HANHDORF is situated about 27km South East of Adelaide in area know as the "Adelaide Hills".
On the drive there we stopped at MOUNT LOFTY, where from the summit at the height of 700mt you can get a view of the whole city of Adelaide. Unfortunately the fog was very thick and we couldn´t see a thing!!
 |
| The thick fog... |
 |
| Cold and foggy on top of Mt.Lofty |
I was very keen to see the view, so I had to drive back the following day and I was lucky the day was nice and sunny and I managed to get some lovely pictures.
There are walking trails for the adventurous, and a wildlife park in the middle of the Botanic Gardens. There is also a kiosk and a restaurant as well as a Tourist Information Center.
 |
| Obelisk at top of Mt.Lofty |
 |
View of Adelaide, 17km away, I should have zoomed....
|
On to Hanhdorf then!
This small town was first settled in 1839 by Prussian Lutheran families (around 200 people) who traveled to South Australia on the ship "Zebra" whose captain was called Dirk Hahn. The town was named after him as a tribute to his efforts in helping to settle the travellers.
There is a memorial to Hahn and the pioneering families in the Pioneer Garden in the Main street and a lot of the original buildings still stand, fully restored and being used as shops.
Don´t miss the Leather shop with a huge collection of leather hats, belts, bags...and an open wooden fireplace burning inside the old shed.
 |
| The quaint Leather shop |
It is a very touristy spot and apart from the historical value of the town there is lots to see and experiment.
In the Main Street, there are a few shops where you can buy traditional German foods - wursts (sausages), tins of sauerkraut and gurkens, pumpernickel bread and lots more. Traditional German food can be eaten at the German Arms or at the Hanhdorf Inn restaurant, and you can have afternoon tea at the German Cake shop.
 |
| German food store |
 |
| Chilli sausages anyone? (Bum burner...) |
Also on the Main street there are a few restaurants, a couple of arts and crafts galleries and the town´s Museum, where you can read about the first settlers and their way of life.
During the First World War in 1917, the South Australia government closed all Lutheran schools, and all towns with German names in the State had their names anglicized. Despite the fact that most of Hanhdorf´s inhabitants were by now second or third generation Australians, there was a lot of anti-German feelings during the war, and the men joining the Australian Army also anglicized their names.
Hanhdorf became Ambleside between 1918 to 1935, after which the old name was restored to celebrate South Australia´s centenary in 1936 and in recognition of its German pioneers.
There are still a lot of the German descendants living in the town and a lot of newcomers attracted to the
town´s lifestyle and location. It has now a population of about 2000 people.
At the end of Main Street, on the way to Mt. Barker, there is a farm where you can pick your own strawberries (October to May) and where they farm various vegetables and fruits. Beerenberg Farm is the producer of jams, pickles, chutneys and sauces which are well know in various countries around the world.
We had a typical German lunch at the Hanhdorf Inn of Wurst and mashed potatoes and Eisbein (pork knuckle) with baked potatoes, far too much food. Then while walking along the Main St we came across a recently opened Portuguese Restaurant - Por2gal - where we had coffee, Portuguese Custard tarts (Pasteis de Nata) and a Bitter Almond liqueur. Yummi!! On my next visit we will certainly go back, for lunch!!
 |
| The Hahndorf Inn Restaurant |
 |
| Accordion player singing typical German songs |
No comments:
Post a Comment
I would love to hear from you, please leave a comment.