Three quick weeks in Australia: 08-09/2009

after the whitehurst-rankin clan left, mom and dad flew to perth for a week where they enjoyed some R&R.  they actually got to go out to some nice, quiet dinners themselves! they enjoyed it, but have said repeatedly that nowhere they've been in australia beats adelaide.  

the whitehurst level of activity remained high, and just a day after mom and dad returned from perth, we drove up to the southern end of the flinders range to visit flinders national park and wilpena pound.  we stayed at a working sheep station (i.e. ranch) that also runs self-contained cabins for people wanting to visit the national park.  there is a fabulous restaurant there, the woolshed, that provides incredible dining in the middle of nowhere.  the whole thing is a trip i would recommend to anyone and payton and i plan to make it back to the flinders range time and again.  wilpena pound is a syncline, a dip in the geological strata of the area.  it is a beautiful feature that curves around like a bend in an old river or like the side of a moving snake.  thus, it creates a ring of mountains/cliffs with only one way in/out, resulting in a natural-made pound, or impound, in which to keep cattle or sheep.  although spring, it felt more like fall in the west: beautiful sunny day with a chill in the air - perfect hiking weather.  we went for a nice hike up to wilpena lookout which gained us a great view of the pound, then back down for a picnic lunch at the visitor's center.  we went for a drive through the park - we all commented on how the landscape reminded us of northern new mexico or sometimes southeast idaho - dry, rocky, scrubby and beautiful!  we saw a lot of emus and had a wallaby jump out and run into the side of gg.  both the car and the wallaby seemed to come out of the collision alright.  at least that is what we will always tell ourselves! 

we drove home a different way than we had come, this time through the clare valley - famous for its white wines, especially the riesling. we stopped to have lunch in a small town that wasn't on the map, but had a great hotel/restaurant where we celebrated australian father's day.  

the monday and tuesday nova was in school, mom, dad and i explored the migration museum, port adelaide, the maritime museum, the aami stadium (where our fabulous crows play), and, of course, ikea!  later in the week, mom and dad spent a night in the barossa valley in the barossa house b&b.  for their 40th wedding anniversary, lauren, adam, payton, and i had given them a basket of four cheeses from the barossa valley cheese company and a map suggesting certain wines and the vineyards where they could be found to pair with the cheeses.  they drove home through the adelaide hills and had the fortune to see the giant rocking horse.  no magnet.  

the final friday, saturday, sunday mom and dad were here, we just enjoyed our time around adelaide/norwood.  we got to see a possum and a koala, so a lot of australia's charismatic megafauna was checked off the list!  

it was sad sad sad to see them go, too, but again, a truly wonderful time to have all the family with us.  gardners - we cannot wait for you all to get over here and explore even more! 

so, now we are back to a quiet house and less abused water heater.  payton leaves in a couple weeks for a 10-day sampling trip in the outback.  these trips, including family outback exploration, will be a highlight of our time here - the true aussie experience!