World class wineries, winding country roads, prehistoric caves, bird-breeding wetlands, a magnificent coastal national park, German and Scottish heritage and an Australian saint come together to form the South Australian Wine and Wildlife itinerary.
Total drive approx: 938 kms
Adelaide -- more than 'a city of churches'
Day 1 Depart: Adelaide O/night: Wellington or Keith Approx: 260 Kms
A well designed city, laid out in a grid of wide shopping streets and various squares (and all within a couple of square kilometres), Adelaide is also often called the ‘city of churches’. It is, but it’s also much more: Adelaide has a deserved reputation for its elegant architecture and is known around the world for its highly acclaimed cultural events.
Adelaide’s big festival months are February and March. Don’t forget to book well ahead if you plan to visit at these times, especially when the biennial Festival of Arts comes to town (the next one is in March 2012). Meanwhile, Adelaide Clipsal 500 V8 Supercars guarantees downtown racing excitement in early March.
Adelaide is also a city that boasts a great food scene. The biennial Tasting Australia has become a huge international success since kicking off in 1997. Apart from its roll call of raved-about restaurants and its galaxy of lively pubs, Adelaide has another star that attracts foodies– the Central Food Market with its eighty stalls under one roof, each of them tantalising the tastebuds. Lucia's Pizza Bar in the market was the first (real) pizza bar in Adelaide. Check out Central Food Market for yourselves.
Setting off from Adelaide, you might want to skip breakfast, as you will be tempted with a bockwurst, bratwurst and weisswust brunch at the Hahndorf Inn, washed down with an authentic Munich Hoffbrau beer. Just remember those drink and drive regulations and linger for while.
Hahndorf sits in the Adelaide Hills, about a 30-minute drive from the city, and is Australia's oldest surviving German settlement. To get to there, take the South Eastern Freeway (Princes Highway), then turn off at the B34 exit and follow the signs.
The town was settled in 1839 by a group of Lutheran immigrants who had fled religious persecution in Germany. Most of the group came from the same small Prussian village. But the town was not named their birthplace: Hahndorf is named after the Danish captain of the ship that brought them to start their new life in Australia.
German influence is still very apparent in Hahndorf; the town even has an honorary burgermeister, the German form of mayor, and its own brass band. A couple of dozen of surviving original buildings are similar to those you find driving in rural Germany.
The drive from Adeleide to Hahndorf is easy and postcard picturesque at times. It’s hard to imagine that in the early days of Hahndorf the local women and older girls would set off barefoot at midnight laden with baskets of butter, eggs and fresh vegetables that found a ready market in Adelaide. At the end of the day, they walked back, carrying sacks of sugar and flour, and perhaps some new farming tools. It was a 60 kilometre round trip, through areas where escaped convicts from the eastern states and other outlaws felled trees for a living.
Hahndorf caters for a variety of tastes
The town today is lined with craft shops, small museums and art galleries – and the traditional German-style pubs, restaurants and little shops selling dried sausages, local cheeses, olives and other deli goodies ensure you don’t go hungry or thirsty.
Hahndorf Smallgoods on the main street is known for its mouth tingling dry smoked sausages, while the German Cake Shop, which bakes traditional rye and black breads, also makes a mean bienenstich, a bread-like cake with a sugary-almond crunchy crust and vanilla pudding filling.
If you are driving this way in the summer (October to May) you can pick their own giant strawberries at Beerenberg Strawberry Farm, at the eastern end of Hahndorf’s main street. The farm is open every day (except Christmas Day) and grows a range of different fruits. Stock up for the drive.
Hahndorf lost its name for a while. Out of perceived patriotism during World War One, the South Australian government changed many German place names and Hahndorf was no exception. It became Ambleside, after a town in the English lakelands. It was not until the late 1930s that it became Hahndorf again.
Before leaving Hahndorf, you might want to drop by at The Cedars, the former home and studio of Hans Heysen, a respected German-Australian landscape artist particularly recognized for his watercolours of the Australian bush.
Take a guided tour of this gracious old house, which is still owned by the Heysen family. It is home to a fine collection of paintings and drawings that display Heysen's remarkable talent. Also open to the public is Heysen's working studio, with his painting materials and tools, sketches, notes and more. For art lovers, the Heysen connection is one of their main reasons for visiting Hahndorf.
Hans Heysen was well known for his Australian landscapes
From Hahndorf, the drive leads on through Mount Barker (not to be confused with its namesake in Western Australia) to Strathalbyn and Langhorne Creek. Mount Barker, just ten minutes south of Hahndorf, was once a small rural town: but unlike its neighbour up the road it is now part of the Adelaide commuter belt with a population six times bigger than Hahnsdorf’s couple of thousand inhabitants – and growing.
