A Sunday Drive

It was an overcast day with just a hint of sun streaming through the occasional gap between the clouds and no wind, so we deemed it perfect for a drive to Second Valley, around 50 kms from home on the edge of the Fleurieu Peninsula where the last of the Mount Lofty Ranges edges towards the sea. 

Ahh. Here was the sign pointing us to Second Valley. We stopped for a moment to take in the bucolic setting: a hint of a cottage hidden behind an exuberant planting of creepers, hedges, bushes and trees...

... the 1924 Institute next door...

...  a cute cottage ...

... with me in the window!!!!

... and gorgeous cottage garden plants such as this plumbago with its delightful sky-blue flowers.

We continued on and passed through the tiny hamlet of Second Valley - the few houses can't be called anything but that - and meandered our way down to the beach.  Ooops. It was a long weekend and we really hadn't figured on half of Adelaide being here. But here they were. The caravan park was full, cars clogged the road leading to the beach, there was not a space in the beach carpark and the place hummed with holidaymakers and their dogs. Humph we said and turned around and went back to the highway. 

Here on the corner of the highway near the Parananacooka River is Leonards Mill, a landmark in these parts. 

History alert 1:  Built as a flour mill in 1858 by the Leonard brothers using local stone and steam powered by water from a well on the property, it served the community for many years until crop failures forced it to close. The mill was sold in 1877 and was used for grinding wattle bark for the tanning industry.  It then languished for many years ignominiously as a shearing shed before opening as a restaurant in 1984. It's had various owners over the years but has always had a reputation for offering top-rate food using local ingredients. Here's what it looked like in the 1860s...

... and today.

It's been restored well, and the property now sits in lush gardens which we explored. 

Photo courtesy of Steve because his turned out better than mine.

We were looking forward to a coffee and cake or even a glass of bubbly on the deck, but no. A severe sign at the entrance warned us that 'Bookings are essential' and 'No teas, coffee or cakes will be served'. A woman in the bar curtly told me they weren't open until 12 o'clock.  I guess virus restrictions have caused this apparent non-hospitality. It was a shame because five years ago we came here and had a scrumptious lunch and then a superb dinner for my birthday four years ago. I think the place has been sold recently so they may be struggling, but I am not sure that is the way forward. 

So recovering from our second disappointment for the day, we decided to carry on to Rapid Bay a few kilometres further south. We avoided the caravan park and headed towards the jetty. I was sure the sun would come out as the day progressed. But no, the sky remained overcast. It felt still and lifeless, though out on the placid waters there were a few canoeists, kayakers and paddleboarders.  You can see how dull it looked. 

I wandered along the shoreline while Steve set up his lens ball. 

Here's two of his shots. He loves experimenting. 

I decided that I should do something creative photographically too, but there was not much opportunity. I got a bit excited when I saw the sun appear momentarily, lighting up the rocks and the far headland.

I turned around and noticed this house nestled in the foothills, surrounded by pines. What a peaceful setting. A holiday house perhaps, though I wouldn't mind living here permanently (but not on a long-weekend).

Still not entirely happy with our outing, we headed homewards with two stop-offs planned: a forest and a nursery. The forest was off the delightfully named Tapanappa Road and thickly wooded with a multitude of grass trees and stringybark eucalypts. It was peaceful, with a stillness that felt very calming; only the occasional squawky bird calls marring the quiet. For forest photography, overcast conditions are good so Steve was happy.

Once again he set to work while I wandered over and said hello to the cows - well, one in particular.

And this is Steve's forest scene.

Now, as much as I enjoyed all this I was itching to get to the nursery.  Raywood Nursery is nestled deep in the heart of the stringybark forest next to the Deep Creek Conservation Park. It is in a magical setting and it felt like an adventure to get there as we drove along the twisting gravel road for what seemed like miles. It was definitely worth the effort.  We parked on the verge of the forest... 

... and made our way along the drive to the nursery itself. Paths meandered here and there. Trestles held a variety of plants for sale, some native, some exotic. Tiny wrens and finches darted about. Further on were enticing rows and rows of plants. All around were well-established trees and flowering shrubs. Here's a taste of what we saw.

