The Heysen Trail 3. Last Centuries Beauties

You can’t get past smashed avocado and poached eggs to revive, no matter how frugal any politician tells you to be. I had been walking for four hours through Adelaide and by 9am hit a trendy café in the centre of town.  After Googling 'What’s on in Adelaide' I found myself only metres away from the starting point of my next adventure.

The 20^th century architecture tour happened to be on the Tuesday I was in town and a one off chance to get to know Adelaide better. The further into the 21^st century we venture the more our buildings of the previous century need our care and attention. Putting it in human, slightly depressing terminology: 'Things grow old before you know it'. It appears Adelaide has a ground- breaking heritage listing of sublime architectural gems and a free tour to admire them. Count me in!!

 

When I first arrived at the former Reserve Bank building, it appeared that a booking should have been made. For around twenty minutes, I was hanging in suspense to see whether there was enough room for me on the bus. Twenty minutes was long enough to discover that I had landed in a flock of the most lovely ladies. I was the only male, besides the driver and the guide, and pretty close to being the youngest of the group. ”Where have all the husbands gone?” I asked, but was met with lots of shrugging of shoulders and mumbles about work commitments. Due to cancellations, I was relieved to be able hop on the bus. What followed was a very funny and interesting tour.

 

The city of Adelaide's Colonel Light Centre clad in wall garden

At one memorable stop at the Greek church of Archangels Michael and Gabriel we were not able to go inside due to the sharp glue smells coming from behind the heavy, bronzed front doors. Carpet was being laid over the floorboards and glued down by several workmen. Together with two other ladies we defied the Occupational Health and Safety warnings and like naughty children snuck up the stairs just inside the front door. It was a trip worth making. The inside view of the paintings and the dome of this magnificent symbol of migration to South Australia were mind-blowing - the smells also very uplifting.

The dome of the Greek church

 

The banter was flowing freely after the glue-sniffing incident.

At the Deep Acres Apartments a member of the public was adamant that he was going to catch our bus. The gentleman obviously wanted to join the gals on the tour, but was told gently that it would have taken him many hours to reach any kind of destination.

  



Evelyn in front of the Deep Acres Apartments

I have found a pattern throughout my life where I seemed to get along famously with the more mature faction of the opposite sex. I don't know whether this should be worrying me or not. The fact remains girls appear to 'wanna have fun' and not in the way where I am taking off my shirt, wave it above my head whilst jiggling my hips.

We stopped at the atypical Adelaide High School building. This award winning structure has a sweeping, rounded façade - the fantastic condition of the school sets itself as a class apart. We were encouraged not to take photographs inside the building because of the proximity of the school kids. We left these capable children to take footage of each other on their mobiles.



The Adelaide High School

The sun bus that was refuelling itself by the rays of the sun, drove us along in a large circle through Adelaide. We viewed McConnell House, drove over Adelaide Bridge and our final stop was the fire station completed in 1983. The rounded features of the building were striking; even the blackened practice tower adjacent to the $16 million building had that “curve appeal”.



The rounded walls of the fire station



The training tower that tries and fries our firies



Unfortunately, this tour had come to an end and after the group shots we all went our separate ways. A great morning had, cruising around with Adelaide's finest offerings of the last century.



A happy bunch. Group shot taken in Diorama in front of the sun bus

 Grey Bits

Yes, and all that was for free. Thank you Kevin and Megan for your sublime commentary and organisational skills. If you would like to go on this tour, you can find contact details on this website http://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/whats-on 

  

The crows on the tower in front of the Greek church

Later that day, I visited the third largest collection in the world of the ground breaking Auguste Rodin at the Art Gallery. The exhibition is called Versus Rodin, bodies across space and time. Find out more at  www.artgallery.sa.gov.au/agsa/home. Except for a sleepy guard or two, I found myself all alone with these amazing sculptures of powerful distorted body parts and melancholic citizens. Check out some of the photographs below.

A study off the Burghers of Calais



Casts of these sculptures are rare. One of the completed sculpture stands at Westminster Abbey