A letter arrived for me last Thursday, welcoming me on becoming a member of the National Trust. For the past two years I had been going over the pros and cons of the membership, wondering whether I’d have a chance to actually use it. Finally, last Sunday, I decided to sign up.
The National Trust is an organisation dedicated to the conservation of historical buildings and objects as well as areas of natural beauty. Becoming a member of the National Trust gives you free or discounted entry to a number of historically and culturally significant sites not only within Australia but throughout the world.
So why did I wait to join the National Trust until after I came back from a trip to the UK? Before I left on my holiday, I knew that an Australian membership would give me discounts to National Trust properties in the UK. I could have saved myself several pounds in entry fees to Gladstone’s Land in Edinburgh, the Glenfinnan Monument in the Scottish Highlands, and Aberconwy House in Wales. But the truth was I wasn’t sure that I would get my money’s worth out of the $211 National Trust membership ($176 for a three year individual membership plus a $35 joining fee). I might have saved some money during my trips overseas, but when I returned to Australia and fell back in to my daily non-travelling routine, would I make an effort to visit the nearby properties managed by the National Trust in order to outweigh the membership cost?
Then I realised – does it really matter whether I get my money’s worth out of the membership? Shouldn’t it be enough to me that I’ve made a contribution towards the conservation and promotion of a part of my country’s history? Shouldn’t it be enough that my membership supports two of my greatest interests: history and period architecture?
Yes, I decided. Rather than worry about getting the most out of my National Trust membership that I can, I should concentrate on the positive effect it will have towards continuing to conserve our history for future generations. It’s part of what makes me want to travel. It’s part of what made me want to start this blog.
Interested in becoming a National Trust member? Find out more about the work the National Trust does and the locations they protect:
You can’t miss Edinburgh Castle. Perched high on a volcanic plug at the top of the Royal Mile, it looks over the city of Edinburgh. The moment after I had checked in to my hotel and dropped my bags on the floor, I made a beeline for it. I knew nothing about the castle, apart from glimpses of it serving as the backdrop for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Little did I know that it has been a royal residence since the 11th century when King Canmore and his queen, Margaret, first moved in, and from the late eighteenth century it has served as Edinburgh’s military base. With the audio guide in hand, I found myself spending most of the day wandering around the castle grounds, discovering more about the history of Scotland and Edinburgh Castle. There is much more to Edinburgh Castle than what I had seen on TV.
Spend a day exploring Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle consists of a collection of buildings whose purposes have evolved over the years.
Edinburgh Castle in the early morning sunshine from Grassmarket
There are gates and portcullis to walk through and Argyll’s Tower and the ruins of St David’s Tower to discover. You could spend some time in the cosy St Margaret’s Chapel (where you may have to queue to get inside!), which holds the distinction of being the oldest building in Edinburgh.
Inside the cosy St Margaret’s Chapel
There are batteries, such as the Argyll Battery and Half-Moon Battery, that look over the city of Edinburgh. From here you can see the Royal Mile, Princes Street, Calton Hill and out to the Firth.
The view over Edinburgh from the Argyll Battery
Listen out for the one o’clock gun
Every day (except for Sundays, Good Friday, and Christmas Day), the one o’clock gun is fired. If you’re visiting the castle around 1PM, head over to the Redcoat Café at the Argyll Battery to see it for yourself. The gun was traditionally fired so that ships floating out in the firth had an audible signal (together with the visual clue of a time-ball being dropped at the Nelson Monument on Calton Hill) and could set their time appropriately.
While you’re on the Argyll Battery, also check out Mons Meg, a cannon that was used in battle in the 1400s.
Into military history? There’s stacks of it here!
Not only will you find the large Scottish National War Memorial right in the middle of Edinburgh Castle’s grounds, there are several war museums to visit, including the Regimental Museums of The Royal Scots Museum and The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
Some of the military museums you can visit at Edinburgh Castle
There’s also an exhibition about Prisons of War, about prisoners of the Napoleonic Wars from countries including France and America. They were held at the castle, and the exhibition tells visitors about the wars and the living conditions of the captured prisoners during their time at Edinburgh Castle.
