Welcome to...
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Graham and Maureen's
Big Easter Escape from
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Canberra to Adelaide
(circa March 2008)
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Adelaide (population 1.14 million people) is
the capital city of South Australia and it's two
hours flying time due west of Canberra:
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Adelaide was founded in 1836 - with a proclamation under
a gum tree at Glenelg now a seaside suburb west of the city:
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There was a big convention that Graham
 wanted to attend being held over Easter
at the Stamford Grand Hotel in
Glenelg, so we stayed there:
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For the first three days of our
Easter break at Glenelg
the weather was calm
warm and sunny:
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The last day of our holiday was cool, cloudy and
windy - perfect mind-cleansing weather:
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When in holiday mode, nothing beats
doing absolutely nothing to ease
Canberra-frayed nerves:
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Except perhaps finding a lovely
cafe hidden away among
the dozens of eateries
to choose from
in Glenelg:
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Time to check out Glenelg's volley-ball
maidens and other beach-side attractions:
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While South Australia is famous for its
vineyards, Glenelg's bars stand ready
with adequate beer supplies
for thirsty scuba divers:
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But Adelaide in not all beaches and beer.
It plays host to Australia's most famous
Festival of Arts and has many fine
art galleries and concert halls:
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When all else fails, shopping is an activity that cuts
across all class barriers, interests and inclinations
and Adelaide's Rundle Street Mall is where
local and out-of-town devotees congregate:
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It was time to head for the hills -
the steep Adelaide hills
to the city's east:
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Nestled in the hills is the charming
village of Hahndorf established
by German Lutherans:
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Like most early settlers, the new residents
of Hahndorf experienced great hardship
and many setbacks in a strange
new land - but they slowly
prospered and today
they are honoured
as Hahndorf's
First Families
with a plaque in this
German-style hotel:
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Also hanging on the wall is a copy
of a painting by Hans Heysen -
who was born in Hamburg and
became a highly regarded
Australian landscape artist:
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All this elegant living, artistic endeavour and over a
million people in Adelaide can't all depend
on tourist dollars for economic sustenance.

So where does South Australia's
wealth actually come from?

It comes from huge copper, gold, uranium
and tiny outback opal mines. It comes from
wine exports (from the fertile Barossa Valley)
and from grain, wool and tuna exports -
all of which are derived from isolated
coastal and rural locations
far from Adelaide:
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Hauling supplies and produce over the
vast distances of South Australia in the 1800s
 where the mines, sheep stations and fishing
ports were located was a tough job:
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ItWeWe end this report about Graham and Maureen's
holiday in South Australia with a reminder
by Slim Dusty that hauling supplies
and produce is still a tough job
and fatalities sometimes occur:
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