A visit to a native garden
Australian native plants in an Adelaide Hills garden
A while back now my wife and I were invited to a friend’s home in the Adelaide Hills. She and her husband had planted up every spare space in their ordinary suburban block with Australian native plants. They had just sold their property in order to down size their home, so we were invited to come and take photos and cuttings of whatever plants we liked. Over the next few days I will share photos of some of the plants flowering there. Please take note that this was in the middle of winter; it’s delightful how much was in flower.
Australian native plants in an Adelaide Hills garden
Australian native plants in an Adelaide Hills garden (Correa)
Scenes of Angaston, Barossa Valley
Angaston, Barossa Valley, South Australia
When travelling to Clare in the mid north of South Australia we often drive through the lovely town of Angaston. This delightful mecca for tourists and locals alike is in the wine region of the Barossa Valley. On a recent drive through I stopped to take a few photos rather than just drive straight through.
Angaston, Barossa Valley, South Australia
Angaston, Barossa Valley, South Australia
Angaston, Barossa Valley, South Australia
Eden Valley Church, South Australia
Church at Eden Valley, South Australia
Sometimes when we travel from home in Murray Bridge, South Australia, to our daughter’s home in Clare, we travel through the small rural community of Eden Valley. Every time we see the Lutheran Church just off the main road through town we admire this beautiful building. I’ve often commented that I should one day stop and take some photos. On a recent trip I did stop, but I still messed up the shot. The lovely church appears to have a lean on it to rival that famous one in Italy.
Not so.
Trouble is, I didn’t get out of the car but merely grabbed the camera, twisted around in my seat and “click”. I didn’t check that I’d composed the photo properly and so the bell tower appears to have a definite lean. It doesn’t; I’m the one leaning. Next time I must get out of the car, compose the photo carefully and then shoot.
Eden Valley is only a small community on the edge of the world famous Barossa Valley wine region. There are many vineyards and wineries in the district, as well as orchards (apricots, peaches, cherries), sheep and wheat farms and a some cattle as well.
The leaning shed of Tungkillo, South Australia
Leaning farm shed near Tungkillo, South Australia
I grew up on a farm in the Murray Mallee region of South Australia. We had a number of very interesting sheds on the farms, many of them built by my father. While I wasn’t interested in becoming a farmer I do remember the many pleasant hours spent poking around in the sheds at home. Now in my more mature years I enjoy travelling throughout Australia, observing the many and varied types of sheds that can be found on farms and within view of the road.
The shed shown in the photo above has been amusing my family every time we drive past. It is on a farm near to the township of Tungkillo in the eastern Mt Lofty Ranges here in South Australia. I’ve never been to Pisa to see their leaning tower so I can’t make comparisons about grace and beauty versus function. This shed is still used on occasions to store hay bales, but it is obvious that it is threatening to finally collapse in a puff of straw and dust.
But not yet.
This shed has been leaning like that for at least ten years, though the list seems to have been accentuated by recent wild stormy weather. It will be a sad day when it finally concedes to gravity because it makes me chuckle every time I see it.
Tungkillo, South Australia
1 Comment »5th August, 2011; Category: Adelaide, Adelaide Hills, Mannum, Mt Lofty Ranges, Murray River
Tungkillo Hotel, South Australia
When we go to visit our daughter in Clare in the mid north of South Australia, we usually go through the small township of Tungkillo. This town is near the eastern slopes of the Mt Lofty Ranges on the road from Adelaide through Birdwood to Mannum.
In all the times we have driven through this town, I recall only stopping on one occasion – to buy an ice cream from the general store – the only store which is now closed. The hotel (shown in the photos) does good meals I believe, but we’ve never been through the town at the right time to stop for a bite to eat. The town is a small community in the midst of farming country, mainly sheep, mohair goats, cattle and some wheat farming where it isn’t too hilly.
The photo below also shows a large pipeline. This transports water from the River Murray at nearby Mannum to the reservoirs which store water for our state capital city, Adelaide.
Tungkillo Hotel, South Australia
Hay bales near Tungkillo, South Australia