Wilpena Pound, Flinders Ranges South Australia

Wilpena Pound Resort is around 170km inland from Port Augusta West, South Australia. We travelled in our Campervan and on arrival booked into the National Park camping area. The resort and park are very popular around this time of the year. We found the facilities in the park clean and tidy, every thing was nice and orderly, with no pets allowed, giving us a restful quiet nights stop over. The main purpose of our visit was to view this amazing geological area, along with the wild flowers that are purported to grow in the area. The options of things to do is fly over the pound, go on a guided tour or walk through a well worn path to the Old "Homestead" then climb up hill to a very well placed lookout over this phenomenal geological area. The native flowers were not prolific this year, but blue flowers were scattered in dells all around the area. We visited the resort, enjoying our morning coffee break. We then set off for around trip walking past the Homestead and on up to the lookout to view the pound. 

Australian Arid Lands Botanical Garden Port Augusta West SA

The gardens are located on the Sturt highway around 4km west of Port Augusta. The Bluebush Cafe is very popular, with a good comprehensive menu. Sunset dinners are available Oct through Dec, or enjoy a relaxing Sunday breakfast / brunch. We enjoyed a pancake, with Quandong ice cream and Quandong sauce, finishing with a very nice cheese and fruit platter, enjoying the views along with the air conditioning. The cafe is of a modern design with exposed tubular steel arch supports, the floor is concrete inlayed with small stones, walls of wood and ply. Tables wooden with chrome supports, the dining chairs are black with chrome legs. The colour scheme of the Cafe is earthy, with some light bottle green walls. The design of the building is to give you expansive views, while you relax and enjoy your desired food preference. The gardens are festooned with plants and shrubs, this time of the year many in bloom, most  travellers would be unaware of the existence of many of these species. Great to view Sturts Wild Pea in flower, the tracks are well signed, along with every plant and shrub which number in their hundreds. The back drop to the gardens are the Flinders Ranges beckoning you to drive over. A very memorable, relaxing visit.

The Sturt Desert Pea. The South Australian Emblem

Cafe Assiette Main St Hahndorf SA

On returning to the Cafe Assiette, which is always busy, where a reservation would be advised. After enjoying a very enjoyable breakfast last week, on our return we ordered from their extensive lunch menu. From the Taste Of Germany we ordered, German Pork Belly: a slow braised pork belly, potato salad Sauerkraut, German  Pretzel W Horseradish. Perfectly prepared, and very tasty, a generous serving, excellent. From The Sea menu, we ordered a Sea Food Paella, a traditional Spanish Style, prawn, squid, mussels, onion, garlic, green peas, chilli cooked with basmati rice. Served sizzling on a cast iron plate, packed with sea food, a huge helping, delicious and satisfying. We finished enjoying two very well made Mahalia Coffee,s. As it was a cold day we found the three fires kept us very warm and comfortable. After reading other reviews about this restaurant, mostly positive, I found the negative reviews quite puzzling, could not understand where they were coming from. This is our third visit and could not find fault, re food and service.

The Original Food Company Mt Barker SA

What impressed us with this bakery is their focus, to produce a range of the highest quality sweet and savoury pastries with a complimentary line of cakes and buns. Achieving this quality they source the majority of the ingredients from local producers, most of whom are located within 100 kilometres of the Bakery. Resulting in prize winning gourmet pies and pastries.

The bakery/cafe is located on the Gawler St, beside the Red Cross Shop. Out side there is a very tidy comfortable alfresco area on the foot path, with a closer inspection it is on the sunny side of the street, making for a comfortable place to sit and chat in the sunshine. Inside we found the shop to be very clean and tidy, a numerous number of awards on show, dining has comfortable wooden table and chairs. Along the back wall there is a series of long refrigerated display cabinets, complete, with savoury rolls, scones, cakes etc, all available to eat in or take away, the coffee machine is in the corner from the counter along the front side. We found the coffee, Southern Crema, locally sourced, of good quality, leaving a pleasant after taste. The service was excellent, friendly, with a very relaxing ambience. Our food choices were fresh and well prepared. A nice pleasant interlude as we waited for the bus just up the street.

