Week 8: Tour De Oz (Adelaide and Surrounds)

Wine Regions

It rained the whole time from Port Lincoln to Clare. Completely soaked, and with side-cases full of water, I decided to stay the night in a motel in Clare, as did 3 other BMW riders going from Sydney to Broken Hill, and a couple from NZ.

We basically occupied the motel, and in the morning had a good bike-talk over breakfast. The rain hadn’t stopped all night, and it didn’t look like it’d stop any time soon, so explored the region in the wet – still beautiful. I went to few vineyards and dropped by Polish Hill – a settlement established by Poles in 1850.

Next stop was Barossa Valley – which is, in my humble opinion, the best wine region in Australia, and I was so happy to be there, finally, despite the rain!

I dropped by Yalumba Vineyard, where I was very impressed by the living tradition of ‘coopering’ (barrel making) and had the privilege of chatting to the local coopers. Yalumba is the only winery in Australia to have its on on-site coopers, which gives them completely control of the quality of the oak used to age their wines.

I also visited Penfolds – one of Australia’s most recognised wine producers. It was a bit ‘commercial’ for me, like a factory, but it was good to see the operation that brings us their delightful cab savs.

Adelaide

Adelaide was Radelaide! I loved the city: it’s not too big, and not too small, and immediately hits you with a low-key ironic-hip vibe. Shame I missed the now famous art festival.

There’s nice malls and funky places to hang out, but my favourite had to be Adelaide Central Markets: fresh produce, speciality groceries, and wall to wall friendly smiles. Loved it.

If you do find yourself in Adelaide, the Art Gallery of South Australia is definitely worth a look, as is Glenelg Beach (with its picturesque jetty).

All in all, it was a good experience, and after all the riding in the rain, was a good way to recharge my batteries before hitting the road as well as catching up with friends and familiy.

Kinga’s Tour De Oz – Supporting the Shepherd Centre

Please sponsor my ride at: http://everydayhero.com.au/onherbike