Hello everyone! Sorry we haven't updated this in a few weeks. We have kept pretty low key the last few weekends and recently lost internet at home so it makes things a bit less convenient. Anyways, this post covers our first experience with the opening of the Fringe Festival and checking out a new beach a few weeks ago. I'll have another post by the end of the week about this past weekend, which we spent with friends, checking out more Fringe activities and the start of the Art Festival. It's a fun time to be in Adelaide!
From the moment we got into Adelaide in October, everyone we had a conversation with told us about how great the Fringe Festival is. Well, usually the first thing they would say to us was, “Where are you guys from?” Once they found out we were from SD and OC, that was usually followed by “What are you guys doing here?!”
Once we got past that part, the locals proceeded to tell us about wine country, bush lands, the beaches and without failure The Fringe Festival! “It’s the best time of year to be in Adelaide!” We later found out it’s also because it’s the time of year when 3 or 4 festivals happen in the span of a month.
From the moment we got into Adelaide in October, everyone we had a conversation with told us about how great the Fringe Festival is. Well, usually the first thing they would say to us was, “Where are you guys from?” Once they found out we were from SD and OC, that was usually followed by “What are you guys doing here?!”
Once we got past that part, the locals proceeded to tell us about wine country, bush lands, the beaches and without failure The Fringe Festival! “It’s the best time of year to be in Adelaide!” We later found out it’s also because it’s the time of year when 3 or 4 festivals happen in the span of a month.
For a while, I just completely forgot about it and didn’t give it another thought. It wasn’t until someone at work showed me pictures of The Garden of Unearthly Delights, which is a part of the Fringe Festival. It’s free, takes over all of a surrounding park land and it’s filled with different bars, pop-up cafes and various stalls of delicious looking and smelling foods. I would say it’s similar to a fair but on a much MUCH better scale. There are rides and attractions that you would find within a fair but the food, drinks and environment (tables, bars, seating, etc) options are without a doubt much better. The food at The Garden does not consist of fried Twinkies or fried chocolate covered bacon (‘Merica). And the drinks, let’s just say you will not find large people pounding bud light while watching their kids aggravate the animals…if it isn’t clear yet, I am not a fan of fairs back home.
When Anelle and I recently went to check it out, I was a bit skeptical at the beginning as I was getting that “fair vibe.” It was mid-week so it was pretty dead. As we walked through, I realized it’s heaps better than a fair. So much so that Anelle and I got into an argument about it. She knows I hate fairs and I was enjoying the Garden. “This is like a top shelf fair and I like it,” I said. She gave me a look as if I was crazy and then said, “It looks the same to me.” Naturally and maturely I responded with, “WHAT.ARE.YOU.TALKING.ABOUT?! You’re telling me the food and drinks are the saaaame?!” Let’s just say she didn't think there was much difference and I didn't like that she didn't agree with me….are these the type of stupid things married people argue about? I was instantly taken back to our friend’s dinner party. At this party Brian and Jessica & Jenillee and Mat all shared hilarious stories of arguments/fights they had. I think we could add this to the list. It was a weeknight and predictably dead at The Garden during our first visit. Take a look!
When Anelle and I recently went to check it out, I was a bit skeptical at the beginning as I was getting that “fair vibe.” It was mid-week so it was pretty dead. As we walked through, I realized it’s heaps better than a fair. So much so that Anelle and I got into an argument about it. She knows I hate fairs and I was enjoying the Garden. “This is like a top shelf fair and I like it,” I said. She gave me a look as if I was crazy and then said, “It looks the same to me.” Naturally and maturely I responded with, “WHAT.ARE.YOU.TALKING.ABOUT?! You’re telling me the food and drinks are the saaaame?!” Let’s just say she didn't think there was much difference and I didn't like that she didn't agree with me….are these the type of stupid things married people argue about? I was instantly taken back to our friend’s dinner party. At this party Brian and Jessica & Jenillee and Mat all shared hilarious stories of arguments/fights they had. I think we could add this to the list. It was a weeknight and predictably dead at The Garden during our first visit. Take a look!