As I was strolling along, I bumped into the owner of the nursery, Quentin (I think that was his name)  Wollaston, a delightfully chatty man eager to tell his story about his ancestor Tullie Wollaston. I had recently read a book about historic gardens in the Adelaide Hills where the Wollaston family had established a home and nursery way back in the early 1900s, so I knew a little of what he told me.  

History alert 2: Tullie Wollaston made his fortune through opals. In 1904 he bought a property at Bridgewater in the Adelaide Hills which he named 'Raywood' and where he planted many exotic and native trees and shrubs. On a visit to a nearby nursery in 1910 he noticed, among the rows and rows of ash tree seedlings, a seedling that looked different to the others with its claret-coloured foliage. He bought and planted it. Turns out the tree was a new variant of an ash tree and was subsequently named Claret Ash Fraxinus Raywoodii - a South Australian discovery! Tullie's grandson has kept the dream alive by establishing his own 'Raywood Nursery' in the Fleurieu Peninsula.

I didn't buy a claret ash (far too tall for the likes of our little patch), but did buy a butterfly bush that has the lovely name of Ile de France, a creeping eremophila, and an intriguing mat-like ground cover - who knows what it is but I was assured it covers the ground well and has tiny white flowers. As I was

purchasing these plants little blue wrens scampered about.

The colourful male

and the subdued yet elegant female who sees no need to flaunt herself.  

We had a late lunch seated at a picnic table overlooking the forest, then headed home, feeling that, all in all, it had been a lovely day. 

A Bit of This and a Bit of That

I've been writing my blog for five years now, recording the things we've done, the travels we've taken and the life around us on the Fleurieu Peninsula. But with the coming of Covid-19 last year, life for us - and everyone - changed.  Now, a new year and the virus is still with us though thankfully not in Encounter Bay (so far). Our usual activities have continued - yoga, walking, gym, gardening, reading, Steve's radio shows - so life has remained fairly normal, despite the sad fact that there is no overseas travel, and that may not be likely for another year at least. 

So, in the interests of history, today's blog records some of the things I've been up to, activities which I imagine are pretty similar to lots of other people. 

Gardening Notes (for gardening enthusiasts)

The garden has put on a reasonable display though some of the plants are a bit confused with our almost autumn-like weather lately. Still, that means I've been able to get out and do a lot of fertilising, mulching, dead-heading etc. The courtyard garden looks a bit bare as, with my penchant for always changing plantings, I  took out lots of annuals that had gone to seed, an overgrown geranium, and a woolly bush that just didn't fit into my 'Mediterranean' theme. I then bought a bay tree which I put in a pot and planted a pittosporum in the corner which hopefully will fill out and provide a cool, green background. 

Many people have been doing home renovations and I too jumped onto the bandwagon. For ages I have been wanting to hide our water tank that takes up around one third of the yard and is just a big, round, ugly blob. Suggestions from friends included painting a mural, trailing a creeper over it, growing large bushes in front of it. Then I hit upon my brilliant idea: a fence. I hired a young bloke recommended to me. He was amazing and did exactly what I had envisaged. Of course now I have to wait for all the plantings to grow. I've already planted far more than this photo shows. 

The second season of Ebb Tide is proving to be a good one. 

I know there is nothing rare about a hibiscus but this one makes me happy and, as I write, there are numerous promising looking buds appearing. 

I was enchanted with this ethereal cactus flower that sadly lasted for a mere two days. 

My tropical-looking frangipani smells and looks divine. Unlike the cactus, lots more flowers arriving daily. 

And lastly, errant tomatoes that sprung up in the front garden, and that Steve is patiently watering.

.

Christmas and birthday celebrations

Christmas was a quiet affair. Kate and Kim gave us the most amazing collection of cocktail liqueurs and cocktail-making implements. I uncovered the 1930s tea trolley that was stored in the garage and now it is happily ensconced in the living room loaded with cocktail paraphernalia. I think it could do with more bottles!!!!

I had a wonderful time making a Pisco Sour, shaking the mixture like a true pro. There were quite a few ingredients and items to use - and a whole lotta shakin' going on. I watched a couple of videos to be sure I had the technique right. The special Pisco brandy was another of our gifts - fabulous, as it is impossible to get in Encounter Bay.

