Outdoor lifestlye?

[Guest nemo]

Hello everyone,

 

I know it's winter there at the mo, (probably the same temp as our summer!) but to those of you already there is the great outdoor lifestyle as good as you thought or are you dissappointed? Probably a silly question and you're all thinking "she's mad of course it's great" .

 

We have a dream of spending weekends at the beach, snorkelling in crystal clear waters and not spending a fortune to do it! I have read on SA websites about the snorkelling/diving opportunities, and would love to know if it's as good as it looks!

 

Oops, nearly forgot! Eldest daughter is dolphin mad, wants to be a marine biologist and work with them. So, on her behalf, are there many dolphins to be seen in the waters around sunny Adelaide?

 

Thanks for any info, Sally x

[Beanbear]

Hi,

 

We have been here six months and have enjoyed a very hot summer initially, when we spent plenty of time on the largely empty beaches playing cricket and swimming in the warm water. Absolute perfection! Even in winter they are a lovely place to go for a walk and the days have continued to be predominantly sunny and warm enough for the kids to play out.

 

Last week we went to Glenelg and saw dolphins from the jetty. There were two pods playing and we spent ages watching them.

 

This weekend we took advantage of a beautiful day on Sunday and went cycling with the kids to the park. The sky was an amazing blue and there were plenty of people having barbeques down by the lake. Our children play in the garden a lot and do lots of sport, so we are embracing the outdoor lifestyle that we sought in coming here and it makes for very cheap entertainment.

[Guest Guest75]

Hiya Nemo

 

Yes there is definitely more opportunity to be outdoors here.

It's Winter today - but the sun is shining.

Winter for us is the time when we get all of the outside jobs done,it actually feels like a perfect English Autumn at the moment.

 

It is a little cold to go in the sea or a pool but you can get out and about.Even the fishing is good and apparently you get better weather for boating in Winter (considering one myself).

 

In winter we do really make the effort to go out,often arranging meets/walks or picnics with friends.

We tend to go exploring in Winter with walks in the forests and walking trails,picnics in Kuitpo Forest (you can have a camp-fire at this time of year).

 

Talking the dogs for a walk on the beach.

 

On the better days you can still even have a BBQ during the day.

 

The nights can be quite nippy though - last night was very nippy,I thought we were going to see some frost.

 

We do have rainy days but not too many together and often the sun burns the clouds away.

 

Once you have been here a while though you do appreciate the rain,we do have a water shortage!

 

From Port Adelaide you can take a cruise on the river and generally expect to see Dolphins

[Guest stufi1997]

Stu had to scrape the frost off the windscreen this morning to go to work and I just had to come in to get sunscreen as i'm burning while i'm reading my book sitting on the deck....!!!(it's such a hard life) How's that for diversity...the first whale came into the bay last Tuesday!!

[Lazy Cow]

Even though it's bloomin' cold at the moment, we are still out as much as possible.

 

For a start it's the footy season, so we spend a fair while watching our son play..or his friends..or our friend's sons play...or going to watch as many Crows games as we can possibly get to.

 

The beach is still good and I go at least twice a week to walk the dogs.

 

When we get together with friends we still sit outside- we just rug up and put the fire on! There's something very special gossiping round the pot-belly with a nice drink -whether hot or cold!- in your hands. We were over at a friend's a couple of weeks ago and he made his own fire from the metal liner of a dryer! Inventive or what?!

 

And give it a month or so and we might even go camping...:err:It's nice to go out of season so you can take the dogs and not sweat too much in the tent (even though we take fans with us!). And yes Muppetbro, we are all off to Robe this summer, but it won't be the same without you and the kids.

 

It can get far too cold for me, but there is still so much to enjoy...and as Tyke says, the cooler weather gives us a chance to catch up with outdoor projects. Or would if we made the time!

 

I haven't seen many dolphins lately but we did spot a seal the other week...does that count?

Yours shivering-with-cold-ly*,

LC

*No really, I am!

[Guest nemo]

Thanks for all the info guys. Sounds lovely down there! Seals are as good as dolphins to me Lazy Cow. That's a first for me, I've never called someone I've never met Lazy Cow! Do you have hot water bottles in Adelaide?!

[Lazy Cow]

. That's a first for me, I've never called someone I've never met Lazy Cow!

Do you have hot water bottles in Adelaide?!

 

It's my name and my description!

 

And yes! Hot water bottles are fab...I brought all mine and am glad I did!

 

LC

[Guest Guest75]

It's my name and my description!

 

And yes! Hot water bottles are fab...I brought all mine and am glad I did!

 

LC

 

Yer not!!!!!!!

 

You are a happy and contented one:)

[Guest katsmajic]

We've been here 8 weeks on Thursday - feels alot longer, in a very positive way.

As for outdoors life, we/our kids are almost always outside, going for walks along the beach, just slip a jumper/jkt on, weve seen dolphins off our local beach, also been on the Port Adelaide boat trip and seen them and saw lots when we went down to Victor Harbour 2 weeks ago.

