SA turned fully apocalyptic by throwing howling wind and unrelenting rain at us for three days. Unfortunately, this obscured the charms of our first stops at Goolwa and Port Willunga. But we were pleased to catch up with old friends of Sarah's, Melanie and Martin and their daughters Milla and Astrid, at the lovely Woodstock Estate winery in McLaren Vale. It is always lovely when kids who don’t know each other become fast friends and disappear for three hours!

Our drive to the Yorke Peninsula was also beset by yet more torrential rain that only began to abate when we came to our destination at Pondalowie Bay, on the south-western corner of the Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park. Fortunately, the sight of mother emus with their babies and curious kangaroos and joeys cheered us up. By the late afternoon, the sun began to peak through.

Toby mandated the next day as ‘no-driving’. The kids wanted to go boogie boarding and although the day dawned rather grey and gloomy as it progressed, the sun began to emerge. By the afternoon, the cloud had all cleared and we enjoyed a lovely beach afternoon at the Pondalowie Surfbreak.

It is finally starting to feel like a holiday!