Slow travel is about the journey, not just the destination. Being excited about where you’re going, but being just as excited by how you get there, the people you meet, the sights you see and the experiences you have along the way. About slowing down to acknowledge that the journey you’re on allows, for the briefest moment, the chance to peer into someone else’s life and to share that moment in time with them. — The Travel Word
If I’m not walking or eating in blissful Bali you’ll probably find me in a day spa. It’s my equal favourite of things to do here and there are plenty of spas to choose from all over the island.
I’ve been spending lots of time in Sanur just lately. It’s sleepier than the other side of the island and there are no traffic jams. Not yet, at least.
There’s paved path that winds its way along the coast for around 4 kms past shops and restaurants and traditional boats bobbing on the water. There’s always an interesting sight to see at any time of the day or evening.
Walking inevitably prompts an appetite and it’s not difficult to find delicious food, local or not, nearby. There is a wide choice of restaurants along the paved path as well as cafes and warungs further back from the shore.
Once I’ve satisfied these two primary addictions I always feel I’ve deserved a pamper-treat so I head to a spa. I have put together my shortlist of personal favourites in Sanur, with a brief description of why I added each to my bliss list.
First on my list is Peni Weni in Jalan Sudamala, at the south end of Sanur. It’s owned by a local and is quite traditional in its decor and many of the treatments offered here. The main salon area is open and there is usually a quiet buzz of conversation, in a variety of languages, between staff and clients enjoying mani-pedis. I’m glad I speak and understand Indonesian and a smidge of Balinese because I often pick up a titbit of local gossip.
My ultimate pleasure treatment here is the traditional cream bath. After a half-hour head massage, with a thick conditioning lotion, my head is wrapped in a warm towel to help the conditioner do magic things to my hair. While this magic happens my arms, hands, neck and shoulders are massaged. Then my hair is washed and blow-dried before I float out of the salon in a dreamy state. All this for around$15Aus.
Exactly next door is Leha-Leha Spa. Like its neighbour, Leha-Leha Spa follows a traditional Indonesian theme. Flowers, incense and soft music create an ambience, both welcoming and relaxing, as clients prepare for their chosen treatment. I recently indulged in a three hour massage-body scrub-facial-flower bath combination that left me in a bubble of euphoria for the rest of the day.
Uptown, on Jalan Danau Tamblingan, Sanur’s main road, isKoa Boutique Spa. This one is a more sophisticated venue and offers an onsite boutique so you can buy a new handbag, frock or other adornment after your treatment.
A one hour massage at Koa will cost around $16Aus. I have enjoyed very good massages here although the salon has cubicles rather than enclosed rooms and there were distractions as clients came in and out of the area. I admit this did disturb my mindfulness practice.
My favourite Koa treatment is the very professional pedicure which incorporates a foot scrub and leg massage for $22Aus. Lots of colours to choose from too.
As far as location goes,The Nest wins hands-down as the very best in Sanur. Perched on the edge of the beach with a clear view of boats and sparkling water this spa ensures an exquisite experience even before you enter the salon.
My pick of treatments here is Happy Feet, which costs $37aus and lasts 70 minutes. My feet are exfoliated, and massaged, treated with a cooling mint foot mask, moisturised then finished with an expert polish application. It is a bit dearer here than the other day spas mentioned but that’s a minor consideration when the view from my pedi-chair is worth an abundance of rupiah.
Guests are offered a refreshing lime sorbet at the end of their treatment at The Nest. What a beautiful way to finish a delightful experience.
All off my top four are within about 2kms of each other and easily accessible by bicycle.
I had scheduled four days in Faro with an option of an extra four if I found I was having enough fun there. I searched the inter web for Faro-related articles entitled ‘Best Things To Do…….’ and ‘Top Ten Things….’ and found a few. They all mentioned churches, in particular Cappella dos Ossos (The Chapel of Bones), the museum and the old town buildings. Portuguese churches are certainly spectacular inside and mostly majestic outside. I did visit a few and enjoyed each.
Iglesia De San Pedro, Faro
Apart from old buildings, however, I couldn’t find a lot of inspiration from the articles I read. I feared I may have to leave Faro after only four days.
Until I started eating.
Pastéis de Nata
It began with a Pastel de Nata – that famous little Portuguese custard tart. It was the perfect, bite-size treat to accompany the excellent coffee I found in Faro.
I soon realised that Pastéis de Nata are the tip of the ice(bakery)berg and that Portugal rivals France as the cake capital of my world.
By day three I was eating cakes for breakfast as well as morning tea and evening desert.
Meanwhile I was also discovering the abundance of tasty seafood available in Faro. Sardines are a popular local staple and seem to be eaten regularly with salads and boiled potatoes.
Grilled sardines
Then there are clams and whole baked fish, huge fat prawns and scallops, salted cod, crabs, grilled octopus and grilled squid.
