This article was first published online on 4th August 2020 in Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, UK https://www.luxurylifestylemag.co.uk/food-and-drink/restaurant-review-darenberg-cube-mclaren-vale-in-south-australia/
Showing posts with label SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Hop in to Kangaroo Island!
Almost literally a hop, skip and a jump away from the city
of Adelaide, the flora- and fauna-rich Kangaroo Island is South Australia’s
best kept little secret, offering a range of things to see and do.
By Raul Dias
Honest confession: I don’t do very well ensconced in
the confines of a tiny plane. It’s just something about being cooped up like
sardines in a tin can that gets to me. Sadly, at just under half an hour,
that’s the fastest—and most logical way—to get to the stunning Kangaroo Island
from Adelaide. What with the sea journey between the Cape Jervis Port (two
hours south of Adelaide) and the Penneshaw Port on Kangaroo Island raking up a
good four hours in total, along with driving time to and from the two ports.
Suspended from the mainland of South Australia like a dusty ruby, thanks to its red mud, the island always held great sway to a traveller like myself who had only read about it in other travel tales, thus far. And so, braving the short flight aboard the tiny Regional Express plane, I soldiered on as the twin-propeller aircraft swooped its way down towards terra firma…
With 541 km of coastline and 155 km long by 55 km wide, Kangaroo Island is Australia’s third largest island, but the minuscule size of its one and only airport at Kingscote, the island’s capital town, belies this distinction. Waiting for my group of three friends and I outside the small terminal building was our guide for the next two days Nikki Redman with her jazzed up mini bus, ready to show us the island where she’s spent all her life and which she loves with a fierce passion.
Suspended from the mainland of South Australia like a dusty ruby, thanks to its red mud, the island always held great sway to a traveller like myself who had only read about it in other travel tales, thus far. And so, braving the short flight aboard the tiny Regional Express plane, I soldiered on as the twin-propeller aircraft swooped its way down towards terra firma…
With 541 km of coastline and 155 km long by 55 km wide, Kangaroo Island is Australia’s third largest island, but the minuscule size of its one and only airport at Kingscote, the island’s capital town, belies this distinction. Waiting for my group of three friends and I outside the small terminal building was our guide for the next two days Nikki Redman with her jazzed up mini bus, ready to show us the island where she’s spent all her life and which she loves with a fierce passion.
All
‘Seal’ed Up!
Our first stop on the island was Seal Bay. Nestled along the island’s southern coast, Seal Bay is a playground for over 600 Australian sea-lions (neophoca cinerea) that seem to spend all day in the pursuit of their beauty sleep. Taking the weathered wooden pathway from the astonishingly well-equipped visitor’s centre down the white sanded beach, we made our way past clusters of plump mum and baby pairs of sea-lions in various stages of their seasonal moulting, some with soft tufts of new white fur, while others, like fashion-conscious ladies, still shedding their brownish-black ‘last season togs’. But the benign giants aren’t the only residents that call this fecund paradise home, we were lucky to get a glimpse of a group of elusive Hooded Plovers as well as some white-bellied Sea-Eagles taking flight. All I truly wanted to do there right then and there was to plonk myself on the beach and commune with nature at its purest, undiluted best. But that was sadly not to be.
Our first stop on the island was Seal Bay. Nestled along the island’s southern coast, Seal Bay is a playground for over 600 Australian sea-lions (neophoca cinerea) that seem to spend all day in the pursuit of their beauty sleep. Taking the weathered wooden pathway from the astonishingly well-equipped visitor’s centre down the white sanded beach, we made our way past clusters of plump mum and baby pairs of sea-lions in various stages of their seasonal moulting, some with soft tufts of new white fur, while others, like fashion-conscious ladies, still shedding their brownish-black ‘last season togs’. But the benign giants aren’t the only residents that call this fecund paradise home, we were lucky to get a glimpse of a group of elusive Hooded Plovers as well as some white-bellied Sea-Eagles taking flight. All I truly wanted to do there right then and there was to plonk myself on the beach and commune with nature at its purest, undiluted best. But that was sadly not to be.
