Australia here we come!

14/10/12

Breakfast day had arrived. We got to the Windy Hill Cafe at 9.20am and were escorted to our reserved window table. We all ordered the following: pork chipolatas, streaky bacon, braised mushrooms, marinated roma tomatoes, chive scrambled eggs, tomato jam, ciabatta toast and juice; then dessert consisting of scones with jam and cream and a pot of tea each. Needless to say we were full when we left the restaurant. Thank you very much Jacinta we all enjoyed breakfast and the stunning views.

From Windy Point we drove to Carrick Hill and paid the admission fee for a guided tour through the house. The house and grounds were built by Sir Edward Hayward and his wife Ursula in 1936. Sir Edward Hayward's family owned John Martins Ltd, a large Adelaide department store. Urusula's parents were wealthy pastoralists who owned many fine homes in Adelaide. Ursula's father gave them the land at Carrick Hill as a wedding present.

During their yearlong honeymoon in England Edward and Ursula bought a considerable amount of 16^th, 17^th and 18^th century oak panelling, a huge oak staircase and windows from the demolition sale of ‘Beau Desert’, a Tudor mansion in Staffordshire, England. These items would be used in the house they planned to build at Carrick Hill. They had all the acquired items shipped to Adelaide and built their house around the staircase and lined most of the rooms with the beautiful oak panelling.

Edward and Ursula made an agreement that when they both died the house and grounds would be given to the SA Government and used as a museum for the enjoyment of the poor people. All the furniture is still there including personal items of both Edward and Ursula. It was a very interesting experience to walk through such a beautiful and opulent manor house.

After leaving Carrick Hill we went to McElligott's Quarry and read about the different rock formations on information boards near the old quarry walls. Then we returned to the caravan park and began packing up for our departure from Adelaide tomorrow morning.