Meredith Visits Tanunda

We were delighted to have our daughter Meredith visit us recently for a fortnight while she had some dental work and laser treatment for her eyes.

The laser treatment couldn't be done at Alice Springs, so it was an excellent opportunity for us to get together.

Dental work is much cheaper in the Barossa than at Alice Springs.

Meredith flew down this time instead of driving the 15-hour journey and her dog Max had to remain at home.

Although we were busy driving between Adelaide and Tanunda for several trips, we also had time to shop until I dropped and had a few decent meals at lovely restaurants including the nearby Chocolate Factory. (The meal contained no chocolate!) It's a bit like Monkey Mia Resort in Western Australia - there's not a monkey to be seen anywhere.

After we picked up Meredith at the Adelaide Airport, it was lunch time, so we visited one of her favourites, Fasta Pasta at Gawler enroute to Tanunda which is where I took this photo of two of the three most important women in my life.

We got to Fasta Pasta at 6 pm just after the doors opened and bought some food to take home with us.

Meredith also cooked a few meals using our Thermomix while staying with us and we swapped recipes.

Meredith's birthday is on 1 September and Father's Day on 3 September, so we had joint early celebrations for both which was nice. For many years I stated that Meredith was my Father's Day present.

Meredith bought me a fragrance called Paco Robanne for Father's Day as well as a swag of lollies I could well do without. We bought her a couple of pairs of jeans and a few other things.

Shops at Tanunda and Adelaide are beginning to bring out their Christmas products which I thought was a bit early since it's only Spring this coming weekend and Christmas Day is four months away. The next time we see Dale, Meredith, grandson Tory and Max will probably be around that time if we can get together.

Tory is due to have his "Capstone" tests in December and if he passes, will be a qualified electrician. Despite my many years as an educator, I had never heard of the term in relation to education or training. Whatever it's called, it will be wonderful to see him pick up his piece of paper and be able to register in the trade.

I could have done an electrical apprenticeship at Peko Mine when I left school, but my father, who was Chief Engineer of the mine said I wasn't smart enough; well, he didn't say it in so many words, but that was the nub of it. So, I spent three years of a boilermaking/welding apprenticeship and I must say, I enjoyed being able to fabricate metal products and repair underground equipment that had been damaged. Such is life. It tends to lead us where we need to go.

Stay well.

Robin

Meredith Visits for Christmas

Meredith and me at Rehn Bier

Meredith drove off at 5:30 am for the 15 hour drive back to Alice Springs after visiting us for a week or so during Christmas.

Max, the camouflage dog came with her and had a couple of nice walks in Tanunda between being spoiled with special foods and plenty of attention from Pop and Nana.

As usual, he had to be drugged to cope with the trip but after worrying all day - as parents do - both arrived home safely at 10 pm and we were relieved.

During her stay Meredith shopped until WE dropped. She's 30 years younger than us and therefore much more energetic and resilient. Not only that, living at Alice Springs, she's deprived of the variety of shopping we have in nearby Adelaide and Ti Tree.

I have a psychological distaste for shopping; I like to know what I want, go get it and come home. None of this swanning around. However, being the great parent I am, I stuck it out although towards the end, I waited in the car listening to music while Christina and Meredith shopped on.

Meredith also likes fine wines - especially sparkling wines and what better place than the wine capital of Australia to do some wine tasting?

We drove to Rockford Winery, 1847 Chateau Yaldara Wines, and Saltrams and gave the other 69 a miss on this occasion. At Yaldara we visited the Vintage Chef Company cafe for lunch which gave Meredith a 20% discount on her purchase.

As "Bob", I resisted the temptation to imbibe so we could get home safely but that was fine, I rarely drink before 5 pm anyway.

Meredith tasting a sparkling white

The old vineyards and wineries are worth visiting if for no other reason than to view the beautiful buildings, wooden furniture and surrounds.

Gardens are well developed and gorgeous in the case of 1847 Chateau Yaldara having had 173 years to be established.

The buildings are largely constructed from bricks or rocks plucked from nearby fields. They'll all be standing well after we're gone.

We also visited Rehn Bier on her last night and each bought a carton of mixed beers. Rehn Bier is conveniently located 200 m from our house and I've become friends with the owners and staff as I visit every so often - but not that often.

Unfortunately, this year, son Dale wasn't able to visit as he had work commitments and grandson Tory decided at the last minute to stay at home.

We had a pleasant Christmas Day lunch with smaller amounts of food than usual, but still sufficient. With only the three of us and Meredith being a vegetarian, there was little point cooking up a whole restaurant full of food.

Next year we plan go all go somewhere together for a family Christmas.

Stay well.

Robin

Barossa Valley - Blessing of the Vines

Barons at the rotunda address the crowd

According to the Barons of Barossa,

"Every year on the third Sunday of February, the Barons come together in Tanunda and declare the vintage. The first picked grapes are blessed in the historic Tabor Church, paraded along the main street and crushed and the juice sampled at Keil Garden. The Winemaker and Vigneron of the Year are also announced."

