Camping at Bellwether Winery, Coonawarra

Finally a trip away in our caravan.   Great excitement.   Although Piper thought otherwise in the days leading up to our departure.   She would not eat her dinner, despite it being her favourite cooked food.    She knew we were packing to go somewhere, and in her mind that somewhere was going to be without her.   But she was wrong, and a very happy dog jumped into the back of the car.    

It took ages to pack the van, who knows why, as it was only a small van.   All the heavy stuff went into the boot of the car.  We finally set forth mid morning, direction the Coonawarra wine district, in the south east of Australia.   Limestone country.

The day was sunny and very warm, and temperatures appeared to be rising so we packed plenty of summer clothes, and minimal cold weather clothes.   A big mistake there.   Apparently one should always have a thick jacket, hat and gloves to hand, regardless of the time of year, when travelling in the south east.  And sturdy shoes if camping.   I wore lightweight Skechers.   Wet feet for five days!   It was all a learning experience.

We had a lovely trip through the hills, via Strathalbyn.   Gorgeous countryside.   The van travelled well, very lightweight and well balanced.   So easy to tow.

First stop was the Wellington ferry, which carries vehicles across the Murray river.   This 24 hour ferry is free.  

A very fast flowing Murray river, and wide at this point.

We stopped at Tailem Bend, on the Dukes Highway which was the main road between Adelaide and Melbourne.    Lunch and coffee at the services, and not too bad either.   Little did we know that this was the last of the hot weather for us.   Walter and Piper looking happy in the sunshine.

We turned off at Keith, quite an historic little town apparently.   I know that last time we were there we visited the only cafe that was open, and sat outside and no one walked passed us.

We drove along the Riddoch Highway, again through picturesque countryside.   The land is so green at the moment.   According to a traveller we met, in his huge off roader, the south is currently the only green part of Australia.   He was from Brisbane and loved the cold weather and green surroundings.    At that stage we could not appreciate it as we wanted sunshine and warmth.

We passed through farmland before arriving at the different wine regions, namely Padthaway, Wrattonbully (Naracoorte) and Coonawarra.   All part of the Limestone Coast, which was once a popular area for the local indigenous peoples, and then settled by European settlers in the  1840s.   The area was under the sea off and on, up until 2 million years ago.   The deep limestone deposits created from the coral and other sea life, plus the moist climate, makes the area very fertile.   Great farmland but also ideal for grape growing.

We arrived at Bellwether Winery, which is a small boutique winery that blends grapes from different areas.   We went to a wine tasting session there, quite a different flavour wine but quite delicious all the same.   We bought a bottle of  Bellwether 2018 Wrattonbully Malbec.    The winery also has the name Glen Roy attached to it, due to it being situated in sheep shearing sheds called Glen Roy.

The winery and camping grounds were rustic!   We were taken aback when we first arrived, as it appeared to be lots of old wood, rusty bits and pieces and basic sites.   There were two sites with electric hook up, and three sites without electricity.   We had one of those, and relied on the solar panels on our caravan for light at night, which worked very well.   We paid $30 per night for our site, which was pretty reasonable considering it also included Emma, Steve and Isabel in their tents.

Our caravan, in the middle of nowhere!   The toilet tent was put between the caravan and the car, and this arrangement worked well.   No snakes made their home in the tent, to surprise us on our nightly visits, thank goodness.

There were quite a few bell tents on site for glamping.   They cost $200 per night which we thought was a lot of money just to sleep in a normal bed, in a tent.   People still had to walk to the ablution block for showers and the toilets.   But they did get a free bottle of wine, plus enough food for breakfast.  Very pricey glamping all the same.

A view of the the camping site.

The outdoor camping kitchen was fantastic, and we washed our dishes here, plus cooked our breakfast each morning.   At least Emma and Steve cooked breakfast, which we appreciated very much.   Nothing like sitting outside eating bacon, eggs, tomatoes and baked beans.   Walter took the coffee machine over there so we were able to have our morning coffee also.   The floor was dirt so no worries about dropping food.   The people who run the winery also had hens, and vegetable and herb gardens, all available for anyone using the camping ground.    The lemons on the table were free to take also.    So very generous.

The ablutions block.   And quite luxurious.

A view of the campsite from the entrance.

There was heaps for children to do; namely a tree house and lots of wood around for building cubbies.    Plus a donkey and a few strange looking cattle.   Not to forget about the small flock of sheep wandering around the campsite and Mabel, the dog, who kept an eye on everyone.

Bellwether winery.   The wine was produced in the building behind this sign.    The tasting rooms were in the old shearing shed.  Renovated of course.

On the second night we had a campfire, thanks to Steve's craftmanship.   It was quite impressive.

We managed to keep reasonably warm, with the help of a few throws.  However coats would have been welcome as well.   The wine and beer tasted very good.

My pink jacket may have looked warm, but it was only a thinly padded jacket, bought in Primark.   More glamour than warmth, and certainly not appropriate for an outdoor campsite.    I should have brought my down jacket with me.

Once Piper stopped trying to eat the sheep poo, and trying to chase the sheep, she settled down.   We even let her off her lead on the final morning so that she could play with Mabel, the dog.   Piper did not like being tied up to the caravan, she slipped out of her harness twice, and chewed through her lead. 

Piper enjoyed the bonfire too.

Emma and Steve, looking happy.

Steve cooked the meat and the sausages over the fire, and they tasted pretty good.   Well done Steve.

We then toasted marshmellows.   Yummy.

Walter, Emma, Steve and Isabel visited the Naracoorte Caves, which were pretty impressive.   As dogs were not allowed in National Parks here, I took Piper into Naracoorte, and walked around the streets.   I also had to buy her a new lead so now she is quite colour co-ordinated in orange accessories, which match the orange spots on her body,

There was only one other incident, well not really an incident, but more of an embarrassment to the rest of the family.  It appears that in Australia, one does not wander around the campsite in pyjamas.   Unlike in Holland where I have seen people in pyjamas riding their bikes around the campsite.   So at 7.30 am I was seen washing the dishes (from the night before) in the camp kitchen, whilst wearing pyjamas, dressing gown, fleece, bed socks and white plastic shower shoes.    And due to the fact that there were no mirrors I did not realise that my hair was sticking out in all directions and I had toothpaste on one side of my mouth.  Quite a sight apparently.  No wonder the young trendies, who were cooking their breakfast, did not speak to me.

It was a lovely few days there, despite the cold, and we reluctantly packed up and Walter and I went to our next campsite in Naracoorte and Emma, Steve and Isabel drove home, via another small boutique winery, which had the most delicious wines apparently.