Keep an ear out for the Weaponry talks on the Half-Moon Battery, an amusing story about the weapons used by the clans of the Highlands through to the soldiers in the more recent wars.
The Weaponry exhibition on the Half-Moon Battery at Edinburgh Castle
Finally, tucked away next to the army barracks is the National War Museum, which tells Scotland’s history of war, complete with a display of uniforms, flags, weapons and touching stories of what war was like for the Scots.
See the medieval Great Hall
The fireplace in the medieval Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle
The medieval Great Hall with its famous hammerbeam roof is lined with striking displays of suits of armour and swords. There’s something surreal about looking at a suit of armour, and imagining wearing it yourself and trying to move around in it.
Visit the Royal apartments
The Royal Apartments, where the Honours of Scotland are housed
On display in the Royal apartments are the rooms where Mary Queen of Scots lived, as well as where she gave birth to James I, who would be the first Scottish king of both Scotland and England.
The rooms themselves are sparsely decorated, with little furniture on display, but that helps you focus on the architectural details. I especially liked the carved white ceiling of the apartments.
And don’t forget to view the Honours of Scotland…
The Honours of Scotland, consisting of the Crown, Sceptre, and Sword of State are on display in the Crown Chamber and are the oldest crown jewels in Britain. This is the only place in the castle where photos are not permitted.
… and wonder about The Stone of Destiny
Scottish tour guides love to tell their audiences stories about The Stone of Destiny, which was taken by King Edward I in 1296 and fitted into the Coronation Chair when English kings and queens were crowned, before eventually being returned to Edinburgh Castle in 1996.
In the 1950s, while the Stone was housed at Westminster Abbey, four Scottish students broke in and took the stone back to Scotland, where it disappeared until it turned up at Arbroath Abbey a few months later and was returned to Westminster Abbey.
And then there’s the greatest joke – that the Stone of Destiny on display in Edinburgh Castle isn’t actually the real Stone at all, but a prank played on the English when they first took the stone from Scotland. Rumour has it that the English were given the stone that was covering up a lavatory, while the real Stone of Destiny was hidden away, meaning that the Kings and Queens of England have been crowned while sitting over a toilet seat!
What you need to know:
Photos can be taken in all rooms except for those housing the Honours of Scotland
For over two thousand years, Rome has been an ever-evolving metropolis offering art, history, religion, culture, shopping, and nightlife. So when you find yourself in Rome for the first time, what should you see?
1. The Colosseum
The Colosseum, with its many arches, is one of the most iconic sights in Rome
When I think about Rome, the arches of the Colosseum come to mind. The Colosseum was the largest amphitheatre of the Roman Empire, and the site of sparring gladiators, executions, battle re-enactments, theatrical shows and pagaentry for the tens of thousands of Romans who flocked to it.
2. The Roman Forum
Just a section of the Roman Forum
Forums were the social centre of Roman life. Situated right next to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum was a public space where Romans could shop at the marketplace, worship their gods, and run their businesses, as well as a place for military marches and Senate sittings.
3. The Pantheon
My favourite part of the Pantheon? Gazing up as the sunlight filters in.
Originally built as a temple for all Roman gods, the Pantheon is now a church. When you’re visiting, don’t forget to look up and watch as sunlight filters in from the opening in the top of the dome.
4. The Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain at night
One thing you’ll have to decide as you approach the Trevi fountain is the number of coins you want to throw in. Throw one coin in to return to Rome, two to find romance, and three to get married. The coins that end up in the water as part of this tourist tradition are collected and put towards charities.
5. The Spanish Steps
Looking over the Spanish Steps as the sun begins to set
Built to link the Spanish Embassy to the Trinità dei Monti church, these steps don’t look like anything special. So why are the Spanish Steps on so many people’s lists of things to see when in Rome? Could it be because of their appearances in movies such as Roman Holiday and The Talented Mr Ripley? Or could they just be a good place to sit and people-watch? You decide!