Nature’s
Grotto
Lured away with the threat of abandonment, we reluctantly headed back to the bus, so that we could savour more of Kangaroo Island’s bounty. Looming in the horizon like an erect beacon of hope, the Cape du Couedic Lighthouse is like a sentinel guarding the eerie, almost subterranean grotto of Admirals Arch. A truly fascinating wild sculpture of nature, formed by an old coastal dune being cemented together, then eroded, Admirals Arch is a place where time comes to a grinding halt. A place where one’s reverie is punctured time and again by the bellowing of the New Zealand seals that bask on the jagged rocks that jut out angrily into the sea as though proving a point. Taking the boardwalk that runs around the cliff face down into the bowels of the spectacular natural grotto, we got to the viewing platform that made for a perfect photo-op with the brutal waves doing their very own number down below. The howling wind caressed us into submission as the pungent odour of seal excrement hit our nostrils, signalling that our time was up in the cave that was beginning to look like the devil’s living room of my nightmares.
Lured away with the threat of abandonment, we reluctantly headed back to the bus, so that we could savour more of Kangaroo Island’s bounty. Looming in the horizon like an erect beacon of hope, the Cape du Couedic Lighthouse is like a sentinel guarding the eerie, almost subterranean grotto of Admirals Arch. A truly fascinating wild sculpture of nature, formed by an old coastal dune being cemented together, then eroded, Admirals Arch is a place where time comes to a grinding halt. A place where one’s reverie is punctured time and again by the bellowing of the New Zealand seals that bask on the jagged rocks that jut out angrily into the sea as though proving a point. Taking the boardwalk that runs around the cliff face down into the bowels of the spectacular natural grotto, we got to the viewing platform that made for a perfect photo-op with the brutal waves doing their very own number down below. The howling wind caressed us into submission as the pungent odour of seal excrement hit our nostrils, signalling that our time was up in the cave that was beginning to look like the devil’s living room of my nightmares.
Meeting
the Namesakes
Leaving my nightmares where they belonged, at the bottom of Admirals Arch, something (or rather someone) more soothing and docile beckoned. One of the things on my ‘To Do’ list when I first decided to take a trip to the land down under was just about to be struck off – tea with kangaroos for whom this beautiful island is named after!
And so, we made our way to Grassdale in the Kelly Hill Conservation Park after a tryst with some pesky pelicans at the beautiful Stokes Bay. Once a farm run by Lucy Edwards, who sold it off when it got too much to manage on her own, Grassdale is now a place for rambunctious kangaroos with tiny little joeys in their pouches to frolic about in. Sipping freshly brewed tea and tucking into shortbread biscuits, we watched as the marsupials went about their business picking at tender shoots that were beginning to emerge from the red soil.
Leaving my nightmares where they belonged, at the bottom of Admirals Arch, something (or rather someone) more soothing and docile beckoned. One of the things on my ‘To Do’ list when I first decided to take a trip to the land down under was just about to be struck off – tea with kangaroos for whom this beautiful island is named after!
And so, we made our way to Grassdale in the Kelly Hill Conservation Park after a tryst with some pesky pelicans at the beautiful Stokes Bay. Once a farm run by Lucy Edwards, who sold it off when it got too much to manage on her own, Grassdale is now a place for rambunctious kangaroos with tiny little joeys in their pouches to frolic about in. Sipping freshly brewed tea and tucking into shortbread biscuits, we watched as the marsupials went about their business picking at tender shoots that were beginning to emerge from the red soil.
To
Bee or not to Bee!
Next day, up bright and early, we made our way to our first stop of the day—Clifford’s Honey Farm in the island’s MacGillivray neighbourhood. This family-run honey farm produces high quality honeys from various native plants—each with a distinctive flavour. I particularly enjoyed the cup gum variety.
The strain of the placid Ligurian bee, that was brought to Kangaroo Island from Italy, is disease free and high yielding, and in great demand worldwide. Clifford let us know that Kangaroo Island is the only place in the world with a wild population of the bees and has been designated as a bee sanctuary. The fine, pure honey produced by these bees is made into a variety of honey products at the farm, including honeycomb, honey ice-cream and even honey beer. The latter being a spur of the moment, unusual invention by Clifford’s son-in-law that works surprisingly well, I might add.
Next day, up bright and early, we made our way to our first stop of the day—Clifford’s Honey Farm in the island’s MacGillivray neighbourhood. This family-run honey farm produces high quality honeys from various native plants—each with a distinctive flavour. I particularly enjoyed the cup gum variety.
