Day 34: An Airing in Belair

Today the driver and cook is doing the blog as Xena is exhausted. With a few extra days in Adelaide while we wait for the new van, we are enjoying the slower pace of life off the road. We drove a whole 7km to Belair National Park which is situated directly above Brownhill Creek where we are encamped. It is the second oldest national park in Australia and is unusual in that it has been enveloped by the urban fringe. It seems that tennis is a big thing in SA as is evident by the 80 odd 'bush tennis courts' scattered through the park. There are also two cricket ovals. The boys enjoyed the adventure playground which included a pallisade type fort and underground tunnels made from concrete piping. It is nice to see that these old fashioned playgrounds still exist.

Andrew guarding 'Fort Belair'

We walked about 6km and particularly enjoyed a stand of 'baby' sequoias which were a mere 30 metres high. These amazing trees grow to 100m and can have base up to 10 metres wide.

As the designated driver, I have found driving in Adelaide most interesting. The city was laid out in grid-fashion long before the age of the motor car. Consequently, although the roads are straight there are many intersections AND traffic lights. It takes a long time to get anywhere. It also seems that road-works are a major industry in South Australia and it is unusual to complete a journey without a hold-up.

Tommorow we are on our bikes and will be exploring the many parks that encrust central Adelaide.