6. The Castel Sant’Angelo
The Castel Sant’Angelo: originally a mauseoleum, it become a fortress for the popes and is now a national museum
The purpose of the Castel Sant’Angelo has changed over the years. Originally constructed as a mausoleum for the Emperor Hadrian, it has evolved to become a fortress for the popes (and even has a passage that connects it to the Vatican), and is now the Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo.
7. The Vatican
Chairs lined up in St Peter’s Square
I was surprised to find that the Vatican was more than the home of the Pope, St Peter’s Basilica, Michelangelo’s celebrated ceiling painting of the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Square. The city state also contains art galleries and beautiful courtyards, as well as one of the longest escalators I’ve ever set foot on.
8. The Altare della Patria
The Altare della Patria in Rome
The Altare della Patria is one of those buildings that makes you stop and stare at it. It’s actually a national monument to Vittorio Emmanuele II, the first king of unified Italy, and visitors can access the top of it for views over Rome.
9. The Piazza Navona
Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers in the middle of the Piazza Navona
Bernini’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers), with the Obelisk of Domitian rising above it is the focal point of this piazza. People-watch at one of the restaurants bordering the piazza and admire the fountains, churches, galleries and palaces that are clustered around the square.
The Duomo complex, featuring the dome of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore and the belltower, Campanile di Giotti
Along with seeing Michelangelo’s statue of David in the Galleria dell’Accademia, one of my favourite memories of visiting Florence was climbing to the top of the Duomo’s belltower (known as the Campanile di Giotti) and taking in the stunning views of Florence and the Florentine countryside.
In the Piazza del Duomo – you can see the line to climb up to the dome in the background.
We were visiting in August, when the whole of Italy succumbs to sticky heat. Our plan was to climb up to the dome of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore and we joined the long line of people waving their city maps in front of them in an effort to keep cool. We waited. The line didn’t seem to move. We looked up at the red dome that seemed to dwarf the piazza, and then over to the neighbouring belltower. After sending someone over to perform reconnaissance, our decision was made: While there were at least fifty people in front of us in the line for the Duomo, there was no line for climbing the belltower. It was time to give up on the Duomo.
The Campanile di Giotti, the belltower that forms part of the Duomo complex
We scurried over to the entrance of the fourteenth century Campanile di Giotti, and felt a welcome relief when we stepped inside the cool dark room that served as the gift shop and ticket desk.
We paid our entrance fees, and then the stairs began.
The view of the dome as we reached the halfway point of the climb
They were easy at first, and the climb was broken up by three different landings, allowing you to catch your breath and cool down before attempting the next set of stairs. The final staircase proved more interesting than the others. It was very narrow, and if you met someone on the staircase, one of you had to move back to one of flatter parts where the stairs turned the corner, otherwise it was rather difficult to squeeze past everyone. It was hot, hard to climb, and stuffy.
If we’d waited the extra half an hour in the line for the Duomo, we would have been able to climb just that little bit higher.
414 steps later, we finally found ourselves at the top of the belltower. Even though the Duomo’s dome is taller than the belltower, as we looked over at the people standing on the Duomo’s balcony it didn’t feel like too much of a difference. As we caught our breath, we gazed over the red rooves that hid the narrow streets of Florence. Churches and towers poked up between them. Further on, the city fell away to the green of the countryside.
The tower of the Palazzo Vecchio pops up above the red rooves of FlorenceThe gleaming white Basilica of Santa Croce draws your eyes from the red and brown rooves of FlorenceFlorence is home to narrow lanes where the buildings are so close together that you can walk around in the shade – good for hot summer days!The view from the top of the belltower – down through the middle!The tower of the Castello Vecchio from the top of the belltower
The way down the bell tower was a lot quicker than climbing up (though we still had to press ourselves up against the walls as others climbed up and squeezed past us, and I was worried that I’d slip and fall down the narrow stairs!). As we set foot back in the Piazza del Duomo and looked back up at the top of the campanile, we congratulated ourselves on a successful climb and then bought ourselves a round of gelati as a reward!
