An Aussie Cricket Match

An evening watching cricket at the Adelaide Oval.   An impressive structure these days, after it was revamped and extended three years ago. 

The cricket game.   The Big Bash Semi Final, Adelaide Strikers versus Sydney Thunder.   

The Big Bash cricket competition is run during the summer months, with each match lasting only a few hours, with twenty overs for each team.

Now these cricket matches have more in common with football and baseball games rather than the sedate, polite clapping, and watch the paint dry, cricket matches.  The announcers, cheer squads, fireworks and loud music keep the spectators whipped up.    Everyone cheers and yells when the home team hits the ball, runs or bowls well.  There is a hushed silence when the opposition does the same.  No sportsmanship encouraged from the spectators in these games.   At least there was no booing.

We were there early, just as the stands were slowly filling up.    A very hot and humid day, with the temperature in the mid thirties.  We were soaked in perspiration before we even arrived having walked from the central market, mostly in the sun.  The temperature did not drop during the evening, but looking around at other people, we appeared to be the only ones covered in perspiration.  Getting soft, I think.

The preliminary game, a women's match, was also a semi final.  I think it was a Perth team against a Sydney team.

The stands eventually filled up by 7 pm.  Tickets were sold out the previous day.  A full house.

The posters, in the strickers' colour blue, the number 6 on one side and the number 4 on the other side.  All ready for holding up when the ball hit the boundary line or went into the crowd.  Unfortunately for the spectators it was the Sydney Thunder that achieved this regularly rather than the Adelaide Strikers.

The dark clouds kept building up all afternoon and evening.  A dramatic thunderstorm was predicted, but luckily it held off until well after the game.

But we all enjoyed a brilliant sunset.

As the evening progressed it was apparent that the Strikers were not going to win, and towards the end the announcers, the cheer squads and the loud music could not drum up any encouragement from the supporters.

The evening ended in silence and we all quickly made our way out of the stadium.  An atmosphere of disappointment hung heavily in the air, together with the threat of a massive thunderstorm.

Amazingly, we both enjoyed the experience.

Adelaide Beach Walks

A few blogs to recap on our trip to Adelaide.  The first one - beach walks.  

Glenelg beach, on a very hot evening just before the sun set.

A golden globe, as the sun set over the ocean.  A good sign that we would be in for another hot day.  And the next day was equally hot.

A beautiful old Victorian house on the seafront.

Another hot day.  And a late walk along the cliff tops at Aldinga Beach.  Darren, Jay and Jespa having some fun.

Another silhouette photo.

A very red sky depicting an extremely hot day to follow.

The photograph below, the top of tankstand, showing up against the bright blue evening sky.  Why would I be taking a photograph of the top of a tankstand? Well there was a huge huntsman spider on it.  Even if one enlarged the picture it was difficult to see, but I can assure people it was definitely there.

A walk along a deserted beach at Aldinga, on a decidedly chilly and windy morning.  Quite different from the previous day when the temperature had been in the high 30s.

The wind was whipping up along the beach.  It was quite beautiful to look at but stung our faces somewhat.

I will certainly miss the beaches, which are some of the best suburban ones I have seen.

Henley Beach - a revamped square

We met up with friends for coffee at a cafe in Henley Beach, and spent a lovely hour and a half catching up on news and events.  Such a special time.

Perfect weather, with no clouds in the sky, and not too hot.  Great for showing off the newly renovated square.    

And the wavy wooden seating stretching towards the jetty.  All very smart.

The new surf life saving clubrooms, looking very bright and colourful, but the restaurant was not open to the general public.   They are certainly missing out on gaining some much needed funds, during the school holidays.

The beautiful white sands stretching to the south and the north.  Plenty of room for everyone.

Our old house, recently sold for an exhorbitant amount of money, was looking a little tatty, and in need of a coat of paint.  We wonder what the new owners have in mind, hopefully there are no plans to replace the beautiful Victorian house with a modern apartment block.

Henley Beach, a special place for all our family.

Afternoon tea at the Stamford Plaza, Adelaide

Ladies day out, afternoon tea at the Stamford Plaza Hotel.  Margaret, Andreena, Donna and me.  A special treat.  Not often are we all together in one city.

Donna standing in front of the hotel, all ready to begin our afternoon tea.

The foursome, feeling relaxed and ready to begin eating the array of food on the cake rack.   We started with a glass of sparkling wine, which was delicious and very refreshing.  This was followed by three savories, then two scones with jam and cream, and finally three small cakes.  A perfect amount of food.

We were the only people in the bar, a large space just for ourselves, beautifully airconditioned too.

Margaret and Andreena looking very relaxed.

We had a lovely afternoon, eating and chatting.  A very special time.

And reasonably priced too, only $29 per person.  About £14.50.  And no tipping either.

Show Homes

A visit to see showhomes in a new housing development in Gawler.   A trip to Australia/New Zealand is never complete without a few visits to see the latest show homes in all their splendour.   Quite flashy and displayed perfectly, with minimalist type furniture and landscaped gardens.   No clutter in these houses, which will look decidedly smaller once filled with all the clutter that makes up a normal home.   

There is also the realisation that comes when one agrees to have one of the houses built on their own piece of land.  The price includes the basic home only.  All the lovely extras such as air conditioning, special windows, iron lace, door handles and taps, come at an extra cost.    This is not immediate apparent when visiting the show homes. 

