Monday 2 November - First Day (Marie & Ted)
By some miracle we were ready when our wonderful neighbours, Chris & Jean arrived to take us to the airport. Ted caused some excitement when security searched his hand luggage for Tweezers which they let him keep. In the departure lounge we sat at the new tables & chairs and chatted with Joan.
The Virgin blue plane left & arrived at the lovely new Adelaide airport on time. Rob & Denise met us all as Joan was being hosted by his cousin Jill who was waiting down stairs.
On the short drive to our hosts' house in Parkside we couldn't help notice how clean the roadsides & open spaces were. Clearly the no plastic bags & payment for recycled items is paying off.
Parkside is close to the city & most of the houses were built over 100 year ago on small blocks. Rob & Denise showed us through their lovely home & cottage garden. The front section of the house is 125 years old with high ceilings & beautiful wooden floors .They consulted a heritage architect to help plan the addition to the back which they built on over a 6 months period with help of a builder brother .They warned us of squeaking floor boards outside & in our bedroom. It was rather like the Japanese nightingale floors when we ventured to the toilet in the night.
Another surprise was the second bedroom which housed Rob's model trains. Photos of trains from all over the world that he had taken were on the wall.
We freshened up & drove to Robin & Bobbie's home for the welcome dinner. Soon there was much noise as people moved around the house getting to know each other. We were warned of a little unexpected step as you go out to the patio & yes, there were a few near accidents during the night. Marie took quite a few photos of their small but beautiful garden.
Dinner was a taste of South Australian specialities - Floating pie (a meat pie floating in a thick pea soup) (Editor's Note: “Pie Floater”), Bee hive & German Chocolate cake as well as Farmer's Union iced coffee. Everyone appreciated all the efforts of all concerned.
Photos of hosts & ambassador were taken but our welcome performance was postponed to the Melbourne Cup day where there was more space.
The weather had become quite cold as we left but we did take a small detour to see the sea before returning to Parkside where we drank wonderful coffee made by Rob & other liquid refreshments as we talked .All of us had been in education & found we had had many similar experiences. In no time at all it was 11.30 pm so off to bed.
Tuesday 3 November - Melbourne Cup luncheon (Nev & Judy)
After a very warm day yesterday on day one, today was decidedly cooler.
Our hosts Iain and Sue had us up at the Belair Hall for the Melbourne Cup luncheon nice and early as Iain was in charge of setting up the equipment for the TV coverage of the race.
The 2 ED's Barry and Kevin were already hard at work when we arrived, setting up the tables and chairs, and decorating the hall. I thought being ED would be enough work but the two of them worked very hard all day setting up and then later packing up. Congratulations must go to both of them, and the other helpers for a great day.
If you thought Barry seemed a bit vague after Melbourne Cup day, it was probably caused when he hit his head twice while putting the chairs away. Most people would have been satisfied doing it once but Barry did it twice, and then he cut his arm, twice while tying the loaded trailer down. Maybe you should delegate next time Barry!!
While our comedy skits and singing were being performed, I was taking notice of the audience and they all appeared to enjoy the show. Would you believe, some even suggested we take the show on the road?? (No, I thought not.) Anyway they did seem to enjoy the show.
Our club members did really well in the cup, with Annette & Henk, Viv & Gloria, Ted & Marie, Joan, Marcia and Judy & I all going home richer than we arrived.
Marie, also took out first place for the most sophisticated hat, well done Marie. ( I think Ted was responsible for the design!!) so well done Marie and Ted.
‘Hats & Bets’
 
Hats on display...
The ‘Melbourne Cup Day’ was a great success, the food provided by the Adelaide ladies was excellent, and I'm sure we all went away well fed (or should I say force fed?) and happy.
Thanks to the Adelaide Club for the well organized and entertaining day.
Wednesday 4 November (Gloria & Viv)
Today we had an early start, 45min drive for all to meet 9am sharp at the Monarto Zoo. It was a cool but pleasant day. We joined the Grassland Shuttle and the Africa Shuttle in two groups for most informative talks on the animals in both areas by our guides. It was great to see the animals in natural surrounds.
Isn't he (she?) cute?