The view over Adelaide from Mount Lofty Summit on Tuesday, before the bushfires began
I woke up this morning and could smell smoke. During the night, the bushfire that had been burning at Sampson Flat in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges had grown to six times its size and had been deemed by emergency services to be out of control. Houses had been lost to the flames, and with winds about to pick up to 110 kilometres an hour, it was about to get a whole lot worse.
People who live in the Adelaide Hills are being told to leave immediately as the fire danger grows higher. There are comparisons being made between today’s fires and the fires of Ash Wednesday, the bushfire that devastated the Adelaide Hills in 1983. It’s horrible to think how quickly these fires have grown and I hope everyone in the affected areas keeps calm, follows the directions given to them and stays safe.
It did get me thinking, though. On Tuesday, I was driving through the very townships where people are now being told to leave their homes. How would travellers keep themselves safe in such a situation? Would they know where to go for help, and what resources they have access to in the event of a bush fire?
Here are some things to keep in mind:
Be aware of the risks of travelling to bushfire prone areas. There is always a risk of bushfires starting, especially during the summer months in the states of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. High temperatures, strong winds, and dry grass provide the potential for accidental fires to spin out of control. If you’re planning on travelling to these regions, you need to consider what the risk of fire is at your destination, and what you would do if the worst happened.
Note down emergency service contact numbers so you know who to contact and how to contact them should you find it necessary.
Know the fire bans and fire danger risks of your destination. In South Australia, the CFS posts the fire bans and fire danger risks on their website.
Keep an eye on the media and be flexible in changing your travel plans. Emergency services with their own social media channels, online newspapers, radio and television will all contain information about fires in their local areas. If a fire is burning, do not go near the area. Travel plans can easily be changed, and it’s not worth it to risk your life.
Follow the directions of emergency service workers. If the worst does happen and you find yourself in an area threatened by a bushfire, keep calm and follow the directions of emergency service workers. If you are told to leave, leave. Remember that possessions can be replaced, but your life can’t.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain
Can you believe that it’s the last day of 2014? It seems only a few months ago that I was celebrating last year’s New Year’s Eve with my friends, discussing our travel plans, and telling myself that maybe this year I would finally start the travel blog that I kept talking about, to record my love of castles, writing and travel.
Here we are, a year later, and I’ve kept my promise to myself!
As we say goodbye to 2014 and welcome 2015, I would like to thank you all for reading this blog. I can’t wait to see what the new year brings!
In 2014 I returned to Europe and the UK, where I explored Belgium, soaked up Parisian life, and road tripped through the UK with my brother. Here are seven moments that left an impression on me this year:
Finally spending time in Belgium
In 2010 I spent around three hours in Belgium – the time it took for the tour bus I was on to drive from Germany, stop at a Belgian roadside cafe for lunch, and then continue on into France. Despite since visiting all of the countries around it, I never thought about going back to Belgium.
That is, until my brother and I were planning a Europe Trip and had no idea when or where we should go. A search for festivals in November turned up the Brussels Light Festival, and we thought why not start our trip in Brussels, and throw in a side trip to Bruges?
Brussels at night: The Grand Place
We ended up splitting our time between Brussels, Bruges and Ghent. Aside from the area between the palaces and the Grand Place, Brussels didn’t have that quaint feel of being hundreds of years old, but it did have the frites and waffles we were looking forward to, as well as quirky comic strip, figurine and street lamp museums, and the strangely cool Atomium.
The incredibly photogenic Sint Janshospitaal in Bruges
Bruges was exactly how everyone who’s been there describes it – beautiful. I visited Michaelangelo’s Madonna statue in the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk after learning about it from the movie the Monuments Men, battled with the steps of the Belfry, sought out windmills in the pouring rain, and went on a Belgian chocolate crawl down Katelijnestraat.
