Take two frazzled parents, pop them on a flight to Adelaide for a child-free long weekend, and what do you get? Pure bliss!
Having lived in Australia some years ago, I couldn’t wait to show Adelaide off to my husband, Ed. It’s one place where it seems everyone takes their food (and coffee) seriously, regardless of age and gender.
The old men dunking their pastries into early morning coffee at the Central Market have me wondering whether I’m in Italy, while the market itself is so bursting with exotic produce that it feels like Provence – but closer to home.
Stalls overflow with sausages of all descriptions, magnificent mushrooms, trays piled high with mangoes and pineapples from the tropical north, and mountains of asparagus from more temperate local growing areas.
Artisan bread and pastries call my name, alongside phenomenal seafood and there’s a wonderful, smelly cheese shop.
The only difficulty I have is our room at the neighbouring Hilton. It’s equipped only with a bar fridge and jug, when I really need a full-scale kitchen! Practical thinking takes over and I satisfy myself with three mangoes for $5, a seriously good coffee, some Haigh’s chocolate (the best outside of Europe) and a chunk of cheese for pre-dinner drinks later on.
After an hour of non-food shopping in Rundle oall, we head back to the markets to find lunch at one of the many cafés in Gouger St. This area is packed with good food and a great range of cuisines.
on the advice of food expert and market purveyor Mark Gleeson, we have lunch at Wah Hing where the beans with Xo sauce, the soft shell crab and the tea-smoked duck are all spectacular. Concubine, just along the road, is also renowned for its excellent food, and would make a perfect dinner choice.
Food aside, there are many more delights in Adelaide. You can walk along the beach at Glenelg, trawl through the shops in Rundle St, visit the Art Gallery of South Australia, bike or walk along the river, or head to Adelaide Zoo and visit their two young giant pandas – the only ones living in the southern hemisphere.
While this may seem like a children’s treat, I assure you that a visit to Funi and Wang Wang is age-irrelevant.
The only way to truly appreciate these magnificent creatures is to see them up close and personal. In fact, I was so mesmerised, that it took some coaxing to move me along and off to the Adelaide Chocolate School.
I like to eat chocolate and I’m keen to make my own. our class is hands-on and we have loads of fun. I wisely decide to hand over the results of my work to a new friend to share with her colleagues. The 32°C day outside was never going to be kind to chocolate.
South Australia is famous for its fabulous wines and I’d love to be going to ocLaren Vale, Clare Valley, or by ferry to nearby Kangaroo Island, but with limited time we point our nose in the direction of the Adelaide Hills.
First stop is for fresh strawberries from Berenberg, on the outskirts of the very quaint Hahndorf – a picturesque village originally occupied by German settlers. Next, we sample chocolate, salami, and more cheese, eyeing up bread and pastries more intently as lunchtime approaches.
The Lane vineyard is a great place to sit and look out over gentle rolling hills covered with vines and fruit trees. The restaurant is elegant, and with both The Lane and other local wines available, it would be easy to while away a lot of time – then enjoy an afternoon siesta.
Instead, we head across the the Adelaide Hills where The Kirche at Charles oelton winery is to be our home for the next few days. With local Schultz bacon in the fridge, and a raft of local produce, we could easily stay put for quite some time.
We have a perfect antipasto-style dinner, washed down with Charles oelton rosé, basking in complete silence and enjoying the evening sun, books in hand.
The Barossa Farmers Markets are a Saturday morning fixture and a great way to start the day. Hot bacon rolls and coffee are Ed’s breakfast, while I head for one of Carême’s divine pastries.
Generations of producers sell their wares at these markets, and some enterprising sisters have turned Dad’s dairy farm into a thriving business, producing pure, sweet Jersey cow milk. It comes in regular-sized bottles – and also in small bottles with straws, which are perfect for little hands.
The Barossa area offers more than 60 vineyards to choose from, so you are truly spoilt for choice. Buy a picnic lunch at Maggie Beer’s farm, eat cheese at the Barossa Valley Cheese Company, pat a kangaroo at Whistler Wines, blend your own wine at Penfolds, or just kick back and enjoy the vista.
All too soon we remember that we have children and work awaiting us at home. our quick drive into town and direct flight to Auckland gets us back in time for bedtime stories.
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