Keeping occupied

In South Australia we cannot travel very far.   The Australian borders are closed, and we are a country in isolation, surrounded by oceans.  And within Australia it is difficult to travel to other states without having to quarantine when returning to South Australia so in effect our state borders are closed too.  We need a permit to travel to the Northern Territory, and we can travel to Queensland, but any rise in Covid-19 infections there will require quarantine when we return.   And Victoria is out completely.   For the near future if we travel there we cannot return to South Australia.

We have had very few cases of Covid-19 in South Australia, mostly from returning Australians in quarantine, and a small cluster a few weeks ago, which resulted in a traveller from Victoria spreading it to other people.   Even so people are expected to get tested if they display any cold symptoms.   We even have a testing station in Aldinga Beach, which caters for the southern suburbs, and there are always a few cars pulling into the testing station.

Thank goodness we only have to worry about colds at the moment.   The ordinary flu season has nearly finished with only a few people catching flu early in the season.   This is due to a large percentage of the people getting flu shots and adhering to social distancing.    So for those people living in the northern hemisphere who are worried about the forthcoming flu season approaching it may not happen.

Aldinga Beach and Port Willunga are areas that are buzzing at the weekends, and during the last school holidays, due to people coming here, as they cannot fly to Melbourne for the weekend and too risky booking to go other states for a short break.   The restaurants and cafes are loving it, I think.

We are leading a fairly quiet life, people wise, other than a few family gatherings, and going on my small group cycle rides on Mondays.   However we keep very busy and love getting out and about in the local areas.

I love walking on the beach, especially Port Willunga Beach, which is ever changing.   The photograph below was taken on a very stormy and windy day.   The blue sky was for a brief few minutes, the rain clouds were right behind me, coming from the south west.

The storms always change the beach.   Five days ago I was walking on sand here.   There were no rocks and a perfect hard sand beach for another 500 metres south.   

These rocks were covered in sand, as were the old stumps of the jetty.   I guess about a metre in height of sand has been washed out to sea and deposited elsewhere along the shore.   The sand will appear again, sometime in the future.    Nature is amazing.

Piper and Charlie wait anxiously for me to throw balls to them.   They are hilarious.   Each has their own ball, and Piper especially will not touch Charlie's ball.   Charlie likes to keep his ball in his mouth and chase half heartedly after Piper's ball.   Now and again he will drop his ball and grab Piper's ball.   She is never impressed by this.   When they get hot they dash into the waves and drop their balls in the water, and wait for me to retrieve them.   Piper once swam out to get a ball when she thought it was going out too far.   Unfortunately she has not repeated it.   We have lost a few balls which get taken out to sea, or lost in the turbulent waves.   No doubt they wash up somewhere along the coast, to be picked up by other dog walkers.   

I now have knee high rubber boots as I was sick of getting wet feet when wearing my trendy ankle rubber boots and trying to dodge the waves.   Still it is a lot of fun, and I enjoy the hour spent on the beach too.

 On the day below Lucy and Jay joined me, together with Poppy the dog.   The weather was perfect as well.
Poppy and Piper asleep in the sunshine, exhausted after their hour at the beach.

In the photograph below Piper is wearing her new muzzle, and not really impressed about it.  And to answer a question.  Piper has not taken to biting people when out walking. The muzzle is for our proposed trip to the northern Flinders, where dogs are allowed in the National Park by Arkaroola.   However, a really nasty bait is often put on the ground to poison the foxes.  I know people in the UK probably do not agree with baiting foxes, and I have mixed feelings about it too, but foxes are not native to Australia and do untold damage to the local wildlife.    As are rabbits.  So it will be muzzle time for Piper when visiting many outback areas.  

Ten days ago we had a girls' weekend at our house, although Emma slept at her own house as it was only 5 minutes away.   

On the Friday we had a mammoth shopping trip in Harbour Town, an outlet by the airport.   I spent a lot of money on clothes, including $150 on two pairs of jeans (buy one pair and get one pair half price).    As we did not go to the Netherlands this year I could not top up my jean collection at my favourite shop, Primark, where I pay on average about $12 for good stretch jeans.   Sadly I am wearing out my Primark jeans, at the knees.   I know it is fashionable for the young to wear jeans with holes in them, but I think at my age it will definitely look really naff.   

We went out for dinner at a local restaurant.

On the Saturday we set off to walk down the old Sellicks Road, built I believe around 1850.   Walter dropped us off at the top, in order to avoid walking uphill and then back down again.

