The rest of the holiday

After the crowds had gone home after the 80th, J and I still had some Quality Sister Time to spend in South Australia. We decided, on advice from one of mum's cousins at the party, to head to Strathalbyn as it was supposed to be real purty. It was indeed - completely different from the Barossa but just as lovely. Lush and green and rolling farmland and magnificent hills. The afternoon we drove in was post card perfect - the sky was the brightest blue, the grass almost fake green, and there were black-and-white cows (struggling to remember their names from year 7 agriculture!) dotted across the horizon. As we approached the town, driving down a winding road, a whole avenue of almond trees - all in blossom - kept appearing at each turn. Each bend of the road brought out an 'ooh', then an 'ahh' until we'd out ooh-ed and aah-ed the bloody new years' eve fireworks.

The next day took us back to Radelaide, where we got to know the city. We hit the art gallery (the winners were a Sideny Nolan ape picture and a Jeffrey Smart), the markets (the cheese! the bread! the pastries! the organic fruit and veg!), a bike ride along the river, the old Adelaide gaol (we didn't go all the way through. Just checked out the exhibition of gaol paraphernalia - home made tatt machines, bongs, radios and the like. Ah rough as guts prisoners!) and other tourist attractions as they popped up.



The river, as we cycled around town (prior to drenching rains, but still icy cold).

We spent our last day doing factory tours - Haighs chocolates in the morning, and Cooper's brewery in the afternoon. Haighs was short and sweet, ha, and actually quite interesting. Turns out Haigh Junior (son of original Haigh) was sent to Switzerland to live with the Lindt family. He taught Lindt Junior english in exchange for learning the art of chocolate making. Apparently he learned the Lindt family method of churning chocolate in order to ensure it is super mega smooth, and doesn't leave a coating or aftertaste in your mouth. J and I had many samples in order to ensure he got it right.

The Cooper's factory was next, with our cousin The Bias. It was out in the burbs so I was designated driver (and as I'm not the hugest beer fan in the world that was OK. If it were a wodka factory, different story). It was a huge, custom built factory that had its own on site bar, bbq area and...private three hole golf course for staff. Drinks at the office on Friday would have been awesome. Drinks at their office on Thursday afternoon turned out to be quite refreshing as well. The tour showed all the machinery and was quite technical about the brewing process (I confess it was loud, his words were multisyllabic and sounded like the chemistry textbook I didn't use for my HSC so I didn't pay particularly good attention), and then took you through the packing and testing rooms. There were a few dudes standing around looking scientifically serious in their lab coats and half-spectacles, necking beer. Oh what a job!



The Bias and J tried about 8 different beers - apparently the last two, which were Cooper's vintage ales (I think from 97 and 98?) were the best.

We then made our way back home (via Jonno's house, more cousin time, and some time along the coast before our flight) and had some recovery champales in Sydney to celebrate the end of another lovely sister's adventure!