We arrive in Clare on August 20th 2013. Clare is a beautiful, green part of this country. After weeks coming across the nullarbor (the treeless plain), it is just a delight to arrive in a town like Clare. We have another of our rest days here and there will be plenty of time to visit the wineries. The Clare Valley has more than 40 cellar doors. Clare Valley’s wineries lie along a narrow 40 kilometre corridor, between Auburn and Clare. The towns are spaced closely together. Great opportunity for the riders to order their favourite wines and those bottles as souvenirs for those waiting at home for us. Most wineries will do home deliveries.
Wineries are not the only thing to do in Clare (this is starting to sound like a tourist promotion). Explore conservation parks to see giant 50,000 year old wombat fossils, stunning native wildflowers and majestic colonial homes such as Martindale Hall.
There are boutique businesses in historic bluestone buildings. Markets sell produce made using antique presses and grindstone “technology.”
There are always the pubs to check out as well.
Clare to Gawler- 95 kms (Not a huge day)
This will be the last day of the local school holidays so we better keep an eye out for harassed parents rushing home on the final day and thinking about everything that has to be done before they start back at work. Thank God it is a short day. The drivers will be unlikely to be thinking about us.
Gawler prospered early with the discovery of copper nearby at Kapunda and Burra, which resulted in Gawler becoming a resting stop to and from Adelaide. Later, it developed industries including flour milling and manufacturing steam locomotives. Not a huge amount od things to do in Gawler but a pleasant stop over.
Pretty scenery especially when the wild flowers are out.
We need to take extra water on board here as the water at our next stop is not very nice. Everyone will need to remind us before we leave the town.
Gawler to Wellington- 135 kms
Today we are skirting around the outskirts of Adelaide. Morning tea is at a place called Palmer which is just east of the Adelaide Hills. Therefore I think we may do a little climbing today.
Lunch will be at a lovely town called Murray Bridge (needless to say on the great Murray River). Murray Bridge is the fourth most populous city in South Australia after Adelaide, Mount Gambier and Whyalla. I like this town with lots of fond memories of previous holidays in this town.
Wellington is a very tiny settlement which is really nothing more than a couple of dozen houses on the banks of the Murray River. The buildings are old and nice quiet walks are available.
Wellington to Salt Creek - 100 kms
The countryside we are travelling through is usually very lush and it can be a very pleasant ride. Once we hit an area known as the Coorong, it changes again and it becomes what I think as more interesting. The environment around her is quite unique in Australia. It is a timeless, untamed wilderness with diversity that nature has provided. There is a long, narrow lagoon that runs parallel with the coastal dunes for 140km. The beach stretches 200km from Encounter Bay to Lacepede Bay, uninterrupted except when the mouth of the great Murray River opens to the sea.
We were having difficulty locating accommodation for all of us in this area because places we had stayed in previously had closed down and new places chosen also shut down recently. Fortunately we have come across a "Roadhouse" at Salt Creek which will be able to accommodate us. We were worried we were going to have to change course and miss this area of Australia.
Salt Creek to Robe - 140 kms
Riding to another rest day at Robe. Travelling along the coast for most of today (hope the weather is being kind to us otherwise it could be pretty cold). Should have the wind up our tails today, making riding pretty easy. Mostly just one town that we go through and should hit that around lunch time. This will be Kingston. Kingston is at the southeastern end of Encounter Bay and the Coorong. The main industries are fishing, winemaking, sheep and cattle farming and recreation, the district having a large influx of tourists during holiday periods throughout the year. The northern entrance to the town is dominated by the Big Lobster, fondly named "Larry" by people in Kingston. Many great pubs, hotels, and shops can be found, and Kingston also hosts one of the best fish and chip shops in Australia. "Macs Takeaway" has twice won awards for their outstanding fish and chips (might have to be on the menu for lunch).
44 kms on from Kingston is Robe. Robe is a town and fishing port on the South East Limestone Coast of South Australia. The town's distinctive combination of historical buildings, ocean, fishing fleets, lakes and dense bush is widely appreciated. Robe lies on the southern shore of Guichen Bay, just off the Princes Highway. Robe is a very pretty town and it will be great to have a rest day here.