It was a scenic walk, with interesting rock seams in the hills.   It appears to have once been a popular dumping area for old cars, and in the gully in the photograph below, there were about four rusting old cars.

We thought about stopping at the Victory Hotel for a drink or two, but decided against it, in favour of walking to Sellicks Beach, where we drank welcome coffees and ate chocolate bars.   Then we continued walking to the Aldinga Beach ramp, where Walter collected Andreena and me.   Emma and Donna still had plenty of walking power left, and walked back to our house, stopping only to buy a bottle of gin from the bottle shop.    We had a lovely evening drinking our favourite tipples, and playing card games.  Altogether a great weekend.

We both have electric bikes!   Finally we made a decision to change over to an easier way of cycling.   It has taken nearly three years to do so, and for me the change occurred when I had an exhausting morning trying to keep up with the Monday cyclists, when we rode from Willunga to Moana Beach.   

Mine is a second hand bike (photograph below) bought from one of the cyclists, and after buying a new battery and getting the bike serviced, I can ride anywhere.   This bike has one pedal support, which is fast and very powerful.  Hills and headwinds are no problem at all now.   Nor is distance.   It is also a very comfortable bike and perfect for a tall person.   Consequently I have explored the areas around Aldinga Beach, where the hills and gravel roads pose no problems at all.

Just one minor difficulty, the magpies are nesting at the moment, and some of them are ferocious.  I have often been swooped on, and they have pecked my helmet, but luckily not through the gaps, so no skin missing from my head. Their warning  calls are quite scary as well.   I think I will have to resort to stand up ties on my helmet.   Forget about pride.

Walter's bike, in the photograph below, only cost him $750 plus shipping, and surprisingly it is a really great bike to ride.   He has only been on short bike rides, but I am looking forward to taking him further, once the weather improves.   

A view from a road overlooking McLaren Vale.

The bike path which runs from Willunga to the coast and beyond.   It used to be the railway line from Willunga to Adelaide.    Always a lovely path to ride on and very scenic.   I do wish there was a cycle path running from Aldinga to Willunga as getting there requires a journey on a very busy road.   However now that I have an electric bike I have taken the back roads.

Almond blossom in McLaren Vale.   The area around Willunga was once an almond growing area,  but now the more lucrative vineyards have taken over.

The Soldiers Memorial in McLaren Vale.

Grape vines and more grape vines, as far as the eye can see.   After writing blogs about the Coonawarra, Riverland, Barossa and Clare Valley wine producing areas I forgot to mention that we live beside a very large grape growing area, McLaren Vale.    As well as producing excellent wines, it is also very picturesque.

A view once I had reached the top of a very steep hill, which caught me unawares and I had to get off the bike and push it up.   I forgot to change down a couple of the gears and the motor did not like me being in top gear.   I forgot to add that my bike has a throttle, which I have not used, as it is too powerful.

A fascinating scarecrow, trying to push his lawnmower.

My birthday seems to have occurred a long time ago, but I thought I would include a photograph of my present, which was a joint present from the family.   The bird baths are now in the back garden, and hopefully the birds enjoy using them this year.   Darren has given instructions that only he is allowed to touch the lime tree.   So far I have killed three lemon trees and four lime trees.   I always thought they were indestructible. Not so. 

The beautiful lemons hanging over the fence.   The tree belongs to our neighbours, but most of the lemons are on our side, the sunny side.   They don't use them so we are the lucky recipients.   

The lime tree in place in its new tub, which certainly looks better than the old half wine barrel.

I moved the old half wine barrel around to the back of the house, and I intend to plant a tree fern in it.   When I find one.

I also spent a great few days staying with Donna and family in Glenelg, while Walter spent the time in a private room in Flinders Private Hospital.    It turned out to be nothing serious, just a reaction to his three yearly colostomy check up.   A luxury hospital though with delicious food, but unfortunately he could not have any, for a couple of days.   He was impressed with his weight loss while there.

But Glenelg was lovely, and made more enjoyable as Donna was on holiday, so we spent time walking the dogs around the streets, and drinking coffee in the cafes.   It was also great spending time with the family.

But what amazed me was the number of cars, which freaked Piper quite a bit.   We had to do some serious dog training concerning traffic when we got home.

And now we are at the beginning of a trip to the northern Flinders Ranges,  We are currently in a place called Wilmington, which bears no resemblance to Wilmington in Kent, England.   And the wifi is brilliant too.   But more about the trip later.