DAY 107 - ADELAIDE SA

ADELAIDE SA

DAY 107


I was taken on a tour today of LeFevre Peninsula, which includes the Port Adelaide area as well as the precincts of Semaphore, Outer Harbour and several others.

My host Hellina was born to Ukrainian post-war immigrants and grew up in this area so it was all something of a history lesson.

Most things have changed just a little in 60-odd years, not least the sand dunes on which everything has been gradually built upon.

Much of this strip of coastline is now prime real estate which makes it totally exposed to heavy alteration if not complete destruction.

Glenelg has been successfully converted into a mass high-rise resort and marina over barely a 20-year time frame and it would be fairly tragic for this pattern to migrate elsewhere.

What sadly seems inevitable is the removal of the many historic stone and timber beach bungalows that have stood firm for decades, making way for shinier multi-level concrete and glass that rent out to executive tenants for a summer bonanza.

This is exactly what has happened in northern Sydney on a large scale and as an observant traveller, I cannot see the long term future in a place like Adelaide for this mercenary style of over-development.

For now, Adelaide’s western coastline seems to be treading an interestingly fine line and enjoying the best of both in many ways.

My personal regard for South Australia on this expedition has been determined by the care and attention to heritage preservation of the places I have travelled through - this is the very reason it is valuable as a destination to either visit or to live in.

So to think about this being diminished or destroyed in some way is surely cultural suicide for a state that sells itself as something of an Aussie cultural icon…..

The iconic Semaphore Palais was pretty much the place to be for a sunny winter Sunday lunch hour.

A mixed platter of squid and chorizo sausage combined with antipasto and other thingy dips on the side to warm us out of the prevailing sou westerly discomfort.

We returned to base in Black Forest before backing up for an evening barbeque session at the house of Roscoe, a well-known acquaintance of my hosts and a just as well known collector of classic motorcycles.

I was fortunate enough to receive a guided tour of his dozen-strong quiver post-dinner.

9 or 10 Honda’s dominate along with a couple of mint BSA’s.

Some get ridden, some don’t.

That’s just the way it is, although I should consider it an even bigger privilege that I was allowed to fire up one of the Honda 1100’s.

I stopped short of asking to take it for a rip however.

A little too ambitious perhaps with a little too much wine under my skin….