Foodie Outings

The Jeep was still saturated on the passenger side floor but we couldn't leave it with the dealer all weekend to dry out so had them refit the sunroof linings but leave the lower panels off for us to reattach later. The problem was caused by leaves blocking the drain and not dust as we had feared. We were very happy with the service provided by that Jeep dealership, particularly as it cost less than $100.

Our first foodie outing was to Maggie Beer's Farm Shop where most of her products can be sampled before purchasing. The setting encourages visitors to buy picnic packs and enjoy the surroundings. There is a lovely lake with geese and ducks but it definitely was not a day for picnics as it poured all the time we were there. The dining area was warm and overlooks the lake so we were able to enjoy the view.

For dinner we drove to the next village called Tanunda and had a fabulous meal at FermentAsian. The chef owner bases the dishes on her Vietnamese heritage and uses herbs and vegetables grown by her parents in a large garden which they established. We shared these delights:

Fresh betel leaves with sticky caramelised Barossa Hampshire pork and incendiary componen

Grilled SA prawns with pomelo salad

Grilled spiced Barossa Chicken with fresh coconut salad

Barossa Hampshire pork belly with ginger and orange sauce

Lime brulee

The weather was pretty wild most of the day and night. We stopped under cover at a service station to refuel the Jeep but just as I was filling up wind blasted hail at the back of my legs. The dogs' tent suffered a malfunction and had water on the floor in the morning. Fortunately they stayed dry and warm. As we have had the tent for at least 16 years I tossed it and we bought a new one which should deal with a combination of wind and rain much better. The windout awning on the van is also playing up and we may need to find a caravan repair shop to deal with that.

Fortunately the rain passed during Friday night and we were able to dry out gear as we packed. We had planned to have breakfast at a local market but it took so long to wind up the damaged awning we were toolate. We headed for McLaren Vale and that drive was not exactly uneventful. We were travelling on a four lane highway where the speed limit is 110kph but we were only doing 100kph. The Navman dashcam captured a 4WD towing a large caravan that turned right in front of us. We braked certain we were going to have a collision but the Jeep brakes did a great job and kept our rig steady and straight. The video shows we slowed to 48kph in less than 5 seconds and just missed the back of the other caravan. When I manage to edit the clip I will post it on the blog.

We set up at the McLaren Vale Lakeside Tourist Park which is within walking distance of the main road. After a drive around Port Noarlunga we had a lovely dinner at the Barn Bistro just up the road. We are enjoying dining out in these foodie areas before we return to the limited roadhouse options in the outback.