29th Feb- 2nd March

A day of rain put paid to any outdoor-based plans and I visit a chocolate factory with another girl, Kim, I'd met on the trip, then catch another show in the evening.
Better weather the next day and it's the first day of Clipsal, an annual car race in the city centre. I go for few hours for the experience. I can confirm that the cars are fast and noisy. Beyond that I'm not really sure what's going on! It's interesting to see but I also confirm that it's not really my thing and wander off to the Botanical gardens and National Winery there- a subject closer to my heart. Another show in the evening (there are cheap tickets available if you turn up just before they start) and it's the strangest so far.
The job hunting takes a hopeful turn with a phonecall from a practice in Victoria and I cook Kangaroo for dinner to the fascination of the other hostellers but it's pretty good!

Because there's 4 days of car racing on at the same time as the Adelaide Festival there's an unfortunate occurence (I hear on the news) when an outdoor classical concert is staged at the same time as an evening race and the music is drowned out! Outrage!


With a job possibility, it's time to stop stagnating in Adelaide, relaxing though it is. I book some trips and make some plans. I visit Port Adelaide and there's really not much there, the enthusiastic pouncing of the lady in the tourist information rang alarm bells! Port Adelaide was founded after the first immigrants arrived at Port Misery (there are some great place names round here: Mt Lofty, Mt Remarkable, Mt Hopeless!).
After a rather stretched-out wander down the streets of Heritage buildings (of the sort you'd be positively tripping over in England but which of course are old for Australia) I take the bus then tram to Glenelg, the nearest beach to Adelaide, 12km south of the city. Here I'm in time for a beautiful sunset.