The gorgeous buildings along the canal in Ghent
We weren’t expecting the old town of Ghent to be as pretty as it was. We explored Gravensteen Castle, took a stroll down by the colourful houses along the canal, and walked circles around Ghent’s many churches.
Getting blown away at Hadrian’s Wall
Sycamore Gap along Hadrian’s Wall, used as one of the filming locations in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
I didn’t want to visit just any section of Hadrian’s Wall – I wanted to visit the area known as Sycamore Gap, where the wall passes near a sycamore tree. Why? Because it was featured in one of the early scenes in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The only catch was that no matter how many web searches I did, no one would give me clear instructions on how to get there. So we were pretty impressed with ourselves when, despite a whipping wind, we followed the wall along and were eventually rewarded with the sight of Sycamore Gap (some of the other walkers must have thought I was crazy, getting so excited over a tree)!
Seeing Christmas come alive at Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House from across the river Visiting Chatsworth House has been on my travel bucket list for a long time – ever since watching the BBC Pride and Prejudice mini-series and seeing Chatsworth act as the setting for Pemberley. It looked like we weren’t going to get there for a while – after ninety minutes sitting in a queue of cars we were thinking of giving up. Little did we know we had come on the weekend of the Christmas Markets! The house had been decorated for Christmas and while we saw little of the house’s decor, we were instead transported to the magical and crazy world of Alice in Wonderland.
Chasing Robin Hood from Nottingham to Sherwood Forest
We visited Nottingham and Sherwood Forest in search of Robin Hood stories
Robin Hood stories have always captured my imagination, and I managed to convince my brother that we should spend some time in Nottingham as a stopover on our UK road trip. While Nottingham and Sherwood Forest did not meet my expectations (I’m not sure what I was wanting – a theatrical set up of an outlaw camp next to Major Oak?), my brother and I took full advantage of the shops and a trip down in to the caves underneath Nottingham was one of the more unique experiences I had.
Hugging Stones at Avebury
Reaching up to the top of one of Avebury’s standing stones
We were cramming a lot of Heritage Sites in to one day: Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral, Old Sarum, Silbury Hill, a Chalk Horse and Avebury were all on our hit list. Out of all of these important places, it was Avebury that is my favourite memory of that day. Maybe it was the light as dusk began to fall. Maybe it was the last sight at the end of a long day. Maybe it was the freedom to walk around the stones and up and down the mounds. Whatever the reason, walking around the muddy fields at Avebury is one of my favourite memories from my UK road trip.
Seeing the sea of poppies at the Tower of London
The sea of poppies in the ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ art installation at the Tower of London
When I first heard about the project to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War and to remember the 888,246 fallen British soldiers and saw images on the news of people adding their ceramic poppies to the moat surrounding the Tower of London, I knew it would be an awesome sight when completed. Unfortunately, I was at home in Australia at the time. By Remembrance Day on the 11th November, my travels had taken me to Edinburgh, and I was sure that by the time I arrived in London on the 23rd the poppies would have been all packed up. They mostly were, save for the corner section between the Tower entrance and the Thames. It was a sight I will never forget. The ceramic poppies in the Tower moat
Travelling through Belgium, France and the UK, there were no shortage of castles for me to choose from. Here are some of my favourites that I visited in 2014:
Coudenberg Palace
Brussels, Belgium Underground! Inside the Coudenberg palace
My brother found this one for me while looking for things to do in Brussels. The remains of the twelfth century Coudenberg Palace lie underneath the city, and you are free to explore them on a self-guided tour. The cavernous rooms lined with stones made for an interesting welcome to the Belgian capital.
Gravensteen Castle
Ghent, Belgium Gravensteen Castle
Gravensteen Castle was cool. The twelfth century castle had a weaponry room (the detail on the hilts of the swords was amazing!), a replica guillotine, a room filled with torture devices, and some of the best views of Ghent.
The Palace of Versailles
Paris, France The courtyard at the palace of Versailles
Ah, Versailles! The main palace demonstrates the wealth and luxury of the Bourbon family, but it is the Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet that I really loved. Getting lost in the gardens on the way to the Grand and Petit Trianons was all part of the fun.
