20230515 SA Woodside, Lobethal to Watervale

We left Mt Gambier (Drew & Jane’s) only to be stuck in traffic due to an accident but turned off just after heading through to the beautiful Adelaide Hills with vineyards that dominate the rolling hills with striking colours. Driving onto Oakbank Town then stopped in Woodside for supplies and lunch then onto Lobethal where Des washed the van at the sports oval and we camped the night.

How Lobethal Began

Lobethal existence belongs to a George Angus who in 1838 traveled to London to do some colonisation promotion and persuade people to move to S.A. He meet a Pastor who was organising for Lutherans to emigrate out of Prussia but the Emperor decided he wanted to unite his church with the Protestant Lutherans, but the Lutherans didn’t weren’t happy about the amalgamation. The Kaiser named himself Bishop of the new Union Church and appointed himself head of the new church, the Lutherans didn’t like this and refused to follow him so he persecuted them by banning the word Lutheran, he confiscating church property and fined congregations. By the 1830s Lutherans were jailed for there faith until Augus persuaded the Kaiser that S.A was a suitable place for emigration and he financially assisted them with £8,000. The first German settlers arrived in 1838 and travelled into countryside where they established distinctly German villages at Klemzig, Glen Osmond, Lobethal and, most famously, Hahndorf. Eighteen families purchased 168 acres on the present site of Lobethal and divided it amongst themselves. On the day of the division of the land, it received the name Lobethal, taken from the II Book of Chronicles, chapter 20, verse 26, which, according to Luther's translation, means “Valley of praise”.

I couldn’t get a decent fly by photo so I copied this one to give you an idea of the colours that jump out at each bend we turn.

Onkaparinga Woollen Mill Museum that closed door in 1993 still has a selection of Mill machinery and associated pieces including paperwork and samples of fabric, some dating back over one hundred years.

The Main Street in Lobethal

The Lobethal Centennial Hall, dated 1936 is a fine example of the Art Deco architecture from that era.

One of the many apple plantations in this area and the crop was plentiful.

20230516 Des is freaking out about the rain so we quickly pack up and leave for Clare driving along Gorge Rd following a winding road that Des says would be great for bike rides. Passing the town of Kersbrook, then onto Gawler-One Tree Hill Rd when I was thinking we haven’t seen any road kill, not like in Queensland, opps I spoke to soon. Passing through Yattalunga I look down into the valley below where the fog is thick as we pass over the mountainous range. 

Shit look out Des, a bloody huge Roo just jumped out of the bush right in front of us.

Watervale is a tiny village surrounded by vineyards and lise just south of Clare, and is known for its popular Riesling Trail. It’s located on the Watervale Creek which is a tributary of the Wakefield River, and the 19th century, it became the brunt of jokes about arriving in Watervale where there was no water due to drought.

The Watervale Hotel was founded 1847, eleven years after S.A proclamation, Helen Forbes completely rebuilt the stone hotel on the original foundations, after a devastating fire in 1913. The success of the pub over 150 years was due to the women who have owned the hotel.

The interior of the hotel has a vintage style that makes it very appealing, hence the expensive prices.

This just looks so inviting and would make for a great girls night out.

Yum, check out this Kombucha I so what a bottle, because it's fermented, kombucha is considered a good source of probiotics, which helps promote digestive health, increased energy and a healthy metabolism.

The menu look very inviting but those prices are way out of our league, but this is wine country and they do cater for the locals, or more like rip them off.

 The End