Brooding would be the about the best word with which to describe the weather this morning. A definite warmth still prevailed, but ominous dark clouds were hanging in the sky, threatening to unleash a torrid downpour. It was very much calm before the storm like in appearance and ambiance. This was not something that we could allow to cause us any delay in our exploration of Adelaide however, so rather than bunkering down in the van, we buckled up in ‘The Beast’ and headed off.

It was only minutes later that we were pulling over to examine a promising looking caravan yard that boasted an expansive range of the massive fifth wheelers that we like. We truly shouldn’t even look, or else before we know it we’ll be tearing the canopy off of ‘The Beast’ and getting a turntable fitted to the back. Now there’s food for thought, although to be brutally honest, we found it difficult to like them. The ones on display have all been imported from the America and the interior décor is rather stagnant. It felt like stepping into a wood paneled hunting lodge sitting high up on the side of a mountain. A picture of golden leafed elm trees entered my mind, a clear stream meandering by with rubber booted fishermen standing in the shallows, throwing out flies for trout. Décor aside, I could see us moving into one of these, although at the price that is asked of them, it would have to be a permanent move. I’m not too sure that we’re ready for that, but it still is food for thought!

Today wasn’t the day though, so we left the giant trailers where they sat before heading down to the historic Port Adelaide quarter. A quick stop in at the local tourist information centre failed to yield any exciting information, apart from pointing out a few museums that we were already aware of, but not planning on visiting this trip anyway. So, no more enlightened than when we entered, we headed back out, planning to take a walk amongst the delightful old buildings.

The sudden onset of the previously only threatened rain put paid to the walk idea. Rather, we drove aimlessly about, getting terribly lost, but enjoying the views regardless.

Whilst we hadn’t formulated a precise plan for the days activities, we did have a list of possible sights we wished to take in. Therefore, after our visually stunning tour of Port Adelaide, we headed in the direction of the old Adelaide gaol. This we figured would make an ideal wet weather attraction. Little did we know at this point in time that the majority of the complex is outdoors.

On the outside, but for how long?

Unfortunately, guided tours are no longer available at the gaol, the only option now on offer to tourists being the self guided version. As we were to find out, armed with an informative map, it would still turn out to be an exciting and educational experience. A massive complex, built in the mid 1800s, it practically bankrupted the early colony as its construction costs soared. As it stands, it was never fully completed to its originally planned grandeur. It nonetheless served its purpose and served it well, functioning as a gaol right up until it was decommissioned in 1988.

Visitor time. Just like the movies.

Sorrow must almost be felt for the inmates in the later stages of the gaols life, as it barely changed from the time it was first opened. Two of the biggest inroads to inmate comfort came when first, piped radio was made available to every cell and later, porta-potti toilets were introduced to a select number of cells to take place of the otherwise unhygienic ‘night buckets’.

One of the more amenable cells.

The gaol was also the site of the only approved gallows in South Australia, where 45 prisoners faced the ultimate penalty for their crimes, death by hanging. Of these, only one was a female, who legend now has it was wrongfully convicted.

My Mug Shots.

Left side.

Front Side.

Backside!

After 2 tiring hours of ambulating about the prison yards, for the most part avoiding any of the heavier spurts of precipitation, it was time to move on. On the way to our next attraction, we espied an antique shop that held a window full of promising looking antiquities to browse through. In a case of making a spontaneous stop, we pulled in for what turned out to be an expensive look around as Bec left loaded to the gunwales with gifts to take home with her.

Our next stop was all about me, as I got to pay homage to a great outback pioneer, Reginald Murray Williams who is better known for the boots and leather goods he made that lead to the formation of the now world famous Australian brand, R.M. Williams. It was in the back shed of his fathers property at 5 Percy Street, Prospect where it all began. There is now a heritage museum at the location, where the life and times of the iconic R.M. Williams is brought to life through a series of informative displays and examples of the company’s products from years past. The product examples are generally pieces that happy customers have donated to the museum over the years. Old, worn out boots featured prominently, soles flapping about loosely, leather scored and torn, the hard life that these boots had been subjected to was evident.

Time to pay homage.

Me and the big man.

The museum also boasts a store chockablock full of the clothing and boots R.M. Williams is renown for, although I restrained myself successfully, managing to make a tactical withdrawal without need for dipping into my wallet. This was mostly due to the next stop of the day being at the little known about outlet store at the R.M. Williams factory.

As a quick aside, and another case of food for thought for the day, the house right next door to the museum is up for sale. For the tidy sum of $404,000 I could actually live right next door to the R.M. Williams museum! Hmm, food for thought!

While the factory store held great promise of bargains, it failed to live up to the hype. Sure, there were plenty of great products on the shelves, all at mostly reasonable prices, but there was nothing that particularly caught my attention. My only other wish was that the factory be open for tours, but this too was a hope that went unheeded.  

Utterly exhausted by this stage, we finally decided to call it a day and make tracks for the van. Only a quick stop at the supermarket delayed us, at which time the heavens again opened, dumping a short, but torrential load of rain down upon us. With this sudden torrent, the temperature also dipped, seeing us scurrying about shivering in our summer weight clothes as the wind fluttered coldly through the thin fabric. Yep, it was definitely time to get back to the comfort of the van.

Safely back, we found that the wind had also played havoc with our awning during the day, thankfully causing no sustained damage, but seeing me having to wrestle with it against the wind to get it reset and now hopefully anchored more securely. The weather you see is not forecast to become any better during our remaining time here.

Now, for my final case of food for thought for the day, our dinner. I say food for thought, because that was about all that it was worth, as I turned a tray full of delightfully tender beef into a near inedible mess of a tasteless stir fry. Food for thought.

Until next time, stay safe, have fun and don’t forget to write.