You take Wellington Road out of Mount Barker and after about five kilometres you turn right on to Adelaide Road (B37) and continue south. The road will change names a couple of times, but stick with it and in just over half an hour you’ll arrive in Strathalbyn, which sits on the Angas River. It’s said to be the unofficial antique capital of South Australia.
Scottish immigrants established Strathalbyn in 1839 -- the same year German settlers began building Hahndorf. Its name reflects those Scottish beginnings. The Scottish or Gaelic word ‘strath’ means ‘a valley with a river running through it’ and Albyn comes from Albion, the old Gaelic name for Scotland.
Many of Strathalbyn’s streets bear the names of the first arrivals (interesting for anybody working on the family tree), and the town’s big event is its annual Highland Gathering, complete with haggis, bagpipes and Scottish dancing.
The town’s old courthouse and police station is now a National Trust museum with exhibits that illustrate the Celtic heritage. You will find half a dozen or so antique shops that are worth rummaging through in Strathalbyn, plus one or two arts and crafts galleries.
There are walking tours that bring alive the town’s history, which would be of particular interest to visitors with a Celtic background. But don’t expect to find a Scottish town in a time warp: Strathalbyn, like Mount Barker, has become something of a commuter town for people working in Adelaide.
Leaving Strathalbyn look for the signpost marked Murray Bridge/Wellington and about half a kilometre further on turn on to Langhorne Creek Road. After fifteen kilometres you arrive what many regard as the Australian wine world’s best-kept secret. It sits on a broad flood plain influenced by the local Bremer and Angas rivers and is dominated by magnificent red gum trees.
Langhorne Creek is one of Australia’s oldest and most significant wine regions, dating back to the mid-1800s. Many of the great winemakers around Australia have used Langhorne Creek grapes in their wines, yet the name remains unknown to many.
A little trivia: the name comes from Alfred Langhorne, a cattle drover, who brought animals to a property called Langhorne’s Station way back in the 1840s. The spot where he crossed River Bremer was referred to as Langhorne’s Crossing, and it was from there that the current name of Langhorne Creek evolved.
Langhorne Creek -- a hidden gem of South Australia's wine regions
For many years, the region was known to wine connoisseurs for its excellent cabernet sauvignon and bold shiraz wines. While these two red wine grape varieties still count for almost two thirds of Langhorne Creek’s vineyard plantings, there has been considerable experimentation with wine styles in recent times.
There are more than twenty top class wineries in Langhorne Creek, seven of which (at the last count) have cellar doors welcoming those who pass this way. One of the most popular is Bremerton Winery. The Wine House will appeal to keen wine lovers as well-- it’s the tasting room for five award-winning Langhorne Creek labels. Look out for two grapes indigenous to Australia – a cabernet sauvignon called ‘malian’, and a white known as ‘shalistin’. Langhorne Creek’s vineyards harvest from early March to late April.
For those who want to stay longer and ponder over Langhorne Creek wines there are one or two very comfortable B&Bs in the area.
Driving east, you come to Wellington, about half an hour’s drive from Langhorne Creek. Along the way you pass Boggy Lake, an uncreasingly popular spot for windsurfers. There are no facilities at Boggy Lake, but there is usually a big crowd there over the summer weekends.
Wellington is a sprawling hamlet on the Murray River, just 33 kilometres from Murray Bridge. It was first settled in the 1840s and was once the main crossing on the overland route to Victoria. It would have seen its heyday during the Victorian gold rush in the mid-1800s, with hordes of miners heading for the goldfields of Ballarat, Beechworth and Bendigo.
If you spend a little longer than planned while tasting Hahndorf’s deli goodies, bargaining over an antique in Strathalbyn or exploring Langhorne Creek’s wineries (or have indulged in all three) you might want to consider stopping the night at Wellington’s historic Courthouse Hotel, which is owned by the National Trust of South Australia.
Crossing the Murray River
Located next to the ferry crossing at the junction of the Murray River and Lake Alexandrina, it is one of the oldest buildings in South Australia. Originally a police station and courthouse, it has been fully restored, and now houses a museum, a café, and a licensed restaurant, as well as limited accommodation: it’s not luxury, it’s history – and you’ll spend the night in the former ferryman's or married policeman's quarters. Remember to book ahead.
Most likely you will just have a coffee at the Courthouse, take the ferry over the Murray River to Wellington East and continue to Keith to spend the night.
The ferry is free and operates round the clock. Once across the Murray River, continue along Wellington Road and after a couple of kilometres turn left on the Princes Highway (B1) until you reach the Dukes Highway (A8). Here you turn right and travel down to Keith, a small farming town at the northern end of the Limestone Coast.
