The Road to Coonawarra

It actually starts off as the end of the Road to Robe, but in the opposite direction.  We decided to do this on our first full day as the weather was somewhat below ordinary (intermittent drizzle and moderate wind) and thus driving to wineries seemed a better idea than walking or looking at birds.

The main thing about the Road from Robe to Penola, and thence Coonawarra, is that it was very flat and rather straight.   So fuel consumption was astonishingly even once the car warmed up.  The uptick at the end was pulling in and out of wineries,)

 The first winery was Patrick, which was a tad upmarket but the serving staff were very friendly and they allowed Tammy in.  We acquired a 97 point Pinot Noir.

The association of roses with the vines was consistent through the area.  Indeed, Penola seemed tobe making a feature of decorative roses in the street.

Next stop was Leconfield for a Cabernet Merlot.  Again Tammie was welcome.

We then drove up this avenue to Rymill, where we acquired a dozen 2013 Shiraz at quite a reasonable price for this area.

We called in to Zema but their offering to Frances was both a tad pricey and rated as OK.  Since they wouldn't allow Tammy in, we didn't fuss them with an order.

Penola has a few famous people associated with it.  It was the stomping ground of Adam Lindsay Gordon, a horseman and poet, commemorated with this bust.

 It was also a place where St Mary McKillop lived for a while, as a member of the household of the founder of the settlement.  It is astonishing how many places have some claim to her.  (The founding of the area was rather like that of Mayland, Essex where I grew up, in that the original squatter gave smallish plots of land to his workers.)

On getting back to Robe we called in at the brewery where I acquired  a few samples of the product and had an interesting conversation with the brewer.  He filters the beer through straw and the major fermentation happens in a milk storage tank!  It did seem like good brews however.  A review will be posted later.

We then went for a walk from the Jetty towards the lighthouse.  This was notable for nice scenery and disgusting wind.  The sea was very blue!

Some gnarly cliffs, explaining why the area is called the Limestone Coast.

Sea arches are not confined to Victoria!

A lighthouse of a very modern design.  A tad surprising as most navigation now is driven by GPS.

A swathe of what I call Scaevola sp.

A detail of the above.

Iam pretty sure this is a bean (family Fabaceae) but can go no further.  Perhaps my Eyre Peninsula books will have the answer?  Plant of the day.

Bird of the Day:  Australasian Gannet.  Common Sandpiper was a competitor and Brush Bronzewing would have won if I had seen it rather than just heard
Plant of the day: Purple pea with Scaevola a runner up 
Creek name of the day  Biscuit Flat Drain
Oddity of the day:  Tuesday was closed day for several businesses in Penola.
Striking thing of the day: Natural arches in sea out from the Obelisk.
Pie rating:  Bakery in Penola; Pepper pie.  Good flaky but not dry crust.  A lot of meat with a very good peppery taste.  Possibly a little too much liquid.  Equal to Holbrook.