A short spring get-away to the Barossa Valley in South Australia, travelling from Melbourne, across a recently flooded, but now verdant, western Victoria, to enjoy this beautiful wine producing region in the hills north east of Adelaide.

"The Barossa is blessed with fertile soils and a Mediterranean climate, with warm dry summers and mild wet winters. In spring, the vines are bursting with bright green buds and the fruit trees are in blossom." Guide

The area was settled in the late 19th and early 20th century by European immigrants, particularly German, and the lovely old stone homes and wineries and churches are reminiscent of the wine areas of Germany, as are so many names of places and people to this day. It was interesting to note the Australian colonial influence even in the german stone homes - always a wide verandah as shade from the savage Australian sun. We explored the areas and towns of Tanunda, Eden Valley, Mount Pleasant, Angaston and Bethany, delighting in the pretty houses, hills stitched with rows of vines into the distance and the wineries themselves, preferring small outlets at cellar doors where we could taste and buy wine not available at our city merchants.

Our loved Australian bush with tall and spreading gum trees, golden wattle and flowering bushes blended beautifully with European trees in spring leaf, Banksia roses spilling everywhere and delightful cottage gardens filled with roses, irises, lavender and many more...