A and I started the day with a walk/jog along the beach path again, going north this time. We found our way to the mouth of the river Torrens which is only a small river. There is a green belt running along it with a path that apparently runs 30km from the beach all the way to the Adelaide Hills - would love to ride it sometime. There were horses grazing on the grass in the long paddock of the green belt! It appears the neighbouring properties, which look just like any other suburb, are allowed to keep their animals there. And you can walk right up and pat them. Shady river gums, water, ducks, a few pelicans and black swans. Very pleasant indeed.

We drove to McLaren Vale for lunch at a little deli-café called "The Blessed Cheese." I had the stuffed mushroom and A had the duck and veal sausages which were both very good. The guys were a bit boring and ordered the "Frog in a Hole." However, they both enjoyed it and it turned out to have educational value because neither had ever heard eggs on toast called "Frog in a Hole" before. J had awesome sticky date pudding.

Next, we purchased the cheese hamper for their cheese and wine trail. This was 4 lots of cheese with crackers, dried fruit and olives in an esky bag. You get a stylised map of McLaren vale directing you to 4 wineries and at each one you are supposed to try a certain wine with a certain cheese. It was a very pleasant way indeed to spend the next 4 hours. The staff at each cellar door were friendly and knowledgeable. And the mating of cheeses and wines was spot on. We tried a few other wines at each cellar and bought a couple bottles at each. J & C were remarkably tolerant of the whole thing as it was obvious they were bored silly. They did enjoy cheese and quince paste on crackers and taking photos of the flowers and countryside. One of the wineries was Fox Creek which we visited when we were here about 16 years ago. We even bought a bottle of the same sparkling shiraz we bought back them. It has a nice story attached to it because we took it home to Caloundra and were keeping it for a 'special occasion'. Paul Galloway was at our place in Kings Beach for a party and opened it by mistake.