Hilary's Adventures Down Under: Barossa Vintage Festival & Wineries

G'day,

So Saturday morning I woke up feeling like rubbish. I felt bad because Gabby and Tiarna had spent the night for Ellie and Tiarna's 'Movie and KFC Mash Potatoes Night'. I didn't get to say good-bye to them because I spent time in my room since I wasn't feeling well. I think my body knows it's getting time to go home and is getting anxious. I ended up getting up, showering and heading down to Helen's house to head to the Barossa Valley. The Barossa Valley is known worldwide for it's amazing vineyards.

We started off and got a tour (in the car) through North Adelaide, Elizabeth, Mawson Lakes and other suburbs. We arrived about an hour later in Lyndoch where we at a wonderful bakery. I got potato soup to-go since my stomache wasn't feeling so well. It was good and then we were off to Jacob's Creek. The wine tasting was good - I'm still not a fan of the reds so I didn't really touch those. The whites were good though. While everyone was tasting the reds I went and took some video footage and photos. We spent some time looking at the heritage of the place.

Then we were off to visit the Grant Burge Winery. This place was absolutely beautiful! I would have my wedding there, and I bet people do have their weddings there. They had this one room that the roof of it was vines with growing grapes. It was so amazing. I posted some photos of the place. There were roses everywhere too - even though I don't like roses I will say that they made the place just glow. They didn't smell that bad either. The wine there was really good! They have Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego wines there - and I tried them and they didn't taste well for me. I also learned that Dr. Fred Strickert was taken to this winery when he came to Adelaide last August. So we have something in common. I tried a Lilly Farm Frontignan and it was so good I had to get some. I will be shipping a crate of wine home. I'm not kidding!

We spent the rest of the afternoon traveling through the valley and visiting towns. In Tanunda we got to see where Helen grew up and where her father and grandpa pastored at. The church is really beautiful. It has four wooden statutes that look like stone. The statues are Jeremiah, Moses, Peter and Elijah. Their so detailed that it's incredible. I wish I could have gotten photos, but I felt like they were very sacred. I got to see the first Lutheran pastor in Australia's gravestone. We then got in the car and drove to Mengler Hill.

On the way to Mengler Hill we kept seeing all of these scarecrow people. They were in yards, cars and in fields. We kept laughing cause they were amusing and were doing unexpected things. We arrived at Mengler Hill and it was beautiful. We got to see the Barossa Valley in all its vastness and glory. The sunset was stunning too, no video or pictures can do it any justice. Below where I was standing there was a little pathway that you could walk around and look at all the artwork there. There was an eagle down there - he looked good. I took a ton of photos of the sky and surroundings. We got some people at the Hill to take a group photo of us there.

After Mengler Hill we journeyed to 'The Junction' which is a restaurant/hotel made completely out of train cars! It was SO cool! It was dark or else I'd have photos for you. Peter kept getting up to check the footy game - Carlton was playing Essedon. Carlton won which was good since that's Peter's team. The food was delicious. I got some kind of fish and chips, as well as chocolate pudding for desert. The chocolate pudding isn't what you would think it is - it's cake! It was bomb! The hot chocloate was good too. After tea we headed back to the car and to Adelaide. I wasn't feeling the greatest (I don't think that wine and chocolate mix) so I slept in the car on the ride back. We got home and I went to bed since Easter morning service comes early.