Second Valley jetty

ABC Wednesdays - Q for a Quiet Rural Ride

A quiet ride in the country - that is how I spent last Sunday. This shot was taken atop a hill; quite a steep uphill climb but followed by a rewarding quick descent.

We caught a train to Gawler (about 40 kms north of Adelaide), then rode to Lyndoch in the Barossa Valley along mainly unsealed roads and returned to Gawler via a minor sealed road; in all about 36kms.

The ABC Wednesday meme was initiated by Denise Nesbitt. To find out more about ABC Wednesdays and see other participants' contributions click here.

Waterfall Gully Restaurant

Perched on the side of a hill, about 100 metres downstream from the First Falls is the Waterfall Gully Restaurant. Built in the style of a Swiss Chalet between 1911 and 1912, the building is now heritage listed. It is a very popular venue for group functions, including weddings.


This is the wonderful view from the terrace outside the restaurant.

Waterfall Gully

Do I have an obsession with water? It is so wonderful to have rain after such a long dry summer and several years of drought. Today I took the opportunity to visit Waterfall Gully in between rain showers. Not a big waterfall (18 metres) by world standards but nonetheless quite picturesque, and easily accessible as it is only 10 km from the City of Adelaide.
javascript:void(0)
From the first fall pictured above, is a walking track that connects to Mt Lofty and Cleland National Park.


About 500 metres along the track you pass the second falls, even smaller but very inviting, even on a winter's day.

Golden vines

Another reward for riding the hills near Willunga last Sunday; a wonderful autumn view.

Willunga

Willunga is 47 km south of Adelaide. Being the second oldest town in South Australia, it has many wonderful old buildings.

Small wheels

Every group has one; someone always out for a challenge! While the rest of us rode up the hills on bikes equipped with lots of gears, Eric rode his new aquisition direct from China - a single geared small folding bike designed for city commuting.

A steep climb

Today I had a challenging bicycle ride; about 40 kilometres in the ranges near McLaren Vale where I had spent the weekend with my cycling group. Riding up this hill was certainly hard work, but there was a reward; a great view!

A wet rural ride

Today I went on a bike ride from McLaren Vale along a rail trail to Willunga. While we were at Willunga there was a deluge. The rain eased and we headed back to McLaren Vale only to be met with another heavy shower. Fortunately we were able to shelter along the way until the rain eased again.

Along the rail trail shelters like these have been erected on the sites of former railway sidings.

The Corkscrew

This is the reward for riding UP hills - the descent! The Corkscrew is a very windy road that links Montacute Road and Gorge Road.

Montacute Valley

This is what I stopped to photograph when I spotted the cyclists in yesterday's post. One of the properties in this valley is Montacute Valley Orchards where you can pick your own seasonal fruit; cherries, peaches, nectarines, lemons.

And this is the road I had just ridden up; the things I do to get photos for this blog !

Ag2r-La Mondiale in training

This morning I went for a bike ride in the Adelaide Hills and stopped to take a scenic shot along Montacute Road when I spotted a group of cyclists coming up the hill. The team spotted me and obliged for a photo.

Ag2r-La Mondiale is one of the teams here in Adelaide for this year's Tour Down Under which starts next Sunday.

Wilpena Power Station

Commissioned in 1998 this solar power station is about 450 kilometres north of Adelaide. It supplies electricity to local customers such as the Wilpena Resort and the Finders Ranges National Park Headquarters.

The power station has an array of 1250 eighty watt panels, capable of generating up to 100 kWh. There are also diesel generators which are used to supplement the power when the output from the solar panels is insufficient.

ABC Wednesdays - W for Windmills

Windmills are a common sight on properties all over Australia, pumping water to fill troughs and dams. In some areas they have become less important due to other available technologies; electric and petrol pumps and now solar powered pumps.

This is a windmill near Rawnsley Park in the Finders Ranges in northern South Australia.

Some people collect cars, some people collect stamps ..... but on our recent return journey from Canberra I spotted this yard - a windmill collection!

To find out more about ABC Wednesdays and see other participants' contributions go to the ABC Wednesdays' Anthology or to see direct links to their own sites go here using Mr Linky.

Cycling Santa

Today whilst riding in the hills south of Adelaide and I came across a familiar character on his bike.

Hawker

Reminders of past glories; a discontinued railway station at Hawker. The rail service was relocated further west in 1956. Hawker is about 400 kilometres north of Adelaide and is often dubbed the hub of the Flinders. Many of the region's attractions are within close proximity.

ABC Wednesdays - O for Outback Oldyssey

What is an oldyssey? Several years ago Bike SA ran a cycling event called the Outback Odyssey and another group of 'older' cyclists organised an alternative; the Outback Oldyssey. It was an epic journey, riding up to a 100 km on some days.

I joined the Oldessy in the second week and enjoyed some challenging riding in the Flinders Ranges.

One of the most memorable days was riding through Bunyero and Brachina Gorges.

Another challenging and 'fun' day was riding on a bush track from Wilpena to Rawnsley Park.

Many of the roads and tracks we rode along were part of the Mawson Trail, a mapped cycling route from just north of Adelaide to the Blinman in the Flinders Ranges.


To find out more about ABC Wednesdays and see other participants' contributions go to the ABC Wednesdays' site or to see direct links to their own sites go here.

Roadside rest area

In an effort to prevent accidents through fatigue when driving long distances on rural highways, roadside rest stops have been established along the route.

Some of these like the one we stopped at for lunch have shelters with tables and seats. Some even have toilets.

This is a "modern" long drop toilet; a clever adaption of the traditional outback dunny. Click here to see a typical outback dunny on one of my past posts.

ABC Wednesdays - L for Lock

In the 1920's and 30's a series of 14 locks and weirs were built along the River Murray to manage water flow and levels in the river. This is Lock 4 at Bookpurnong (between Berri and Loxton).

The locks are large enough to accommodate 6 to 8 medium sized houseboats and passage through a lock takes about 20 minutes. The lock system also allows quite large cruise vessels to navigate the river.

Alongside of Lock 4 is a pleasant picnic spot. This was my cycle group's lunch stop on a ride we did from Berri in 2005.

To find out more about ABC Wednesdays and see other participants' contributions go to the ABC Wednesdays' site or to see direct links to their own sites go here.

A frosty morning

Brrr.. it was a very cold night; I nearly froze - my sleeping bag was totally inadequate. The joys of camping! This shot was taken at the Mt Pleasant Caravan Park.