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Australia 20 Mines and Wine

Mines and Wine



Townhill – Clare – Auburn – Saddleworth 70

Well I continue by the gravel road, which becomes quickly sealed, till White Hut road on left. Here starts the Riesling cycling lane, which use an antic railway for 40 km, passing by Clare and Auburn. It is following the road B82 to Kapunda, mostly gently climbing. There are 2 picnic areas with watertanks, 5 km and 15 km after Clare. It goes through fields and wineries, with a lot of trees, and mostly bordered by trees, it is very nice. But I have headwind.
Clare is a busy town, touristic, and it is impossible to use internet on Saturday. Auburn is a village, touristic too, with a store, and the caravan park is in the sport field, so it won’t be free to camp in. After Auburn comes back the fields countryside. It continues to climb, with headwind, and I arrive in Saddleworth, which is a village with a store, I feel tired so I decide to stop here. After wandering, I go to the caravan park, which is too the sport field, but I am the only customer, so it is free. The women showers are open, and I have electricity, table and shelter.

Saddleworth – Marrabel – Kapunda – Greenock 50

It goes through the same countryside, very hilly and steep, and very windy, mostly headwind. I join Marrabel, which a village, with a beautiful statue of a rodeo horse, and a small park. Then I go to Kapunda, there are more trees around, and the top of the hills, where passes the Heysen trail, are covered with trees. Kapunda is a little town, old mine town, with a sport field and a nice little park along the river on left. And miracle the tourist office and the library are the same shop, with very nice women, so I can use internet on Sunday! I buy my fly ticket Hobart to Perth on 25 of December, just on time, there were yet a few places left.
Then I lunch, and as it is clear I won’t join Cockatoo valley today, I send a message to Jim Roberts, warmshowers host. I decide to follow by Baroossa valley, with wineries and small forests. I take the road way to Gawler, and after a few km, I turn on right to Greenok. It is very hilly and windy, but the wineries starts, so it is nice road. Greenok is a small town, and I see on right the sport field, where I decide to camp. Well I have yet 40 km about till Cockatoo Valley for tomorrow.

Greenock – Tanunda – Pewsey Vale – Williamstown – Lyndoch – Cockatoo Valley 60

In Greenock, I take the way to Nuriotpa, but I quickly turn on right in scenic drive 4, Stonewell road. That sealed unbusy road drives me through trees and wineries till Tanunda. Tanunda is a small town, with a supermarket at the north entrance. I take the road B19 to Lyndoch, and at the South get out, there is a caravan park on right, and just in front there is a nice park where it should be possible to camp. Or just continue 100m till the cross, and on left there is a picnic area with table, roof and water.
A few km before Lyndoch, as I have plenty time, I decide to turn on right just before a big storage enterprise, in the Mawson trail. The sealed road becomes quickly a gravel road, no through road. And after 2 km about it becomes a trail, climbing very steep for 2 km the hill, altitud 400m. I push the bicycle till the top, and here the lookout is marvellous, all the Barossa valley, with trees, farms and wineries. Then the trail becomes better and goes by the hills, or by wineries, with gates to open. Then it joins a gravel road I take on left, and it continues hilly through fields with trees and pine tree forest. At a cross the Mawson trail goes on left, the Heysen trail joins the road, and me I decide to go straight ahead till the sealed road.
I take it on right, and it goes downhill till Williamstown, yet through fields and forest. The sport field is too a caravan park here, but eventually it is possible to camp just along the road in the children park, or in the centre in the little park in front the old people house. I continue the sealed road till Lyndoch, a small town with a store, and I turn on left to Cockatoo Valley by a sealed road, through forest. At the petrol station, with basic store, I meet Jim (warmshowers), and we go in his home. It is good to sleep in a real bed, to wash the clothes in a wash machine, and to have good food. And it is very nice to chat with a cyclist.
I take 1 day rest here, I go visit the goldfield mine, well actually it is a path in the forest, with very deep holes and some stone walls. I have to imagine all the other part, the termites had eat everything a long time ago. And for dinner Jim invites 2 neighbours and prepares a very good cuisine.

Cockatoo Valley – Williamstown – Gumeracha – Adelaide 64

I plan to cut that day in 2 short days, to take rest. But it won’t happen, as I don’t find the bush campsite where I was thinking to stay.
So I take the climbing road straight till Williamstown, pass 418m. then I take the road to Mt Pleasant, but I turn on right in a sealed backroad to Gumeracha. All that is through the Crawford forest, pine and eucalyptus plantations.
In Gumeracha there is in the centre a nice park to camp, where I meet a group of old people, and drink coffee with. Then I continue straight a few km, and turn on left to Cudlee Creek and Campbelltown, along the gorge scenic drive. The road follows the river, a creek better say, between very steep and high slopes, with a lot of trees. I pass a first cross, and then an other with a caravan park, and I continue along the river. The road is hilly. The campsite should be here, but I don’t see nothing. I suppose it is actually by the road on right, indicated Gumeracha and Tea Tree Gully.
Well I understand I miss it, and I decide to continue till Adelaide. The road continues hilly along the river, which becomes wider, as there is a wall to make Kangaroo Creek reservoir. There are beautiful views of the water down, rounded by forest and fields. Then I pass the wall, and the road goes quickly downhill, along the creek, between two high steep slopes covered with trees and shrubs. In Athelstone I see a park on right, with a bicycle lane. It is the linear Park, 35 km long, following the Torrens river till the centre of Adelaide. I take it on North side, as the right side sometimes uses the road. And on km 12 before downtown, I meet Yana and Alan (warmshowers) and we go till there home.

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