The cell offered a pleasant night's sleep, better than the guide suggested: previously the prison had installed heaters to keep back the damp. It being summer I guess there was no need. The inclusive breakfast was cereals and toast, self service. Nothing special but very good considering this was one of the cheapest stays we've had. We did our self-guide of the gaol but a couple of the feature parts were still locked from overnight.
We took off on the 500 odd km drive to Adelaide, ropey Radio National presenters and all. When FM gave up the second station on AM was Radio National, thus it was ordained. One chap was an English expert who gave a half decent performance but, having set an obscure question about collective nouns, bemoaned the one woman who looked the answer up after the half dozen previous callers who either repeated answers or ignored the clues: it's not a bird
is it a penguin?
no
Then the same presenter introduced her politics expert: he really likes a good argument with people
actually, I don't
The politics seemed to be mostly about South Australia's shocking financial mismanagement of, well, just about anything (currently an AU$140million hole in the [lately] privatised water company appearing after moves to "buy back the farm"). One questioner asking if SA could become a territory again. Sadly not, he pointed out, as the Commonwealth (of Australia) is indissoluable and so they're stuck with being a state (perhaps they should review pictures of Chamberlain in 1938/9). He noted that at the last opportunity to become a state that Nothern Territories noted that they have [a] virtual autonomy and much more money from Canberra so decided to remain a territory. Smart move.
After that I had to wake Helen at Jack's Point a rare feature where you could see the sign ahead and stop for it, where the advertised pelicans were missing. And that was it for the drive to Adelaide. Not very interesting at all.
The Adelaide YHA is nice and clean and doesn't seem to busy. A trot round town looking for tea suggests that the YHA's actually doing a good price for Internet access round here, a [still] pricey AU$4 per hour. Typing journals is going to be expensive. We had a Moroccan for tea, Helen bemoaning that the slow cooked chicken came off the bone too easily (isn't that the point?). Then we nipped next door for a late night cakey from a remarkably busy coffe and cake shop.
Adelaide YHA, Adelaide S34.92636 E138.59451 Elev. 26m
Copyright 2003 Ian Fitchet. All rights reserved.