Having left the Eyre Peninsula and had an over night stay in Port Augusta we headed for the Clare Valley followed by the Barossa Valley for our eight nights pre our booked Xmas accomodation on the Yorke Peninsula. On the way to the Clare valley we went over Horrocks pass again, through Willington, down to Stone hut for more pies, stopped to view the silo art at Willabarra and visited the old goal at Gloucester.
silo art at Willabarra
Clare Valley
We stayed at Leasingham 12 kms south of Clare as the park at Clare was very expensive and the park at Leasingham half the price. It was old but clean and we were the only tourist in the park for the whole four nights. The park was just as close to everything in the valley and a good quiet spot to stop.
The first day we did the scenic drive from Auburn (just south of Leasingham) detouring for our first wine tasting at Taylor’s Vineyard, we took some pics of the valley but didn’t buy anything.
Then we travelled along the lower and upper Skilly road which was a dirt road on the west side of the hwy through Clare, it was very scenic farmland before hitting the vineyard areas. We are on the scenic drive around the Clare Valley. We stopped at Mitchell’s vineyard for sampling and a cheese platter and bought a dozen clear skins and a bottle of reisling. The Clare valley is known for its reislings due to the soil and limestone areas.
After lunch we stopped at the lookout area in the spring gully conservation park
Then Neagles rock lookout but didn’t do the walk as we were dressed for wine tasting not walking. We continued along White Hut Rd north of Clare and finished this part of the scenic drive.
Day 2 we called into O’Leary vineyard just near the van park and didn’t buy but decided on lunch there the next day, the scenery beautiful from this vineyard.
Then, continuing the scenic road in a different direction to yesterday we went out to Mintaro a small town with lots of old stone buildings, a cute pub and not much else. We visited
Martingale Hall a glamorous local sandstone Georgian home built in 1879 for Edmund Bowman and later owned by William Mortlock, he didn’t have any descendants and it now belongs to the SA government.
Then lunch at the old 1800s pub in Mintaro which was really yummy.
And then continued our scenic drive south east of Clare stopping at Piles Brewery where we bought a carton of beer and a t-shirt for John for Xmas, Afterwards, photos at Quarry hill lookout
Then visited the museum and cellars of the Sevenhills vineyards owned by the Jesuits. They make altar wine and general wines , we bought a nice rose wine.
Day 3
We walked about the Gleeson Wetlands in Clare ,
Returned to Sevenhills to walk around the historic sites and see the church
then back to the van, changed and walked around to O’Leary Walkers vineyard for a long leisurely lunch with a bottle of their Riesling, a décantant afternoon.
Barossa Valley
We stayed at the Big 4 in Nuriootpa a lovely park but quiet empty. We have seen the numbers in vans and tourists drop significantly since the SA lock down for three days .On the way to the Barossa we stopped at a small mining town, Kapunda, for morning tea
The afternoon was catching up on the washing and odd jobs.
Day one
After a quick stop at Aldi we drove out to Angaston, a delightful historic village full of stone buildings and we took the time to walk around the town and try some cheeses with morning tea in the park with the horse statues depicting ploughing the soil in the wine industry of past times.
The first winery was Saltham wines, just pre Angaston as they make Pepperjack , one of my favourite reds , I brought a sparkling red , a Malbec and a Semillion.
sampling wines at pepperjack wines
We lunched at Atzes corner winery for an amazing cheese platter and a reisling. The best cheeseboard I’ve ever had with heaps of meat and cheeses and bits and pieces, a great variety and the view from the verandah wasn’t bad either.
Then a drive round the main vineyard road of the Barossa Seppeltfields road
Then stopping at the complex of Seppeltfields with wine tastings, art and ceramic galleries,creams made from virgin oils and eateries. We didn’t do any wine tastings but John bought some cream for me and some wine glasses for himself. We looked at the Chateau and views around this area.
On the way back to the van we stopped at Greenock and a little brewery for beer tastings and bought a six pack, as usual the pale ale was my favourite, John adding other types.
Day2
We took the scenic road trip out through Angaston
South to Eden Valley
Thru Springton and visited Haighs tree , Haigh was a miner who lived in the tree below with his family.
And on to Mount Pleasant ,Birdwood we are now in the north of the Adelaide hills We toured the national motor museum at Birdwood followed the windy road to Gumeracha, where there is a large rocking horse at a bird sanctuary and toy shop
Then back into the Barossa area through Williamstown , Lyndoch Tanunda and back to Nuriootpa.
Day 3
After a slow start we visited Krondorf just south of Tanunda
to see the grant burge winery where I bought some 200 ml bottles of sparkling , just perfect size for me
visited Chateau Tanunda
We drove to lookout on Mengler Hill Sculpture Park
And back to the outskirts of Tanunda to a brewery for lunch and beer tastings at the Barossa valley Brewery. We didn’t really think the beers were that special and they were expensive and the pizza for lunch was horrible. So back into Tanunda for a walk around the shops and back to Aldi’s for some shopping. Now Dec 22 we are off to Moonta Bay On the Yorke Peninsula for xmas and our next blog will start here.
