Dalama Adventures Tale of two corporate types ditching their jobs and traveling the world for 14 months... check out all photos, blogs & interesting tid bits at http://www.dalama.net

Penola is paradise found for wine tasting...  Yes, folks, the wine here compares to those big earthy cabs of Napa, but without the snob... Wine tasting here is all free, which was a pleasant surprise when we showed up to taste.  We were a bit nervous, taking Happy out to the wine estates.  The thought of rocking up to Silver Oak or Cakebread cellars in a graffiti bus is something unthinkable.  I woke up, actually showered and washed my hair this morning, and put on my only pair of nice walking shorts, that I'd been saving for a special occasion... And dressing up to look presentable at an estate wine cellar was important in my mind, to differentiate us from perhaps the hippies that might typically be expected to show up in one of these type of vans, looking for handouts after not having eaten or drunk for days.  Much to our demise, the cellar doors remained closed as we drove up.  Our clock said 10am, and the signs on the doors, and in our winery guide said the tasting doors open at 10 am, even on Sundays... Paranoia struck, could it be Happy that has caused these estates to keep their doors shut when we (the only customers in the lot) pulled in?  Finally, pulling into Wynn's big estate, their large oak cellar doors opened just as Happy cruised down the long entryway, and they remained open!  After entering and speaking with one of the women behind the pouring counter, we realized there was a 30 minute time difference between Victoria and South Australia.  It's crazy - not a sign anywhere to be seen to announce a time change at the border, yet they announce everything else - all the things you are prohibited about bringing over the border, but nothing about turning your clocks back 30 minutes.  We felt a rush of relief- the hippie bus was welcome afterall.  Not only is tasting these world renowned wines free,  but it gets even better, they bust out their reserves, along with an assortment of 6-8 bottles of the range of whites and reds.  We could tell it would be a long day in the wine region.  By 3 pm, we had sobered up enough to move along our way to Robe, a highly recommended coastal town southeast of Adelaide, that would be our final destination before heading back to Melbourne.

The end to a perfect day, the perfect caravan park, literally on the cliffs of the beach, and they saved all the non-powered sites for the ocean view lots.  We were loving life in this new park and primed and ready to explore this beach town tomorrow.