Battered Suitcases

The littlest big city.

In general, when you visit a major city camping for accommodation isn’t really an option. (Most people probably don’t even show up with their very own camping gear.) But in Adelaide, you totally can. As Mike was combing through the guidebook looking for accommodation options, he pointed out “There’s a caravan park in the middle of the city!”

Ok, it’s not actually in the middle of the city…but pretty close (5k from the center).  We camped there a few nights and then moved to a different spot on the beach (12k from the center). Both caravan parks were comfortable, surrounded by nature, and in great locations for city exploration.

The fact that you can camp so close to the center of Adelaide gives you an idea of how mellow and relaxed it is. I suppose that’s also probably why it gets teased so terribly by the rest of Australia. However, for us a camp-able city was just what we needed. We saved money on accommodation but still explored a “big city.”

Here are a few photos from an evening spent on the beach at our second camp site:
This was a black photo. Added a little fill light and voila. Vogue.

If you’re heading to Adelaide and would like to camp, may I recommend:

Levi Park Caravan Park – located in Vale Park (5k from city center), on the bus line, powered site $37
Adelaide Shores Caravan Park – located in West Beach (12k from city center), powered site $36 – $46
There’s also Adelaide Caravan Park (4k from city center) but I haven’t tried that one out.

xo, jill

Time truly flies.

Clockwise: Pub verandah in Forbes / Australia Day / Frangipanis / Surf’s up

In one week Mike and I will be getting on a plane and flying back to the USA. As much as I’ve loved my time in Australia, after ten months I feel ready to go. Of course there are plenty of places I didn’t get to explore (Western Australia, Northern Territory, Tasmania), but I’m satisfied with all of the sightseeing that we’ve accomplished. We visited four states, most of the major cities, and plenty of country towns. Just the other day I met an Australian woman in her fifties (or so) who had never traveled beyond New South Wales. When you look at it like that, we’ve done pretty well. And even when you don’t look at it like that, we’ve still done well!

Only a few days left to walk along the water, eat local snacks, and spend time with friends. Better get busy!

xo, jill

“Going where the air is clear.”*

When we arrived in Adelaide, everything just felt right. People describe Adelaide as more of a country town than a city (of 1.2 million), and I think that’s a pretty good description. The streets are wide, the traffic is sparse, and the pubs are plentiful. It was like we happened upon the perfect summer environment.

We started off our time in Adelaide by celebrating my birthday. Then we camped out in the Glenelg neighborhood for a new nights and enjoyed cooling down near the beach. The beaches in Adelaide aren’t amazing compared to the rest of Australia, but they certainly get the job done on a hot day. And you can always jump off the pier if you’re craving a big splash.

Adelaide was so great we decided to stick around for four weeks. It really won us over.

xo, jill

*Ben Folds “Adelaide”

Three of them.

After finishing the Great Ocean Road, we continued on our way into South Australia. We first stopped in the town of Mount Gambier. I found it very charming. Not only do you get free drinks at the pokie machines, there’s also a giant sink hole garden in the middle of town. From there we began our day of unusual lakes.

First stop: Blue Lake.

Not only is the lake a gorgeous shade of blue, it also changes color every year nearly over night. I’ll let you read the Wikipedia instead of trying to explain the process. If I were a resident of Mount Gambier I’d definitely be stopping by the lake every so often to check on the color changes. The lake provides the drinking water for the city so there’s no swimming or water fun allowed. Otherwise I’m sure it’d be quite the tourist hotspot.

Second up: Pool of Siloam.

The water in Pool of Siloam is seven times saltier than the ocean. We headed here so that Mike could have the experience of “swimming” in buoyant water. Since I had already swam a few times in the Dead Sea, I was ok to sit this one out. Plus, it was a windy day and the idea of showering off with cold water outside was really unappealing.

And finally: Our own private lake.

We found a campsite that night next to our very own private lake. I believe we were in Coorong National Park. This also happened to be the night that Mike decided to go on a little wombat hunt. All I know is I woke up alone in the tent to hear expletives followed by running footsteps and the car door slamming. No actual wombats were spotted.

From here we continued on until we reached my favorite city of the entire trip: Adelaide.

xo, jill

Quiet beach.

One evening Mike and I drove out to a lookout along the Great Ocean Road. I couldn’t tell you exactly where we were… somewhere near Peterborough. I went down the steps and enjoyed some quiet time on an empty beach. Just me and the seagull.

xo, jill