01/11/21 Exploring Close to Home: Port Adelaide

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Exploration and adventures have been sorely lacking over the last couple of days.   Having said that, we managed to visit Glenelg and go out to tea with two cycle tourists whom we've never met before.  P and S originally contacted us via a mutual acquaintance when they were embarking on their epic bicycle ride from Brisbane to Adelaide via Birdsville.  Unfortunately we had already left Roma by the time they pedaled through, but I followed their journey closely (and with envy), and we were finally able to meet them on their final days in Adelaide before they flew home.  We thoroughly enjoyed talking all things bicycle touring: the kind of talk that usually makes our polite friends' eyes glaze over after a couple of sentences.

Bicycle touring photo.  Not an advertisement, although open  to sponsorship from Great Northern.  Which could be difficult, seeing I don't usually drink beer.

We didn't venture far from home today, due to the need to be on call for a family member who was in hospital.  Lucky for us Port Adelaide is chock full of things to do so we took ourselves off to the Aviation Museum just around the corner, and spent a good portion of the day wandering around and looking at all sorts of aviation-related things. 

Here are some highlights:

How to keep your kiddies both contained and amused whilst perusing the exhibits at the Aviation Museum.  Children were observed making enthusiastic 'vroom vroom' noises and extending their arms to ensure stability around the corners.

This is the picture you expect to see from an Aviation Museum visit.  Man stands in front of aeroplane: specifically the business end of an F1-11.

This is a Qantas stair car.  These could be dissassembled for transport but some weren't, and one was allegedly driven all the way from Sydney to Alice Springs, causing who knows how many accidents along the way due to distracted motorists. 

Mr Wayne Blackmore, having been rendered a paraplegic in a tow glider accident in 1971, built this modified hang glider in order to continue his passion for flying.  He completed a crossing of Rapid Bay and, not knowing when to quit, went back for a second crossing in July 1977. Unfortunately he crashed into the sea and, having neglected to install a quick release system OR wear a flotation device, quickly drowned.  I'm sure there are several lessons to be learnt from this sorry tale.

Oh the horror should an air hostess be seen running or (gasp!) knitting in public!
 

In the process we discovered that we now get a discount to enter the other museums in Port Adelaide, so you can expect reports from the Railway Museum, the Maritime Museum, and the Clipper Ship over the next week or so.

 

 

 


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