Grilled squid
Arroz de marisco (seafood rice) is a specialty dish and I couldn’t get enough of it. It’s a kind of soupy version of risotto filled with ocean treasures. It’s blissful.
Portugal deserves far higher praise than it receives for its wine and I discovered a whole new style whilst in Faro; Vinho Verde, a young (green) white wine that perfectly complements seafood. A heavenly match made in Portugal.
Vinho Verde
I’m not a huge fan of beer but Karl, who is, shared tastes of his Super Bock and also Sagres, two local beers that, I must admit, also go well with a seafood feast.
Within four days we had three favourite restaurants; Antonios, Taberna Modesto and Chefe Branco.
But it was a trip to the Faro market that made us realise resistance was futile and four days was not long enough to taste everything Faro had to offer. We extended the trip, booked into an apartment, at Faro Beach, with a kitchen and started cooking.
Faro fish market
Now all that eating required a counter strategy in order to avoid excessive weight gain so I began researching walking trails. My first step was to contact Faro Free Walking Tours and book in with the most informative Andre who walked us all around Faro telling tales of the city dating back to Roman times. Bishops, saints and Moors featured in those fascinating tales and I felt entranced as I listened and walked in the footsteps of the true-life characters.
We continued walking around Faro once our tour had finished as there was lots to see and learn. Many tales were illustrated by blue and white ceramic tiles depicting travellers to, and inhabitants of Faro in ancient days.
Portugal’s tiles
Having walked the mosaic pavements of Faro past town walls, towers, arches, churches, statues and such I decided it was time to broaden my walking radar.
There are many small islands, off the coast of Faro, that are easily accessible by ferry, water taxi or commercial charter. Since we were newbies to the area we paid €30 each for a hop-on-hop-off tour. Our boat captains were wonderfully chatty and helpful and colour co-ordinated (even down to their shoes) with their yellow boat. We had no regrets about choosing our HOPO tour although we now know we could have done it cheaper by using local ferries.
We enjoyed great views of Faro as we left and cruised towards our first stop, and second walking location, Ilha Deserta. This 7km long island is, as the name suggests, deserted apart from one lone inhabitant who goes fishing a lot. It features a lighthouse, a very long boardwalk and a bit of driftwood beach art. The beach itself is stunning and after walking the length of the boardwalk we swam in the cool Atlantic Ocean.
Our next stop, and third walking location, was Farol where we visited another lighthouse and walked along the beach to Culatra, the small village at the opposite end of the island. The white-sand beach made a stunning contrast to the cloudless blue sky.
Enticing aromas of grilled seafood greeted us on arrival st Culatra so we enjoyed lunch at one of the small restaurants. Grilled sardines, of course.
Our move to Faro Beach for the extension of our stay opened up new walking possibilities in a fourth location. After arriving by local ferry (€2 one way) we settled into our beachfront accomodation and started walking.
Just like the islands, Faro Beach is criss-crossed with excellent boardwalks and we followed them for miles. To the north we saw Faro across the lagoon and to the south we saw the Atlantic stretch out to the horizon. Cute shacks, in various states of disrepair, dotted the boardwalks at frequent intervals.
Staying right on the beach during a hot Portuguese summer was perfection. We swam through the day and walked morning and evening.
I had read about the Ludo Trail nearby and decided that it would become our fifth long walk in Faro. It’s a walking trail (mostly boardwalks of course) through the Ria Formosa, a huge natural park comprising a series of small islands and lagoons. Flamingos and Chameleons live in the Ria Formosa and I was keen to see both.
We walked there very early one morning to avoid the heat of the day. It was serenely beautiful and, sure enough, we saw plenty of graceful flamingos.
We walked for three hours along the paths and boardwalks observing birdlife, crabs and fish large and small. The lagoons were teaming with life.
We only spotted one chameleon. We found him at the top of a post sunning himself.
I love reading novels set where I am traveling and I found ‘300 Days In The Sun’ by Deborah Lawrenson to enjoy during my stay in Faro. The plot was intriguing and the story was well written. The fact that I recognised coastline, customs, buildings and even cafés made the novel all that more enjoyable to me.
On the north side of Buderim Mountain, just a ten minute drive from the Sunshine Coast town of Mooroochydore, lies a tropical oasis called Buderim Forest Park.
Information Board
There are two entry points to this gem of a park. We entered from Harry’s Lane, located off Lindsey Road. Harry’s Lane leads to an inviting-looking restaurant called Harry’s at Buderim but we walked past, noting its presence for another day.
Boardwalk
Instead we walked along a windey boardwalk leading into the rainforest, through tall trees and lush ferns.
The boardwalk eventually reaches a more challenging rocky path. Then an even further challenging creek crossing.
Rocky crossing
I managed to traverse the rocky crossing with a helping hand from #3 son Jack.
