BurbleChaz

We're just back from a short break in the Barossa Valley. We stayed at the Barossa Novotel. It's a resort-style hotel just on the banks of Jacob's Creek (honestly -it really exists - not just a marketing thing).

We took the tourist route from Adelaide, up through the hills. The scenery is stunning, with each turn in the road revealing the next part of a panorama across the plains. t's clear that there's a vicious drought. The land that isn't irrigated is bone-dry and brown.

The hotel is less than 60kms from Adelaide, and even taking the long way we were there in about an hour.

We dined in the hotel's restaurant for the first couple of nights. the food was excellent, and the range of wines available was extensive and challenging. Fun.

They had a tasting every afternoon, each one presented by a different winemaker. We were particularly impressed by the Ross Estate.

On Wednesday morning, we took the hire car (Hyundai Getz - a triumph of blandness over engineering) for a bimble around the area. We went ti the Whispering Wall, near Gawler. It's a concrete wall dam, built in 1902. The reservoir (4500 ML) is a significant chunk of Adelaide's supply. The dam describes a graceful ard across the valley, and there is a stage at each end where you can stand and talk to a person at the other ent. Because the dam is an almost perfect ellipse, sound reflects from one end to the other 144m away with remarkably little loss. All reflecded paths are the same length, so most of the sound from one end reaches the other. High coolness factor.

In other news, KANGAROOS! For the first time, wild kangaroos have been captured by us on camera. Over to the usual place. I'll wait for you here.

As we navigated back, The Observant One noticed one of our favourite winemakers was marked on the map, so we pottered through Lyndoch, Tanunda, Nuriootpa and Angeston (without knowing how to pronounce any of them) to Henschke. Because I am a decent chap, I retained the car keys while the Oenophile gubbled through the tasting selection. We were sensible, and only bought four bottles.

Back down to Lyndoch, and we stopped at the Ross Estate to pick up some of their excellent Grenache, and a few bottles of a truly astounding Temperanillo - the only one I've seen in the Barossa, then back to the hotel for the next tasting...

Today, we escaped. A quick blast down the motorway, and Qantas were able to get us on an earlier flight. Tomorrow, the wine should turn up. Tasting notes will be provided, if we remember.

We'll be going back to the Barossa.