The Australian 'nature strip', the strip of ground outside each house.  It was once grass that was carefully watered and mowed by the occupants of each house before the cost of water in South Australia became astronomically high.    Now only the rich can afford to have grass at the front, everyone else has dirt.  

Apparently the expression 'nature strip' may have another meaning in the UK, so beware all Aussies,  put this expression in the basket with thongs and pants, when visiting the UK.   Best used with caution.  

I can imagine once the houses have been sold, no one will keep the grass watered here.   Even now the grass is starting to look a little brown.

A beautifully landscaped park in the centre of the housing development.

Kangaroo paws.  I am not sure of the botanical name, but these plants were grown profusely in the new development.

The perfect interior of one of the houses.

Margaret, Andreena and me, sitting comfortably on a lounge.

The movie theatre in a very large house.  Comfortable seating in order to watch favourite movies.

On a slightly different theme.   I have another new smart watch as the Target smart watch had trouble connecting via Bluetooth to my mobile phone.  Between Christmas and New Year we had heaps of laughs, as my smart watch issued whistles and beeps in its endeavour to connect to my phone.

But in the long run, the Target watch would have resulted in much frustration, so we returned it, and I got a good deal on a new Samsung Gear smart watch.  

This watch is considerably more expensive, and very serious.  It works perfectly and the message alerts are discreet.  All I feel is a slight vibration on my wrist.

Most of all I miss the 'Hello, this is 99', as I talked into my watch, whenever my mobile rang.  It was great fun, for a while anyway.

New Years Day - Birthday Time

As I write this blog more than a week after the photographs were taken, it feels like a lifetime away.   Time goes by so fast.   Too fast.  

New Years Eve in Glenelg, with hundreds of people walking on jetty road towards the sea, in order to view either the 9.30 pm or 12.00 fireworks.    Very busy.

Glenelg beach, like other Adelaide city beaches and public places, is a dry zone.   No alcohol allowed, except in bars and restaurants.   This law came in after we left in 1991, due no doubt, to some drunken people spoiling it for other people.

Anyway the midnight count down was all a bit of a non event really.   There was a good band, but the small display of fireworks lasted only 10 minutes, with very little show of celebration from anyone watching on the beach front.   A damp squib, to be sure.

But on another level, celebrations on New Years Day were in full force in Gawler.   Margaret's birthday.

Andreena and John, standing in the shady courtyard of their house.

Margaret looking very happy with her birthday cake.   A delicious pavlova, beautifully decorated by Gordon.

Poppy relaxing on the grass.

Patrick and Scott also relaxing, in chairs on the grass.

Donna and Margaret, enjoying pre dinner drinks and nibbles.

Another line up.   Patrick, John and Scott.    I think we must have spent all our time drinking wine or beer and eating scrumptious food.  As one does for birthday celebrations.   The garden was beautifully back lit, with a sparkling fountain,  and the evening warm with a starlit sky.  A perfect setting for a relaxing birthday.

Walter, Donna and Gordon,

The glittery eyes of the stone cat, looking at us in the gloom.

And a beautiful sunset to add to the birthday atmosphere.  The house is set high up in the hills above Gawler, with a magnificant view over the Adelaide plains.

A truly lovely birthday celebration.   A celebration made even more special because, as sisters, this is the first time we have celebrated Margaret's birthday together for about thirty years.

At the beach

The beaches in South Australia are stunning, as are the beaches around the rest of Australia.  However South Australia is very fortunate as there are two gulfs making the beaches within them very safe, and Adelaide has managed through various creek and river management systems to keep its beaches very clean. 

A visit to Sue's holiday house in Hayborough, on the south coast, and a walk along the coastal path.   

The sea here is very rough with treacherous undertows.   Great for surfing but not for the average swimmer.   The people below are swimming in the narrow area allocated for safe swimming by the surf life saving club.

 The old train, pulled by a steam engine, that travels between Goolwa and Victor Harbour.   During the summer, when there is a high fire danger, the carriages are pulled by a diesel engine.

Further around the peninsula, and heading towards Adelaide, is Second Valley, amongst the rocky volcanic cliffs.  A beautiful area.

On a day between Christmas and New Year, the small beach was packed with people, canoes and sun shades.

Not quite the same as a packed mediterranean beach in high summer, where one has to fight for a spot of sand to sit on, but very busy all the same.

Walter sitting happily in the shade.

Our patch, against the wall, with gazebo and tarpaulin for shade, and eskys to keep the beer and food cold.

The narrow walk around the cliffs, to the deep inlet was precarious to say the least.  I clung to the cliff face as I walked along, and managed it, with the help of Darren and the other walkers, all wearing flip flops on their feet, I might add.

I walked on a path, narrow as it was, unlike Dave, who tried out his rock climbing skills.  At the point I took the photograph he looked down, and realised that if he walked along any further he would have rocks under him rather than water, so he then jumped into the water.  This photo does not show just how high up the cliff he had climbed.

There were those that travelled around to the inlet by canoe, much easier.

The rocky inlet, with very deep water, which leads into a cave, not seen from my viewing point on the opposite side from the divers.  I did not have the confidence, or the agility, to climb down to the ledge below.

Looking down at the ledge where most people dived off. There was a point for diving above this ledge,  but that was purely for the very experienced or the very foolish.  Belly flops not recommended.  Ouch!

Jay and Jespa, with their friends, plucking up the courage to jump into the water.

Jay

Jespa.

There will be more photographs of beaches, no doubt, a country of stunning beaches.