First, the weather report. Cool, sunny and windy, but we have electricity. High of 15, but a cold wind.
We started out by visiting an Opal store. Opal is the national gem stone of Australia, and there are mines in South Australia. We listened to quite a lecture about opal and the different types and qualities.
Next we visited the Museum of South Australia. It has the largest collection of Aboriginal items. Ancestors of the Aboriginal people landed in Australia 50 000 years ago, and, to be honest, little seems to have changed. It was a stone age society, hunters and gatherers. There were no animals to herd, no agriculture. Food consisted ofnuts anf fruit, and anything they could hunt. The only large animals were kangaroos and Emus. They lived in small family groups and had no permanent settlements. Australia doesn't have a lot of fertile land, so life was tough. Fires were started by rubbing sticks together, and they hadn't developed the art of making pots. Meat was cooked over an open fire. It is amazing to see how they did cope, but they didn't progress much in their time here.
The museum also has a fantastic Pacific Cultures section. Genetically these people, from places like New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands, are the same as the Australian aboriginals, but their development was much further advanced, in terms of tools, art, boats, canoes and housing. Some beautiful crafts and art.
It is the first time I have seen stuffed Birds of Paradise. They are very special. Check them out.
I did learn why the kangaroo and the Emu are on the national insignia of Australia. They are the only two animals that can't walk backwards. Learning important facts like that makes the whole trip worthwhile.
In the afternoon we went to the Adelaide Art Gallery. The paintings were not very impressive, not compared to many European galleries, but they do have some smaller galleries that were very interesting. Topics such as Indonesian art, Japanese works, and some modern items.
Before we left the city we went back to the market and bought some more of a delicious cheddar. Can't forget the stomach!
Our final night in Adelaide was spent at the pub that overlooked Adelaide. It was too cold to eat outside, but we did have window seats. The view was great, and the goof excellent.
Adelaide was a great side trip.
Have fun
Ralf
We started out by visiting an Opal store. Opal is the national gem stone of Australia, and there are mines in South Australia. We listened to quite a lecture about opal and the different types and qualities.
Next we visited the Museum of South Australia. It has the largest collection of Aboriginal items. Ancestors of the Aboriginal people landed in Australia 50 000 years ago, and, to be honest, little seems to have changed. It was a stone age society, hunters and gatherers. There were no animals to herd, no agriculture. Food consisted ofnuts anf fruit, and anything they could hunt. The only large animals were kangaroos and Emus. They lived in small family groups and had no permanent settlements. Australia doesn't have a lot of fertile land, so life was tough. Fires were started by rubbing sticks together, and they hadn't developed the art of making pots. Meat was cooked over an open fire. It is amazing to see how they did cope, but they didn't progress much in their time here.
The museum also has a fantastic Pacific Cultures section. Genetically these people, from places like New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands, are the same as the Australian aboriginals, but their development was much further advanced, in terms of tools, art, boats, canoes and housing. Some beautiful crafts and art.
It is the first time I have seen stuffed Birds of Paradise. They are very special. Check them out.
I did learn why the kangaroo and the Emu are on the national insignia of Australia. They are the only two animals that can't walk backwards. Learning important facts like that makes the whole trip worthwhile.
In the afternoon we went to the Adelaide Art Gallery. The paintings were not very impressive, not compared to many European galleries, but they do have some smaller galleries that were very interesting. Topics such as Indonesian art, Japanese works, and some modern items.
Before we left the city we went back to the market and bought some more of a delicious cheddar. Can't forget the stomach!
Our final night in Adelaide was spent at the pub that overlooked Adelaide. It was too cold to eat outside, but we did have window seats. The view was great, and the goof excellent.
Adelaide was a great side trip.
Have fun
Ralf
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