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh, Scotland Edinburgh Castle at night
There’s really something for everyone at Edinburgh Castle, from war and military museums, to Scottish history and the complex story of the Honours of Scotland. We visited on Remembrance Day, and standing in the National War Memorial reading all of the names of the Scottish soldiers who gave their lives during the wars was very moving.
Alnwick Castle
Alnwick, England The entry to Alnwick Castle
This castle looks like it is straight out of a fairy tale. In fact, it was used as a film location for the Harry Potter series as well as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. I loved the dining room in the State Apartments, and the many museums and exhibitions housed along the castle walls. There was even a wedding reception being held in the beautiful castle grounds!
Warwick Castle
Warwick, England Looking over the River Avon at Warwick Castle
The thing I enjoyed most about Warwick Castle was The Castle Dungeon tour. Not knowing what was going to jump out at us next was both scary and all part of the fun (though it was a relief when the tour finished and I no longer had to wonder what was on the other side of the next door!). The castle itself, although small, has had a long history. There are even peacocks strolling around the grounds! While we saw the falconry exhibition we were unfortunately there too late in the year to be able to see the jousting or the trebuchet in action.
Caerphilly Castle
Caerphilly, Wales Caerphilly Castle
While we didn’t have time to go inside Caerphilly Castle, we were able to drive all the way around it. Surrounded by water the old castle is very picturesque and is now among my favourite Welsh castles.
Old Sarum
Near Salisbury, England The ruins of Old Sarum
I knew nothing about Old Sarum before I arrived. Since I had always heard its name in association with Stonehenge and Avebury, I assumed it was another stone circle. I was very surprised when we arrived to discover that Old Sarum was originally an Iron Age fort and was later the site of a castle for King Henry I.
Blenheim Palace
Woodstock, England The courtyard of Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace may be best known as the birthplace of Winston Churchill, but the palace itself is pretty in its own right, both inside and out. I especially loved the hidden Secret Garden, tucked away to the side of the palace.
The Tower of London
London, England The sea of poppies in the ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ art installation at the Tower of London
So much history is tied up in this fortress. The last time I visited I raced through with an audio guide stuck to my ear. This time, we went on a guided tour with a Yeoman Guard. If you ever get the opportunity, make sure you tag along with them – they bring the Tower’s stories of happiness, horror and woe to life.
It’s Proclamation Day here in South Australia – the day when South Australia was proclaimed as a British province on the 28th December 1836. As it’s South Australia’s 178th birthday, I thought I would bring you a list of twelve places and things that come to mind when I think about good old SA (in random order, of course!):
Cruising down the River Torrens in the Popeye
The Popeye provides river cruises along the River Torrens – nostalgic for many South Aussies!
A Very Special Thing when we were little was to go for a ride on the Popeye. The river boats leave from Elder Park and travel to the Weir before turning around and cruising to the Adelaide Zoo. There is a fleet of three Popeye boats, and the sight of them cruising down the Torrens never fails to bring back memories of my childhood. Make sure you hop on one when you’re next in Adelaide!
Climbing Mount Lofty
The view over Adelaide from Mount Lofty Summit
Laugh if you want about the poorly named Mount Lofty Ranges that hem in the city of Adelaide. While there are plenty of loftier mountains, standing at the top of Mt Lofty gives you a good view over the city out to the Gulf of St Vincent. Whether you drive or ride your bike up the winding Adelaide Hills roads, or leave your car at Waterfall Gully and walk the 3kms up to the top (harder than it sounds – the trail gets steeper the closer you get to the top), Mount Lofty gives you one of the best views over Adelaide.
Chilling out in the wine country
With three wine regions close by, the only problem is which one to drink!
Wine drinkers are spoilt for choice in South Australia. Right on our doorstep we have three wine regions: the Clare Valley, McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley. Between one and two hours’ drive out from Adelaide, spending a day cellar door hopping is a relaxing way to pass the weekend. And the wine is world class – I often find South Australian wines listed in the wine lists at overseas restaurants (I laughed when I saw a Chateau Reynella on the wine list at the Olde Hansa restaurant in Tallinn, Estonia – it brought home to me just how good South Australian wine really is!).
