Things to do when you’ve had enough sand and sun

After three or four days of Aldinga Beach sun and sand at the Cana Cottages it’s often time for a break. Your sun-baked skin is telling you to head for the shade. Yes, you can get too much of a good thing.

Good news. There are a few diversions nearby, starting in Aldinga with Lou’s Record Shack (and bike hire), the Miss Gladys Sym Choon on the Sea fashion outlet and the bakery delights at Home Grain Bakery (Vanilla Slice highly recommended (see photo above for our crew doing the taste test)).

Further afield, we highly recommend a trip to Willunga, nestled in the heart of almond growing territory in the hills above Aldinga Bay. If you’re lucky enough to be staying at Cana towards the end of July, you might find yourself at the Willunga Almond Blossom Festival. To get to Willunga head back north along the esplanade, hang a right onto Aldinga Beach Road and take it to South Road, past Aldinga Central. Take a left on South Road and then the next right and that’ll take you up the gentle hill to Willunga.

Walk up and down the main street of Willunga for many interesting galleries. We recommend the High Street Cellars which is mainly a gallery but also has some wines available for tasting. It also has a great garden out the back in which to sit back in comfortable chairs and enjoy a lager or wine (there’s a cellar bar underneath which is open till 8 or 9 on certain nights (check their website for confirmation of opening hours but it looks like a good place for a quite drink)).

Several well-stocked op-shops also present themselves for browsing. We moseyed on up and down, stopping for a coffee, and then lucked upon a sign for The Farm (thefarmwilllunga.com.au). A few kilometres south of town (not far at all) and we arrived at The Farm – several well-appointed suites for rent, and with a restaurant attached at one end. We had a tasty lunch at an outdoor table, food complimented by a very nice bottle of red. Our ebullient hostess made the visit even nicer. Two thumbs up.

Other options include Yankalilla further south for more bakeries and op-shopping. Or the fascinating National Trust Courthouse Museum in Willunga which is worth a morning or afternoon visit by itself.

But don’t try doing it all in one day. Head back to Cana for a late afternoon snooze.