The Secret Town…

With its quaint Germanic charm and old-world appeal, the picture-perfect town of Hahndorf is South Australia’s best kept little secret, discovers Raul Dias


Think Australia, and images of Crocodile Dundee eating tons of Vegemite-n-toast on a hot Christmas day, while doffing his cork-rimmed Akubra hat, greeting you with a “G’day Mate!” kangaroo-jumps straight into your mind! Now, how about visions of men wearing lederhosen, munching on bratwurst-mit-brot and pretzels, while quaffing down pints of pale ale? Germany, you say. Still Australia, I reply!
Surprised? Well, I sure was one warm February morning as I found myself driving through some typically Australian countryside and, quite suddenly, entering a world which seemed to have been lifted from Central Europe and transported as it were, straight to Australia. Welcome to Hahndorf. Located just 28km southeast of Adelaide, the town of Hahndorf is a slice of Germany, replete with all the trappings like beer halls, Oompah bands and sauerkraut--things that you would expect to find in Bavaria.
To give a little historical spin to the place, my guide, Michael Hartley of Life is a Cabernet Tours explained to me that Hahndorf’s first settlement took place in 1839 when Prussian Lutheran families arrived there. The name “Hahndorf” was derived from Captain Dirk Hahn of the ship named ‘Zebra’, which arrived in Adelaide in 1838 with a party of immigrants from the Eastern Provinces of Prussia. Captain Hahn stayed on to see the new arrivals were settled, after having survived a horrendous journey by sea. He eventually selected an area near Mt Barker which his passengers named after him in recognition of his efforts.
History lesson over and done with it was time was a walk down the tiny streets of the town that was beginning to resemble something straight out of a Hansel and Gretel fairytale. Since it was still morning and the unforgiving Australian sun hadn’t yet made its infernal presence felt, my first stop was the ambrosial Beerenberg Farm. Dating back to the 1830s the farm was set up by one of Hahndorf’s oldest immigrant families, the Paech family. Since then five generations of the Paech family have lived and worked on the Beerenberg Farm which is currently owned by Grant and Carol Paech. The Beerenberg Farm boasts traditional crops which are grown on the farm and include strawberries, sweetcorn and mixed vegetables, but more recently Beerenberg has established an international reputation for its interesting and varied jams, home style pickles, chutneys and sauces. Virtually OD’ing on the scrumptious sample spread that I was plied on with, I bid my meager 20kg baggage allowance goodbye as I stocked up on tons of their goodies that would be my “This-is-what-I-got-you-from-Australia” gifts for friends and family.
With all that delicious retail therapy over and done with it was therapy of another kind--art. Now, if there is one town in South Australia that has the strongest concentration of art galleries, then it would have to be Hahndorf. From Contemporary art to Aboriginal art, you won’t have to look too hard to find it here. And The Hahndorf Academy is the ‘Holy Grail’ of all things artsy here. Built in 1839, it was one of the first permanent buildings in Hahndorf and is the largest regional art gallery in South Australia today. Once a primary school, Its central location is indicative of the importance attached to the cultural, scholastic, artistic and religious pursuit of the early German settlers. I was fortunate to experience the mastery of indigenous Aboriginal artist Natasha Parriman Lloyd whose exhibition titled ‘Gurlbil Tracks’ was on at that time. With her paintings, Natasha shares her bush tucker and culture stories combining centuries of her ancestors’ indigenous art designs from the Yawuru, Jabirr Jabirr and Yamatji tribes from Western Australia in a western style medium of acrylic paints on canvas. Sheer brilliance!
Still on the art trail, I simply had to visit The Cedars that I had heard so much about from my co-passenger on my flight into Adelaide from Singapore. Regarded as one of Australia’s National Treasures (and rightly so!) The Cedars was home for 56 years to the renowned artist Sir Hans Heysen. The historic house, studio and gardens are now thankfully open to the public to marvel at. Here one can find on view an extensive collection of the artist’s work still owned by the Heysen family, displaying Heysen’s remarkable versatility, not only in his varied medium, but also the broad range of his subject matter.
A little further down the main road, the historic German Arms Hotel looms into sight. An attractive hotel, distinguished by its typically German flower boxes, it was first established site in 1861 by the local publican Robert Hunt. It is now a popular destination for tourists wanting to watch other tourists walk up and down the main street. And that is just what I did beer in hand taking I sights like children playing in an old wooden horse carriage cart advertising the ‘Old Hahndorf Village Market’.
Despite the fact that I had just hours ago partaken in the bounties of the Beerenberg Farm, the incessant rumbling of my tummy was getting too vociferous to ignore, so Michael suggested a quick bite at the charming little delicatessen aptly named Taste in Hahndorf. A virtual treasure trove of delectable goodies like nougat, honey, cured meats, cheese and pretzels this deli proved to be my undoing as I tried out everything that the very loquacious sales person offered me. But if there is one thing that tops my list of all the edible treats tat I partook in here, then it would be the superlative Venison Chilli Mettwurst sausage that I packed up in multiples for future sinning. A quick dash into the charming brick-façade Ye Olde Ice creamery & Café for a spot of vanilla bean ice and boysenberry ice cream was the perfect foil to the slightly spicy after-taste of the Chilli Mettwurst.
With Australia leading the pack as far as new world wines are concerned it is no surprise then that even Hahndorf has its own bit to contribute to this distinction. Again, like most establishments in the town, the not-so-historic Hillstowe Wines, a family owned winery run by Chris and Hamish Lauri, is also located on the main street. This cool climate winery with an historic cellar door was established in 1980. The winery specializes in both red and white table wines derived from cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, merlot, sauvignon blanc, riesling and chardonnay grapes. The libation that I tried that day was the sublime 1996 Mary’s Hundred Shiraz that has an interesting story behind it or so I was told by Chris Lauri. Apparently, Mary Lauri who was Chris’ great grandmother is said to be South Australia’s first registered female vigneron and winemaker who single-handedly took over the wine business after her husband died in 1876. That sure was some history in a glass for me!
Lunch was a simple affair at the aptly named Café 1839 that looked straight out of that time period with its Tudor style of exposed trusses and white-washed walls. It is no great secret that German food isn’t one of the best out there, but the nosh at this café was surprisingly great. Tucking into my plate of Weiner Snitzel smothered in a riesling sauce and served with potato dumplings made me realize that everyone and in this case everything needs to be given a second chance. Who would have known that a German restaurant in Australia above all places would cure me of my chronic disdain for the cuisine.
After all that conspicuous consumption, a good long walk was in order. So, I dragged the sybarite in me along--what else but Hahndorf’s nerve-centre of all activity--the main street for a ramble that serendipitously lead me to my most favourite find of the day. Located on the corner of Balhannah Road and Church Street just one block away from the Main Street, St Michael’s is the oldest Lutheran Church in Australia dating back to 1858 and dedicated on 3 July, 1859. In fact the first church in the town, built of pug and consecrated in 1840, operated on this site. It is one of two Lutheran churches in town and indication that there were doctrinal disagreements between the residents. Holding a maximum of 150 people, the church is rather tiny, but in keeping with the rest of diminutive Hahndorf seems to fit in perfectly. A raised sanctuary with a lectern and pulpit occupy one side of the altar, and the font, advent wreath and sediliae take up the other. On the wall behind the altar are some textual inscriptions in German, with one repeated in English.
So, after an hour or so of wandering around the church’s gardens, taking in the air laced with the perfume of lavender, I bid adieu to charming Hahndorf, ready to rejoin the ‘real’ world on the other side.
A place that truly gave me a vicarious thrill of life in Germany of the 1800s all in modern day Australia, you could say that Hahndorf is the closest thing you can find to a time capsule. A true blast from the past this!



