Scenic Adelaide, Sites And Stories of South Australia

The View From Mengler Hill Lookout

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 at 6:05 pm

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The Barossa Valley is such a beautiful place that one could easily dedicate a blog to it. You shouldn’t be surprised then to see quite a few posts about it right here on Scenic Adelaide. One thing you have to know about the Barossa is that it can be well suited for those looking for cheaper holidays. There is so much to see and do, way more than just visiting the bountiful supply of wineries. I will be covering some of them in future posts.

If you’re just wanting to have a bit of peace and quiet then the Barossa is a great place to be. Full of quiet towns and surrounded by plentiful supply of photographic subjects. If it takes you a little longer to get from one destination to the next it’s only because you keep pulling over to take a photo of something that caught your eye.

While on the road from Angaston to the Tanunda Chateau I noticed a sign that said Mengler’s Hill Lookout and so I had no choice but to make a little detour. It only took a couple of minutes to arrive there and I’m glad I took the time to go and check it out.

The View From Mengler Hill

As you can see from the photo below it is a really panoramic view.

You really want to make sure you take your camera because your bound to want to take some photos of the view. The problem is that many people as so take with the view that they fail to miss the park below them that has many sculptures made from local marble and black granite during the 1988 Barossa International Sculpture Symposium. In case you’re wandering the lookout was named after an early vine grower in the area :smoke_tb:

Unfortunately we didn’t have time to wander through the park as it was getting late and we really wanted to see Chateau Tanunda. Believe it or not we just exited the lookout when, only seconds later, I had to pull over once again to take this shot.

It’s like I said earlier, there’s lots that will captivate your attention when you’re driving around the Barossa Valley. :drunk_tb:

Make my day and shout me a beer.

Chateau Tanunda, Barossa’s Largest Chateau

Monday, November 14th, 2011 at 6:46 pm

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After having lunch in Angaston and viewing the scrumptious dried fruit merchandise at Angas Park we popped into Chateau Tanunda on the way home. It really is a quite remarkable place, one with a lot of charm and heritage, not surprising considering it has been around since 1890. If you like old buildings, as I do, you will love this one and believe me you will want to bring your camera for this one. This first shot is of the front of the establishment. Pretty impressive huh?

I absolutely love these old buildings, the ones that use the old traditional bluestone in it’s construction rather than bricks as it gives them so much more character. As you walk around the grounds you will be impressed at how meticulously kept they are. This is probably why many wish to hold their special functions here like weddings or perhaps even that important boardroom meeting, even though you’re more likely to hold the boardroom meetings in the ballroom or something.

The place is really spectacular complete with it’s own international standard cricket oval as well as a lovely croquet green. You actually have to walk past the croquet green on the way to the cellar door and if you’re visiting on a particularly warm day, which we were, you be surprised at the sudden change of temperature one you walk into the cellar area. I don’t think it was due to air conditioners being on either. If anything it’s because of the thick stone walls and the immensely tall ceilings.

Once inside you will see a huge tasting area on the left and lot’s of barrels as well as displays trying to entice you to spend your money while your there. And why not, that’s the whole reason for them being there in the first place isn’t it? They even have a special tasting room for the elite. :drunk_tb:

If you only ever get the time to visit one winery it would have to be this one as it’s the birthplace of the Barossan wine industry as the first plantings were in 1845 and the first winery was established in 1848. While there you have to walk around the back and take in the true spend our of this remarkable building as well as the grounds around it.

Many people who choose to holiday in this beautiful state of ours prefer to car hire in Australia as it allows them a greater sense of freedom. However, if you plan on going on a wine tour of the Barossa and imbibing in a selection of all the wines on offer then you should have a designated drink free driver or better still take advantage of the many winery tours that are on offer. That way you all get to have some fun.

Wine Tools For The Connoisseur

Metrokane Rabbit Wine Opener Tool Kit, Silver
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108 total customer reviews...

Vacu Vin Stainless Steel Wine Saver Gift Set
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Metrokane Wine Shower Funnel
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While there I actually bought the Metrokane Wine Shower Funnel and I paid $45 for it. If I only knew I could get it from Amazon for less than twenty bucks. Oh well, we live and learn.

Make my day and shout me a beer.

Lonely Planet Central Australia: Adelaide to Darwin (Regional Travel Guide)

Monday, November 14th, 2011 at 4:35 pm

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I know that a lot of people, it doesn’t matter if they did a mauritius holidays or one in lovely Adelaide, find that once they get home they forget some vital information about something they saw while on holiday that they wish that they could remember. That is why I always buy a book or two when I’m away. The only time I didn’t do it was when in the States this year and I’m still regretting it. :glurps_tb:

You may even find that buying a book beforehand is a great idea as reading about the place where you are going to holiday helps you to map out your itinerary a lot better. Failing that you could always visit this blog and hope that I’d written a post on whatever it is you’re looking for. :wink_ee:

As I live in Adelaide I don’t actually own a book on the place so I feel uncomfortable recommending any. That is why I went to Amazon to find a book as people who have bought a book on Amazon tend to leave a review and I’ve always found reviews helpful when making a purchase. This book is called Lonely Planet Central Australia: Adelaide to Darwin (Regional Travel Guide) But before we get to that I want to show you a nice photo I took while driving through the Barossa Valley on the weekend.

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Make my day and shout me a beer.

Angas Park A Great Place To Shop

Sunday, November 13th, 2011 at 11:54 pm

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After leaving the 40′s Cafe we were in the car for less than a minute when I spotted the Angas Park store and as I started to pull over Nadia started to wing; “Oh dad, we just got in the car, do we have to stop already?” So I started to pull away when Anna, the wife, was saying how it’s supposed to have a huge selection of dried fruit and Nadia being on a bit of a health kick suddenly exclaims. “dried fruit, I love dried fruit!” and so I do a U turn and park under the shade of a tree. As you can see it has quite an attractive entrance but that’s nothing compared to what you get inside.

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Make my day and shout me a beer.

40′s Cafe Angaston Has Great Pizza

Sunday, November 13th, 2011 at 5:48 pm

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It was a lovely Sunday so we decided to go for a little drive down to the Barossa Valley. To be more precise we were headed to a restaurant in Angaston which is touted to have the best pizza in Australia. I always love driving in the Barossa Valley because it’s such a scenic drive. It wasn’t too long before we parked at the front of our destination, the 40′s Cafe.