The Riesling Trail is a long walking and

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...

track located in the

Clare Valley The Clare Valley is a valley located in South Australia about north of Adelaide in the Clare and Gilbert Valleys council area. It is the river valley formed by the Hutt River but is also strongly associated with the roughly parallel Hill Riv ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. Established for recreational purposes, it runs between Auburn and Clare, passing through several towns and villages along the way, including Leasingham, Watervale,

Penwortham Penwortham () is a town in South Ribble, Lancashire, England, on the south bank of the River Ribble facing the city of Preston. The town is at the most westerly crossing point of the river, with major road and rail links crossing it here. The ...

and Sevenhill. The trail is named after

Riesling Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...

, the most important white grape variety in the

Clare Valley wine region Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...

. It continues north of Clare to the area known as Barinia. The Riesling Trail route is part of the former Spalding railway line branch line which ran between Riverton in the south to a northern terminus at Spalding. The section of railway from Riverton to Clare was opened in 1918. Railway stations and sidings along the line were: Rhynie, Undalya, Auburn, Mulkirri (siding), Watervale,

, Tatkana (siding), Sevenhill, Clare, Kooramo, Barinia, Hilltown, Andrews, and Spalding. Rail services ceased after the 1983

Ash Wednesday bushfires The Ash Wednesday bushfires, known in South Australia as Ash Wednesday II, were a series of bushfires that occurred in south-eastern Australia on 16 February 1983, which was Ash Wednesday. Within twelve hours, more than 180 fires fanned by hot ...

burnt through the valley and damaged a lot of the trackwork. In 1989 the rails and steel bridges were removed and in 1993, this part of the route was converted into its present use as a walking and cycle trail. The Riesling Trail passes through vineyard and farming country. There are various side loops as well as access to

wineries A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, b ...

, coffee shops, and pubs. Bike hire is available at several locations including Auburn, Clare and the Clare Caravan Park. It is possible to hire bikes and ride one-way with pick-up at the other end. The trail has a gentle up-grade from Auburn to just north of Penwortham, from where it gradually descends into Clare. The '' Rattler Rail Trail'' extends a further south of Auburn to Riverton, creating further opportunity for cycling and walking in the region.

References

External links

Riesling Trail 'South Australian Trails' webpageWeb site of Friends of the Riesling TrailClare Museum History of the Riesling Trail
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riesling Trail Cycling in South Australia Rail trails in Australia Cycleways in South Australia Hiking and bushwalking tracks in South Australia Mid North (South Australia)

See also

References

External links