Day 13 Happy meetings

Today we left Kingston and drove towards Adelaide. Before leaving the small town we looked at the absurd statue of a giant lobster that they have on the way in or out of town, apparently known as Larry the Lobster.

Larry the lobster in Kingston

We however forgot to stop at the last gas station in Kingston and had some sweaty moments when the next station had closed, but we managed to make another 60 km without any problems. The landscape was again different and we have travelled through a kind of forest with low bushes along the sea. We have also seen lakes with probably salt, or brackish water. Some parts seemed to be salt lakes, all white areas that looked like lakes but had not water. On one beach of one of the lakes we also saw two emus. On the way we also crossed river Murray on a small ferry.

Crossing river Murray

Yesterday we were in touch with Kieran, the farmer that my brother Mikael worked for during the year he spent in Australia. Kieran is now retired as farmer and has moved to Strathalbyn in the Adelaide area. We were invited for lunch so our first stop was Strathalbyn. It was wonderful meeting Kieran, and he had also invited his brother Adrian and sister Geraldine. They treated us to a lovely lunch, a tasty chicken salad, but the very best part was the home grown apricots we got for dessert, along with grapes and water melon. After lunch Kieran and Adrian showed us the estate, compared to the old farm it is tiny but there is still a little over 60 hectares. There were also some sheds, including the small airplane that is used mainly by Adrian. Earlier he flew with passengers, but nowadays he flies this smaller aircraft on his own. We also got to see the newly built shearing shed, designed both for the sheep and for party according to Kieran. After a couple of hours we left for Adelaide, where we checked into The Stamford Plaza hotel. Annika took a swim in the pool and soon Mikael and Åsa arrived from the airport and we could all assemble by the pool.

Aircraft inspection with Tex the dog

Fitzgerald family crest

The windmill and water tank

Sign from the old farm Myall Glin

Inspection of the shearing shed

Geraldine, Kieran, Adrian, Lennart, Christina and Alice 

It is always a fantastic thing, I think. You travel to distant countries, in this case to the other side of the globe and you can decide to meet at a certain place and time and it works! It was really a happy reunion, and we are also joined by Mikael's and Åsa's friends from Värmdö, Anneli and Markus. After drinks in the hotel bar we went to a restaurant called The Noble Gentleman, only a couple of blocks away. We found them because they follow Åsas canola oil enterprise and Säby gård on Instagram! The owners also came out and spoke to Åsa and Mikael since we told the waitress how we found them!

Green glittering drink at the hotel

The Noble Gentleman

Mural painting close to the hotel