Social Days for 2025

Jan. Wednesday 29.

Mid-summer lunch at Southern Bar Gaming Bistro, South Rd St Mary’s

Rick.

Feb. Wed 19 - Thurs 20

Trip Proposal

Fleurieu Fling.

When: Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 February 2025

Where: Stay at Mt Compass Caravan Park SA

What: Travel via local back roads to unique locations & enjoy country hospitality.

Day 1: Wed. 3pm meet at Caravan Park for a scenic drive to Ashbourne and dinner at Greenman Inn. Scenic drive back to accommodation.

Day 2: Thursday 9am depart Caravan Park for a scenic drive to Belicious Café at Glacier Rock for morning tea. . Continue on back roads to Myponga Brewery for lunch and refreshments. Return to accommodation..

Day 3: Friday am depart Caravan Park and travel home.

You may wish to make a day trip on either day, rather than stay overnight.

Contact: Julia via email bjgazz052@gmail.com or Mobile 0497009129.

Trip Report:-

Our Fling started with a scenic drive from the Mount Compass Holiday Park at 3.30pm to Ashbourne and the Greenman Inn for dinner at 6pm. We followed the Nangkita Rd, up Mount Magnificent Rd and Milligan Rd to historic Prospect Hill. Here we walked around the Post Office and cottage gardens, the old school building and dairy museum. Time to head off via Bald Hills Rd and the curving Bull Creek Rd to the Pioneer Memorial Park just south of Ashbourne.

A rambling walk led us to the remains of the stone, arched Italiente bridge over the dry creek bed. Leaving the park we returned to Ashbourne via Green Rd, passing the cemetery, golf course and school campus. We arrived right on time for dinner in the recently extended and popular hotel. After much conversation and a delicious meal, we continued on the Bull Creek Rd until we turned off at the Tooperang Rd which came out on the Victor Harbour Rd, directly opposite the road leading to our caravan park.

The night was still young and so back at camp we gathered in the camp kitchen for a fun team quiz. “Great minds think alike!”

Thursday 20 February 2025, weather warm and sunny. Countryside was dry.

Our convoy consisted of Dawn B with Barrie & Lesley S, Chris & Barry T, Chris & Pat C, Raelene & Rodney, Irene & Kevin D, Neil S was accompanied by Lorraine T & Sue C (a new member). Robyn and Neil P travelled with their Victor Harbor neighbours, Bruno & Julia, 18 participants in all, with late apologies from Les & Brenda B and Wayne & Lesley S.

Travelling down scenic Mount Alma Rd we were greeted by a herd of cattle crossing the road and then continued on to the unique Glacier Rock for a short walk to the creek viewing platform and looked out across to the popular Belicious Café. Unfortunately the café was closed for 3 weeks in February, so we took several dirt and dusty back roads to Normanville for morning tea at the bakery or beach kiosk. The sea was a stunning aquamarine.

Time to head off through Carrikalinga, then a refreshment break at the Forktree Brewing with its magnificent view. The afternoon was quite warm with temperatures in the high 20C. Not far along the Forktree Rd is the new Gin Distillery where some of us stopped briefly while others continued on to Myponga for lunch.

The Smiling Samoyed Brewery, on the banks of the Myponga reservoir, is another great spot where we ate, drank, relaxed and patted the owners’ dog. Those more energetic took a walk on one of the reservoir trails.

Returning home, a few of us stopped at the Fleurieu Milk Factory for a peek but could only enter the reception area with its limited range of products for sale. The factory is one of the largest employers on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

The dirt road back to Mount Compass was easy going, as were all the roads we travelled. Some of us had a lie down back at camp before we gathered in the well-equipped, cosy camp kitchen for dinner. Pat brought a homemade chocolate cake for her husband Pat’s birthday. It was a double celebration as it was also my birthday! The cake went well with cream from the Fleurieu Factory.

We wound up the evening with a cryptic quiz to see who was paying attention to the place names in the Fleurieu Peninsula. Mount Compass, aka ” A Lofty Direction Finder” had a few people scratching their heads!.