McLaren Vale to Adelaide via Glenelg

Reaching the coast

A warmer but overcast morning as we packed our damp tent for the last time. The official route took us from the oval back to the main road through town. We decided to take the very new, seemingly unmapped extension of the McLaren Flat to Vale trail then picked up the Shiraz Trail back to the information centre. It was a pleasant detour, clearly well known by the locals. We then picked up the Coast to Vines Rail trail that followed an old railway corridor through Moana and Noarlunga Downs before joining the southern Expressway Veloway which is a sealed bikeway that runs alongside the Southern Expressway. We then headed west towards Marino Rocks and the coast joining the Esplanade at Seacliff where we stopped for a coffee at the beach and were joined by Julie and Andrew.

We cycled together along the beachfront north to Glenelg and West Beach detouring slightly along a main road before picking up path along the River Torrens back into the Adelaide CBD. It was a lovely, scenic ride along the coast and the river path.

Lunch was quiche, salad and a chocolate chip cookie at Bonython Park and (yet again) we were one of the last to arrive. The sky was very overcast and there were a few drops of rain as we rode the final few kilometres to our end point at the Adelaide Central Bus Station where our baggage awaited.

We left Julie and Andrew trying to find their keys and loaded our bikes on the car to drive the short distance to visit Simon’s work colleague, Dominic and his wife Vian, who had prepared a lovely afternoon tea for us. We spent a pleasant few hours chatting with them whilst it poured rain outside, very glad that for once, we had beaten the rain. We then drove back to Victor Harbor in time for a few drinks before dinner with Marg and Paul.