Called into our last Barossa Winery this morning as we headed out of Nuriootpa on the Stuart Highway bound for Riverland on the mighty Murray River.
Woolf Blass - another winery with a special story!
As we have found out the Barossa is more than just about wine - it is about stories of freedom, determination, new beginnings, change, hard work, integrity, success, achievement in the face of odds and criticism, and inspiration.
On the Website go to "Our Story" - interesting interactive presentation of Wolf's life and achievements
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| The administration office surrounded with the beautiful autumn foliage and the original vineyard |
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The Visitor's Centre
Perhaps the interesting design symbolises Wolf Blass's philosophy to life - we think it must be
that you can fly and soar in this world with inspiration, motivation, hard work, friendship and loyalty.
This is what he says.............................................. |
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| A little difficult to read but worth a try - above or below.............. |
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| The Eaglehawk sculpture and the first vines |
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| The first Cellar Door |
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| The current Cellar Door |
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| They call this the Charcuterie |
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| Enjoying a taste and learning about the wines and winery |
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| We enjoyed wandering around in the Exhibition Room |
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| Now that's a bottle! |
The landscape changed dramatically as we travelled along the Sturt Highway from the Barossa. First there was farmland full of sheep and new lambs and stately gums, followed by the mallee scrub as we neared the Murray. At Blanchetown we had our first view of the swollen Murray as we crossed the bridge. A quiet but significant little township, Blanchetown is the start of the Murray's lock and weir water flow management system. The system was constructed along the river in the 1920's and 30's to help control the water level so cargo and paddle steamers would always be able to navigate the waterways. We had a great view of Lock 1 from the old bridge, and the big house boats that are plentiful on this impressive waterway. Also from here we caught our first sight of the Murray's towering cliffs, renowned at Blanchetown for their changing colours and the fossilised treasures of starfish, shells and fish - obviously once a sea! Hard to imagine one here!
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| The river is in flood because of all the water coming down from the Queensland and NSW rains |
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| Weir 1. |
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| More houseboats than boats! All shapes and sizes! |
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| The amazing limestone cliffs - a striking partner to the waterway! |
We lazed on the lovely bank of the river at Waikerie for a leisurely lunch and watched the ferry zip efficiently backwards and forwards, taking the vehicles to the north side of the river. A journey worth taking, so we are told, because at Broken Cliffs there are magnificent rock formations and spectacular river views. Another time for us! Waikerie was established in 1894 when its first settlers arrived by paddle-steamer. Today the town and area is the centre of the citrus and fruit industry in South Australia. In recent years vineyards have made an appearance making Waikerie one of the largest tonnage producers in the Riverland.
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| Lovely picnic area along the bank - the Lions Club did a great job! |
A completely different way of life................................
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| The lovely retired paddle steamer is now a function centre and it also provides unique accommodation |
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| A typical sight along the river - houseboats and more houseboats - synonymous with the Murray! |
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| The river bank is a relaxing place to sit - reflection time! :) |
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| The citrus fruit capital! |
As we travelled to Berri we made a few more stops to take in the fabulous vistas the mighty Murray was painting, as well as stopping at Banrock Station to look at the restored wetlands - incredible project!
We are getting the feeling for what this Riverland area of our beautiful country is all about! First of all it's the mighty Murray - Riverland's heartbeat! In South Australia, the Murray travels 640kms from Renmark in the Riverland through the Murraylands to Goolwa on the Fleurieu Peninsula (that's where we last saw her mighty stretches!) As we travelled today along her meandering route we are seeing stunning scenery, ancient limestone cliffs, graceful River Red gums, lush vineyards, lots of citrus groves, houseboats, paddle steamers, riverside parks and picnic spots, birdlife, people fishing - this is Riverland! And it all starts just an hour from Adelaide! What a place to relax and unwind!
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| The scenes of the Murray above is in a section of the river known as Pooginook, meaning abundant food |
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| Holders Bend |
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| Holder Bend |
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| Banrock Station - Good Earth Fine Wine |
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| Great view from the Cellar Door and Restaurant |
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| The restored wetlands |
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| The Cellar Door |
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| A popular spot for morning/afternoon tea and lunch |
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| About Banrock and the Wetlands................... |
The tourist park where we are staying is on the river bank in Berri, so we have another fabulous backyard. Amazing to see the amount of water that is flowing at the moment and flooding the river, caused by the rains in Queensland and NSW. Looks impressive with the trees standing in the river!
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| More houseboats! :) Pete's in his element - he loves houseboats! |
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| Our backyard :)...................................... |
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My nature shot of the day!
Wild budgerigars (Budgies!) - lots of them feeding on the grass seeds, all of them in pairs - who is the pretty one!? |
Looking forward to exploring Berri and the surrounding Riverland towns and area tomorrow!
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