Christina and I attended Keil Garden to watch the proceedings and taste the grape juice.

Example plaque

On this day, new Barons are appointed by their peers. Two were selected for 2019 and awarded a ribbon with medallion. These are people chosen because of their inordinate contribution to the wine industry. When a Baron dies, a plaque is placed on the footpath lining the Keil Garden.

Needless to say, you need to do much more than just imbibe on wine to make the grade.



Strangely, the National Anthem wasn't played by the band, but the presentations took place, the two recipients of the awards then used an old wine press to press two baskets of grapes into a barrel - see photo.

Some lovely wine maidens from the local Faith Lutheran College then decanted the grape juice and presented anyone wanting to taste it with a sample.

It was very sweet and I commented that it was good enough as it was without the alcohol.

Everyone present seemed to enjoy themselves and it was just another example of the numerous festivals and other events that happen here. It really is a lovely part of Australia.

Robin

It's Now Henrys of Tanunda

Robin and Christina at Al Ain, UAE

When I started this blog I had moved to Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates for a three-year work contract, so I called it "Henrys of Al Ain". It was intended to help communicate with our friends without having to send multiple emails.

It wasn't a good name choice because I didn't think ahead, that we wouldn't always live at Al Ain. In hindsight, I should have called the site the "Henrys".

It's now 13 years since Christina and I moved to Al Ain. Since then, we've returned to Alice Springs (10 years) and now we are at our final house at Tanunda in South Australia. It's time to change the blog's heading yet again, this time to "Henrys of Tanunda".

I've also changed the URL from https://henrys-of-alain.blogspot.com to https://henry-tanunda.blogspot.com.

I hope you continue to visit occasionally and keep in touch.

Robin

Settling in to Our New House

Concrete block laid for pergola

We've been in our new house three weeks and are still unpacking.

There's no hurry as both of us have all the time in the world now that we are retired.

We've had to buy some metal shelving from Bunnings and other shelving from Ikea in which to store our seeming oversupply of "stuff". (Where the hell did we get it all?)

Each day we go through a few boxes and have a charity box into which we put things we no longer wish to keep. The rest go into our shelving or get moved from table to desk to floor or somewhere until we work out where to put it.

We are waiting for delivery of a wall unit into which some of our heritage crockery will go. At present, it takes up space on an old coffee table.

Two of four Bunnings metal shelves 

 We've had a concrete slab 5.5m by 3.0m laid adjacent to the back verandah which one day will have a pavillion roof, table and chairs and a barbecue in-situ.

Hedge trees are to be placed at our rear fence providing privacy from the main road towards the pergola, but we still hope to be able to sit outside drinking wine and watching the many parades that apparently travel along Murray Street to or from Nuriootpa.

Part of the garden will have lawn and at each side of the pergola we plan to put pot plants with daisies or other annuals to pretty the place up. But not today.

Ikea shelving

Today we continue unpacking and finding places to put stuff.

Christina's "Sewing Room", which I prefer to call OUR "Multifunction Room" will be adorned with two new Horn cabinets by end of the day if they are delivered as promised. One will support her sewing machine and have a gas lift so the machine can be lowered below desk level when not in use and the other is for an overlocker.

Every day we make a little progress. One day hopefully, we'll wake up in the morning and think, 'What will I do today?' and not have to entertain the idea of unpacking and storing.

Then there will be time to visit one of the 72 vineyards, or perhaps do some volunteer work helping others. There's plenty to see and do here and we are just beginning the journey.

Robin

Our Last House

New house - Garden will appear front left square

Two years ago we sold our house at Alice Springs. It was a lovely, comfortable house with four bedrooms, a spacious multi-purpose room and outdoor area, and a large garden. It needed painting and new carpets and some work done on the garden, but we were fortunate enough to sell it without having to do all that.

The new owners were happy to do the painting and lay carpets and also wanted a swimming pool, so we negotiated a price adjustment and placed our goods in storage while we waited for a new house to be built at Nuriootpa, South Australia.

It suited us well. We planned to do some travel overseas and in Australia while our new abode was being built. Unfortunately, the house we had in mind wasn't going to be completed until late 2018 after an earlier estimate of Christmas 2017. We were disappointed, so we decided to make alternative arrangements.

Now, we have paid a deposit on a newly completed house at Tanunda, South Australia, only six kilometres from Nuriootpa and also close to Angaston. The three towns form the centre of the Barossa Valley which many of you will know is one of Australia's largest wine producing regions.

Our new house is conjointly owned by the Barossa Village, a retirement village organisation that provides three levels of aged care; independent living, home care and residential care.

The house has three bedrooms, two bathrooms (both roomy), a one car garage, and a combined kitchen, lounge dining room. We would have liked a two car garage, but none was available. Such is life.

By Australia Day (26th January 2018) we hope to be settled in but will probably still be unpacking our personal effects as they will be delivered the day before.

We are getting excited as the days pass.

Robin