We have had a fantastic week enjoying South Australia and also the company of family and friends. We were in Adelaide for a few days and visited with our friends, the Wuttke's - Adrian had organized a group to come over to the MMC this year and they have all been very blessed and encouraged by that. We had some wonderful fellowship and we really enjoyed going to church with them. The kids all got involved in the family service with a guest kids Musician which made it fun and interactive.
We took the tram to Glenelg on a sunny Sunday and enjoyed the beach side of Adelaide. The wind was cool down on the coast, but we all enjoyed the ride and our lunch down there. Then we went into the city for a look and to the Botanic Gardens which had huge Morton Bay Fig trees to climb on. It was a nice day out and about.
Monday saw us go to Belair National Park for a picnic and to catch up with friends of Mum and Dad. They were a lovely couple who Mum knew from teacher training college many years ago. It was a sunny day and we went for a walk up to Old Government House and then we drove on up to Mt Lofty at 727m it's the highest peak that overlooks the city of Adelaide. It was a nice view from up there and nice and cool, 12degrees at 3.30pm brrr!
Tuesday was cold morning, about 6 degrees, but it did warm up a bit more. We had a quiet day with a walk to a local park for some and a trip into the city for some, along with food shopping etc.
Wednesday we left Adelaide and headed to Waikerie, in the Riverland region of SA. Our friends here were a couple that renovated Dad and Mum's house on the farm, back in the early 70's. They are a wonderful family whom we have had contact with over many years and we now enjoy the friendship of their children as well. Well we were in for a few days of the most generous hospitality imaginable. As well as local tour guides who took us all around the district giving us a greater understanding of the Riverland and the plight of the Murray River and those who use it.
Having lived in the area most of his life Trevor is a wealth of information. We went along the Murray River to a lookout and went for a walk along the cliffs that border the river. It is flowing and a lot of the lagoons alongside it are brimming with water. It is said if the rain is as good next year, as this year the River may be in flood, something that hasn't happened for some decade or so, and needs to happen to sustain the flora and fauna all along the Murray River. The Murray Basin covers one seventh of our continent and stretches up to Queensland right through NSW, Victoria and into SA, 1450km long and 1000km wide. 1.90 million people live in this area and use 80% of the water that flows down the Murray. Unfortunately we can't sustain that and we have had a new insight about the need to curb our greed so we can allow our environment to continue to produce what we need, rather than what we want. It is amazing to see brown farmland bordering lush green grape vines - all because of irrigation.
We also visited an avocado farm and packing shed, and an orange packing shed which were both very interesting. It is a poor season for the oranges with a hot spell last year causing blossoms to drop and therefore less fruit also late frost didn't help. They will pack 12 tonne of fruit this year as opposed to 40 in a good year and they pack a 3kg bag every 3 seconds with their new packing machine! Some goes in export to Asia and some to the west so keep an eye out for the LocSweet label!
We took a 4km walk in the wetlands at a local winery and then a swim in Lake Bonny at Barmera. It was a wonderful few days and we remembered coming to Waikerie in 1983 as a family, then in 1990 with a group of young people after going to a conference in Adelaide and still the Wuttke's are so hospitable and generous in all they do for their visitors. They are a real example of community both being involved in the establishment of a local Lutheran school and involved in many community projects. What a blessing it is to have time with friends when it is the Lord who links our hearts and lives together. And not only that, they provided an adventure playground for the kids with a bouncy castle, bikes and indoor games, pool table and toys - OUTSTANDING!!!
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