Winter Weekend in the Barossa Valley in July by Ken Dutch
Our annual weekend away in July is the club’s way of reminding us there is always somewhere colder than Adelaide! We are booked for two nights in the Barossa Motor Lodge at Tanunda and driving through the morning fog in the Adelaide Hills.
Visibility is about twenty metres and progress is a bit slower than usual but after fifteen minutes or so we leave the fog behind. We arrive at Tanunda about two o’clock and get settled in our room. When the other club members arrive they are invited to our room for afternoon drinks and nibbles, this takes us up to about six o’clock when we all head off to the Tanunda Hotel for dinner. After a very enjoyable dinner all of us head back to our room at the motel for drinks, a few laughs and watch the Crows lose,then to bed around 11.30. It’s Saturday morning, it’s cold but sunny and people start to head over to the dining room for the included breakfast.
After breakfast we go to the Farmer’s market in Angaston. There’s always something good to buy there and we all did our bit for the local economy. It was then back to Tanunda for a browse in the well known Wohlers home furnishing store. After coffee and a snack we return to the motel until we leave at about 2 o’clock to go to Anne & Mike Schmidt’s house in Tanunda for afternoon tea and drinks. Anne put on a marvellous spread, there was plenty of homemade muffins, cheeses, dips etc to satisfy everyone. We were joined here by Gary & Fay Brock & Barb Ridge. Anne & Mike have a very nice house just off the main road, of particular interest to the men was Mike’s garage. There are four bays with roller doors and it’s high enough for a hoist to be installed!
Back at the motel some of us changed for dinner and then saw Paul and Ruth’s room. Their room, we were surprised to see was twice as big as the other rooms, after many jokes and mention of ‘honeymoon suite’ it was thereafter known as the ‘Presidential Suite’. Barb had us booked in for dinner at The Vine Inn at Nuriootpa for 6.30. At The Vine Inn we were also joined by Clive Spreadbury, he came direct from competing in his Sprite at the Collingrove hillclimb. The food there is excellent, I can recommend it to anyone. Leaving
The Vine we headed back to the motel to relax and chat in the ‘Presidential Suite’ for the rest of the night. Sunday morning and it’s bright and sunny so after breakfast a group of us go to Angaston to have a poke around in the big antique/collectables shop in an old church on the main road. After our goodbyes Mary and I head for home.
I think everyone enjoyed the weekend, good food and drink and a lot of laughs. Our thanks on behalf of everyone who attended the weekend go to Barb for organising and to Mike & Anne for our afternoon tea. Those attending were: Paul & Ruth, David & Di, Peter & Roz, Don & Elaine, Gary & Fay, Clive, Barb and ourselves. Ken & Mary Dutch