A helping hand
There are small bridges along the way too. Easier than the rocky crossing but not as much fun.
small bridge
Small falls can be seen from those small bridges.
Small falls
We saw fauna, including birds, butterflies, lizards and a peacock, as well as plenty of flora in a range of vivid colours.
Colours of the forestPool
Small pools offer opportunities for a dip.
Jack
At the end of the path lies the beautiful Serenity Falls. You can walk along a rocky ledge for photos behind the silvery curtain of water.
Under the waterfall
Jack and I took turns for a photo opportunity.
Taken from a high bridge
Serenity Bridge is a high structure that provides an opportunity to view the whole falls and Martin’s Creek which feeds them.
Serenity Falls
I get why they are called ‘Serenity Falls’. The atmosphere here is serene and tranquil and a little bit magic.
The Spirit of Queensland runs five times each week between Cairns and Brisbane, a distance of 1,681 kilometres. I jumped at the chance to book a south-bound journey as an alternative to flying. The fare was more expensive than a flight but the prospect of an overnight adventure was worth it.
Spirit of Queensland tilt train.
After a wonderful week of exploring Far North Queensland, admiring art and enjoying food, we channeled our inner Michael Portillo and excitedly prepared for our return journey to Brisbane by train.
Cairns has a fabulous abundance of south-east Asian food options
Cairns is known for its excellent, authentic-style Asian food and we had enjoyed Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine during our stay . We also managed to time it just right to catch ‘City Lights’, a fabulous art projection organised by the annual Cairns Festival and spent our last evening eating Pho and watching a light show just across the road.
City Lights art projection on the historic Cairns City Library.
Despite the fact there was rain predicted we chose to walk to the train station on the morning of our departure. There was a bit of drizzle around and I arrived with slightly damp hair but we were mindful of the impending 25 hours of sitting down on a train and figured some leg stretching might be in order.
Cairns Station
Karl complains that I always cause us to arrive far too early for plane and train journeys but I don’t like to take any chances. He stopped complaining when he spotted a sophisticated coffee machine in a cafe adjacent to the station that was open at when we arrived at 7am. I stayed on the platform and waited for the train.
South-bound Spirit of Queensland
It duly arrived before its scheduled departure time of 8.35am and together we climbed excitedly aboard. We love a train trip.
An added enticement was the fact that this train has ‘pods’, similar to those in Business Class on planes, rather than traditional sleeper carriages. Due to the global pandemic we hadn’t traveled in a Business Class plane seat for almost two years and withdrawals were setting in.
‘Pods’ aboard the Spirit of Queensland
Another reminder of what we were missing were our amenities packs. A handy sanitiser, lip balm, a face washer and hand cream were included but I was surprised at the absence of a toothbrush, especially since the trip went overnight and the train had a bathroom (more on that later).
Bubbles Organic ammenities pack
We sat back and enjoyed the passing scenery which initially featured rainforest and, appropriately, rain.
Passing scenery
An attentive staff member arrived to take our menu choices for lunch, dinner and breakfast the following morning. I was really starting to enjoy this plane, I mean train, journey.
Menu
Once that task was completed I turned my mind to paid work. I had a contract to mark University papers and the due date was looming. I love it that I can do this work from anywhere in the world (wishful thinking during the pandemic) and a comfy seat on a train with a large picture window was a very pleasant workspace.
A morning’s work on board the train
Karl continued to enjoy the view.
River and rain
I had chosen a filo pastry concoction with roasted vegetables on the inside and a balsamic glaze on the outside. Karl had ordered sticky honey-soy chicken. We both had dessert. And we both had wine. Just like we do in Business on a plane except we had the added appeal of a view.
Lunch with wine
At some stage we noticed the north-bound Spirit of Queensland passing by on its way to Cairns.
The northbound Spirit of Queensland
With a full tummy and wine-induced sense of relaxation I turned on the large TV screen and scrolled through the movie selection.
Time for a catch up on movies
I watched two movies before dinner and another after. The beef cheeks I ordered were as tender as any I had ever tasted. Who knew train food could be this good?
Beef cheeks for dinner
Blissed out by good food, nice wine, movies and a sense of adventure I gathered my pyjamas (my brown, Qantas First set) and my toothbrush and headed for the bathroom. That’s right, there is a full and proper bathroom on board this train with hot water, good water pressure and plenty of space. I haven’t yet enjoyed this form of luxury on a plane.
The bathroom on board
Et voila! On my return from the bathroom I was greeted with a flat bed, crisp white sheets, a fat pillow and a fluffy doona. I lay down and felt the gentle, rhythmic rocking motion of the train and prepared myself for a perfect night’s sleep.
Comfy beds
I should have known it was too good to be true! Everything had been super-perfect until I lay my head on my fat pillow. Then it started- the incessant snoring of my across-the-aisle neighbour.
And my in-front neighbour.
And another somewhere else in the carriage.
