Nuriootpa SA, Coultard House, Chateau Barossa, Tanunda, Australian Grand Prix, Schild Winery

Nuriootpa SA March 31 2015

Short run up into the Barossa Valley this morning, but a really awful drive battling gusty buffeting winds. We are staying in Nuriootpa itself in a pleasant enough van park, right next to two large ovals, where of course they are training for AFL : The Might Nuriootpa Tigers!

At the entrance to the van park, they have a 1932 Dodge caravan on display, looks just like a little house on wheels. Mum, dad and 3 kids went from SA right up to the top of Queensland in this, and before any maps and signposts, let alone sat-nav.

1932 Dodge caravan. Nuriootpa SA

We went out to Lyndoch to see the 30,000 roses but found a new winery there instead called Chateau Barossa. The roses that we saw were all well past their final blush for the year, something to do with never being watered in this otherwise barren dessert.

Chateau Barossa. Lyndoch SA

We were actually looking for a ‘platter lunch’ but theirs didn't seem too special so we went to the next place on the map, which had stopped serving lunch platters during the week. Not a problem, there are two more within cooee so we went into the Schild winery, which was really a shop front in town, and after Judy finished sampling the liquid offerings we sat and ate the platter for two: cheese, various meets, pickled things, dried things, chutneys and bread and crackers. Rather pleasant actually.

On the way back I left Judy snoozing in the car while i checked out the Tanunda Museum, which is in the original Telegraph Office, the front of which is a bicycle shop. A reasonable collection but a bit dull, oh well what can one expect for two-dollars?

After a bit of a rest back at the van, I wandered up into town via the ‘Linear Park’ across the road from us. I have no idea why its called Linear, but I was interested to find that the park and Nuriootpa were the home of the 1949 and 1950 Australian Grand Prix.

Linear Park. Nuriootpa SA

Linear Park. Nuriootpa SA

On the way back I grabbed a snap of this poor fellow falling of the balcony of Coulthard’s House

Coulthard House. Nuriootpa SA