Factfile
How To Get There: While Qantas has flights from Mumbai to Adelaide via Singapore, Singapore Airlines has flights from Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Kochi, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad to Singapore from where one can connect to Adelaide. Hahndorf is a 20 minute drive from Adelaide on the South Eastern Freeway. Bus numbers 165M, 840F, 843F, 840X and 841F ply between Adelaide and Hahndorf’s Old Mill bus station and can be caught at the Adelaide bus terminal at Franklin Street.

When To Visit: The best time to visit Hahndorf is undoubtedly the summer months of December to February. But autumn (March to May) is equally magical with the entire area erupting into a riot of hues as the leaves change their colour.

Getting Around: Due to its compact size and with most of its attractions located right along the Main Street, Hahndorf is best navigated on foot.

Where To Stay:
1. The Manna
Tucked behind a revamped stone cottage in the heart of town, this motel complex is home to 50 stylish units. The Manna is also a smart alternative base for exploring the many attractions scattered along the eastern flanks of the nearby Mount Lofty Ranges.
25 Main St, Hahndorf SA 5245, Australia.
Phone: (08) 8388 1000/1800 882 682
Website: www.themanna.com.au

2. Hannah’s Cottage
With an artfully restrained country-chic interior, the snug cottage boasts a bright bedroom with bay window, spa bathroom and airy living space. Bonus features include outdoor dining, a floodlit tennis court and serene garden spaces.
‘Botathan’, Lot 14 Jones Rd, Balhannah, Hahndorf, SA 5245, Australia.
Phone: (08) 8388 4148
Website: www.hannahscottage.com.au

(First published in Outlook Lounge's August 2010 issue)