When our friend Russell and Suren invited us to check out the opening parade for Fringe, we happily accepted. I was still struggling to understand what exactly the Fringe was. People never really said what it was other than it was the Fringe and a festival... “ya, I get it. But what is it?!” I would think to myself.
“You guys have to check out the Fringe.”
“It’s a month long festival all over the city.”
“There will be shows in different venues around the city.”
“There will be pop-up bars.”
“There’s comedians from around the world that show up.”
And so on and so on. These were the typical things we heard from people. I was ready to see what all the hoopla was about…
The Fringe Parade took place down the main road in Adelaide (King William St). By the time we got there, the street was closed to vehicles and filled with people walking around and lining up to watch the parade. And if you were smart, earlier on you went to a bar that had a balcony overlooking King William St. Luckily, we were able to find a spot further down the road right in front. The only people in front of us were sitting. We were set! Or so I thought. Someone ended up in front of me and basically annoyed and ruined my pictures throughout the parade when she would constantly extend her arms with her iPhone in front of my camera. I digress. The Parade was a showcase of the Fringe artists enticing you to experience one of their shows. Here are a few pictures I could get a clean look at without an arm or iPhone in my face.
“You guys have to check out the Fringe.”
“It’s a month long festival all over the city.”
“There will be shows in different venues around the city.”
“There will be pop-up bars.”
“There’s comedians from around the world that show up.”
And so on and so on. These were the typical things we heard from people. I was ready to see what all the hoopla was about…
The Fringe Parade took place down the main road in Adelaide (King William St). By the time we got there, the street was closed to vehicles and filled with people walking around and lining up to watch the parade. And if you were smart, earlier on you went to a bar that had a balcony overlooking King William St. Luckily, we were able to find a spot further down the road right in front. The only people in front of us were sitting. We were set! Or so I thought. Someone ended up in front of me and basically annoyed and ruined my pictures throughout the parade when she would constantly extend her arms with her iPhone in front of my camera. I digress. The Parade was a showcase of the Fringe artists enticing you to experience one of their shows. Here are a few pictures I could get a clean look at without an arm or iPhone in my face.
I had a much better understanding of the festival after the parade. It’s a month long festival with cabaret, comedy, dance, music, theatre and visual art shows. Being there with the music blasting and the parade going on in front of us got Anelle and I very rather excited about experiencing as much of the Fringe as possible. From what we could gather, it was going to be a mix of cirque Du Solei, Vegas shows, dance club music, a little West Hollywood and carnies with great food and drinks throughout. I was officially excited.
Anelle and I haven’t decided on a show yet and we have to choose wisely as almost every show comes with a good price tag. Velvet, Fear and Delight, Limbo, La Soiree, The Magnets are all shows that are on our list. In the meantime, we checked out the Royal Croquet Club (a post on this coming later this week), which has taken over Victoria Square and filled it with some free entertainment with more and more food and drink options. We already checked out Gluttony (another park filled with food, drinks and performers), which was a good start. We got some good laughs from a dirty and funny carney performing. We just checked out The Garden for a second time this past Saturday, which was much better as it was heaps livelier. We hope to check out The Garden and the Croquet Club this weekend and I will definitely have some more posts on The Fringe as we move along.
Enough about the Fringe for now. Two weeks ago, Anelle and I once again fell in love with another unbelievable beach. It’s mind-boggling how many great beaches there are in Adelaide and South Australia. Anelle and I walked from our apartment to the train station, which is about 5 minutes from us. We jumped on the train and headed to Port Noarlunga Beach. And yes, I’m going to say it again. I love public transportation. My city card is good for the bus, tram and train! Absolutely love it. The train ride took an hour with about 15 stops before we got to our destination. After the train, we got on a bus for about 5 minutes. The bus dropped us off in the little busy beach town of Port Noarlunga. As we walked towards the beach and pier, we passed a bunch of cafes, restaurants and beach shops.