This is why they have sleeper carriages on trains. You see, jet engines on planes are louder that the clickety-clack of train wheels, the engines drown out the sound of snoring passengers. I was in a business class carriage but I had brought my economy class earplugs and they were not up to the challenge of my loud neighbours.
It sounded like a zoo in there.
Neither Karl nor I slept well and started the next morning feeling groggy and sluggish. We drank extra coffee with breakfast and observed the changing scenery (less rainforesty now) with bleary eyes.
The changing scenery as we headed further south
We crossed numerous waterways as we headed through Gympie and into greater Brisbane. There’s a lot of water in Queensland.
Houghton River
On our return home we prepared for an early night to catch up on sleep. Our exhaustion didn’t detract from our enjoyment, however, and we agreed we would do it all over again if we could. We’ll take business-class earplugs next time.
The Nakasendo Way or ‘Road through the Central Mountains’ was part of feudal Japan’s network of highways used by Samurai, merchants and other travellers over many past centuries.
The road stretches between Kyoto and Tokyo with several ‘Juku’ or post towns dotted along the way. These ‘Juku’ were where weary travellers would stay overnight to rest and recuperate during their long journey.
I hatched a plan to channel my inner Samurai (I have read of female ‘Samurai’ warriors known asonnabugeisha or ‘martially-skilled women’) and walk along the Nakasendo Way from one post town to the next.
Narai’s very long Main Street
Narai-Juku is known for its very long main street and its two-storey, timber buildings. It has been designated as an architectural preservation site due to its well preserved buildings. Walking along the street in Narai is like stepping back in time a century or two.
I booked to stay a night at one of the buildings that happens to be 230 years old. True story.
Echigoya Ryokan
Echigoya is a ryokan or traditional Japanese Inn. Ryokan typically feature tatami matted rooms and communal baths. Visitors are encouraged to wear traditional cotton kimono, known as yukata, and allow themselves to be spoiled by the owner.
Entranceway to Echigoya
I had definite reservations about the idea of communal baths and sleeping on tatami mats but I did like the idea of being spoiled. I convinced my travel companion, Kerry, that we should experience this little gem of traditional Japanese culture and we prepared ourselves to be spoiled.
Ancient messages at Echigoya
The inn was slightly museum-like in the sense that there were ancient artefacts everywhere we looked. Nevertheless when we checked in we felt welcome and comfortable in a non-museum way.
Internal garden between our host’s rooms and ours
Our host, Yutaka, lives with his family at the front of the building with a small atrium garden separating the family space from the rooms Kerry and I stayed in.
Floor sitting arrangement
We had two conjoined rooms with tatami matted floors and rice-paper sliding doors. When I said we felt comfortable I omitted to mention the floor-sitting requirement. It wasn’t at all comfortable and getting up from the floor was a very real challenge for women of a certain age (like us).
Yutaka explained this special rock has been at Echigoya since his grandfather was a small baby.
We had wifi however, very un-Samurai to check your email, I know, but we did consider it a redeeming feature after the floor sitting arrangement.
The dining room/bedroom
Kerry and I each reserved early bath times so that we could have hot, clean water. The bath water is not changed between bathers. There is a strict routine involved in the traditional Japanese bathing ritual whereby everyone has to scrub every inch before stepping into the tub but still and all I couldn’t quite come at the idea of having a bath in water previously used by an unknown bather.
The wooden tub was long and deep and full of hot water. The sensation was soothing and relaxing and I felt somewhat of an imposter since I hadn’t really walked anywhere yet.
Just some of our feast of tiny morsels
Once bathed and dressed in yukatas we prepared to be spoiled. We were. Our host brought us many tiny morsels of traditional fare in attractive ceramic bowls on a lacquered tray. Lacquerware is a thing in these parts.
おいしい (delicious)
We enjoyed carp sashimi, miso soup, mountain vegetables, a whole grilled river fish, tempura vegetables, squid and jasmine rice just to name a few dishes. Everything tasted divine. We had brought along a bottle of red wine (because we are Australians) and it went down a treat with our Japanese feast.
Comfy beds
After dinner we retired to our other tatami matted room and reclined while our host magic-ed our dining room into our bedroom. Surprisingly comfortable beds afforded us a good night’s sleep in preparation for the main event next morning; the walk.
And so, after being spoiled again with a breakfast equally as special as dinner, we donned backpacks, farewelled our wonderful host and headed up the hill to begin our walk.
With our wonderful host, Yutaka
Our destination was Yubahara, the next post town on the Nakasendo trail, and we expected to take about three hours to walk there across the Torii Pass. It was just a little walk, enough to give us a taste of the trail and leave time for shopping. I had become addicted to vintage kimonos by this stage and I needed to program in a bit more kimono shopping time in Tokyo. We only had ten days in Japan this time, our first time, and we were opting for a taste of everything we could fit in. We already knew, at this stage, that we would be back to visit this fascinating country. So there will be more Nakasendo Way walks in the future to look forward to.
