Adelaide Tour Part 2

      Adelaide Tour

                               Adelaide Tour 
                                                                         
We all wake up feeling a bit dusty from last night but we are all pumped for the wine tasting tour in Mclaren Vale. This day is bound to be very entertaining...

I get an early call from Kerrbox laughing his head off, he has 2 bottles of champagne ready before the drive to the wine region, it's his version of a champagne breakfast except with no food involved! 

Stace, Deano & I wait for the pick up which takes an hour. The Bus turns up, Box is on fire & it's only 10.30am already having a head start on the wine. Bert & Ernie are sitting together in back seat not really knowing what the day will bring.

Bert & Ernie

It's a 20min drive to McLaren Vale, Box insists we still need a pit stop for more champagne! Box buys a 6 pack of fresh champagne flutes to help us with two bottles of Yellowglen, so now it's champers all round! By this stage Box is showing us his fine dancing skills and decides to go into a dance on the bus, he's cracking everyone up.

We pull into the first winery. Boys are pumped ready to go!!

After some wine tasting Box buys 6 bottles and we are on our way to the next one which funny enough it is called Maxwell. Maxi claims his grandfather owned it haha. More taste testing with the banta starting to get louder and Box getting funnier interacting with other groups.. Of women of course!


Wines so far have been nice but the one we're looking forward to is the Battle of Bosworth winery which is certified organic. 

By this stage we are all in full flight as we make our way to Woodstock winery for some lunch.

....This is where the fun begins!!

Box, keeping to his standards orders 2 bottles of champagne, 2 reds with 2 whites. Photos & videos are now rolling (which are kept in the volt haha). We all start ripping into each other but Erin doesn't seem to like it that Box is giving her heaps. Maxi's big ears start flapping must be from the red. Jesse starts looking more like Ernie with every glass of red. Box is like a pig in mud with his bottles of white. 

Box walks off & is found cuddling 2 dogs but without us knowing has called a cab which takes an hour to get to where we are. 

With Box now back at the table we do some early birthday speeches. Box gets up first then again with Bernice who has made a nice fruit cake for my birthday. Such a lovely lady & great to have met her. 

Bernice enjoying Kerrbox hospitality

 Like this at home

Then a taxi turns up for Box but he cant remember ordering it! haha we all lose it. Box is made to take the taxi all the way back to his hotel while we get back on bus heading to the organic winery, Battle Of Bosworth, Stace and i cant wait! Its our favorite wine!!

It has been a big day by all haha

After a long day we head home with plenty of wine, we decide to open a bottle and bask in the afternoons last light of sun. Stace, Deano & I decide to go for dinner & get lost. Stace is pretty drunk by this stage & decides to wave down a car hoping for a ride to a restaurant, she has success. The man who pulls over is skeptical at first but luckily he had his young daughter in the car who loves the show. Saved again!

We reach the main town where we get the tip off that the local Indian restaurant is the pick of the crop. We take the sound advice and to our surprise the meal was great! Stacey and I have a couple of super dry stubs which I think tipped Stace over the edge.

We all head to airport on Sunday for flight to Port Lincoln, we've all just come from a small sunday sess at Glenelg Surf Club so we are all pretty chearpy! It was a short but rough flight to Port Lincoln, nothing like a couple of Settlers stubbs  to settle the nerves though! We arrive in Pt. L to find our accom is bloody awesome! Full of Shark Diving memorabilia and to make it even more awesome..! Cira 1980 Swans jersey's
Off to bed we all go with full excitement, unknowingly what the day will hold for us tomorrow...

PORT LINCOLN

Kerrbox with an early interview

 SHARK CAGE DIVING


The day starts early at 6am, we are all pumped & ready to go. Maxi' s ears are starting to flap that's an indication we are all excited. 

                  

My Birthday Present

On board  & breakfast is served as we set sail for the 2.5 hr boat ride to Neptune Island. We all do interviews with Itchy for Bondi Rescue as the swell reaches 10ft with 35 knot winds. Stace was squealing like she was on a roller-coaster at a theme park as the boat went up and over the face of 10ft waves while the rest of the boat was vomiting. We were all pale faced but handled the journey with none of us getting sick but I must admit I felt a bit ordinary at times. 

We finally arrive to Neptune Island, its an eery sight as we know whats learking just below the surface. The island is full of seals! The first group suits up and the cage hits the water, bait is thrown out on the line along with blood and guts from dead fish! it is time. Just as nerves set in up comes the first great white shark around the 4m mark which looks very big to me. Within an hour 3 sharks are circling the boat, one is a massive 5m.

Its now time to put our wetsuits on & dive in. Kerrbox goes white he looks like a seal ready to be a sharks dinner. All of us are in cage just looking at each other waiting for the first shark to come but Maxi is so excited moves around the cage & he gets all our oxygen lines tangled. 