The temperature that day in Adelaide was 40 degrees Celsius (that’s over 100F!!) so Anelle and I got out of the CBD as quickly as possible. Once we got to the beach, it was sunny, the water was calm and clear, and the sand was soft and white. The beach was littered with tents, people laying out and beach umbrellas. It was perfect. In the distance, we could see people walking on the reef, snorkelers getting ready to enter the water, people paddle boarding, kids jumping off the peer, scuba divers checking their oxygen levels, fishermen reeling in fish, and boats anchored with people jumping in the water next to the reef. We fell in love with the atmosphere and the beach before we even set a foot in the sand.
Anelle and I haven’t decided on a show yet and we have to choose wisely as almost every show comes with a good price tag. Velvet, Fear and Delight, Limbo, La Soiree, The Magnets are all shows that are on our list. In the meantime, we checked out the Royal Croquet Club (a post on this coming later this week), which has taken over Victoria Square and filled it with some free entertainment with more and more food and drink options. We already checked out Gluttony (another park filled with food, drinks and performers), which was a good start. We got some good laughs from a dirty and funny carney performing. We just checked out The Garden for a second time this past Saturday, which was much better as it was heaps livelier. We hope to check out The Garden and the Croquet Club this weekend and I will definitely have some more posts on The Fringe as we move along.
Enough about the Fringe for now. Two weeks ago, Anelle and I once again fell in love with another unbelievable beach. It’s mind-boggling how many great beaches there are in Adelaide and South Australia. Anelle and I walked from our apartment to the train station, which is about 5 minutes from us. We jumped on the train and headed to Port Noarlunga Beach. And yes, I’m going to say it again. I love public transportation. My city card is good for the bus, tram and train! Absolutely love it. The train ride took an hour with about 15 stops before we got to our destination. After the train, we got on a bus for about 5 minutes. The bus dropped us off in the little busy beach town of Port Noarlunga. As we walked towards the beach and pier, we passed a bunch of cafes, restaurants and beach shops.
The temperature that day in Adelaide was 40 degrees Celsius (that’s over 100F!!) so Anelle and I got out of the CBD as quickly as possible. Once we got to the beach, it was sunny, the water was calm and clear, and the sand was soft and white. The beach was littered with tents, people laying out and beach umbrellas. It was perfect. In the distance, we could see people walking on the reef, snorkelers getting ready to enter the water, people paddle boarding, kids jumping off the peer, scuba divers checking their oxygen levels, fishermen reeling in fish, and boats anchored with people jumping in the water next to the reef. We fell in love with the atmosphere and the beach before we even set a foot in the sand.
The beach stretched out for kilometers but Anelle and I were excited to get in the water so we just set up our towels near the pier and got in the water pretty quickly. After enjoying the water, getting some sun and getting a little browner we got a bit hungry. Anelle and I did what everyone does at the beach. We ordered up some fish and chips! It’s a simple meal but oh so good. The view of the pier, the reef and water definitely didn’t hurt. After lunch, we walked out to the end of the pier to get a closer look at everyone near the reef.
We love this place and we didn't even get the chance to snorkel or walk on the reef. I had my backpack with my camera gear so I didn't want to risk someone snatching it. In order to get to the reef, you need to jump off the pier and swim to it and we didn't want to experience it while one of us waited on the pier watching my pack. We will definitely come back soon and I’ll be prepared with my GoPro gear.
Like I said at the beginning of this post, I will have another one up soon about this past weekend. We had a fun Vietnamese roll making dinner party at our mate Russell's home, had some drinks at the Croquet Club and The Garden, had friends over at our apartment for drinks and snacks before we all checked out the Art Festival. The city really is alive at the moment. Check back soon!
Like I said at the beginning of this post, I will have another one up soon about this past weekend. We had a fun Vietnamese roll making dinner party at our mate Russell's home, had some drinks at the Croquet Club and The Garden, had friends over at our apartment for drinks and snacks before we all checked out the Art Festival. The city really is alive at the moment. Check back soon!