Accommodation options. Keith Motor Inn, Keith Hotel Motel,
Day 2. Depart: Wellington/Keith O/Night: Approx: Robe 340 Kms
You take the A66 from Keith to the famous caves at Naracoorte, passing Padthaway along the way. When land in Coonawarra further south became increasingly scarce and expensive, several big names in Australia’s winemaking world chose to set up vineyards around Padthaway.
Padthaway Estate is an attractive winery that produces excellent sparkling wines from a converted woolshed. Set up fairly recently in Australian wine terms, it has concentrated heavily on make sparkling wine (it has the only champagne basket press in Australia.) but also produces some noteworthy cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay wines.
The old limestone homestead, an elegant two storey Victorian mansion with wide verandas set among the vines and towering red gums and once the centrepiece of a vast sheep station, now offers accommodation to discerning travellers
To get to the Naracoorte Caves you need to take the Winnemara Highway to your left for about eleven kilometres as yo come into Naracoorte, and then turn right onto Hynam Caves Road. Keep going for another five kilometres to reach the Naracoorte National Park. Entry to the park is free, however tour fees apply for the caves.
The World Heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves were recognized for their rich deposits of fossilised mammals that date back a couple of hundred thousand years Step back in time and discover what Naracoorte was like all those years ago at the Wonambi Fossil Centre.
There are several tours available, some easy, some a little more challenging. The most popular Naracoorte package is the tour that includes Wonambi Fossil Centre and the Wet Cave.
Bool Lagoon -- a bird watchers' paradise
After your Naracoorte experience you may want to go on to Bool Lagoon and its surrounding wetlands. This remarkable reserve is home to a vast array of birdlife. Boardwalks allow visitors to get up close and see more than 150 species of birds in their natural habitat, including one of the largest populations of brolgas in Australia.
The brolga is a gregarious wetland bird well known for its intricate mating dance – something to look out for.
To get to the lagoon from the caves you need to backtrack to the A66 (Ridddoch Highway),which you have to do anyway, turn left and continue for about five kilometres. Bool Lagoon Road to your right leads to the lagoon.You will come to a gate where you pick up a self-registration permit to enter the lagoon area.
Backtracking again to the highway from the Bool Lagoon it’s a short drive down the A66 to Coonawara. For wine lovers who enjoy robust reds, this will be a highlight of the day. The area’s cabernet sauvignon is internationally renowned and its shiraz isn't far behind.
After making a sizeable fortune selling supplies to gold prospectors and running stores in the Victorian gold rush towns of Ballarat and Geelong, John Riddoch and his family settled in Coonwawara in 1861, and turned his hand to wine-making. The rest is history.
Coonawarra is a tiny wine region, not more than twenty kilometres logf and just a couple of kilometres wide. Nevertheless, it is home to an array of excellent winemakers, among them Leconfield, Rouge Homme, Katnook and Hollick. It’s Coonawarra’s terra rossa soil (red soil found on limestone) that makes it perfect for grape growing.
Wynns Coonawarra Estate produced their first vintage way back in 1896 and is now one of the region's most recognisable wineries. At Wynns you can make your own blend during a rather unique winemaking experience, and take home your own personalised bottle.
You’ll find couple of dozen cellar doors; they're close together and well signposted, so you'll find them easily.
Hollick Wines' modern cellar door leads to a popular restaurant called Upstairs at Hollick. The restaurant features floor-to-ceiling windows, giving diners great views over the vineyard and the Coonawarra region beyond.
You can taste several Coonawarra labels under one roof at the Coonawarra Wine Gallery, which also offers a cheese platter, tea, coffee and several beers.
Lunch at Hollicks, with a great view of the vineyard
If you intend to visit Padthaway, Naracoorte Caves and Bool Lagoon, you will need to start off from Keith fairly in the morning to make Coonawarra for a late lunch.
Just after Coonawarra you pass through Penola, where visitors might want to stop and visit the Mary MacKillop Penola Centre. Mary MacKillop was canonised in 2010 and is now known as Saint Mary of the Cross, Australia's first saint.
Note: From Penola you could continue to Mount Gambier, where you would stay the night then head down the Princes Highway the following day to pick up the Great Ocean Road in neighbouring Victoria -- a spectacular drive that leads almost to Melbourne
South Australia’s Wine and Wildlife route leads you from Penola west to Robe on the coast. You take the Clay Wells Penola Road, which at some stage becomes the Robe Clay Wells Road for about 84 kilometres until you reach the Southern Ports Highway. The highway hugs the coast as it take you just short of Robe.