Near the shrine at the edge of Narai
We headed for the shrine that indicates the end of town and the begining of the path towards the Torri Pass. It is known as Shizume Jinjaand ancient travellers would pray at this large Shinto shrine for a safe journey or give thanks upon arrival.
Shizume Jinja Shrine
We said our prayers and started the climb. This section of the Nakasendo Way is said to be among the most difficult of the whole trail. We steeled ourselves and proceeded nevertheless.
The ascent begins
The distance from Narai, across the path to Yabuhara, is just over 7kms. There are lots of signposts, in both Japanese and English, along the way.
At first the path tracks along a plain, ordinary road. Not very attractive but it’s just a short stretch.
Then the forest begins and it’s just beautiful. There’s birdsong, chirping crickets and the sound of running water from a small river.
Plenty of information for walkers
The incline was steady but not too arduous. I’d read as much as I could find about this part of the Nakasendo and reports of relative difficulty were varied. I had taken a stab and decided to walk from Narai to Yabuhara because the incline seemed more gentle in comparison to the opposite direction. I think I got it right.
Paved path
I was both terrified and excited about the prospect of meeting a Japanese bear along the way. We had heard one was spotted the previous day.
Beware of bears
But we walked alone for over an hour without seeing bears or humans.
The steady incline to the Pass
In fact we saw no-one until just before we reached the Torri pass and ran into a couple of walkers heading in the opposite direction.
Just about half way
Despite the absence of bears and humans there was plenty to see including the odd rustic shrine.
Rustic shrine
And small wooden bridges across the babbling river.
Wooden bridge
We saw cascading wisteria and other, interesting, flower varieties.
Is it an insect eating flower?
There were small pools of fresh water, some with cups.
Fresh water and a drinking cup
And then the pass. I imagined the relief of ancient travellers on reaching this point. It would have been a far more difficult journey in times gone by. Someone, at some time, had cleared paths and built bridges to make my walk easy but it wouldn’t always have been that way.
Torri pass is a dividing ridge. The nearby river is known as the Narai River in the north and the Kiso River in the south.
During the Warring States period of Japanese history, Kiso Yoshinaka, a General during those times, worshiped Mt. Ontake from the top of this pass to pray for victory over the Ogasawara clan in nearby Matsumoto. Yoshinaka built the Torri gate as a token of his appreciation for victory and the pass has been called Torii since then.
The Torri gate at the pass
The Torri gate announced a small Shinto temple, guarded by statues of warriors and Gods.
From the temple there is a clear view of Mt Ontake.
I could have spent longer here enjoying the serenity and admiring the view. It was truly special.
After taking a few photos and chatting with a few travellers about the incidence of bears we started our decline. It wasn’t long before we saw the small town of Yabuhara nestled in a valley below.
However there were still reminders of bear presence and we rang bells accordingly.
We made a few more prayers and wishes and offered coins at a few more shrines.
The descent was steep and constant and I felt reassured that I had made the right decision in starting our journey from Narai.
Before we knew it we were leaving that beautiful forest behind and stepping back into the 21st century. The tranquility of the forest and the history represented by temples and shrines had created a sense of another world in my mind; possibly a world involving Samurai and onnabugeisha.
Yabuhara struck me as a quaint and friendly town. It didn’t have the presence we had felt in a Narai, nor the historic ambience, but it certainly had friendly locals and we chatted to a few over coffee before heading to the train station to continue on with our journey.
I’m already planning another Nakasendo walk and so should you. It’s a captivating indulgence combining history, nature, physical exercise and Japanese culture.
Shibu Onsen is a tiny town, near Nagano, famous for its hot springs. Travellers come here to stay in traditional Japanese inns, known as ryokan, and visit the nine onsen or bath houses. There’s a belief that if you visit all nine you’ll enjoy longevity, prosperity, health, wealth and other magic.
Visiting the onsens
There are ski fields nearby and a colony of monkeys fortunate to have their very own onsen where they bathe to stay warm when the weather turns cold. They are actually Japanese macaques but known as ‘Snow Monkeys’ and tend to draw a crowd during the snow season.
The attraction of hot pools, ski fields and Snow Monkeys causes Shibu Onsen to bustle with tourists during winter. I visited during spring mainly because I wanted to experience traditional Japanese onsen culture and found a quaint and quiet little town unencumbered by droves of tourists. It was perfect. Since I was so close to the monkeys I thought I’d visit them too.
To the monkey park
Jigokudani Monkey Park is about 3kms from the little town, up a mountain, through a forest and alongside mountain streams and hot pools. My fellow traveller, Kerry, and I thought we’d walk there to explore a bit more of the area. We weren’t sure we would see monkeys since it was springtime, quite warm and even a little bit humid. We figured the monkeys may have headed further into the forest to find shady places to cool down. Obviously we’d see something, if not monkeys, we were in countryside Japan after all.
