Travelbeat
Editorial Review
Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Story and photos by Kerry Hennigan
Only 20 minutes (22 km) up the South Eastern Freeway from Adelaide, South Australia's capital, is the village of Stirling, a charming tourist destination all year round. But it is in the cool months of the southern autumn season that Stirling and other towns in the Adelaide Hills come into their own.
Early settlers to the colony of South Australia - the only non-penal colony in the country - first established themselves in Stirling after 1854, when Peter Prankerd laid out the town and named it after his politician friend Edward Stirling. Moderate temperatures were an obvious attraction for anyone used to the climate of the Old World.
Stirling became a popular retreat in the heat of the summer months when wealthy Adelaide families would retire to their summer Hills residences. As a result, Stirling boasts some grand old houses and gardens, which can best be viewed by driving around the streets of the village. Some exceptional local gardens are open to the public through Australia's Open Garden Scheme (www.opengarden.org.au).
On weekends, particularly in autumn, the changing colours of the many deciduous trees planted in Stirling draw modern day-trippers up from Adelaide for a day in the Hills, sightseeing and enjoying the local food and wine.
The Adelaide Hills Food Strategic Plan aims to have the region recognized as one of Australia's top 5 gourmet food-producing districts by 2007.
Wining and dining in Stirling is easy. Food outlets include sidewalk cafes, home-style bakeries and traditional pub bistros.
Travelscene International's personal favourite is the long established (albeit under different names) Autumn Gate Café overlooking Mt Barker Road just beyond the village centre.
Wines from the Adelaide Hills - oldest of the state's wine-growing regions - are available from licensed premises, and there are cellar door outlets not far from Stirling itself. The cool climate wines of the Adelaide Hills are amongst the most prestigious in the country.
As an alternative to dining out, a picnic on the Council Lawns is a good family alternative. The Stirling Market is also held here on the 4th Saturday of every month.
On Anzac Day weekend, around the 25th of April, the lawns are graced with memorial crosses for local citizens who made the supreme sacrifice in conflicts in which Australians have fought.
With most stores open for weekend trade, everything from bookshops to fruit and veg stalls and a roadside hot chestnut vendor do a healthy trade from casual visitors in the cooler months.
For those wanting to stay a little longer, accommodation in the area includes a variety of B&B, hotel and self contained options. Probably the most famous is the atmospheric Tudor-style Thorngrove Manor, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group and winner of numerous International and Australian Awards.
But, in autumn, the real stars of Stirling are the deciduous trees that line the streets, changing their summer greenery for countless shades ranging between gold and scarlet.
Adelaide's claim to fame as the nation's rose capital is also upheld by roadside and car park plantings of roses that invariably provide a vibrant autumnal display in a multitude of colours.
For more information on Stirling and the Adelaide Hills, visit:
www.visitadelaidehills.com.au
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