We're Bound For South Australia....someday

Well, we're not going to South Australia during our next holiday to Australia, but we definitely need to go there someday. Why? So we can pay homage to McLeod's Daughters! I've been doing some research about the show and it's filming locations. McLeod's Daughters is not filmed at a studio. It's filmed on a real property called "Kingsford". Kingsford is located in Gawler South Australia; it's not too far from Adelaide. The Let's-go-to-town scenes are filmed in a town called Freeling. One of the hardest thing for me to grasp in McLeod's Daughters (and rural Australia in general)is the low population density and distance between properties. When Claire, Tess and the gang go into town to buy groceries, or eat at the pub manned by a rapist, they have to drive two hours. Two hours?!!! You know how long it takes us to get to the grocery store and nearby restaurants? Three minutes! How do they keep their groceries fresh? I guess they have good coolers? (Eskies for you Australians) Speaking of groceries.... in one episode we watched, Claire politely requested that Meg cook steak that night. I started thinking and remarked to Tim. You know, in that household, I think when they say "Let's have steak" someone on the property is gonna die. When Meg cooks her famous apricot chicken, she goes out to the chicken shed and snaps a chicken's neck. So when they want steak, do they make a visit to the cow with an ax? Or maybe gun? How does that work? Maybe they go to the grocery store like the rest of us. But hell! If it's two hours away, it's probably just easier to kill one of your own cows. Well, who knows..... Yes. Someday, I'd like to visit South Australia and have delusions that I'm a Jillaroo. I also want to visit Kangaroo Island. Lots of fun stuff. You might be thinking. Dina, you should go to South Australia on the next holiday and pay homage as soon as possible. Well, we can't. We already have plans to pay homage to a TV show. We're going to Sydney via Hawaii. So....we'll be paying homage to the Losties and Others. I can pay homage to only one TV show per holiday. Okay?

7 comments:

  1. I have the same dream to go to South Australia and visit Kingsford. The ranch has already been sold and I don't think they have gone public with who bought it.

    It sold for 1.4 million I think. Can you believe that!!! A property that large would be 3 or 4 times that in the states.

    Anywho, I have jillaroo fantasies as well. I really really want to do the work visa thing and travel across Australia for a few weeks that way.

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  2. Darcy,

    I can't believe it sold for that much!!

    Did you read about the actress who plays Stevie. I forgot her name.

    Is was really sad because she bought a property there rather than living in Adelaide like the other actors did.

    But now that the show was canceled, she has to leave her property to find other work.

    I'm sure you already knew all that ; )

    I think you're lucky that you became interested in Australia while you were so young. I'm now too old to do the work visa thing.

    I wish I had thought about it way before....it would have been a great thing to do after college.

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  3. Are you gonna visit Dog the bounty hunter in Hawaii?

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  4. G'day. Good onya for showing some interest in South Australia. As a local, I gotta say, it gets a bit left out sometimes, but I think it's got some of the most beautiful landscape in Australia, and Adelaide is just charming. I've travelled a fair bit, both in Australia and around the world, and I still reckon I live in the most beautiful city in Australia, and quite possibly the world. So I really hope you do come visit one day so you can see for yourself just what I love about SA. PS - Both my parents grew up in the Gawler area, and most of my family still lives there. Not that they're jackeroos or anything, just thought you might find that interesting.

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  5. We toured the SA outback (Flinders Rangers, then Strezlecki track and on to Inniminka) - FANTASTIC country side. We loved it so much we are planning to go again.

    Oh and how to keep groceries fresh for that distance? You have a car fridge.... seriously. While meat, eggs and milk you can get on the farm, even SA farmers need their hit of Tasmanian Smoked Salmon and Ashgrove cheese (also from Tassie).

    ... actually there's another place to go - Tasmania. No TV show filmed there but the food is fantastic.

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  6. Cib,

    Yes. Thank you : )

    I definitely want to go to South Australia someday.

    I would love to see Adelaide, Gawler, Cooper Pedy....oh and Kangaroo Island.

    Have you been to many places in South Australia?? Any favorites?

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  7. Eileen,

    Car fridge....never thought of that!

    We're going to be spending a few days in Tasmania--visiting a friend in Launceston. I heard it's VERY beautiful.

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