12 years is certainly a long time and one may say even more pronounced when we are talking about returning home. The last time I set foot in Australia it was 2003 in the middle of winter. I was welcomed by the inexorable flu that had me bedridden for a stretch and when I’d finally recovered I enjoyed damp and miserable weather with chilly evenings and only five channels to watch on TV. By contrast arriving at the beginning of autumn with my 1 year old daughter and lovely wife I had entered Eden. Adelaide, my hometown, was bustling with life and had seen great reform over the past decade. The weather was beautiful ranging from the low 20’s to a high of 32 on one particularly fine day bathing the city in warmth and sunshine. It was the beginning of a 17 day vacation that would allow me to introduce my wife and daughter to the home of my childhood and youth while meeting old friends and family and enjoying a completely different lifestyle.
With no rhyme or reason I have gleaned the following pictures from the thousand or so snaps taken by my wife and me to show you just a very small part of my hometown. First up we have Burnside Village which is an example of local shopping centers found throughout the suburbs. Convenience stores like FamilyMart are very rare so mini-shopping centers exist as a hub for daily needs.
Next we have the Adelaide beachside which is a mere 30 minutes by car from my home.
Heading out to the countryside we visited the Gorge Wildlife Park where visitors are able to freely move amongst the animals and enjoy feeding them by hand.
Hahndorf is classified as Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement and each year thousands of people, young and old, enjoy its charm and the hospitality. When visiting Hahndorf, the most striking features that greet visitors are the over 100 year old elm and plane trees that line the Main street and the original ‘Fachwerk’ buildings, many beautifully maintained or restored to original conditions.
Next time I’ll continue with my tour of Adelaide and its beautiful surrounds. Catch you then!
Steve