Although Strathalbyn where the Appleseed Cafe is situated sounds very Scottish, it’s not. It’s about 50 miles east of Adelaide in South Australia. It was only last December that our Toowoomba correspondents reported from Bakearoma in the Australian outback. They were making light of the fact that they had made a one day round trip of over 600 miles for a scone. Something they thought us lily livered northern hemisphere folks wouldn’t do. Of course, they were absolutely right. Now they’ve gone even further to the Appleseed Cafe in Strathalbyn.

Vagabonds

They seem to have taken up a sort of Aussie vagabond existence, just wandering around from billabong to billabong or, in their case, vineyard to vineyard in Southern Australia. We last heard from them in Melbourne when they were ate the tennis Open. We suggested that they should visit the  cast iron Corio Villa in Geelong just down the coast from Melbourne. And they did!

Don’t really know why our correspondents are now in Strathalbyn except it is the unofficial antique centre of South Australia. It all seems very Scottish. Obviously, during the Highland Clearances lots of Scots were displaced off their land  in favour of more profitable sheep … and they had to go somewhere. Around the same time Australia was a penal colony and many British criminals were sent there as punishment although we can’t imagine that any of them were Scots!

In our correspondents own words:

“You may have considered our recent 350 kms to Roma for tea and scones rather excessive   –  we have gone one better this time. 1500 kms to Strathalbyn in South Australia seemed a good idea at the time. Long straight roads, a reliable car and me being co-driver had to be an asset!  Strathalbyn where we found the Appleseed cafe, was founded in 1839; the first landholders being Dr Rankine, followed my Don McLean (unsure if it is the “American Pie” Don McLean….).   The community was the centre for farming and pastoral families, many of Scottish origin.  We were told that the church, St Andrew’s Uniting Church, was completed in 1844 by Scottish Presbyterians and that it is a focal point of the town.

Scottish is best

We were happy for a stopover here – a scone seemed a good accompaniment to the much needed coffee.  I must say I can’t wait to have  another scone in Scotland. No one seems to be able to cook them quite like Mum or the Scottish!  It was a nice change to have real cream rather than that aerated fluff that comes from a spray can!  The strawberry jam was up to scratch though.

I would not dare to comment on anything political in this country at present – would be no stopping me once I got started. Must say though, there is something to be said about the crowds reaction to our PM at the Australian Open tennis recently.  Did it give him some indication as to where he is going (or not going) ???

Boo

For those who were unaware … when the Aussie PM attended the Open tennis he was loudly booed by the crowd. We actually thought booing politicians was just one of the national sports down under. Imagine if we were all to do that? We would be truly spoiled for choice. In fact it’s quite difficult to think of any we wouldn’t boo!

With their wandering habits and sense of fun we have no difficulty identifying with our Toowoomba correspondents. We are indebted, as always, to them for keeping us informed of events at the Earth’s bottom.

SA 5255        tel: +61 8 8536 8195        Appleseed Cafe

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