Williamstown to Tanunda

Dinner at the chateau

We packed up a wet tent but at least our towels and clothes were dry thanks to the judicious use of the campsite dryers. It was overcast as we headed uphill out of Williamstown with a mist over the valley. The weather slowly cleared and it was sunny by the time we stopped at Springton to look at the Herbig Family Tree, where Friedrich Herbig and his wife lived in a hollowed out red gum tree.

We cycled through the Eden Valley via Keyneton and onto Angaston where we stopped at D&Ms Bakery café for a coffee by their fire. It was clear that we were one of the last few cyclists to arrive for lunch and we settled on the floor of the shed to enjoy our soup and baked potato.

The wind had picked up and was gusting ferociously as we climbed Menglers Hill. It was so strong that at times I felt I could be blown off my bike. We stopped briefly to look at the Menglers Hill Sculpture Park and views across the Barossa before heading downhill, buffeted by the wind.

It was a relief to reach the flat road and the ride into Tanunda was much more pleasant. We found a reasonably dry spot on the oval to pitch our tent and took advantage of the windy afternoon to handwash some clothes in the hope that they would dry. Unfortunately, we left them out whilst we went for dinner and they were soaked by the time we returned.

Dinner was a gala event in the Chateau though Black Tie was optional. We had a lovely evening with some great company, including two of the ride marshalls and a group from Queensland who won the prize for best dressed. Platters of meat and vegetables were served to each table, as well as cheese plate to share for dessert – consisting of too few crackers given the number of people at the table. However, we enjoyed the shiraz so much that we ordered a case.