Travelog for: Tilda

Today we helped BlackCat writing a lot postcards that she will send tomorrow. It was a lot work, but it was fun.

Today we had to say goodbye to Friendship Bear. I hope he will have a good time at the next hosts!

Today I saw that I have won a Golden Bear Award. Oh my god. Mummy, I am so happy about that.



We made a little party for me and it was so nice.





Can you see the Golden Bear Award? I am happy.

Thank you so much to all of Tilda's hosts who have helped Tilda win a Golden Bear in the Classics category! You are amazing - thank you so much for showing Tilda your 'worlds'
Rebecca

Now I am leaving Germany again. BlackCat said, I will come home now. So I hope you will be happy when I am back at home Mum!



I said Goodbye to Germania and Cassandra and then I went into my envelope and to the post office...

So now I am on my way home !
See ya soon, Mum!

Hey,
I'm home, safe and well and have shared the details of my many adventures with those members of my family who haven't been able to read about them here. Thanks heaps to all of my hosts!! I'm looking forward to heading out on the road again sometime
Tilda

Woo-Hoo! I've been released from 'retirement' in Bec's bedroom and gone out travelling again. I'm so excited! Bec decided to take me to Adelaide with her for a few days.

Adelaide is the capital of South Australia (The early British settlers were rather unimaginative when naming their "free" colonies!). As capital cities go, its pretty small but very pretty and great for walking around.

Our first stop of the trip (and the reason for coming) was at the Adelaide Zoo to see the pandas which recently arrived in Australia from China.


Later in the day we visited the South Australian Museum where we learned all about South Australia’s most famous explorer, Sir Douglas Mawson, who led the first Australian expeditions to Antarctica around 100 years ago. Sadly, the museum is not a fan of photography, so you'll have to take my word about the size of the albatroses, seals and penguins we saw!

Today we travelled around the Barossa Valley in the Adelaide Hills. This is one of Australia's most famous wine growing regions. Chances are, if you've ever tried an Australian wine, it came from here..
It must have been all the wine tasting that had gone to Bec's head, because she forgot to take my photo at many of the places we visted 
But, she did remember me when we visited the Cleland Wildlife Park near the end of the day, where I met a koala & a kangaroo up close and personal.

Today we explored the Murray River by bus, paddle steamer and car ferry (as pedestrians  )


The Murray is the longest river in Australia, the 16th longest in the world and the third longest navigable river in the world, after the Amazon and Nile. For a long period of time, before cars and trucks it was an essential part of trade between South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, even though in times of drought the paddlesteamers could be stranded at one spot or another for months at a time.


Now, many people travel it in houseboats. It must be a lovely way to pass a week or two, just slowly meandering along...

After our paddle steamer ride we travelled into Mannum which was where the first paddle boat on the Murray was built and launched. From the lookout you can see quite a distance along the river and see how much the drought has affected the water levels. Apparently a year ago the wet land area to this side of the river was totally empty, but thankfully there has been rain this year and now the water levels are starting to rise.


There were also these really funny signs all along the edge of the lookout... Obviously its not a good idea to get too close to the edge!

Next stop was the teeny tiny town of Walker Flat, and when I say town I mean river crossing with a service station / cafe and some picnic tables!
To get across the river in most places you have to travel by car ferry as they are actually less expensive for the government to run rather than building bridges, even though they are run at no charge!


To use up some of the time the tour company had assigned to this town we went across the river and back as pedestrians.
Check out the size of the cliffs on the other side of the river. Can you imagine how huge this river must have been in the time when it was carving out the landscape??

Our last stop of the day was at the World's Largest Rocking Horse, the home of a fantastic wooden toy shop. The rocking horse is 18.3 metres tall, which is approximately the height of a six-storey building! You can pay to climb up to the top of its head, but we passed on that option thanks to the rain and got a jump start on some Christmas shopping instead.

Last day in Adelaide... time to do some shopping in Rundle Mall and check out the Art Gallery (the perfect day for indoor activities thanks to rain, rain and a chilling strong wind)
Rundle Mall made history in Australia in 1976 when it became our first pedestrian street mall and if you come to Adelaide its where you come to shop. Its also the most expensive of the Orange spaces in the Australian version of Monopoly. (some useless information for you!)
There are a number of sculptures dotted throughout the mall. Our favourites were the group of life-size bronze pigs - Horatio, Truffles, Augusta and Oliver - rooting around a rubbish bin. How cute are they?
This is Horatio...


And, this is Oliver.


There are also some beautiful old buildings in the mall, like this one, the Adelaide Arcade.

Soon it was time to hop back on the plane, but Bec's considering coming back to South Australia next holidays to visit Kangaroo Island and has promised that if she does, its only fitting that as the kangaroo rep in our family its only fitting that I get to tag along. Paws crossed!!