Handorf 31.7.11

Hello everyone.

Well haven’t I been slack???  Sorry about that.

We have been writing regular emails to everyone and unfortunately our blog has suffered.  Our daughter suggested that we update the BLOG and send little emails later – Ok miss, will do that!!!

What have we been up to........ LOTS
We arrived in Nuriootpa  on Tuesday 19^th and settled into the Barossa Tourist Park for 7 nights initially.  From here we did many day trips around the Barossa.

 moss on the trees......

  Going to villages and place names, that appear in the family tree, for the time that the family were in the Barossa.  It was very interesting seeing the areas in which the family lived. At the moment it is all lush and green – but in having said that, it has not been good for the vignerons’, as all the rain caused a mould on the fruit and tonnes of fruit were lost.

  flowers and vines

On Wednesday we did a drive to Tanunda, Bethany and Light Pass.  

Tanunda is an interesting little town and the old houses and buildings are lovely.  Met a strange fellow at Bethany who really shouldn’t have been driving – but we didn’t let him interfere with our plans.    We saw lots of vineyards with lots of yellow flowers growing between the vines.  Everywhere there are teams of people out trimming the vines ready for next season.

Darryl loved the way that some vines go across and some go down the hill while others go diagonally across the block.  Lots of fields of really OLD stumps for the vines but a lot of fields where new shoots are being planted.

At Light Pass we checked out an old German Cottage – that had four rooms, an old school house out the back and a cellar underneath that.

  Darryl outside Lurh's cottage

Thursday saw us do a trip to Angaston – and went to the Angas Park fruit shop – the Barossa Quilt shop :D and then on to Maggie Beer’s Farm shop.  We had lunch here and had a lovely time.  We even got our photos taken in her demonstration kitchen. Unfortunately Maggie wasn’t here this day.

  critters on the banks of the dam at Maggies farm

We drove from here out to Greenock and visited the Aviation museum and then went to Ebenezer (Eben-ezer and Walla Walla district on the plaque at the church) where we found the grave of one of the ancestors – or at least a marker for his plot. 

We then slowly made our way back to the van as it was past beer o’clock……..

Friday we were up at ‘sparrows fart’ to travel to Gawler to catch the train to North Adelaide and the Lutheran Archives.  It was the coldest morning [-1.6 degrees] and we had ICE on the car which took a while to clear. 

We arrived in North Adelaide at 8.30 only to find that the street we wanted wasn’t signed.  We walked to Port Road and up that to find a café and/or toilet and finally managed to see that we were about 20mins away from our destination.  After breakfast we headed back to Fourth Street and the archives, arriving just after opening at 9.30.  We spent the whole day here going through lots of records and finding info about the ancestors and where they had lived.  We even found some data that I had been trying to find for about 7 years…. Yay!

We arrived back at the van at 8pm – so was a long day……

Saturday we decided to stay at the park and do the washing etc.  We didn’t sleep late as we had AFL being played on the oval about 60 metres behind the van.  Car horns tooting and sirens going do not bode for a peaceful time.
Sunday did not start very well, with the world spinning and then a very ‘full head’ feeling.  At lunch time we headed out to Kapunda via Freeling. 

  the home of Sidney Kidman - he gave it to the Education Deprment and it is used as the Admin Blck for the High School.  It is currently being refurbished.

 When we arrived at Kapunda we went to the visitor information centre to get an idea of where Bethel, Tothill Belt, Steelton, Carlsruhe and Tothill creek were.  The young chap there was very helpful and he even showed us the BDM ORIGINAL records for the Kapunda area.  Someone had been through them all and indexed them alphabetically and also by book and page number.  What a fantastic thing.  We were able to go through them and transcribe the records for relevant family members.  There were some records missing but his explanation was that sometimes because of the distance from towns and registration centres – some data never made it to the registry office.  So some deaths may never show up.  By the time we finished with his records it was 4pm…….  Wow.  What a fantastic resource.  We left here and followed the ‘Kidman Trail’ around the town to places that were relevant to Sidney Kidman.  We then drove out toward Tralee and on to Bethel where we found the church in a field and the headstone marker for one of our great-great-great uncles.

  Lutheran Church at Bethel

Monday we headed back out to Kapunda and took photos of ‘MAP the miner’.  Reminiscent of a German or Cornish miner.  We then followed the roads out to Tothill Creek and on to Tothill Belt. 

 The belt currently has a lot of Wind-power turbines on it.  From there we went to Waterloo,

  Wattle at Waterloo

Steelton, Greenock and Tanunda.  Stopped off at the Barossa museum and got more info on how the families lived initially and some of the instruments and utensils that they used.  We had lunch in the Zafendal café – a german style café and then drove out to Bethany and Mengler’s Hill lookout.  Here there are about 12 statues that we made during the sculpture fest in 1988.  We lovely view of the Barossa valley.  Today we decided that we would extend our stay here and leave on Friday.

  Barossa Valley from Mengler's Hill

Tuesday we travelled to Angaston for Daz to have his INR done and then we headed down toward the Adelaide Hills district and Eden Valley, through to Gumeracha and then up to Williamstown and the ‘Whispering Wall’.  From here we headed back to Nuriootpa and stopped in at Chateau Dorrien to taste their MEAD.  Mmmmm very nice!!!!!  Got a ‘couple’ of bottles to take in the van J

  Biggest Rocking horse

Wednesday we stayed at the van and got another couple of loads of washing done and dry on the line…….  Contacted a chap in Tanunda who did the typesetting for the PUMPA family History, to give him info on Mary Menz and Richard Pumpa.  Quentin is a lovely older gentleman who lives in a home built in 1850 with a 3 metre deep cellar underneath which was amazing.  He was very appreciative of the info we were able to give him.

Thursday we headed into the town and posted some things home and then went back to the van, washed the car – yep she looks like someone does care for her now – and tidied up the van.  The only downfall of the park here is that there is sap constantly falling from the ?elm trees. It makes all the surfaces very sticky…..

Friday we were up and on our way to Hahndorf by 9.30am.  Found the caravan park which is on the side of a hill so it is difficult to get into the parking spots – but we are here until next Wednesday morning. 

We have had several trips into Hahndorf and Mount Barker.  FINALLY managed to find a cinema that was screening Harry Potter – yay!  Was a lovely way to spend the afternoon whilst it was raining outside :D  We have made a trip to Balhannah and Lobethal and back to Hahndorf. 

  Built in 1848

Today we went for  drive up to Mount Lofty and overlooked the city and environs of Adelaide.  From here we headed back to Mount Barker and did the grocery shopping.  See some things NEVER go away – washing, grocery shopping……

Tomorrow we are heading into Glenelg and catching the tram into the city to do some more researching….. Fun times.

Hope you guys are all well.
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Love Barb and Darryl