wasn’t an oven or stove, but as with our place in Auckland, we managed to microwave up some delicious meals, which we accompanied with big salads and slices of Karen’s bread.

Our Easter was anything but traditional. At 14, Mick’s days of collecting (and mine of hiding) candy-filled plastic eggs in an Easter basket are over. This year’s Easter egg hunt was in virtual reality. Specifically, the reality showcased in  Steven Spielberg’s latest sci-fi, CGI extravaganza, Ready Player One (based on Ernest Cline’s book).

Let me explain. Mick has read this book, in its entirety, multiple times and has been counting the days ’til its release. The movie takes place in 2045 in a depressing, dystopic world. The Oasis is a virtual reality world, created by a socially-challenged, tech nerd named James Halliday. When Halliday dies, he gives his users the ultimate challenge – the first person to find (here it comes…) the “Easter egg” hidden in The Oasis will inherit his company and its fortune.

The main character, Wade Watts, is like Charlie in Charlie in the Chocolate Factory – a down-on-his-luck, but beneficent young man, given the chance of a lifetime. Mick loved it. Jeff said he loved it. I liked it, but felt it was somewhat overwrought. And for someone that preaches the benefits of unplugging, it made me feel overwrought. The all-80s soundtrack though, is ________ (insert favorite 80s term: tubular, righteous,  wicked, killer, rad, sick, totally bitchen’). I am listening to the RP1 Official Spotify Soundtrack right now!

After the movie, we drove the short distance to Brighton Beach (the closest to our place in Blackwood) and took a stroll out on the pier, lined with people tending their fishing poles and crab nets.

From there we drove to Glenelg, a bigger, much more touristy beach with lots of shops, restaurants, etc.

When the temperature dropped and I went to put on my sweater, I realized I’d left it in the theater. So, on our way home, we stopped at the theater, retrieved my sweater, and picked up a chicken dinner at Nando’s (which we first discovered in Perth). And that was our extra-ordinary Easter.

On Monday, we went in to explore the city of Adelaide. We strolled along the River Torrens, through the University of Adelaide campus and then, somehow, found ourselves in a rock shop. Again. One rock heavier, we were walking again. We didn’t have long there, but to me the city felt roomy, spread out. Few buildings come close to scraping the sky and it’s full of parks, small and large. Even though the holiday may have made it quieter than usual, it’s hard to imagine it feeling congested.

We met a couple catching, and not releasing, carp – not to eat, but to help lower the numbers in the river that is literally swimming with them.

Flinders is a name we’ve seen often in Australia, so I thought I’d better look him up. This is what I found:

Matthew Flinders (March 16, 1774 – July 19, 1814)

Matthew Flinders was an English explorer, naval officer and navigator who circumnavigated Australia and mapped much of its coastline. He and George Bass were the first Europeans to realize that Tasmania was an island; they sailed around it.

Flinders first sailed to Australia in 1795 for the British Navy aboard the ship called the “Reliance.” He and his friend George Bass (the ship’s surgeon) bought an 8-foot-long boat called the “Tom Thumb” in order to explore the treacherous coastline of southern Australia. They first sailed south of Sydney (to Botany Bay) and rowed up the Georges River. During the years 1795 to 1798, they mapped much of the southeast coast of Australia and sailed completely around the island of Tasmania. Flinders returned to England on the “Reliance” in 1800.

In 1801, Flinders returned to Australia as captain of the 334-ton ship called the “Investigator.” He first sighted land at Cape Leeuwin (the southwest tip of Australia). On this second trip, he mapped Australia’s entire southern coast, from Cape Leeuwin to the Spencer Gulf. On July 22, 1802, he sailed to the east coast of Australia, mapping the coastline from Port Jackson (where Sydney is located) up to the Gulf of Carpentaria. He continued west and then south, sailing completely around Australia; he returned to Port Jackson on June 9, 1803, even though his boat was leaking badly. This was the first time anyone had sailed around Australia.

On his way back to England in the autumn of 1803 (on a different ship, the “Cumberland”), Flinders had to make a stop for ship repairs at Île de France (now called Mauritius) in the western Indian Ocean. Thinking he was a spy, the French kept him prisoner for 6 1/2 years and stole his charts and papers (he was released when the British took over the island). He didn’t arrive home until 1810, and reached home sick and a forgotten man. He wrote an account of his travels, called “Voyage to Terra Australis Undertaken for the Purpose of Completing the Discovery of that Vast Country,” and died the day after it was published (www.enchantedlearning.com).

We’d hoped to see the koalas that are frequently in the gum (sap-producing eucalyptus) trees behind the Powell’s house, but unfortunately they eluded us during our stay. Knowing how much we’d hoped to see one, Karen sent us a picture of this guy (girl?) that she’d recently taken just outside her house.

If the picture look professional, that’s because Karen is a photographer with a studio located on their property. Here are some more of Karen’s amazing photographs.

Check out more of Karen’s amazing studio, travel, and art photography at Chilli Studios.

Before leaving on Tuesday morning, we got a chance to thank Karen and John for taking such good care of us and jokingly (sort of) told them that with five open seats in the truck they could come with us to Port Fairy!! We’re hoping they will keep in touch with us through this blog.