We returned to the Visitor's centre and walked to the Chimpanzee exhibit. All four chimps will soon be relocated to their nearby purpose built enclosure. The zoo soon hopes to include four female chimps from the Adelaide Zoo. We also found most fascinating the Meerkats who looked at us inquisitively and the yellow-footed rock wallaby's grazing nearby.Eventually we all adjourned to the zoo's picnic area for our picnic lunch.
Post our visit to the zoo our hosts Robin and Bobbie drove us to Murray Bridge which was a further 20+ Km onward. We caught up with our Friendship Force friends Mayor Alan Arbon and wife Pam at 3.30pm. How lucky we were and how proud was Alan to give us a grand tour of the Rural City of Murray Bridge. Our highlight of the afternoon was a visit to his Council Chambers where he presented the four of us with framed Certificates of Welcome to Friendship Force Members to Murray Bridge.
 
Eventually we returned to their home to enjoy a wonderful dinner prepared by Pam and a wonderful evening together. It was a shame our evening had to end as we had almost a 1 hour journey to return home to Glenelg, Adelaide.
Thursday 5 November (Miri)
My delightful host Pat works full time and I was somewhat interested to see how it would work for me with day hosts nearly every day. Pat had obviously worked hard to ensure that my visit for the exchange to Adelaide was a full and happy one and it certainly was most enjoyable. I got to meet so many more of the Adelaide members by being day hosted and they all went out of their way to accommodate and entertain and look after me. It was also lovely that during the Exchange I caught up with so many Friends who I have met over the years at the conferences I have attended and on the last day at the farewell and Southern Districts BBQ picnic in the park, I caught up with more Friends from Murray Bridge, Mt Barker etc. All in all a very happy Exchange.
My day began when my host, Pat, dropped me at my day host Bev's home at 7.45am and introduced us and then left us to chat until we left for the city at 8.45am.
We parked at the Central Market and walked over to the Town Hall via the Post Office. The PO is another of Adelaides gracious buildings and was well worth a look at the architectual style by the same designer as for the Town Hall.
When everyone had arrived the tour guide at the Town Hall, John Mildrun, gave us a rundown on the buildings telling us that the foundation stone for the building was laid on 4th May 1863 by the then Governor Sir Dominic Daly and the opening ceremony took place on 20 June 1866. The site was purchased in 1840 for twelve shillings. Interestingly the cost of the land was half the price of a gentlemans ticket to the Town Hall Opening Ball in 1866. You could say the land was a good buy.
It was not until late in 1862, after Thomas English, a builder, was elected Mayor that the positive step to build the Town Hall was taken and on 30 December the citizens of Adelaide were summoned to a meeting to vote on a proposal to borrow the money needed to build the Town Hall. The resolution was “That it is desirable a Town Hall and Offices should be erected on the Corporation Acre, and for that purpose the Council be empowered to borrow a sum not exceeding 16,000 pounds.” It was quite controversial and amendments and then a poll were demanded which resulted in a majority of 307 votes.
A competition was held for the design which was won by Edmund Wright who had won an earlier competition and subsequently designed the Post Office, State Parliament building, and headquarters for the State Bank as well as many other public and private Adelaide buildings.
As the tour proceeded we were given some of the historical information about Adelaide including that the site for the city was chosen by Colonel William Light in 1836. Colonel Light was appointed Surveyor-General in London along with the Colonisation Commissioners in 1834 to establish the Province of Adelaide which was named after Queen Adelaide wife of King William 1V by Queen Victoria. Sadly William Light died of ‘consumption’, TB, when he was only 53. He is buried in Light Square. A statue of him was moved from Victoria Square to Montefiore Hill North Adelaide in 1938 where it now points, from the hill, out over Adelaide.
In 1840 the Corporation of Adelaide was founded and on the 31 October the first elections took place for four alderman and fifteen councillors. The first Mayor was James Hurtle Fisher and David Spence the first Town Clerk. However in 1843 the city was put into receivership by Governor Grey and managed by the Government until 1849 when is was then managed by the Commissioners until 1852. Since 1852 the Corporation of Adelaide has functioned continuously.
We were shown a number of rooms and halls within the building including the Auditorium which is 24m long 18.5m wide and amazingly 22 meters high with a wonderful organ. The original organ cost £2,106.16s.9d which equates to approx $4.213.69 which was a huge amount for 1877. This organ was kept going until 1989 when it was replaced by the current stunningly beautiful organ, with 5,000 brass pipes brought from Sussex, and which cost a total of $1.3million and was first played for a special Gala concert in 1990. Regrettably we didn't get to hear it played but it is played quite frequently and requires a very specialist organist.
