16 Strangers, 1 Bus, 30 Wines... Makes a difference!!!

Food!!! Yes, that is what we'd always start with. Is it not. Its what gives us a really good push in life. One that can never be ignored. Its a beautiful aspect of life that many have no clue about. We never want to explore what other dishes and cuisines have. The taste and smells of these wonderful or even weird looking food. Why is it such a difficulty to understand?

I have made one definite decision on this trip to Australia. No INDIAN FOOD. I get enough and more of it when i'm there in India. With the spices and curries and the what nots... I'm in for BREAD and pasta and delicacies that are unknown to my pallet.

Unfortunately, i'm yet to taste something that is going to make my mouth water with delight more than a hot chicken curry. I hear you have subtle tastes and hard spicy tastes too.

But lets put all the eating out of the way, we have more delightful and more interesting business to get to.

The bus ride, Yay.. This is a ride where I really thought to myself, what in the world am I doing. I'm in a bus going to this destination and I know 1 person. yes, exactly one person. No one else. AAAAHHH... I remember thinking to myself. Have I lost it.

My mamma told me not to talk to strangers... Where did all that go?

Jokes apart, Yes, I did feel like the out of place creep sitting in the bus. It was a remarkable experience. Well, Antonella was the first to break the silence, because I was really really unsure of how to kickstart a conversation. Yes, I really was. It was like a mental block just occurred. Where did all those years of meeting new people and talking and  breaking the silence go? Well, I guess, it was somewhere there in the background because after Antonella, It was Cassandra, Emma, Michael, Sophie, Rowan, Jo, Kate etc etc. I cannot even keep track of the names after a point of time. Everyone just warmed up and we all had a great time chatting with each other on this trip.

The bunch of strangers

It sure was a rainy day. We made the best of it though!

McLaren Vale, Here we come... This was the beginning of the trip.

First stop; Paxton winery. :) Yes, it was definitely a wine tasting trip.

Description of what we're having being given

Look at this... Fruits to take away!!!

Give me one good reason its called a Kaffir Lime. Really "Kaffir" ???

After dowsing about 10 different types of wines' both red and white, I realised mixing them was not a good idea. I was drinking a LOT of water and it did help I guess. I was just praying I don't pass out or something. I'm just not the drinker... (just listen to me whine).

Next Stop: Tapestry; Yes, it was gorgeous to step outside. It was one of the few places that having a glass of wine and standing in the sun felt brilliant!

The the second round begin!

Awaiting round 2!!! ;)

This is what the outside was beginning to look like. Its got to have been the best view out.

Any way, All we did was drink more and more. But the last place was a place that had a surprise that was unlike any I had had. Olives. Lovely tasty Olives. It was the Lloyds.

Waiting to be filled just to get emptied.

Line em up people...

Probably the most gorgeous fireplace i've seen

The olives are gone... Loved em

The conversations just kept on pouring

After about 2 drinks in Lloyd and all the extra food, I realised that I was feeling really down and outright bored so I decided to stop the alcohol intake and start with the camera. I tried to take pictures as well as a camera phone would allow of the area around the winery.

The Lake

Patterns by the edge

Olive Trees

Another view

I think that is grass. Not sure though

Steps into the water

Simply gorgeous

Loved the water

Ironically, I got Jo's D90 and started shooting as much as I could. Sadly, I don't have any of those pictures. I wish I did though. I took some really interesting shots.

To give you a summary of the kind of diversity that we are talking about, the various countries that we used to come from are as follows, in no particular order:
1. Australia

2. Italy

3. Germany

4. Korea

5. China

6. Indonesia

7. India

Not bad considering we were 17 of us in the bus. Probably one of the most diverse crowds i've got around to. I have to mention my special thanks to Rachel for inviting me along for this trip and Jemma for being the best tour guide/operator/organiser you can imagine.

All in all, I had a brilliant time. 

Skates to Heels, Ice Factor extravaganza

From the Ice Arena to the ramp and down the catwalk is what children of about 12 schools did on Friday last week. Yes, it was an interesting day especially because, i've been observing one set of children for quite some time. I've been really excited to be a part of the Ice Factor programme in my placement and its definitely something that is very inspiring for me as a person who see's how positive modes of motivation can really work in one's life. It is a lifeline to walk from being at risk to being forward. What a feeling that definitely is.

Anyway, getting back to the extravaganza. Children from the school got to walk into the Hilton hotel and walk the ramp in front of some of the biggest names in sport, business and other areas of the country. People who can make a difference. Let me not mislead anyone. This was a fundraiser and boy was it a really good one. A fund raiser that has a potential to raise quite a lot of money at that.

You can imagine why some of the students who came around with this looked so stunned as they walked in. WEll, this is what meets them as the walk up the steps to the ballroom. This brilliant array of hanging lights would dazzle anyone. The hotel itself was a display of brilliant arwork

The artworks included from random paintings to crazy pictures. All for sale. I checked the price; not for the faint hearted. Averages about 1500 AU Dollars.

But the highlight of the day was the actual fashion show that the kids put up. Imagine having about 100 teenagers in a room for 8 hours and then tell them to go on stage. That has to be really a challenge. A challenge that every staff member took to heart and decided to do with passion and care for their students. Every single one of them that they loved.

I've got some pics of how the event looked. Really lovely.

I have to admit that I it was a long day but was really amazing to see these kids do well for themselves. Every single one of them did a brilliant job. It was an awesome feeling to be a part of the whole thing.

Reached home at 11:30 in the night but the whole bus journey was a lovely re run of the whole night's event.

With assignments beckoning, I decided to make the night even longer.

Victor Harbour, Inman Valley, Myponga

My memory is not quite vivid as it would have been just after the trip but I can never forget many of the sights, sounds and smells, yes I did say smells that I got when I was on this trip.

Some of the scenes and many of the place were simply breath taking. This is where Kaye feels right at home because this is the general area where she grew up. We even went to the places where she lived many years ago when she grew up. The beautiful farms and lovely fauna and flora of Australia. This is one country that has seen immense amounts of change over the last 200 years. Change that 'we' humans have brought about to the world. Its not something that we can ignore, yet it is something that has a lot of raw facts attached to it and one that every human can learn from in his/her own way.

I'll let the pictures show you what I saw on this beautiful journey. My experiences as well.

And so the journey began

Vineyards at Mclaren Vale

McLaren Vale in sight

More Vineyards

The High School where Kaye Studied

An interesting colour for a tree!!

The Country Side

Artificial Forestation

Beautiful drive into the woods

A Private Wildlife Park!

Deceptively Beautiful!!!

Kaye and Mike

Kangaroos looking for a feed

Wombat!!

The DINGO!

Kaye, Mike and Rebecca

What a Peacock!

In Flight Mode

Fresh water Croc

Cheeky fella looking for food

Pythonsssssss

Can you guess which bird this was?

This was where we saw em :)

The Reservoir!!! 

That Same Reservoir. Myponga Valley Reservoir

And it all came to an end!!!

I really hope you got a good glimpse of what I saw. Have a good one.

PS: This is not my phone camera taking pics. Borrowed a decent camera from a friend.