'Roos, really (Portee Station, South Australia)

Our trip to Adelaide was charactrized by seeing wonderful old friends. Mel will probably tell you much more about that. Nonetheless, we spent part of our time at a sheep station with Steve and Andrea Duff.

Following the Duffs, we drove about 1 1/2 hours northeast of Adelaide, across the Barossa Valley, one of the famous wine-producing regions of Australia, to the outback. The landscape was quite barren - red earth, dry yellow grass, salt bushes and a few scattered Eucalyptus trees. Amazingly, when we arrived at the sheep station, it was surrounded by lovely gardens and lawns.

The buildings dated back to the early 1800s but had been reconstructed in 1994 by the current owner and turned into a 4-star tourist facility. In fact, it was written up in the June 2002 Gourmet Magazine.

It is located along the River Murray so we took a tour of a couple of small towns along the river the next day.

That evening, the owner gave us a tour of the sheep pens and explained the processes involved in raising, breeding and sheering sheep. As a city girl who was only familiar with their taste, I actually found it fascinating. He is breeding them to produce a softer, whiter wool. He also took us on a hair-raising ride through his property to see wombats (one) and kangaroos (many). Once spotted, they would speed away and he would speed across the dry, rutted fields after them so we could get a good close look. We saw grey and red kangaroos.

That evening at dinner, Andrea, who sings with a band, entertained us with her lovely voice. There was another couple at the place from Amsterdam. The wife was classically trained so she and Andrea sang for us. A magical evening.

We returned to Adelaide for a brunch at the home of Barry Fox and Ingrid Day, also old friends, who had many of Mel's university associates at their home. A great reunion. Then, we went to the Adelaide train station for a trip on the historic train, the Ghan, which Mel will describe.

I miss you all.
Love,
Janet

The Ghan to Alice Springs (A Town Called Alice)

Adelaide was a marvelous whirl of friends from the University of South Australia and others. Great fun and then that marvelous 2 days at Portee Station - a sheep station - an improbable setting but great fun.

Then Sunday back to Adelaide, a brunch for us with 15 there, then later that afternoon to what is referred to as "The Ghan," a train through the center of Australia from Adelaide to Alice Springs in the middle (the very hot and dry red center) to Darwin at the top of Australia (humid tropical heat).

The Ghan - constantly referred to as "The Legendary Ghan" relates to Afghan camel drivers who came to Australia 150 years ago and established supply routes to the center of the continent. ergo "Ghan".

The first train, The Ghan, made its trip in 1929 - the 1,000 miles we just covered overnight. The route to Darwin at the top of Australia completed the project 75 years later in 2004.

The train itself is fun - long, long 35 cars - almost a kilometer. We had a sleeper (hah - sleep), lovely dinner and breakfast, met fascinating people from around the world, and none of them were Americans. We seemed to be the only ones. A fascinating adventure for sure. The earth did turn red. The topography is not entirely flat but hills and mountains and dry river beds that gush like crazy when it does rain, trees and bushes alternating with very barren areas.

Tomorrow morning we go to more remote parts of the red center ultimately winding up in Uluru (Aboriginal) or Ayers Rock, a sacred rock rising out of the desert which changes colors during the sun's rising and setting. We're in that area for 2 days before flying on to Darwin and then a day later to Bali for 9 days.

Love to all - Mel