Other rooms included the Colonel Light Room which is used for committee meetings, the Queen Adelaide room which is used for functions and the Council Chamber where there are numeroous portraits large and smaller of the Mayors and some Councillors and other notable people, and the Banquetting room which has been restored to its 1897 glory. There are various meeting rooms which can be hired as well and a hallway with all of the Mayors and a large number of the more recent Councillors including the first woman. Now the women in Council total about 40% of the total.
While we were in the Council Chamber the Deputy Mayor Stephen Yalewood spoke to us and presented our ED, Barry with a gift. He told us he had just come back the day before from a few days on the GC when he met with our Mayor and others at Council. The current Mayor Michael Harbeson had a prior engagement.
Because we were such an “interested” group our guide extended the time by over half an hour for the tour and we therefore saw and heard about the history of Adelaide more than the usual tour.
I must say the tour of the Town Hall was one of the highlights for me of the things we saw and did in Adelaide. I have a booklet titled Adelaide Town Hall Discover the History if anyone is interested to see it.
After the tour we walked over to the Central Market for lunch in the “old” food court which was very busy. The choice was Asian, Asian, Chinese, Chinese, etc - not a lot of variety.
After lunch my host, Bev, was anxious to get me to R M Williams which was about a 15 minute drive so I did not get to see the Market. I was dismayed to hear that the parking charge at the Market was nearly $16. We arrived at RMW and there was no-one else there for over an hour. I was not interested in RM Williams gear which was to my mind very expensive. I was very pleased to get back to my host, Pat's, home about 4.30pm. for a coffee and shower and put my feet up for an hour or so before we went to dinner hosting at about 6pm.
The evening at Arly and Lorna's home was just lovely. There were 17 of us and there was no trouble with space in their large screened outdoor area which was beautifully furnished. Lorna cooked BBQ chicken kebabs, gourmet sausages and homemade hamburger patties, (Lorna and Arly's son is a delicatessen owner and provided the meats) and the ladies had all prepared some interesting salads, followed by some luscious also home-made desserts and we took wine and drinks. It was a bountiful meal and a happy fun evening with lovely company. Thankfully it was not a very late night - we were home at Pat's by about 11pm. but of course we sat and chatted until after midnight!
Friday 6 November (diary not yet available).
Visit to historic Hahndorf - tour of artist Hans Heysen's house and studio - afternoon tea in the Mount Lofty Botanical Gardens.
Saturday 7 November - ‘Free’ day - home hosted dinners in the evening (Marcia)
A free day. Up as usual, usual routine then collected by daughter Anne to travel to the Barossa Valley. 1st call was to a winery (which sells other Barossa products) at Gnadenfrel (Marananga) - Not open. Onto Nuriootpa to shop for special German products at Linke's then Barossa Community Store. 3 Hits and only 1 miss. Giving wineries a miss this visit.
Onto Angaston to my favourite Bakery (Angaston was my birthplace) for lunch. Purchased Bienenstich & Deutsche Kuchen (streusel cake) to take to relatives. Across country to Kapunda and Eudunda to visit said relatives. Never have I seen so many hay bales between Gawler & Nuriootpa and across to Kapunda. They estimate it is the best season in over 100 years. Lovely to see the farmers have a win at last.
We returned to Adelaide by 5.30pm as Pat (my hostess) and I had a dinner engagement. Dinner with Janet & Noel, the other guests being Marie & Ted and their hosts Denise & Rob. Coincidentally we had met them at the Angaston Bakery at lunchtime. It was a pity that none of us had time to visit the Rose Show in Angaston (because of the dinner engagement).
Topics of conversation during dinner included life in Saudi Arabia (Janet had worked there, life in Kiribati (Denise had worked there) and life in Papua New Guinea - Pat, Noel and I had lived and worked there.
To sum up - a full but interesting day.
Sunday 8 November (diary not yet available).
Combined picnic with Salisbury, Mount Barker and Murray Bridge clubs
Monday 9 November (diary not yet available).
Time to say goodbye
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