The strain of the placid Ligurian bee, that was brought to Kangaroo Island from Italy, is disease free and high yielding, and in great demand worldwide. Clifford let us know that Kangaroo Island is the only place in the world with a wild population of the bees and has been designated as a bee sanctuary. The fine, pure honey produced by these bees is made into a variety of honey products at the farm, including honeycomb, honey ice-cream and even honey beer. The latter being a spur of the moment, unusual invention by Clifford’s son-in-law that works surprisingly well, I might add.
Hic,
Hic Hurrah
And speaking of a drink, a tasting selection of gins including a yummy Thai-style chilli gin was what we tried next at the rustic chic-looking Kangaroo Island Spirits straight off the Playford Highway in Cygnet River. Located within a rather ramshackle exterior, the distillery is where liqueurs, gins and vodkas are all handmade in small batches using hand crafted copper pot stills. These high-quality spirits are additive and preservative free and where possible are made using native Australian botanicals and locally grown or sourced ingredients, including the Island favourite...you guessed it, Ligurian honey!
And speaking of a drink, a tasting selection of gins including a yummy Thai-style chilli gin was what we tried next at the rustic chic-looking Kangaroo Island Spirits straight off the Playford Highway in Cygnet River. Located within a rather ramshackle exterior, the distillery is where liqueurs, gins and vodkas are all handmade in small batches using hand crafted copper pot stills. These high-quality spirits are additive and preservative free and where possible are made using native Australian botanicals and locally grown or sourced ingredients, including the Island favourite...you guessed it, Ligurian honey!
Rock
and Roll
And buzzing we all were once again as the otherworldly Remarkable Rocks began to play a game of hide and go seek with our eyes, darting in and out of focus as we drove through a thicket of Tate’s grass tress towards the rock formation. A huge cluster of weather-beaten granite boulders perched on a large granite dome that drops 75 metres to the sea, these numinous icons of Kangaroo Island appear to be the creation of an extra territorial being… or perhaps it was just Mother Nature playing abstractionist sculptor for the day.
And buzzing we all were once again as the otherworldly Remarkable Rocks began to play a game of hide and go seek with our eyes, darting in and out of focus as we drove through a thicket of Tate’s grass tress towards the rock formation. A huge cluster of weather-beaten granite boulders perched on a large granite dome that drops 75 metres to the sea, these numinous icons of Kangaroo Island appear to be the creation of an extra territorial being… or perhaps it was just Mother Nature playing abstractionist sculptor for the day.
But then again, that’s just what Kangaroo Island does
to you. It makes you imagine things you’d never imagined before and see things
from a whole other perspective.
FACT
FILE
Getting
there
There is a daily 30-minute flight to Kingscote on Regional Express from Adelaide on the mainland of South Australia. For travelling within Kangaroo Island, it is advisable to either hire out the services of a tour company such as Kangaroo Island Odysseys (www.kiodysseys.com.au ) or perhaps self-drive a hired car, as there is virtually no public transport on the island.
Visas
There is a daily 30-minute flight to Kingscote on Regional Express from Adelaide on the mainland of South Australia. For travelling within Kangaroo Island, it is advisable to either hire out the services of a tour company such as Kangaroo Island Odysseys (www.kiodysseys.com.au ) or perhaps self-drive a hired car, as there is virtually no public transport on the island.
Visas
Indian passport holders need a visa to enter Australia, which is easy to
procure with the introduction of the very efficient e-visa facility.
When
to visit
With Kangaroo Island enjoying pleasant climate during the autumn and spring seasons, the best months to travel are from March to May and from September to early November. Summers from December to February can get a bit hot.
With Kangaroo Island enjoying pleasant climate during the autumn and spring seasons, the best months to travel are from March to May and from September to early November. Summers from December to February can get a bit hot.
