Rating: 3.75/5

Location: Barossa Valley Tourist Park, Penrice Rd, Nuriootpa, South Australia

“I heard it through the grapevine …” Marvin Gaye

My friend, deep in the heart of the South Australian wine region is the Barossa Valley – considered to be one of the premier wine producing areas in Australia.

The Barossa was first settled in 1842 and is primarily known for its red wine, in particular its robust Shiraz – including one of Australia’s most famous wines, Penfold’s Grange. However, there are 150 wineries and more than 80 cellar doors in the area to suit all tastes and budgets.

We travelled through the area in December last year. The two photographs below (taken on our way out of Burra) show the contrast of the seasons in South Australia – one taken in the heat of summer and the other in late August at end of winter – both from the car as it moved along the highway so I’m unlikely to win the Archibald prize for either shot.

The Barossa Valley Tourist Park is well-positioned close to the main shopping street in the town of Nuriootpa. It’s an easy drive from there to explore the many quaint towns in the area as well as the Barossa’s wineries and the various other victual delights on offer.

The caravan park is adjacent to the town’s playing fields so the dogs had a ball running on the grassed fields.

Many of the park’s sites are also grassed and as always, it’s great to feel that green lushness between bare toes and under well-worn paws!

At the entrance to the caravan park, the original “House on Wheels” which was built in 1931 by G C Kaesler is showcased and might just be the first caravan! Old ‘Pop’ Kaesler also wrote a blog about his travels around South Australia and the Eastern States with his family. I found a link to it in the National Library of Australia called The Beginning of Motor Caravanning in Australia. Here’s the link if you want to have a read.

Nuriootpa itself is a wonderful town and as well as a groovy name (the local Aboriginal word for ‘meeting place’), it has all the shops and amenities you’ll need. It is also worth a drive to the other towns in the area including the aforementioned Tanunda, Angaston and Lyndoch which ooze old world charm.

If you like your bread as robust as your Shiraz, there’s a bakery on the highway north out of Tanunda that has a wholegrain brown bread that was so heavy, I’m sure I could hear it playing Metallica covers.

The architecture of the Seppelt Family Mausoleum is unexpected in this neck of the woods and they reckon it was built high enough for the family members resting there to overlook the village of Seppeltsfield and winery below.

Here’s hoping there’s also a full-bodied red available as they take in the view.

 

Stay happy my friend and until next time, may you enjoy abundance in all the good things that life offers.

Cost: $34-$38 p/n powered/$29-$33 p/n unpowered
Dump point: Yes
Fishing: No
Phone/internet: Yes
Showers: Yes
Toilets: Yes
Water: Yes