AUSTRALIA – DAY 7 – Port Fairy to Adelaide (Last Day of Great Ocean Road Trip)
May 6, 2021 | 0 comments
THURSDAY 3/25/2010 – PORT FAIRY >> ADELAIDE
Today we started the final leg of our roadtrip to Adelaide.
Our Central Motel bill included a 10% surcharge for using a plastic card plus $2 per “tale” (towel). After telling us “Yanks” “are causing all sorts of trouble in the world, the hotel owner suggested we read the “piper” (paper) while we have BREKKY at Rebecca’s.
My BREKKY consisted of French toast, steak and bacon morning loaf; there was no charge for milk. Lexie had bacon and eggs on toast plus a chocolate éclair. Marcia had chicken on focaccia.
On the trip to Adelaide, we stopped at Mt. Gambier and viewed the Cave Garden sinkhole in the middle of town. The roses were beautiful. We were able to walk down into the sinkhole and get a view into the cave.
The Cave Garden sinkhole was the original source of water for the early Mount Gambier residents. In the winter, storm water runs-off makes its way to the sinkhole and forms a waterfall. It eventually enters the underground cave system and feeds into the Blue Lake.
After a quick walk around town, we drove south to see the amazing Blue Lake.
Blue Lake is situated in one of three extinct volcanic craters. Its crystal clear water has passed slowly and been filtered underground through the limestone below the city. It changes from steel blue in March to brilliant turquoise blue in November. It is 80 meters deep and 500 meters across. It is the current source of water for the city. No swimming or diving is permitted.
Ten years later, I’m looking at a map and some literature. I wish we would have stopped east of Mount Gambier to see the Umpherston Sinkhole and climbed the Centenary Tower in town to get spectacular views of the three crater lakes.
I don’t have many notes from this day. We evidently drove thru salt flats and crossed or drove next to the Coorong, a salt river.
It was a long day of driving. We eventually reached Adelaide, ending our tour of the BOOMERANG COAST. Marcia drove the final stretch. While looking for Rundle Street, we discovered that Marcia is definitely a better navigator than Kim.
Adelaide is the capital of South Australia, which was the only state to avoid importation of English convicts. With a wide range of funky festivals, Adelaide has a full events calendar. 60% of Australian wine is produced within 3 hours of Adelaide.
I feel like we missed the 5:00 drop-off time for the rental car, but I don’t remember for sure. I assume we probably walked from the rental car drop off on Morphett Street to the Hotel Grand Chancellor on Currie Street, but I don’t recall that for sure either. We did get to the hotel, though. I know that for sure. We checked in and then went to KMarket and bought breakfast and snacks for tomorrow. I have some notes about a windstorm in the hotel bathroom.
Click here to refer to GLOSSARY for words in blue.
Click here to read Australia – Day 8.
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