Author Archives: sheg4184

A Café by the Sea

Posted on 7 February 2022 by sheg4184

The sun is up and the early morning swimmers are trudging up the beach, damp and dripping, to gather for coffee on the veranda at the Normanville Kiosk & Café. In dribs and drabs, the dawn patrol of dog walkers … Continue reading →

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Ekhidna Wines

Posted on 17 January 2022 by sheg4184

A sunny day. A back road in McLaren Vale. A vast fig tree giving off a juicy scent of summer. An open air space tucked in among the grapevines. The view is sublime, the staff are terrific – cheerful and … Continue reading →

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Shakespeare in the Rain

Posted on 7 January 2022 by sheg4184

On a prime position, in the southern foothills above the Adelaide plains, sits a beautiful house that looks more like it belongs in the lush green English countryside than in the hot, dry southern hemisphere. Built in the late 1930s, … Continue reading →

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What Price to Pay?

Posted on 30 December 2021 by sheg4184

What on earth did we all talk about before Covid? Every conversation these days starts with the latest update. In every newspaper or TV report there is high drama about the latest figures and the latest advice on crossing borders. … Continue reading →

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Octopus Dreams

Posted on 15 December 2021 by sheg4184

‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.’ Thank you, Daphne du Maurier, for that exquisitely poignant, nostalgic and melancholic opening line. It’s an iconic and instantly gripping beginning that every wannabe writer must envy. I went not to … Continue reading →

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Ghosts of Christmas Past

Posted on 6 December 2021 by sheg4184

At last, the sun has finally decided to herald in the spring and the streets of Adelaide are carpeted in deep violet jacaranda flowers. I am suddenly, and belatedly, aware that it is already December, and Christmas is but a … Continue reading →

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An Abundance of Wine & Song

Posted on 12 November 2021 by sheg4184

We drove across the Fleurieu recently, to meet our daughter in McLaren Vale. Unfortunately, it was unseasonably chilly, so my plan for lunch on the lawn at Chalk Hill was scuppered by a general consensus that it was far too … Continue reading →

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Colonel Light’s Vision: an old chestnut or a model for the future?

Posted on 2 November 2021 by sheg4184

Through this exceptionally long, wet winter, I have spent a lot of time immersed in the history of South Australia, researching families and individuals who played a significant part in founding our state. Edward Gibbon Wakefield, for example, was a … Continue reading →

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Masks begone!

Posted on 21 October 2021 by sheg4184

The irony of my blog’s name struck me anew this morning. No borders, only horizons? Uh huh. Not much truth in that, these days. Not that I’m complaining. South Australia has been spectacularly well protected from the horrors of a … Continue reading →

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Namaste & G’day!

Posted on 10 October 2021 by sheg4184

Last week I caught an Uber back to the Cubby Hole. For once, my taxi driver knew the street – ‘it’s just around the corner from my uncle’s restaurant,’ he assured me. Hoping I didn’t sound too un-p.c. I said … Continue reading →

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