The first thing we saw was boiled eggs on the side of the road being cooked by hot mineral water from one of a thousand hot springs.
Soft boiled eggs
We bought a breakfast egg each then continued along the Main Street, past a number of public baths.
Onsen
The Main Street is lined with traditional hotels, small shops and tiny restaurants.
Traditional hotel
As we began the uphill climb we came upon a traditional ‘gate’ and a temple resplendent with statues and deities, ornate gardens and decorative shrines.
At the temple
We continued the uphill climb, for the best part of 2kms actually, through a forest of tall straight pines.
The atmosphere was serene and the views rewarding. Apart from a couple of passing cars we had the road to ourselves for our entire journey.
We were fascinated by the steam outlets along the way. They were man-made but the reason for them unclear. Perhaps they reduced volcanic pressure and reduced the likelihood of eruptions? A plaque on the side of the road posed a potential answer but sadly neither Kerry nor I speak Japanese so the mystery remains unsolved.
We arrived at the monkey park only slightly out of breath.
Clearly there were monkeys to be seen. We were watched as we approached the entrance.
After paying our 800 yen we entered the park and immediately spotted about a million snow monkeys. Perhaps that’s a slight exaggeration but there were a lot, including many cute babies snuggling into their mother’s’ fur.
We headed for the monkey onsen where a few residents were taking a mineral water refreshment.
And despite the warm weather, one little guy was swimming.
We stayed for ages, fascinated by monkey behaviour and those cute expressive faces.
The monkeys weren’t at all impressed by the presence of curious humans. We passed closely by them only to be completely ignored.
The walk downhill was easier and faster of course and we admired the wisteria festooned forest in a more relaxed manner now that we weren’t puffing and panting uphill.
We rewarded our efforts, immediately on return to town, with sushi to replace our expended energy.
Port Neill is a tiny coastal town located in South Australia. You’ll need to drive 576 km from Adelaide (which will take you all day), 264km from Port Augusta or 87km from Port Lincoln. Once you are here, however, you’ll find it worth the drive. The town is nestled in an incredibly beautiful area of white sand and aquamarine sea, it is steeped in geological, Indigenous and colonial history, it is inhabited by friendly, talented people and it boasts some of the very best seafood Australia has to offer.
The Port Neill Jetty
As you drive into town you’ll see the elegant Port Neill jetty on the left and the trusty Port Neill Hotel on your left.
Trusty Hotel
Some evidence of local talent can be seen opposite the hotel, including a beautiful tiled bench featuring mosaic and poetry produced by locals.
Beautiful mosaic bench made by talented locals in Port Neill
There’s an Information ‘kiosk’ (unstaffed) on the beach side of the road with information boards indicating local flora and fauna of the area. There’s also a cute pavilion with more info and a free library.
Free Library and Things to Do in Port Neill
You’ll see it opposite the General Store.
Port Neill General Store
In the cute pavilion is a chalkboard listing ’10 Things to do in Pt Neill’.
10 Things to do in Pt Neill
Number 4 on the list is The Lady Kinnaird Walking Trail which provides an opportunity to take in some wonderful coastal scenery and get an insight into local history. ‘Lady Kinnaird’ refers to a ship that operated between Britain and Australia in the late 19th Century. She left Port Pirie on 19 January 1880 with a cargo of wheat but was shipwrecked just off Port Neill. All crew swam ashore safely thanks to the mostly calm waters of the bay. The walking trail begins at the ship’s anchor opposite the pub.
Lady Kinnaird Anchor
There are signposts along the seafront and through the dunes.
Follow the signs along The Lady Kinnaird Walking Trail
You’ll see a series of beautiful coves along the way.
Coves at Port Neill
You’ll also see colourful rocks which geologists say date back 1850 million years, predating the Nawu people who were the original inhabitants of the region. This area was named ‘Carrow’ then, a word apparently meaning ‘the local water soaks’.
Granite gneisses, amphibolites and pegmatite near Port Neill are of interest to Geologists.
There’s a seat inviting you to pause a while near the site of the shipwreck.
Lady Kinnaird Seat
Then steps leading up through the dunes to the Port Neill Golf Course.
Steps lead up through the dunes to the Golf Course at port Neill
Don’t expect rolling greens and lush fairways though. There’s not enough fresh water here to afford that luxury.
No rolling greens and lush fairways at Port Neill
If you are looking for a café strip or boutique accomodation you won’t find it here. Port Neill’s main attraction is tranquillity – an opportunity to rest your mind a while. You can rent a shack on the beach like this one through AirBnB or stay at the caravan park.
My office at Port Neill
I’m catching up on reading and writing in ‘my office’ on the beach while Karl hunts for our food.
King George Whiting
There’s Trevally or King George Whiting most evenings, sometimes a Snapper.
