Today is our last day in Adelaide. We leave the Big 4 Motor Camp tomorrow morning and make our way towards the Eyre Peninsula. More on that later in the update.
We managed to achieve all our Adelaide tasks whilst here. The appropriate Australian authorities have signed the Carnet extension, and we have a well-stocked fridge, freezer, larder and wine cellar. We are topped up with diesel, water and LPG. Nothing has been left to chance for this next leg.
Some of the crowd at home in Whangamata for Beach Hop
You may have wondered (or you may not, of course) why we have not been updating the blog for a week or so. During our Adelaide stopover we decided to fly back home to visit family and to attend Whangamata’s annual Beach Hop event. We managed to catch up with all our New Zealand based children and grandchildren and spend a couple of nights with each of them. One of the things we are really missing on this journey is being near family. Thank goodness for Skype.
It is grandson #5’s birthday today – HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY CHRISTIAN XX.
Our Beach Hop weekend was a beaut. We had seven friends staying at home and heaps of people just popping in and out over the weekend just to catch up. To top the weekend off, the weather was perfect. Brilliant blue skies and warm. Rod was able to demonstrate his new bar-b-q skill of preparing and cooking ‘beer can’ chicken. On reflection, he may have been better served to commence the demonstration ‘before’ his third rum and coke, not after!!! However, it was all part of the weekend fun. To our friends – it was great to catch up and we love you all.
We flew back to Adelaide yesterday (Wednesday) and spent today picking up our fruit and veg
Rod preparing his ‘beer can’ chicken for the bar-b-q
supplies from the Central Market in Adelaide City. The market is a ‘foodies’ paradise – there is very little in the food line you cannot obtain. We bought crocodile tail fillets for dinner tonight – one and a half minutes each side we were told – what could possibly go wrong! If you are ever in Adelaide, go and have a poke around in the market – it’s a hive of activity and iconic Adelaide site.
Our plan for tomorrow was to drive to Wallaroo on the Yorke Peninsula and catch the ferry across to Lucky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula (a 2 hour sea crossing). However, when we called today to make a booking we were quoted A$469 for the motorhome, the jeep and ourselves for a one-way crossing. Yea right! Plan B – we will now drive to Port Augusta and then down into the Eyre Peninsula. It will work out better actually as we will not miss any of the Peninsula’s coastline or inland areas.
The Eyre Peninsula is apparently renowned as one of the finest fishing areas in Australia – where have we heard that before? Rod looks forward to catching anything bigger than 15cm!!
Dearne and Rod's Travel Blog 
It was wonderful to have you home for beach hop! Thanks for wonderful weekend and was great to see you both looking so young and relaxed. Keep enjoying!
Good to see you back this side of the pond. Sounds like the trip back home was a hoot. Enjoy the cruise up the middle. There’s a lot to see. Make sure you spend at least one night under ground at Coober Pedy – just to say you have. We hope to be out on the road as well sometime before Xmas. The planning is going well. #2
We call ours “beer butt” chicken. Sure is good. So nice and moist. Looks like you are having a great time. Keep it goin.