The historic seaside resort of Robe lies at the southern end of Guichen Bay, boasting stunning beaches and rugged cliffs, tranquil lakes and mountainous sand dunes. In short, a good place to stay a day or two and chill out
Taking it easy in Robe
Back in the mid-1800s, Robe was South Australia's second-busiest international port, after Port Adelaide. Most of Australia’s wool exports left from Robe at that time and during the Victorian gold rush, thousands of Chinese immigrants entered Australia through Robe on their way to the gold fields.
Today, Robe oozes coastal chic with its trendy shopping strip, cafes where baristas make a hundred and one different coffees and bars that serve daring cocktails Foodies will love Robe it’s known for its mouth-watering crayfish, excellent barramundi and Atlantic salmon
If that is not your scene there is also a range historic walking trails that bring to life the local maritime culture. Robe is also a popular place for water skiing, head for Lake Fellmongery otherwise known as th ‘ski lake’, and mountain biking – while for the uber-thrill seeker, there is also a flight in an old Tiger Moth (awesome).
Accommodation options. Best Western Robe Melaleuca, Harbour View Motel, Robetown Motor Inn
Day 3. Depart: Robe Arrive: Adelaide Approx: 338 kms
On the third day of your Wine and Wildlife journey (or fourth if you have spent an extra day in Robe) you start the return to Adelaide along a very scenic route.
Head for the spectacular natural scenery of Coorong National Park, which stretches for about 130 kilometres along a lagoon to Hindmarsh Island at the mouth of the Murray River. Your drive takes you as far as Meningie, where you leave the Coorong region and continue to Murray Bridge.
Just north of Robe you come to Kingston South East (which may be a little confusing as there is no Kingston South West). It has the compass point in its name to distinguish it from another Kingston in South Australia, which, ironically, is now officially named Kingston-On-Murray. Kingston SE also lies at the south-eastern end of Encounter Bay and the Coorong, so there’s another justification for its name.
You know when you have arrived in Kingston SE
The northern entrance to the town is dominated by the Big Lobster, a seventeen-metre statue of a lobster.Its called ‘Larry’ by the locals.
A bit more trivia. The Big Lobster was originally planned to be much smaller and was designed to sit on top of the nearby building. Somewhere along the line wires got crossed by somebody who could not tell feet from metres. Larry finished up being seveteen metres tall and weighs around four tons
Kingston SE also boasts great pubs and shops, and has a range of accommodation options. Locals will tell you that the town boasts the best fish and chip shops in Australia, one of which has evidently twice won good food awards.Meanwhile, you’ll find fresh budget friendly Southern Rock lobster at one or two local restaurants.
The Coorong National Park is a sanctuary for ab array of birds, animals and fish, with many migratory bird species to be spotted. Its few hardy trees are flattened to the ground leaving the region with endless carpets of pink and white flowers
To many the drive along the Coorong National Park is best remembered by its pelicans, ducks, waders and swans. The park is home to the world's largest breeding colony of Australian pelicans.
Nature lovers and those interested in Aboriginal culture will want to spend some time at the Coorong Wilderness Lodge. It is operated by local Ngarrindjeri people, and is built on sandhills on a peninsula called Hacks Point, midway along the Coorong.
A Ngarrindjeri guide explains the nature of the Coorong
The Ngarrindjeri people are closely connected to this area. Ngarrindjeri is an Aboriginal nation of eighteen language groups who occupied, and still inhabit, the Lower Murray, Coorong and Lakes area of South Australia. The name Coorong is derived from the Ngarrindjeri word ‘Karangk’, meaning ‘long neck’, which certainly describes the shape of the Coorong.
You leave the Coorong coastal drive at Magrath Flat and continue along the Princes Highway to Meningie, Tailem Bend and Murray Bridge, where the road leads you back to Adelaide.
Meningie sits on the shores of Lake Albert, and is known as the northern gateway to the Coorong. A short walk to Meningie Hill Lookout provides uninterrupted views of Lake Albert and the surroundings, and you might want to call in at the Meningie Cheese Factory and Museum for a little cheese tasting.
The community-run museum has a varied collection of artefacts from all over the district, ranging cheese making equipment to tractors. The museum showcases the variety of people who live or have lived in Meningie and the way they survived. Woth the visit if you are interested in Australia’s pioneering days.
Pass through Tailem Bend and arrive at Murray Bridge, the largest town on the Murray River. Today it is a major shopping centre for Murraylanders To discover its early days you should call in at Captain's Cottage Museum, which tells the history of the town through memorabilia, photographs, vintage machinery and model riverboats.
From Murray Bridge it is an hour’s drive west to Adelaide on the South Eastern Freeway.