Trevally
And always fresh, tasty squid for entrée.
Squid
King George Whiting and Trevally
Trevally
It’s all about enjoying Slow Food on our Slow Travels and watching the ‘locals’ as they watch us from nearby.
Goolwa Beach, on the Fleurieu Peninsula, in South Australia is famous for a few reasons; it leads to the Murray Mouth where the majestic Murray River reaches the Southern Ocean, the novel/movie/remake ‘Storm Boy’ and Goolwa Cockles (also known as Pipis). On any summer day you’ll see the tell-tale sign of buckets on the sand awaiting a catch of cockles.
A common sight along Goolwa Beach in summer time
The ‘cockle shuffle’ involves a foot swivelling movement designed to bring the cockles to the surface of the sand. Some people catch cockles for bait, more and more are catching them to eat.
Local business Goolwapipico harvest Goolwa Cockles and sell them to restaurants and retail outlets around Australia and overseas. It’s much easier to buy them in the local supermarket but nowhere near as much fun as catching them ourselves.
Keen cocklers
We are regular cocklers and always enjoy a feed of our local beach produce but towards the end of summer supplies are often depleted and cockles prove elusive. We had heard about ‘mud cockles’, a different variety that is best caught in knee deep water (maybe even deeper but we weren’t going to do that). After a meagre haul of Goolwa Cockles last week I sent Karl into the surf while I held the bucket in the shallows.
I haven’t been able to ascertain the scientific name nor do I know if the term ‘mud cockle’ is commonly used but it really doesn’t matter because I’m not a scientist I’m a foodie and what really counts here is: they are plentiful and easy to catch, they taste delicious.
Big Fat Mud Cockle
Mud Cockles are much bigger than Goolwa Cockles and their shell is a paler colour and a rounder shape.
Smaller pipis and big fat mud cockles
We purged our treasures in sea water for 24 hours just like we do for regular cockles.
Purge for 24-48 hours
Then we cooked them up with our favourite sauce of white wine, Crème fraîche, peas, parmesan and fresh pasta.
Goolwa Mud Cockles and Fettucine Pasta with white wine, Crème fraîche, peas and parmesan.
They were bigger, meatier and sweeter than their smaller counterparts. Definitely a success and we’ll be doing again. Worth the walk into the surf (hint: send your husband).
We don’t often do package holidays but on the rare occasion we buy one, Karl and I like the ‘extras’ included in the package. We recently enjoyed eight days in Hoi An with a Street Food walking tour thrown in. “If there’s twenty-five people on this tour I’m outa there” said Karl the day before (he doesn’t like to be part of a herd). We were both delighted to find ourselves the only two participants with our informative guide Duc.
Our chirpy guide, Duc Nguyen
Duc was chirpy with energy and information and he wore splendid, shiny shoes which he proudly told us were made locally by a friend of his. Duc’s family name is Nguyen so naturally I asked if he was related to the famous TV travel-chef Luke Nguyen. Apparently Nguyen is a VERY common name in Vietnam so there is probably no relationship (at least not a close one).
As we headed off from our hotel towards the old town, Duc explained that the basis of most Hoi An Street food, in fact most food all over Vietnam, is rice. I was confused as I hadn’t noticed much rice at all, until the penny dropped! The Vietnamese realised centuries ago that they had an abundance of rice but feared boredom setting in if that was all they ate. So they began making different varieties of noodles; fat, thin, round, flat – all from rice.
many types of noodles – all made from rice
As well as noodles they made rice paper; wet and dry varieties, to wrap around other ingredients. And of course they ground rice to make flour for desserts and cakes. I was most impressed by this culinary creativity but I’d been totally unaware until that moment of revelation.
Duc then proceeded to deliver a food vocabulary lesson so we knew some basics: Thôm (or tôm) is prawn, thịt is pork and gà is chicken.
Thom, Thit, Ga
Our first taste of Street Food involved Banh Mi, a light and crispy bread roll filled with spicy vegetable strips and pork. The pork had been prepared earlier in the day when it had been shredded, pounded, mixed with spices, wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed.
Duc’s most favourite Banh Mi vendor then added vegetable strips and condiments and hey presto! A delicious first course was presented.
Duc’s favourite Banh Mi
Needless to say we ate this, and most subsequent courses, on the street, perched on squat little plastic stools. The locals seem able to achieve some semblance of elegance on their plastic stools but I felt like an ungainly hippo. I enjoyed the flavours though so I focussed on the food and accepted my ungainliness.
Our next course was my favourite: Thịt Nuong. Our expert cook prepared pork skewers on a grill before presenting them on a large, round tray with salad leaves and herbs, slices of banana flower, two types of rice wrappers (one dry, one wet) and small bowls of spicy sauce.
cooking thịt
Oh my, the combination of flavours was delicious and all so fresh and aromatic.