A happy Ziggy 5m long

Sharks are now here it is amazing how big they are up close bigger then the cage. Itchy is filming and getting some unbelievable footage. I tap Kerrbox to show him the monster of a shark thats heading directly for the cage, as soon as his eyes meet the shark he is flailing backwards trying to get as far from the shark as possible. We were all so shocked to see it so close that we nearly choked on our oxygen. 

Hopkins Island

After being in the water for an hour it's time to dry off. The  guys have arranged a surprise cake with the crew from Calypso. Everyone sings happy birthday! It's was a nice surprise. 

The arvo sun starts to set and we all enjoy a stub while taking in the amazing scenery. We pass lots of islands on the way, you won't believe it but one of the islands is named 'Hopkins' Island!! Brilliant!

We hop off the boat pumped! Full of stories. We've decided to cook up a BBQ tonight for my birthday. It was great to sit around with everyone and have a home cooked meal. Stacey whipped up an amazing salad and we all had snags and steaks. It was the perfect way to end such an amazing day, beers, BBQ, friends and a beautiful Port Lincoln sunset.
All and all... It was the perfect way to end such a memorable trip. This one is definitely one to remember.

Sea Lion Tour on Hopkins Island

It's home time for the boys but my trip continues with Stace with two more nights in the Barossa Valley wine region.




Make sure you check out my next blog on the Barossa!

Adelaide Tour

Adelaide Tour 2012

Part 1

Woke up excited to be heading to airport for flight to Adelaide & the start of a 10 day tour.

We gave ourselves plenty of time but typically of me (always late) found us rushing to make checkin. Stace and i wanted to sit together but the plane was full, Stace wanted to try and persuade the check in lady to change our seats... After some arguing we got no where and had to sit apart any way, the next obstacle.. with 2 mins till close of check in our bag was over weight! So again after some debating with the check in lady (she hates Stacey by this point) she made us transfer 2kgs of weight from the overweight bag into our carry on... Ahhh flying... So enjoyable!

Doesn't end there!! 

After the earlier coffee was desperate for a number 2 & you guessed it was pulling up pants & my name was being called over intercom that plane had boarded. 

Finally on plane & now delayed 20min so all the rushing for nothing!!
Any way all good, except being squashed in middle seat (due to being late) with two large people either side :(

Arrived in Adelaide to be greeted by Bernice, a die hard fan of 64 years old who was stoked to see us. She drove us around all day. Champion!!

A view from the Town House at Christies Beach where we are staying. It's nice! couldn't get any closer to the beach. 

Now Harries needs to train & it is 6.30pm talks us all into hitting the water.
He trains till dark but forgets we race tomorrow haha.

Up early for start of World Masters competition to a chilly morning & plenty of banta, (Typical Surf Carnival) head to beach for our races. Ski races are first, I get through 1st round ok & end up into Final but could only manage to finish mid field. 
Deano does well claiming 2nd place in surf swim, Harries goes in everything just missing out on the medals.

I have finished racing so Stace & I decide to borrow van & head to McLaren Vale wine region & decided on Kangarilla Road Winery where we taste tested some amazing wines. After a lot of deliberation we chose the Cab Sav which i end up buying a bottle of haha.

We are both now hungry & get the tip to try Vale Inn which the meal was just ok (turns out a dud tip) but the Vale Ale beer i would recommend : ) 

Nice scenery makes for a relaxing lunch. 

Tonight we headed in to Cardone's Seafood & Grill where we did a meet & greet with some fans. The best was when a young girl only 15 started crying over Maxi so cute. Bernice came along with us as (the token driver) and was stoked. 
Totally recommend Cardone"s Seafood in Glenelg. Thanks Nick great food & service.

Woke up ready to go as today is the World Masters team events. First up is Board relay we win heat then back it up with a 4th in the final. Next up was the race we came for Oceanman relay. I didn't have best of paddles but hung in, Harries pulled us up to 4th then Deano had & massive swim to take the lead. We are stoked winning World Title.
Next is ski relay where we finished 5th in the final. Good day of racing Deano & Harries win Gold in board relay, Deano unlucky getting 2nd in swim, Harries 3rd in 2km beach run. 

Box, Maxi & Jesse arrive to see our win. Good to share win's with good mates.
Racing all done with some good results so now time for some stubbo's.

We head to Glenelg Surf Club for beers & Glenelg surf club give us honorary membership. They give us round after round which gets the boys in right mood with Box ripping in with some good banter. Great bunch of people thanks for the hospitality.

Box now firing up already & with tomorrow being the Wine tour.

Stay tuned for part 2 it could be anything!!