Accommodation
Kangaroo Island has an excellent selection of hotels to choose from to suit all budgets and tastes. Some of the best options are:
* Aurora Ozone Hotel (www.ozonehotelki.com.au)
* Kangaroo Island Seafront (www.seafront.com.au)
* Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge (www.www.kilodge.com.au)
Kangaroo Island has an excellent selection of hotels to choose from to suit all budgets and tastes. Some of the best options are:
* Aurora Ozone Hotel (www.ozonehotelki.com.au)
* Kangaroo Island Seafront (www.seafront.com.au)
* Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge (www.www.kilodge.com.au)
(A differently edited version of this piece was first published in the October 2018 issue of The Week's Smart Life magazine)
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
The Rubik's Cube Redux
(This piece appeared in the June-July-August 2018 issue of the Eat Stay Love magazine, India)
Sunday, April 15, 2018
A-N-A-T-O-M-I-Z-E: d’Arenberg Cube
By Raul Dias
The mid-1980s was perhaps the time when the popularity of the Rubik’s Cube had reached its zenith, when the 3-D combination puzzle—created by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik—was the hottest thing invented since sliced bread! But like all trends, this one too proved to be ephemeral and was soon forgotten. Well…almost.
Reflective of the cyclical nature of fads and trends, the past three to four years have seen a revival of the Rubik’s Cube in all its puzzling, colour-blocking glory! And one of the newest, most interesting renditions of the Rubik’s Cube has got to be the bizarre, yet beautiful d’Arenberg Cube.
Nestled among the verdant, vineyard-infested hills of McLaren Vale in South Australia, this startling structure is part of the d’Arenberg Wines estate that has been in the wine-making business since 1912. Inspired by the Rubik’s Cube and by the graceful folds of Japanese origami, the five-storied cubist, glass structure is a multi-purpose one. Inspired by the complexities and puzzles of winemaking, Chester Osborn, the fourth generation of the d’Arenberg family, imagined the idea of a cube-shaped building that came to fruition in December 2017.
Seeming as though they independently rotate on a single, common axis, each of the five levels have been carefully designed to entice and excite the senses. So, while the top level houses the d’Arenberg cellar door and private tasting areas, offering guests the opportunity to blend and bottle their own wine, the other levels offer varied treats. Level one houses an informative wine museum, along with a ‘wine fog room’ where alcoholic vapours flavoured with wine and other botanicals are released for an unusual ‘sniffing’ experience.
Offering perhaps the most sophisticated wine-paired lunch in all of South Australia, the restaurant on level four at The Cube is truly the piece de resistance. Conceptualised by husband and wife team—Brendan Wessels and Lindsay Durr who’ve worked in Michelin starred kitchens, The Sisypheanic Euphoria is a 3-hour, 10-course degustation meal. Here, guests are treated to a selection of some of the 60 wines produced by d’Arenberg Wines. These are each paired along with dishes like the coal-esque black pudding savoury doughnut and the namaleka dessert with a delicate hexagonal-patterned grille made from ‘printed’ sugar. The latter having been processed on Australia’s first fully functional 3-D food printer that’s housed in The Cube’s kitchen.
(This column first appeared in the 15th April 2018 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 8
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/darenberg-cube/article23545639.ece?utm_source=tp-sundaymagazine&utm_medium=sticky_footer)
Friday, March 30, 2018
Simply, Truly South Australia!
As one of Australia’s most beautiful states, South Australia has a lot to offer in terms of world-class
attractions, nature and yes, superb food and wine. Raul Dias shows
you five ways to get the most out of your trip to the state capital Adelaide
and its surrounding regions.
I simply have got to say this. I have never been a big
fan of Adelaide. Having visited the city—that I remember as being the sleepy
and lacklustre capital of the state of South Australia—on two occasions a few
years ago, I was not very impressed. But last month, all that changed, and I
did a complete volte-face, crazy in my new-found love for Adelaide.
But then again, I’ve always believed in second… or in this case, third chances. Having been made amply aware by a few local friends of how much Adelaide has changed in the past six years since my last trip, I decided to check it out with renewed interest all over again.
And so, I packed my bags and winged it all the way Down Under for a week in Adelaide and its neighbouring areas. Here are five ways that helped me fall in love with the city by the River Torrens:
But then again, I’ve always believed in second… or in this case, third chances. Having been made amply aware by a few local friends of how much Adelaide has changed in the past six years since my last trip, I decided to check it out with renewed interest all over again.
And so, I packed my bags and winged it all the way Down Under for a week in Adelaide and its neighbouring areas. Here are five ways that helped me fall in love with the city by the River Torrens:
1.