Thịt Nuong
Putting it all together was fun. Somehow mine were never wrapped quite as neatly as Duc’s.
How to get Thịt Nuong together
On the way to our next course, Duc took us through Hoi An’s impressive market. It is open every day, all day and locals buy everything there. Hoi An has no supermarkets so the market food is grown locally and money spent there stays in the town.
Market produce
Everything is fresh, colourful and appealing. And there was so much variety. I only wish we could follow suit in Australia but our local producers are struggling so much with prohibitive environmental and economic factors, I fear we could never achieve anywhere near this level of success.
Fish Market
Our ‘main course’ was not strictly Street Food as we ducked into a small room just off the market with tables, chairs and lots of locals (always a good sign).
This was then only time I ate rice in it’s original form the whole time I was in Vietnam. The dish was Vietnam Chicken Rice. The rice was cooked in chicken broth and was accompanied, of course, by chicken as well as thin strips of vegetables. I was pretty full by this stage and regretfully couldn’t finish my meal however I can vouch for it’s flavoursome and comforting nature.
Chicken Rice
Although well and truly food-coma’d by now, this was, after all, a walking tour and we had to continue the walk. I put one foot in front of the other and walked towards dessert.
Mango Cakes are made with sticky rice flour, peanuts and brown sugar. There is no mango in this recipe but, as Duc explained, they are the same shape as small mangos and hence their name.
Mango Cakes
I enjoyed half, gave the rest to Karl and walked back to our hotel for a little lie down.
The walking tour was great fun and Duc was an excellent and informative guide. A word of advice however: avoid lunch beforehand as you will need to be hungry for this tour.
Here’s a lovely walk that is safe for young children. There’s no traffic to dodge as it’s off-road and even though I think of it as a nature walk there’s a bitumen path so you can dodge the snakes (seriously there may not even be snakes in this nature space).
The path is just under 2 kms one way but if you need to get back to your car it’s really a 4 km walk. Or you can ride your bike. It’s a perfect distance for young children. I’ve taken my grand-girls there a few times with their scooters. They can ride ahead with little chance of a calamity.
You can begin the walk from the Fleurieu Aquatic Centre whose official address is Corner of Ocean Rd & Waterport Rd, Hayborough, SA.
Bicycle Track entrance just off Waterport Road, Port Elliot.
Or from Channon Street, Port Elliot.
The bicycle track resumes at Channon Street, Port Elliot.
The bicycle track meanders along the south coast for 34kms from Goolwa (Storm Boy country) to Victor Harbor. It sometimes turns into roads but at Channon Street it magics back into a safe path.
There’s a lovely view from the Channon Street end across Urimbirra Creek to a railway bridge so let’s start here.
My research tells me the bridge is called Watson’s Gap Viaduct and it was built in 1863. Nowadays the famous Cockle Train crosses it every Wednesday, weekends, public holidays and every day during school holidays. This cute old tourist train carries visitors between Goolwa and Victor Harbor and locals as well as visitors love it.
Watson’s Gap Viaduct over the Urimbirra Creek
There’s a small wooden footbridge that spans a creek. Apparently the creek begins at Urimbirra Wildlife Park and is understandably named Urimbirra Creek.
wooden footbridge
The bicycle track continues straight ahead but for the wetlands walk, turn right along a concrete path and head for a tunnel that runs under the main Port Elliot Road. There’s graffiti art and nice positive messages to read as you walk through.
Graffiti Art tunnel under Port Elliot Road.
Once through the tunnel you are in nature.
Nature – Wetlands Port Elliot
A cheeky quote by Oscar Wilde describes nature as ‘a place where birds fly around uncooked’. The message I take from this quote is that we don’t have to go far from home to immerse ourselves in nature. Although cars can be heard travelling along Port Elliot Road the abundance of peaceful birds here definitely indicates it’s nature.
There are information boards near the water that explain the different species of birds that live here.
There’s art to enjoy too. I wonder if the birds like it.
Art installations near the water
I love looking at the houses that line parts of the path. They form part of an ‘ecological’ housing estate called ‘Beyond’. Strict requirements mean that the houses have no ugly fences nor cumbersome water tanks to spoil their visual appeal. Most have attractive gardens and many have quirky garden art.
Garden Art
1.5 kms from the Channon Street starting point is an inviting cafe called ‘Cockles’. It’s around 20 minutes walk or a short drive from the Wetlands Walk at 4/33 North Terrace, Port Elliot. It’s open for breakfast from 7.30am every day and closes around 4pm.
You can head there after a morning walk and coffee with toast (various types and toppings for $7.90) or choose the Full Breakfast (with eggs any style, greek sausage, bacon, oven roasted tomato, sautéed spinach, breakfast potato, hollandaise and multi grain for $22.90).
Otherwise go for lunch and choose from burgers, pizza or fancy salads for under $25. And a glass of local wine of course.
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