Mad March: The Festival Month
The Adelaide Festival Centre is just one of the venues for musicals, theatre, dance and comedy acts
One of SA’s taglines is The Festival State. We like our festivals so much that we decided to put as many as we could into one month and give ourselves the other eleven months to recuperate. If you’re in Adelaide in March, you’ll find yourself spending most of your nights out at the Adelaide Fringe Festival (second only to the Edinburgh Fringe). On the nights you’re not checking out comedians, street performers, dance performances and visual artists, you can get your fill of world music at WOMAdelaide. Right alongside the Fringe is the Adelaide Festival of Arts, which includes one of my favourite festivals: Adelaide Writer’s Week, a free event where both Australian and international authors, poets and journalists descend on the Pioneer Women’s Gardens to talk about their projects and industries. We have a public holiday in March to watch the horses racing for the Adelaide Cup. Then, right at the end of the month, we complain about how the set up of the Clipsal 500 track has made travelling to Adelaide’s eastern suburbs a whole lot more difficult. They don’t call it Mad March for nothing!
The Green Gridded Capital City
The River Torrens cuts through Elder Park
Navigating while in overseas metropolises can be painful, especially when I’m used to good old Adelaide’s grid-like street layout. The city is extremely walkable, and there are free buses and trams to get you around the inner city. Our CBD is surrounded by parklands, with Victoria Square and other green areas dotted throughout the grid, all purposely planned by the men who originally designed the city’s layout in the 1800s. It means that we never feel like we’re walking around in a concrete jungle – a green space is never more than 500m away.
Our quirky monuments
The “Malls Balls” are an icon in the Rundle Mall shopping precinct
We have a lot of statues and sculptures around the CBD. But the one that garners the fiercest loyalty are the Rundle Mall Balls. While they perhaps don’t look like anything special to a tourist’s eyes, this shiny structure has been a fixture in the Mall, and an easy landmark if you need to specify a location to meet up with your friends!
Starting the Christmas Season with the Credit Union Christmas Pageant and the Magic Cave
Children (and adults alike) sit behind the Blue Line of Honour, a permanent marking along the Christmas Pageant route through the streets of Adelaide
2014 was the first year that I can ever remember missing out on watching the Christmas Pageant (I was traipsing around Paris, climbing the Arc de Triomphe and checking out the Galeries Lafayette on Christmas Pageant Day). Every year, the Credit Unions of South Australia put on the biggest Christmas Pageant in the Southern Hemisphere, containing over sixty floats of fairy tale characters, marching bands and Christmas carolers. Father Christmas, his sleigh pulled by twelve animatronic reindeer, pauses on the steps of David Jones department store to announce the beginning of the Christmas season, wish everyone peace and goodwill, and to open the Magic Cave, where for the next six weeks children will queue to tell him their Christmas wish lists. For everyone’s safety, a permanent blue line is painted on the streets of Adelaide that marks the line all children (and adults) must keep behind while the pageant is on. Now when I’m overseas, if I see a blue line painted on the road, it reminds me of the Christmas Pageant!
Watching the game at the newly revamped Adelaide Oval
The new Adelaide Oval grandstand looks like a spaceship hovering over the River Torrens and Elder Park
Over the past few years the Adelaide Oval has undergone renovations to improve its facilities. So most people liken the new grandstand to an alien spaceship, but it is known as one of the best cricket grounds in the world. Whether you watch cricket in the summer or AFL in the winter, choose to sit in the grandstand or out in the open on the hill, make sure to enjoy the atmosphere.