Roof
Climb at Adelaide Oval
Widely regarded as the most picturesque test cricket ground in the world, with the St. Peter’s Cathedral rising behind an old, wooden Edwardian-style scoreboard and Moreton Bay fig trees at the northern end, the Adelaide Oval is a city icon. Established in 1871, the historic stadium underwent a massive overhaul in 2014 and a few years later in 2016 one the most fun things to do in Adelaide was started here. The Roof Climb is a guided tour that runs for about two hours and covers a distance of 1.2km in total, climbing up and down ladders and multiple flights of stairs, walking on open metal grate walkways and a stepped bridge. Climbers are harnessed and attached to the railing at all times, but you’ll still need to overcome a fear of heights, especially at the peak of the climb on the Riverbank stand where you’re meant to ‘hang out’ quite literally all for a keepsake photo! (www.roofclimb.com.au)
Widely regarded as the most picturesque test cricket ground in the world, with the St. Peter’s Cathedral rising behind an old, wooden Edwardian-style scoreboard and Moreton Bay fig trees at the northern end, the Adelaide Oval is a city icon. Established in 1871, the historic stadium underwent a massive overhaul in 2014 and a few years later in 2016 one the most fun things to do in Adelaide was started here. The Roof Climb is a guided tour that runs for about two hours and covers a distance of 1.2km in total, climbing up and down ladders and multiple flights of stairs, walking on open metal grate walkways and a stepped bridge. Climbers are harnessed and attached to the railing at all times, but you’ll still need to overcome a fear of heights, especially at the peak of the climb on the Riverbank stand where you’re meant to ‘hang out’ quite literally all for a keepsake photo! (www.roofclimb.com.au)
2.
Riding
the coffee circuit with Eco Caddy
Adelaide loves its coffee and the many hip new coffee places that have mushroomed up recently are testament to this sudden surge. The guys at Eco Caddy offer a perfect way to get acquainted with this coffee fad. Revolutionising the rickshaw by providing the most cost-effective city transport, Eco Caddy offer rides for a fee in their eco-friendly cycle rickshaws with a buggy at the back with enough space for two passengers. They also do specialised tours that boast an unrivalled ability to ride the footpaths, cycleways, parkways and laneways of Adelaide. The coffee experience takes you on a ride to four interesting coffee places where you can get a real pulse of the city. What’s more is that during special events and festivals like the world music festival WOMADelaide (which was on when I was visiting!), the Eco Caddy drivers offer free trips to all those desirous of going for a short spin. I strongly recommend this one. (www.eco-caddy.com)
Adelaide loves its coffee and the many hip new coffee places that have mushroomed up recently are testament to this sudden surge. The guys at Eco Caddy offer a perfect way to get acquainted with this coffee fad. Revolutionising the rickshaw by providing the most cost-effective city transport, Eco Caddy offer rides for a fee in their eco-friendly cycle rickshaws with a buggy at the back with enough space for two passengers. They also do specialised tours that boast an unrivalled ability to ride the footpaths, cycleways, parkways and laneways of Adelaide. The coffee experience takes you on a ride to four interesting coffee places where you can get a real pulse of the city. What’s more is that during special events and festivals like the world music festival WOMADelaide (which was on when I was visiting!), the Eco Caddy drivers offer free trips to all those desirous of going for a short spin. I strongly recommend this one. (www.eco-caddy.com)
3.
Adelaide
Central Market Tour
For the last couple of years, Australia and more specifically South Australia has been at the vanguard for some serious foodie action with a number of celebrity chefs like TV superstar Poh Ling Yeow and Chef Sean Connolly calling Adelaide home. The best way to get a little sliver of all that foodie action is to get yourselves booked onto a food tour. And top of the list is the Adelaide Central Market Tour. But first a little about the market that it operates out of. Since 1869, the Central Market has been a haven of premium food and wine products, and second home to chefs and food lovers. In fact, Poh even has her popular restaurant Jamface housed inside the market. The tours are sensory and interactive gourmet walking tours with a local food expert. Participants enjoy a range of delicious samples that represent the multicultural community of South Australia and the clean and green produce harvested from surrounding farms and oceans. (www.centralmarkettour.com.au)
For the last couple of years, Australia and more specifically South Australia has been at the vanguard for some serious foodie action with a number of celebrity chefs like TV superstar Poh Ling Yeow and Chef Sean Connolly calling Adelaide home. The best way to get a little sliver of all that foodie action is to get yourselves booked onto a food tour. And top of the list is the Adelaide Central Market Tour. But first a little about the market that it operates out of. Since 1869, the Central Market has been a haven of premium food and wine products, and second home to chefs and food lovers. In fact, Poh even has her popular restaurant Jamface housed inside the market. The tours are sensory and interactive gourmet walking tours with a local food expert. Participants enjoy a range of delicious samples that represent the multicultural community of South Australia and the clean and green produce harvested from surrounding farms and oceans. (www.centralmarkettour.com.au)
4.
