Willunga Market and Goolwa

In Adelaide for a week of watching cycling and tourism, we began with a trip around the villages in the Adelaide Hills. First stop: Willunga market.

We had a kransky and tomato chutney bun from these guys for breakfast - a delicious way to start the day!

These little posies are called tussie mussies. I think that's cute.

Him Outdoors sniffed out the beer stall - of course - and is sampling some Goodieson ales

Next we headed to Goolwa, a historic port on the Murray River near the Murray mouth. 'Goolwa' means 'elbow' in Ngarrindjeri, the local Aboriginal language. It was briefly considered as the site for the colony's capital and was Australia's first inland port. 

Its's an arty place, featuring a cooperative of 25 local artists exhibiting original work and encouraging art in the community. A gallery features art by award winning artists across all mediums including photography, sculpture, jewellery, pottery, textile and wood, mosaics, metal, glass and much more. There are even mosaics on the streets in public spaces.

Nearby Compass has a festival on Australia Day, which sounds like a typical village fair incorporating food and produce stalls, demonstrations of wood chopping and various activities such as cheese rolling and dung flinging. My favourite, however, is their boast to host Australia's only cow race. What a shame we shall miss it - it sounds like a fun day out!

We did, however, go to the Steam Exchange Brewery in the old Railway Goods Shed. They are Australian and International Beer Award-winning brewers, with over 25 gold, silver and bronze medals. Their marketing claimes they are the 'oldest full grain brewery on the Fleurieu Peninsula and arguably South Australia's leading small brewery production facility.'

Microbreweries are getting good at providing tasting trays of their beers so you can sample all and choose your favourite - a lot like wineries but with beer instead. We had their Steam Ale (4.8% - a well-balanced beer made with three malts and American hops), Pale Ale (5.8% and malty rather than the hoppy I was expecting), Southerly Buster (5.5% - a rich, dark amber ale with strong malt and caramel flavours and roasted nuances) and the Stout (5.2% - chocolate and roast characters with a moderate bitterness and a rich, smooth finish).

My favourite was the Truffles Dessert beer (6.5%). Billed as 'the ultimate double-chocolate vanilla-bourbon porter' this went down rather nicely with everyone present.

The Steam Exchange Brewery

Truffles Dessert beer

Him Outdoors is happy

To finish off our day of tourism we went to a couple of wineries - Deep Creek and Perrini's, where they sell their wine by the (very cheap and clean-skinned unlabelled) box.

After dinner we sat outside on the deck and heard sort of grunting, barking, growling noises which our hosts assured us were koalas mating in the nearby trees.