Thirty-five members of the Glen Waverley Combined Probus Club headed west to South Australia on a fabulous trip organised once again by Belinda from Group Link Travel.
The first stop overnight in Adelaide saw the group stay on the waterfront at Glenelg after a varied day which included a tour of the Adelaide Oval, and a cruise down the river from Port Adelaide. The next day they acquainted themselves with Glenelg and 18 members rode the Ferris Wheel that gave great views of the area before boarding the bus to Mannum.
Their prime objective on this trip was to board the Murray Princess for a four-night cruise up and down the mighty Murray River. Arriving in Mannum early in the afternoon, they found this majestic paddle wheeler waiting for them, and after being shown to their cabins and settling in, they were free to explore all this boat had to offer.
The vessel went upstream as far as Blanchetown after negotiating Lock One and stayed there for the second night. Included was a visit to Burke Salter Winery for a tasting, sheep shearing and whip cracking display, a BBQ under the stars, and a visit to the Aboriginal Conservation Park Ngaut Ngaut.
One of the unexpected trip highlights came that afternoon as they were invited to don life jackets and board the ship’s tender in groups of 11 to cruise alongside the Murray Princess. What began as a sedate cruise along the river ended with hilarious fun as the boat driver hurled them across the Murray Princess’ wake a couple of times, drenching them completely. Squealing with laughter, they arrived back on board wringing wet, where most of them headed straight up to the top deck to spread their wings in the sun and dry themselves like shags on rocks.
Following the cruise, the group visited Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop for a cooking and gin tasting before returning to Adelaide. The final day was a highlight as they travelled the short distance to Penfolds for the Ultimate Penfolds Experience. Their charming guide, Josh, led them around the Penfolds site whilst giving them an insight into the history of the winery and its winemakers. This was followed by the pièce de résistance: a tasting of six fabulous wines, with the sixth being a Grange Hermitage, seen as the holy grail of Australian winemaking. Finally, lunch at Mount Lofty Ranges Winery was a nice touch before the trip to the airport and the flight home. Many thanks to Belinda for her fabulous organisation yet again, and to all fellow travellers for convivial and fun company throughout their journey.