The
Cube at Mc Laren Vale
Take the food thing a few notches higher at an experience of a lifetime at Mc Laren Vale, an hour out of Adeliade. The family owned d’Arenberg Wines is a winery on top of a hill and is well-known for its robust wines. But since December 2017 it has another ace up its sleeve. The Rubik’s Cube-esque, five-levelled d’Arenberg Cube that’s inspired by the complexities and puzzles of winemaking, has been carefully designed to entice and excite the senses. The top level houses the d’Arenberg cellar door and private tasting areas, offering the opportunity to blend and bottle your own wine. And for those serious about their food, try the 10- or 16-course degustation meals, paired with some of the yummiest wine you will ever taste. (www.darenberg.com.au)
Take the food thing a few notches higher at an experience of a lifetime at Mc Laren Vale, an hour out of Adeliade. The family owned d’Arenberg Wines is a winery on top of a hill and is well-known for its robust wines. But since December 2017 it has another ace up its sleeve. The Rubik’s Cube-esque, five-levelled d’Arenberg Cube that’s inspired by the complexities and puzzles of winemaking, has been carefully designed to entice and excite the senses. The top level houses the d’Arenberg cellar door and private tasting areas, offering the opportunity to blend and bottle your own wine. And for those serious about their food, try the 10- or 16-course degustation meals, paired with some of the yummiest wine you will ever taste. (www.darenberg.com.au)
5. Wine, wine and more wine at The
Barossa
Enjoy the bucolic charms of the Barossa Valley an hour away from Adelaide—where vineyards abound in a fecund landscape that will give Tuscany a serious complex. The Barossa truly is akin to an adult’s wine wonderland with world class wineries and cellar doors like Jacob’s Creek, Penfolds and Seppeltsfield Wines. The Barossa thrives on a living heritage, food markets, quality wines, old preserved buildings, and a wealth of culinary pleasures. A great experience to have here is the ‘Taste Your Birth Year Tour’ at Seppeltsfield Wines where you will join one of the wine educators in the renowned Centennial Cellar and sip on a wine as old (or young...) as you are directly from the barrel. (www.seppeltsfield.com.au)
Enjoy the bucolic charms of the Barossa Valley an hour away from Adelaide—where vineyards abound in a fecund landscape that will give Tuscany a serious complex. The Barossa truly is akin to an adult’s wine wonderland with world class wineries and cellar doors like Jacob’s Creek, Penfolds and Seppeltsfield Wines. The Barossa thrives on a living heritage, food markets, quality wines, old preserved buildings, and a wealth of culinary pleasures. A great experience to have here is the ‘Taste Your Birth Year Tour’ at Seppeltsfield Wines where you will join one of the wine educators in the renowned Centennial Cellar and sip on a wine as old (or young...) as you are directly from the barrel. (www.seppeltsfield.com.au)
FACT
FILE
Getting
there
Although there are no direct flights from Mumbai to Adelaide, the best way to get there is via Singapore on Singapore Airlines. Travelling within the city of Adelaide and to the neighbouring areas of The Barossa and McLaren Vale is easy, given its small size, and most places are under an hour away from each other. Adelaide’s super-efficient buses, taxis, hired cars, eco caddy cabs and trams make travelling a treat! Indian passport holders need a visa to enter Australia, which is easy to procure with the introduction of the very efficient e-visa facility.
Although there are no direct flights from Mumbai to Adelaide, the best way to get there is via Singapore on Singapore Airlines. Travelling within the city of Adelaide and to the neighbouring areas of The Barossa and McLaren Vale is easy, given its small size, and most places are under an hour away from each other. Adelaide’s super-efficient buses, taxis, hired cars, eco caddy cabs and trams make travelling a treat! Indian passport holders need a visa to enter Australia, which is easy to procure with the introduction of the very efficient e-visa facility.
When
to visit
With South Australia enjoying pleasant climate during the autumn and spring seasons, the best months to travel are from March to May and from September to early November. Summers from December to February can get a bit hot.
