Days 37 and 38 (December 9-10)

When we were out on Rottnest Island at the beginning of our trip, one thing that struck us most was the relaxed, laid-back pace of island life. It mirrored the temperament of the quokkas – calm, cool, collected, not a care in the world. We came up with a saying to describe it – living the quokka life. That’s how we feel now that we’re in Adelaide and are taking a break from pedaling for a few days. We’re relaxing and taking in the sights and sounds of Adelaide. We’re living the quokka life.

Quokka. What more is there to say?

Yesterday (December 9) was our first full rest day in Adelaide. We got up at a leisurely time for us (7:00 am), found a nice little neighborhood cafe for breakfast, went back to the caravan park and lounged around in the peace and quiet (well, except for the jackhammer operating 15 feet away from our tents), and spent the remainder of the morning running a few errands (Scott had to get a bike lock and a nice-looking shirt to wear on the train; Mattie went to the Botanical Garden). In the afternoon we biked 14 kilometers west to Henley Beach to take in the sights of the Southern Ocean. Then it was back to the caravan park for more lounging around for the rest of the evening.

Life in a caravan park – peace and quiet – and a jackhammer!

Today (December 10) we checked out of the Adelaide Caravan Park and headed downtown to check in to the Hotel Grand Chancellor. We’re staying here tonight in preparation for getting on The Ghan (the train to Darwin) tomorrow. This afternoon we took a stroll through the Rundle Mall, which is a several block area in the heart of downtown Adelaide that has been converted to a pedestrian only area – no vehicles allowed. It’s an area packed with people, shops, and activity of all kinds. Interesting place.

We will board the train tomorrow at Noon, and will be without an Internet connection until we get to Darwin on December 13. Look for more updates then!

The really cool song of a little Aussie bird

Posted by Scott