The Original Food Co Littlehampton SA

The original Food Company

85 Main St

Littlehampton

South Australia

A Good visit

A fresh clean interior of predominately black and off white with a delightful black wrought iron bike featuring, and a planter of pot plants near the door, with more on top of two book cases which add a welcome touch of greenery. The book cases contain a range of gourmet teas and some local  produce for sale. Two walls display an astonishing array of awards for their pies, cakes,and breads, a mouth watering selection of which are displayed in three large display cabinets around the counter. Altogether charm and style create a pleasing, peaceful ambience that combined with the great food and coffee, will ensure a large, satisfied cliental.

After enjoying our visit to their sister bakery in Mt Barker, we found again the food and service at the Littlehampton Bakery was excellent. Our lunch choices were a delightful, fresh cold turkey salad, and  "the daily special", bread & butter pudding with coffee, $7.50, both serves were of a generous size, very well prepared and represented good value. 

Adelaide Bar 9 Boutique Coffee Cafe

Just returned from London reviewing their best Coffee Cafe scene, the Australians & New Zealanders have stamped their mark in London. On our return we visited, the Bar 9 Cafe Glen Osmond Rd, Adelaide Australia,which is up for the best in Australia. On Monday midday the cafe is humming, obviously local customers appreciate, the coffee and wholesome food, the ample and varied table space and the comfortable leather corner settees. Wall art, old coffee making paraphernalia,  antique natural wooden floors and various old style dining chairs and stools, old crates and large barrels contribute to the aged, careworn decor style creating a comfortable easy ambience. We thoroughly enjoyed a home made style pumpkin soup with toast, and their award winning coffee.

The service was friendly and professional, thus ticking all the boxes, making for very relaxing dining experience.

Another great Coffee Place

The Peleton Co cafe, Market Street Shoreditch, London. Dropped into the cafe for a coffee and to watch the Le Tour De France bike race showing on the large back wall. The coffee was excellent, not bitter with a lingering aftertaste. The Cafe also stocks and sells racing bikes, along with bike accessories. Great crowd in the cafe, good vibe, a very enjoyable visit. Have no hesitation in recommending this place for a coffee stop.The service is good, the staff are friendly and knowledgeable about coffee and bikes. Not your normal coffee shop.

Great coffee when in London UK

If you are on a quest for excellent coffee while in London, then you must go to the Borough Market, there you will find Monmouth Coffee, 27 Monmouth St London. First up they will let you taste a chosen coffee. I had and enjoyed a fresh, single origin Colombo coffee, full bodied

not bitter, with a lingering after taste. This coffee destination is extremely busy, with a steady moving queue, with most tables full. The service was friendly, very professional, with grinders and Barista's at full pace. The ambience is a real buzz, absolutely full of locals, tourists, shoppers, and like myself looking for a satisfying shot. Also with their location in the market you will find some excellent fare available. When ever in London down by the Bridge Tube Station, desire a great coffee this is where I shall be. Such a great experience made my day.

Angaston Cafe

Blond Coffee & Store

60 Murray St

Angaston 5353

08 8564 3444

Amy

Info@blondcoffee.com.au

www.blondcoffee.com.au

Blond Coffee & Store is situated on the Main Street of Angaston, the building is very spacious, with a glass frontage which gives you a good view inside the cafe. Original wooden floors, and a  range of wooden tables and chairs, are complimented by two red leather sofas. The colour scheme is predominately dark brown and cream, with one stunning striped feature wall, and another dark brown wall with a range of antique style mirrors reflecting the interior, including shelves with a colourful array of merchandise for sale. We enjoyed a well made Rio brand coffee, the staff were friendly and obliging. The food options looked tempting, fresh from the kitchen, and complimentary papers and magazines, completed a relaxing enoyable break.