With South Australia enjoying pleasant climate during the autumn and spring seasons, the best months to travel are from March to May and from September to early November. Summers from December to February can get a bit hot.
Accommodation
Adelaide has an excellent selection of hotels to choose from to suit all budgets and tastes. Some of the best options are:
* Hilton Adelaide
* Pullman Adelaide
* Intercontinental Adelaide
Adelaide has an excellent selection of hotels to choose from to suit all budgets and tastes. Some of the best options are:
* Hilton Adelaide
* Pullman Adelaide
* Intercontinental Adelaide
(An edited version of this article appeared in the 30th March 2018 issue of the Afternoon Despatch & Courier newspaper, India on page 16 http://www.afternoondc.in/48-hrs/simply-truly-south-australia/article_219514)
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Notes from Adelaide
By Raul Dias
If the city of Adelaide, perched on the banks of South Australia’s River Torrens were to be a person, then it would most surely be accused of having a split personality disorder! How else does one come to grips with its colonial architecture—all red brick walls and iron trellis-clad verandas—melding almost seamlessly with startlingly modern glass and steel buildings and public spaces.
A perfect example of this unlikely coupling of old and new is reflected in the hallowed Adelaide Oval. This multi-utility sports stadium, that sees everything from Australian Rules football to soccer and yes, of course—cricket played in it, is testament to how comfortable Adelaide is with keeping up with the times yet clinging on precariously to its heritage.
All About The Numbers
Established in 1871, the historic Oval underwent a massive overhaul in 2014, retaining very little of its past in the form of the original redbrick, arched western wall and a few other minor heritage details. In keeping with its snazzy new image, a few years later in 2016, it threw open its doors …. or perhaps I should say its roof, to adrenaline junkies to climb all over, much in the same fashion as Sydney’s Harbour Bridge did a decade or so ago.
50,083 is the overall seating capacity of the stadium now. 535 million is the cost in Australian dollars of the mammoth 2014 overhaul of the Oval. But that’s not inclusive of the 40 million dollars it took to construct the pedestrian bridge fording the River Torrens, linking the Adelaide railway station precinct with the Adelaide Oval precinct.
Speaking of which, one of the most beautiful parts of the stadium complex has got to be the Edwardian style scoreboard with its scorecards that need to be manually changed to this very day. First used in 1911, the wooden scoreboard is listed on the City of Adelaide Heritage Register, helping to maintain the charm of the ground. There is even a bar located under the scoreboard, for nervous climbers to unwind at post climb.
Taking On An Icon
Now, to a non-cricket fan and an occasional sufferer of vertigo like myself, the prospect of indulging in a roof climb at the Oval was akin to getting my molars pulled out at the dentist, sans anaesthesia! But as the saying goes “when in Australia, do as the adventure sports loving Aussies do”. Egged on by my motely posse of pals, I signed the two-page indemnity sheet and put my life in the hands of Katie our guide and roof climb instructor for the day.
Believe me when I say that the pre-climb briefing and donning the safety harness were infinitely scarier than the actual roof climb itself. The guided climb runs for about two hours and covers a distance of 1.2 kilometres in total, climbing up and down ladders and multiple flights of stairs, walking on open metal grate walkways and a stepped bridge.
Kitted out to the hilt as though preparing for a trip to outer space, wearing a special shell suit, an audio system with an over-ear piece, and with various cords, buckles and hooks preventing us from plummeting to the soft (?) Astro Turf below, we trudged along a gangway to the very apex of the roof. Although fastened at all times to the moving guide rail, the sheer 50 metres drop took a wee bit of getting used to, especially at the peak of the climb on the Riverbank stand.
Say Cheese!
Curving outwards, the overhanging lip of the roof at this stand is the spot for all those cheesy, arms wide open photo ops as you lean back and hope to God your harness does what you’ve prayed its meant to do. Biting the bait of pure, undiluted adrenaline, I did just that, ending it all with a perfunctory keepsake picture snapped by a friend.
And while I’ve obviously lived to tell the tale, I don’t think an encore is something that I’d necessarily consider in the near future. Now, did I hear someone say bungee?
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 25th March 2018 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 7 http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/travel/adelaide-an-unlikely-coupling-of-old-and-new/article23334249.ece)
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