We got to Gawler by default because it was hard to find a place that wasn’t booked out over Easter. We are staying at the Gawler Gateway Park so it is not really in Gawler, (which is a charming little place) but on the main road between Gawler and Elizabeth, so not the middle of nowhere, but just to the south of it. We booked out all the Easter public holidays here to be sure we had somewhere during that busy time. South Australia is dry as tea towel in a share house at the moment so it’s all brown and dusty.

We went into town on our first day and Monja booked a hair appointment while the kids and I cruised the op shops. Gawler is the second oldest town in SA, so has lots of stone buildings which give it character. It is also the main route to the Barossa and the traffic makes crossing the road a game of chicken.

• 

• 

We spent Good Friday at an amazing playground at St Kilda beach. The kids had fun. It’s good to get them moving sometimes.

On Easter Saturday we went to the Barossa. Lots of interesting places there. We went to visit our mate Maggie Beer’s shop. Whaa what a crowd (I suppose it was the long weekend) we tasted all the samples you could and bought some bits and pieces. We got to stand in the kitchen where they filmed ‘The Cook and the Chef’. They have a bit a garden and a pleasant pheasant farm, (did you have to read that twice?). We went into Nuriootpa, (which Monja insisted was pronounced Newry-topia) and had a credible lunch in an old building that a German built in the 1800’s.

Since this stop was longer than your average bear I managed to figure out how we could make pizza using the barbeque. Kids were very happy. Me too. I even made fresh dough without the thermo mix.

We were supposed to be gone by now but Monja got a funny tummy this morning so we have delayed leaving for Whyalla for a night. It’s a four hour drive so it will be testing, but we have to start practising to take on the Nullabour.