October 20
Port Macquarie to Adelaide

If I hadn't woken early anyway, the sound of the workmen erecting scaffolding on the school opposite the motel would have been guaranteed to disturb me at about 7 am. All hell broke loose at about that time & if I had been trying to have a lie in, I might just have been a little cross.

After packing and checking out, I drove to the airport and abandoned the car. My bags were checked through to Adelaide and I sat and waited for the plane. This duly arrived, collected us and departed.

We dropped into Sydney Airport through fairly thick cloud and landed on time. I walked from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3, found the right departure gate and collapsed in a seat near to it.

After a rest, I found a sandwich and a fresh fruit drink which passed the time until we departed. The flight was on time, full and not particularly comfortable. We arrived on time, however, I found a taxi and was in the hotel in about 30 minutes.

I immediately grabbed my camera bag and rushed along Gouger Street. This starts as a light industrial, scruffy area, then becomes a long parade of restaurants.

Gouger Street	General Post Office

I stopped at the Post Office, an ornate classic, to post some cards and scurried up King William Street to the Tourist Information Office. I completed the 2k walk in no time at all, the sunny weather with a cool breeze being ideal for walking later in the week.

The young lady at the Tourist Office was brilliant. It took about half an hour, but she sorted out beds for all three nights in the Clare Valley. This was not as easy as I would have expected. Just as well I didn't try to do it all myself. I promised to pop in on Friday to tell her how I got on.

	On the walk home, I called in at the Ambassador Hotel for a beer. It is a magnificent old building which I patronised regularly on my last visit to Adelaide. It is typical of the Coopers' pubs which can be found all over the city.

Feeling suitably refreshed, I took a back way to the hotel, passing an assortment of older buildings and St Patrick's, one of the fine churches for which the city is famous.

St Patricks Church

Once back at the hotel, the problems began as I discovered that many of the electrical devices in the room didn't work. As these included both the TV and the air conditioning, I rang for help. The man from reception rushed around, did his best, then gave up and moved me to the one empty room they had. As this was better than the one into which I was originally booked, I did quite well out of the arrangement.

Back on Gouger St, I returned to Paul's, the friendly fish restaurant I visited on my last trip. Lots of fresh ingredients, cooked very simply and in entertaining style. Chatting to the chef while he is working is fun.