Weve been having BBQ's every week, we have a lovely big entertainment area with cafe blinds so we can sit out no matter what the weather really and the kids still go out in the rain/under cover so theyre almost never under my feet.

Adelaide has surpassed our expectations!

[Lazy Cow]

Yer not!!!!!!!

 

You are a happy and contented one

 

You're calling me FAT aren't you???!!!

Well that makes me feel soooo much better about myself!

And to think I thought so highly of you too! Ha!

(for good measure!)

LC

[Guest graandjac]

:)As you say its all outdoors and not to expensive , at Noarlunga there is a great reef about 100yds off shore which we cant wait to snorkel there when the summer comes around . Also at Noarlunga there is Deep Blue a diving outfit /shop who dive off the same reef , but not sure as to the cost of this.

 

As for dolphins we saw a pod of about 20 dolphins on a trip to Victor Harbour a week or so back just off Granite Island . Also you can go on dolphin spotting trips out of Port Adelaide for only $5.00 per head for a 3-4 hour trip.....bargain .

 

Good luck Adelaide awaits, cheers Graham

[Guest Deb17]

Dolphins regularly sighted at Aldinga and Moana beaches, and seals at Victor Harbour. (Although haven't spotted any whales yet!)

Be warned...the first time you see a dolphin you can't believe it and think it's a SHARK.

[Guest nemo]

Thanks again you guys, some more great info. The snorkelling sounds brilliant. My only experience of it is Discovery Cove 2 years ago, but Jodie (our 9 year old) and me absolutely loved it. It's something we would love to do regularly but we wouldn't see much in the waters off of Kent!

 

Must remember to have the Jaws music handy when we first go dolphin hunting!!

 

Sally x

[Guest ecky]

hi, we are new here and are thiinking about moving. i saw u have four children we have six 17,16,15,14,12 and 4 how have you found the move. is it expensive compare to the uk.

 

We both work i,m a builder and my wifes a social worker

[Guest stufi1997]

We spent ages yesterday watching the dolpins play in the waves...it was ace!! too cold to go in the water for me but hopefully shortly...Fiona

[Lazy Cow]

Dolphins regularly sighted at Aldinga and Moana beaches, and seals at Victor Harbour. (Although haven't spotted any whales yet!)

.

Sorry Debs, I haven't been swimming in a while! (Not since a team of willing environmentalists tried to roll me off the beach anyway....)

 

Although the whales can be spotted in June, it's much easier in July/August because there are more of them partying away (the whale version of Schoolies!). Enjoy!

 

:wubclub:LC

[Guest Deb17]

Ah LC, I fought hard to refrain from making a similar comment about myself actually...my kids also compare me to a beached whale...see my replies to posts about weightwatchers and gyms!

 

We keep saying we will head down to Viccy to see if we can spot the whales, but we always seem to be put off by schoolies invading the town during the hols. Still it is winter in July here so not so many daft kids trying to drown themselves in Encounter Bay or at Goolwa, or only the surfies in wetsuits trying it anyway. I always worry whether there are any killer whales down there who might think these kids in wetsuits are a new species of seal, but I guess they're only Southern Right whales, not orcas with rows of gleaming teeth.

[Guest stufi1997]

Schoolies week is only last week of the school year in December isn't it? We haven't seen the whales yet either although they have been spotted already...just not by us!!

[Guest Deb17]

Yeah, massive schoolies week that, just when you want to finish off your Crimbo shopping! The place will be overrun, or at least that's the way Channels 7 and 9 portray it on the news. I reckon they go a bit OTT, I mean a mugging is big news out here, isn't it? (Wouldn't even get a mention in the local news back home...sad state of things in the UK.)

You still planning to be in Viccy at Christmas then Stu and Fiona?...I'd buy some earplugs just in case.

Where have the whales been spotted then?

Deb x

[Guest stufi1997]

Whales spotted off the bluff and at port elliot last week...We do hope to still be down here for Christmas....depends on jobs and things though! Just wish it was a bit warmer I'm bloody freezing today, just can't get the heat up.

Fiona

[Guest Deb17]

Know what you mean! I've had the heating turned up to 27! But my feet are like blocks of ice.

Back home they'll all be completely disbelieving that we're feeling the cold. But it's so cloudy and miserable today...how quickly we acclimatise to eternal sunshine and blue skies! Ho Hum! And of course, there's no double glazing here...oh I do miss my double glazing...it might drown out the noise from the stupid nit next door who likes to whack up the volume on his stereo come 11pm at night!!!

[Guest stufi1997]

Lucky you!!! You've got heating???? We're not as posh as all that...and I'm married to a tight scotsman who doesn't think it's cold and the fires only for night time....Ho hum never mind here comes the sun....just have to go outside to get a heatie up.

[Guest stufi1997]

Why are we all called wingeing poms do you think?????

[Guest Deb17]

I think somebody met me in a previous life and the name stuck!!

 

I've only got heating for another few weeks, then I daresay, if we can't find another decent rental it'll be back to portable fan heaters and wearing two pairs of PJ's, socks and a hat in bed!!