The Wild Life on Kangaroo Island
The Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island
The guidebooks are right about this one. If you’re visiting South Australia, make the effort to drive down to Kangaroo Island and spend a few days there. There are strange rock formations (Remarkable Rocks, Admiral’s Arch), limestone stalactites and stalagmites at Kelly Hill Caves and of course wildlife (pelican feedings and little ‘fairy’ penguins in Kingscote; sleepy sea lions at Seal Bay; kangaroos, koalas and emus at Flinders Chase). And all the fun of running up and down a giant sand dune at Little Sahara.
Living the Miner’s Life in the Copper Triangle
Traces of green copper can still be found around the “Big Chimney” at Hughes Engine House, Moonta Mines.
I grew up in the Copper Triangle towns of Kadina, Moonta and Wallaroo (affectionately called Australia’s Little Cornwall). Due to this upbringing, I compare every Cornish pasty I eat in the UK to the ones I consumed at the Cornish Kitchen, Australian-Cornish copper mining practices to their Anglo equivalent and can’t go past a maypole without memories of wanting to dance around it at the Kernewek Lowender Cornish Festival. Living in coastal towns, I also filled my childhood with long summer days at the beach, swimming within the supposedly shark-proof netting and catching garfish, whiting and Tommy Ruffs off of the Moonta Bay jetty.
Receiving 10 cents back for recycling cans and plastic bottles
An incentive to encourage recycling, each can and bottle bought in South Australia and returned to an SA recycling depot earns you 10 cents.
All recyclable cans, bottles and cartons bought in South Australia can earn you cash if you take them to a recycling depot. While it doesn’t seem like much at 10 cents per item, it certainly adds up. It’s a great initiative that encourages recycling and it’s something that I’ve taken for granted – when overseas I find it hard to even find a designated recycling bin and feel guilty about throwing recyclable goods in the trash.
South Aussie Food and Drink
Just some of the iconic South Australian food and drink companies: Charlesworths Nuts and Coopers Brewery
One thing we South Aussies take seriously is our food, with Adelaide boasting more restaurants per person than any other Australian capital city. While I’m a bit of a Schnitzel Queen (and why not when it’s on the menu in some form at almost every pub and restaurant in the state?), there’s a few specialities that are uniquely South Australian. How many of these have you tried? Try them – they’re all awesome (except for the pie floater – I’ve never been game enough to try one of those!)
Christmas is a time full of family and tradition. I love how our family gathers together to celebrate each year. Here’s what a typical Christmas looks like for me:
Christmas Eve
We tend to gather at my parent’s house on Christmas Eve for a carols sing along. The Vision Australia’s Carols By Candlelight, which is televised from the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, has been a tradition ever since I can remember. We joke that Dennis Walter and one of my uncles could be twins, get up and dance around the house to the kid’s entertainment, and sing our hearts out to Deck the Halls, Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Jerusalem.
Our Christmas tree
Christmas Day
Christmas Day is divided in to four parts for us: Preparation, Gift Giving, Lunch, and After Lunch.
Christmas lunch is the big meal of the day, and we usually have several members of the extended family over. To get ready for their arrival, the morning is a flurry of last-minute cleaning, putting out table decorations, and cooking.
By the time the family starts arriving, the preparations are mostly done and we can sit down, catch up, and exchange presents.
The table’s decorated – we’re ready for lunch!
Depending on how hot it is (Christmas Day temperatures tend to hover anywhere between 20 – 35 degrees Celsius), we have turkey, chicken, and kebabs cooked on the barbecue, as well as salads. We always eat so much that dessert – gingerbread, mince pies, chocolate truffles, fruit and cheese platters and my Mum’s famous fruit salad ice cream – often comes out in lieu of tea around 6pm!
Almond milk rock, gingerbread stars and chocolate ginger – Christmas staples in our household!
The rest of the day is spent in a food coma, chatting and playing games. This year my uncle brought over Cards Against Humanity – it’s an inappropriately hilarious game, and it suddenly seems like everyone I know either owns it, has played it, or knows someone who has played it!
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a quiet day in our house – still full from lunch the day before, it is a day for sleeping and lazing around, before the end of the year and returning back to work sets in.
A cute Christmas penguin candle
Do you have any Christmas traditions? Share them in the comments!