Then a few drops of angostura bitters on top.

And then... the tasting. I was planning to wear a suitably slinky cocktail dress, but we were watching the football playoffs on TV at the time and I was wearing my Baltimore Ravens jersey, hence the rather unsophisticated look. But boy, was it yummy. 

Boxing Day saw us at the beach where Steve was trying out his latest photography 'toy' - a lens ball. You can see how crowded our coastline gets.

A first attempt. 

My birthday came and went over the festive season. We had a lovely lunch at the Victory Hotel along the coast near Adelaide. 

A friendly visit 

And then, in the new year, friend Maggie from Triabunna (on Tasmania's east coast) came to visit. Well, she actually came to visit her mum who lives in Adelaide, but whenever she does, we always manage to catch up. The catch was this time, instead of taking the ferry from Melbourne and driving to Adelaide, she flew Jetstar direct from Hobart. This meant I had to DRIVE to Adelaide if I wanted to meet her. I simply hate driving but managed to control my nerves to safely get to the Seaford Meadows station an hour or so south of Adelaide and train in (free for seniors!!!!). Of course as well as non-stop chatter, we concentrated on drinking and eating. Here we're having delicious cocktails, followed by an Eton Mess (cream, strawberries and broken bits of meringue, and for some reason, marshmallows).  We weren't complaining.

  

And because we are both history buffs we gave a thumbs up for the innovative sheeting of faux windows that disguised the unsightly scaffolding on this heritage building that was being restored. We thought it looked marvellous. 

I must admit here that Maggie gave me what must be the most original gift ever: a set of three stuffed chickens made for juggling. Yup, you read that right - JUGGLING. Well, I'm ok with 2, but never 3. Seems as if I am in for some hand/eye coordination practice. 

Bix antics

For Christmas, my sister Lyn gave Bix a 'fishing rod' with feathers attached. All I have to do is bounce the rod up and down and he lunges, leaps and lobs at the feathers. We can pass at least 15 minutes doing this. A great gift that tames our firecacker for a while! 

Here he is in a more restful pose...

... and just before jumping onto my desk to annoy me!

Reading

I found this book for $4 at a discount store and snapped it up as noir is one of my favourite genres. Turns out this story is a completely true account of a gruesome 1936 murder. One of the victims actually posed for this picture which was originally on the front of a magazine that was popular at the time - Inside Detective. For this book, the publisher added a title, a summary and the author's name. Well written, it had me enthralled.

Bounty from other people's gardens

We have been blessed with lovely friends and neighbours. And recently they have blessed us with bags of freshly picked apricots, plums and peaches from their overladen trees. So we gladly relieved them of the fruit that the birds would otherwise have eaten. How I love summer fruits. 

Baking

First up was stewed apricots, much of which I froze. Then an apricot cake. The cake was ok but I think I should have put the apricots cut side up on the top as the skin side got rather cooked and wrinkled. 

Tip: icing sugar is a great disguise.

Next up, a plum cake then peach muffins. So much for my new year's resolution not  to bake or eat cakes.

 

Not the Tour Down Under (only for cycling fans) 

Sadly, this year's Tour Down Under was cancelled because of the virus, it being too difficult to get cyclists and their teams from all over the world to Australia and then quarantined. A fair call. But the sponsors organised a local competition with the best young and not-so-young riders from across the country. A great idea. Australia's Richie Porte managed to leave Monaco, quarantined in Perth, trained in Tassie and won the Willunga Hill climb for the 7th time. Unfortunately for me, the race stages did not include Encounter Bay as they would have if it had been the Tour Down Under. 

And I did a peaceful walk along the coastal Heritage Trail early one morning, capturing this gentle scene just after the sun had come up behind the Bluff and making me realise how fortunate we are to be living here. 

Our latest excursion was a drive to Ingallala Falls, around 35kms away. Steve wanted to test his new lens ball in the bush this time and I wanted to have a picnic and a bush walk. Sadly, but not surprisingly as it is mid-summer, there was not much water in the falls.

But the walk along the creek was pleasant...

... the towering gums seemed very Hans Heysen-ish...

... and I got to take photos of bark, a subject I love.

And Steve got to practise using the lens ball again with varying degrees of success.