Corroboree in Adelaide

The flight from LAX to Melbourne was a new experience aboard the Qantas A380 Airbus. This is the largest plane ever made and was initially designed to carry 800 passengers with 2 full levels of seating. Qantas has reconfigured it to hold around 500. Service was excellent, and I never felt as though I was on an overcrowded aircraft.
Our 3-day Corroboree has been a great learning experience as we met with over a hundred Australian vendors to learn wonderful sites and experiences for my clients. Work, however, was mixed with fun social events. From the opening

cocktail reception at the National Wine Center to the closing Opal Gala, I visited with other Aussie Specialist friends, dined on delicious foods and sampled wonderful Australian wines.

The second evening was a special evening at the Penfolds Wine Estate. Although this is a well-known Australian winery, I was ignorant about their Grange wines which are a blend of Shiraz and Cabinet Sauvignon. The first vintage of Penfold's Grange was made on an experimental basis in 1951 by Max Shubert, an employee of Penfolds Wines. Having toured Europe in 1950, he developed wine-making techniques observed

in Bordeaux upon his return with the hope of creating a red wine able to rival the finest Bordeaux creating a red wine able to rival the finest Bordeaux wines both in terms of quality and ageing potential. He was definitely successful in this blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Grange wines are considered the top collector's wine in Australia, and a 1951 vintage sold in 2004 for over $50,000 Australian dollars. Needless to say we enjoyed good wines but none of the Grange!
These photos,taken over the last 3 days were the view from my room at the Adelaide Hilton showing the Australian and Aboriginal flag blowing in the breeze on a very beautiful spring afternoon. The barrels of wine at the vineyard were each valued at over a million dollars and the other one is of me with the “Bondi Boys” from Let's Go surfing. I've decided my next visit to Sydney will not be complete without surfing lessons at the famous Bondi Beach from these guys. It's a rough job but someone's got to do it!
Returning to South Australia has enhanced my appreciation of this area as a must-see site for visitors to Australia. If the abundant wildlife, numerous wine regions, ancient Aboriginal history and breathtaking scenery aren't enough to whet your appetite, the hospitality of the people will complete the picture.
Although our brief stay in Adelaide has been delightful, I'm anticipating incredible adventures and natural beauty as we fly south to the island of Tasmania.
Linda