Wining & Dining...

With Groovy Grape and my package deal, I also went on a day trip to the Barossa Valley, which is just outside the city of Adelaide, South Australia. The Barossa is where some of Australia's famous wine is made, such as Jacob's Creek, which I'm sure you have all heard of (and even tasted)! We went to 4 different wineries, and taste-tested at each one, so by the end of the day, I was all wined-out! We also had a delicious barbecue lunch (including kangaroo meat) of which I ate a ton! Even the tour guide noticed how much I ate...it must've been all the tasty wine I consumed! ;)

I also was reunited with my English friend Laura, who did the Great Ocean Road with me. (We also met up later in my travels on the west coast in Perth). We had a fun-filled day together of wining, dining, and good conversation. And yes, I was still able to walk at the end of the day! ;) Here's a few pictures!

And it did!

Jacob's Creek Winery

SO beautiful!

Winery #2

Gotta love wine-tasting! Such a sophisticated activity! ;)

Winery #3. I love the palm trees on the barrels.

In Adelaide, I also had the wonderful opportunity to stay with the lovely Noelene and Bob Hunt, the parents of American/Australian family friends in St. Louis (thanks for hooking me up, Grahams)! The Hunts live in the scenic Adelaide hills. They welcomed me into their home, cooked me some delicious meals, showed me the sights, and most importantly, spoiled me with some TLC, the kind that only parents can give! It was nice having a mum for a day! They even took me to buy a new camera before I headed into the desert for 7 days (my camera was starting to take blurry photos...I think some sand got in the lens). It was really wonderful to be able to relax for a day before heading onto the next adventure...and it is always nice being spoiled. So thank you, Bob and Noelene, for your generosity. I hope to be able to visit again and spend some more time there! ;)   

We had a nice little lunch on a hill overlooking the beach.

They also took me to the beautiful Mt. Lofty gardens!

The pictures of the botanic gardens are the first photos I took with my new camera.

That concludes my time in lovely Adelaide. Up next: Kangaroo Island!!! Yes, it's everything you can imagine. Until then, I leave you with the....

Aussie Fact of the Day:  Adelaide was named after Queen Adelaide of England (1792-1849), the wife of King William IV (for you, Lindsey)! South Australia is also the driest state in Australia, but it still has 3,800 kilometers of coastline. 

http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/Adelaide-51175.html

I also just got my haircut...a lot chopped off! For those of you not on facebook, click on the link below and check out pics of my new look and STA Travel Training (in Sydney). I had an awesome group of trainees, so lots of new friends. It was an intense training, but we all made it through and passed! We had to pass the training in order to keep the position...it was just like being in school again. We had a great time together though. The new job is very overwhelming (this was my first week), but hopefully in time, it will get better. I'll keep you posted!
STA Travel Training and my new "do"!