A Backpacker’s Responsible Guide to Chocolate and Barossa Valley Wine on a Bike

21.August.2006 – 27.August.2006

Don’t wait or worry about tomorrow, just keep focused on what’s happening today.
Excerpt from Be A Dreamer

Lily Farm Road

Since our last entry, Nadine and I had spent a week in Cairns enjoying some much welcomed warm weather. We flew from Cairns to Adelaide.

With several days in Adelaide, we tramped across several photogenic spots and explored multiple “cultural” sites within city center. Two of our favorite spots were the Haigh’s Factory and the Sushi King, both related to culture gastronomically. Sushi King became a home away from hostel home by the fact we ate there three times over five days. “Why eat sushi before going to South East Asia?” The sushi here was exceptional and inexpensive. Plus, if you buy 3 rolls, you receive a free drink! Need I say more?

Our most anticipated “cultural” visit was the Haigh’s Chocolate Factory. The tattered Lonely Planet had a giant blue circle around this confectionary production site. We lined up with all the other female chocolate aficionados and listened intently as the guide talk about production of the coco bean while our minds wandered to the tasty free chocolate at the end. We savored each bite as if we were professional chocolate experts. “Yes Nadine, the cocoa content is of a much higher quality than that Hershey’s bar we tried yesterday at 7-11.” To further our research, we bought several Haigh’s bars and truffles. Seated outside, we carefully tasting each one. Our final decision, they were ALL great.

Interestingly enough, Haigh’s chocolate is not sold abroad, nor do they use no advertising, no celebrity endorsers like myself, just word of mouth over blog entries like this. Thus, we sent a small box of pure delight to both of our parents.

Oh Yeah, That is Haigh’s Chocolate

Another gastronomical activity north of Adelaide was a visit to the Barossa Valley vineyards, the Napa Valley of Australia. Fortunately, our bus driver informed us that the wine and gourmet food festival, creatively called Gourmet, coincided with our visit. Auspiciously, he also advised us that the little hostel we wanted had been full since 5 days ago. He suggested the Caravan Park in Tununda. Fortunately, we secured the very last short trailer in the park, high standard of living for any New Mexico resident.

Once lodging had taken care of itself, we began our walk towards Para Road, home to four wineries within staggering distance. Imagine us two backpackers sauntering into the first winery in a t-shirt and zip-off pants and deliberating, “can we really just saunter in and engage in a little free wine tasting?”

Grapes Waited to be Tasted

As we saddled up to the bar, I casually glanced at the list of wines, and calmly asked to try their finest Shiraz wine. And just like that, the girl handed me a glass with wine, all at no charge. Immediately, we quickly felt it was important to continue our research with a few more white, rose, and red wines. “You are right Sarah, you could truly note the hints of oak, vanilla, or fruity flavor in this wine. May I have another please.” Located at the end of the bar was a large spittoon, to dispose of all that delicious wine. Personally, the spittoon was only taking up space. At the end of Para Road after winery #4, we walked home to our caravan park with a cool stiff breeze in our aforementioned t-shirts. Despite the weather, we felt quite warm, and chattered and laughed all the way back to our miniature mobile home. This must be a common walk seen by the local residents, a jaunt recognized as the Para Road walk.

From time to time a traveller will have a stroke of genius on the road, and yes, we both had one. This brilliant idea was rent bikes and visit wineries up dirt roads and not quite as easily accessible. In the warm morning sunshine, bidding adieu to our short mobile home, we rented some trusty steeds, mountain bikes with semi-flat tires and ungreased chains. With a map in hand and an empty backpack in two, we set off to the distant wineries dotted on the map. The combination of our bikes less than robust condition, hills, and having had 4 winery tours under our belt the previous day, riding proved to be a bit more challenging than usual. But being the adventurous and thrifty travellers we are, we battled across paved and dirt roads alike, fields full of daunting sheep. Similar to Para Road, we avoided all spittoons. The journey lasted until the end of the afternoon with five wineries visited and four bottles of wholesome wine on my back. Our return mirrored our Para Road walk with lots of laughter, jokes, smiles, all while balanced on top of two semi-flat rubber wheels and commuting along the main intercity road. We reached town safely, boarded a bus, and headed back to Adelaide. The entire Barossa Valley wine tasting tour proved to be a great grape of a time . . . as best I can remember.

Let’s Bounce . . . To Kangaroo Island.

JW

Grapes Waited to be Tasted

Sweet as a Flower

Early Stages of the Tour de Barossa Valley

Vineyard

Oh Yeah, That is Haigh's Chocolate

A Par 3 Golf Break

How Do They Really Know?

Pushing a Crappy Bike up a Long, Treacherous Barossa Valley Road

Lily Farm Road

Aussie Rules Football