Today is a cool 20c, they say the winter is approaching and there's already rain in Melbourne, however coming from UK this sort of climate is comfortable. When I first arrived in Adelaide it was 28 degrees during the day with no humidity, so almost perfect. Weather aside some people say the smaller Australian cities are comparable to Britain but I wouldnt say so; society is modern more equatable to the US way of life, and the metropolis is more a collection o suburban areas connected by a grid-like road network, its essential that everything is accessible by car as there is no metro system and trams are a
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| Water Lillies at Botanical Gardens |
There’s huge amounts of outdoor green areas, generally filled with children playing sport or people walking with their young families. Heartening to see as we were driving back at about 4pm where kids in school playing-fields hitting golf balls to what looked like hula hoops with plastic flags sticking out of them. Even in the relatively trendy district of North Adelaide there is a 45 hole golf complex, the conditions aren’t bad either. As you look over the flat landscape dotted with gargantuan sports stadia rather than historic old brick buildings, and the cosmopolitan compilation of society is a constant reminder that you’re living in a new city.
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| Street Art at Central Market - fat middle aged woman included |
People are so friendly, to the extent of being slightly alarming if you have spent any significant amount of time in the Home Counties, it’s like everyone wants to be your best mate without wanting to sell you something, like the Northern thing but on steroids. I went into a car dealership and almost stepped out with a new holiday. I met an Aussie-Philippino guy who was even shorter than me ( think me but an Aussie version) telling me all about where to go out if I was into Asian women and since I was from London if I liked the idea of accompanying him to Sydney. Australia is renowned for their food markets but not like Borough market, actual food stalls where actual normal people to their actual normal weekly shop. As I enquisitively ambled through Adelaide’s Central market meandering through German meat stalls, italian mushrooms stands, a Chinese stand with Dim Sum steaming in bamboo pots, stall attendants would offer me pieces of fruit; at first I wondered if my appearance gave them a reason for concern about my diet, later I noticed a check-out sign “Children - please take 1 free item of fruit”. Plus, when applying for bank accounts and presenting my Visa at the front counter tellers would compliment me on the quality of my English presuming I’m an overseas student, but then again I get that reaction most places I go.
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| Red Wax-tipped organic Bananas |
Apart from the friendliness, outdoorsey nature, large foreign population the only other issue of note which is all too apparent is the number of really fat people. As previously mentioned the quality of lifestyle seems to be way in favour of the UK equivalent, the local food produce is some of the best in the world, but the problem is if you want to buy fresh food at your local supermarket equivalent its the price as the organic aisle at Marks & Spencers. Otherwise its very much an Americanised form of society; otherwise the emphasis on the convenient being readily available at affordable prices, in enormous portions which furthering the perceived VFM. Add in the susceptibility of the couch culture to shit TV and commercial messaging and boom, literally. Where else to you get a company specialising in deep-fried food sponsoring the nation’s national sport team. The old adage that you shouldn’t eat anything bigger than your head goes out the proverbial window, you can order kilo steaks and the KFC boxes are twice the size, you get a wrap or burger, popcorn chicken or wings, and three pieces of chicken (amazing).
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| Busking Piano at Adelaide Festival Centre |
On the positive side one of the things that Australia is famous for which I was very much looking forward to is Wine. On my second day we took a half an hour deep into ‘the Hills’, a region which stocks a lot of the retail shelves in England. The terrain was rolling and filled with stumpy bushy gum trees with trunks that appeared white due to the lack of bark, and rocky shrubby wasteland areas the colour of brick, again another visual land feature that made you think you could be in Western or Southern America. Off the highway we turned into a place called “Howard Vineyard” where we were greeted by a portly but happy soul with a slightly crimson complexion, a one-man band who had a deep appreciation of grapes and liked to talk about “little old Adelaide” and what good things the region was doing on the global map. There were nine open bottles on the counter-top , “if you buy a bottle you can try all the wines for free, otherwise its a fiver” he said. It was 11 o’clock in the morning but enticing proposition nonetheless. I have attended my fair share of tastings and bought 100s of bottles but have never had the opportunity to learn about wine as I did at that moment, taking 9 great gulps in the space of about 15 mins. And then it was time for lunch, which was served outdoors under the natural veranda of olive branches. I enjoyed with a glass of Chardonnay, not like the dross you get in the UK with artificially injected oakiness, it was a deep straw colour, buttery in texture with a smooth finish with a dab of sweetness. I also learnt I didnt like Cabernet Sauvignon, quite heavily earthy, so much so it was almost like licking the sole of a horseshoe. However when blended 60%/40% with a young Merlot it was a totally different proposition, quite quaffable with a stew or chorizo risotto as we had it. The Shiraz(Syrah) here is especially plummy and not as spicey as the European equivalents, if aged appropriately its yummy to consume just on its own. After a few glasses its tastes like Vimto.
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| Tasting Point at Barossa Valley |
Golf wise it will come as no surprise that I’ve already managed to play numerous times, the pro at Royal Adelaide now recognises me and the pro at Kooyonga and I are on first name terms, he cut-down and re-weighted my putter for me, nice chap. I met up with a friend of a friend at RA, she came last in her Club Championship with 45 putts so we agreed I’d give her an on-course lesson. Unlike me I was initially a tad intimidated by this notion, as every practice ground in South Australia appears to be overwhelmed by hoards of young golfers equipped with huge tour bags receiving coaching from more certified professionals. In contrast to back at home a significant number of these juniors are either girls and/or Korean which doesn’t seem to bat an eyelid east of Perth. Alas our round had a happy ending, I taught her how you’ll get a better read from behind the hole and hanging a glove out of your back pocket will make you at least look like a pro.
(Note review 1)
http://www.top100golfcourses.co.uk/htmlsite/productdetails.asp?id=416
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| Short Par-4 3rd |
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| Sign entering practice area |
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| Train passing along the par-5 2nd |
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| "Crater" - Signature 11th Hole. Made 3 here, twice |
