This is our fifth day in Clare and lucky for us have we have another five more days to look forward to. It is a beautiful area and so vastly different from where we have been in the past couple of months. Clare is around 150km north west of Adelaide so it is close enough for many to leave the city confines for the weekend and come to this area to enjoy the wines, restaurants and history.
The area was first settled in 1836 when pioneers pushed north from Adelaide seeking land and resources. As I mentioned in a previous post, pastoralists took up vast sheep runs but unreliable rain sent many farmers broke. It was the the Prussian Jesuits who brought winemaking skills (and vine cuttings) into the region in 1851 and one of Australia's oldest wineries, Sevenhill, is still run by Jesuit priests.
But what first brought Clare to my attention was the Riesling Trail. This is a trail shared by both cyclists and pedestrians that is around 30kms in length and was originally an old railway line that ran between Clare and Auburn. Knowing how much Philip enjoys his cycling this was always going to be a place to visit.
The second day we were here we walked around 10km of the trail that takes you past wineries, coffee shops, B & B's and is a great walk. The third day we decided to hire me an E-Bike and cycle the trail. I must admit to being a little nervous as I haven't been on a bike since I was around 12 years old! I need not have worried though as I felt very comfortable. You never forget how to ride a bike. The E-Bike makes cycling a breeze. I had it set with the least amount of assisted power and the hardest gear (8) and never got up a sweat. It was fun but I don't think I will be racing out to buy one. You certainly can't class riding an E Bike as exercise! Philip on the other hand said it was hard to keep up with the E-Bike and he certainly felt every little rise along the trail. He built up a good sweat over our 30k ride.
On Friday we celebrated my 66th birthday by dining at SLATE restaurant at Pikes Winery. This was a recommendation by friends in Palm Cove and it was certainly an excellent choice. We chose the lunchtime four course degustation that included Sourdough (straight from the oven) with salted butter; Tuna Tartare on Nori Crisps; Roast Duck Leg with Beetroot Chips, Potato Chips and Baked Potato in Paprika Sauce ; and finally Buttermilk Pannacotta with Mandarin Puree. We washed it down with a lovely Pikes Pinot Grigio and ended the meal with coffee and liqueur. Needless to say no dinner for us that night!
We have driven a couple of the Scenic Drives in the area and covered some pretty amazing country. From the rolling hills with sheep dotting the hillside to the acres upon acres of grape vines. From the paddocks of golden canola to the outer areas of the valley where we see some of the largest gum trees with their huge tree trunks. We see sheep grazing between grape vines and kangaroos lying lazily beneath the tree canopies. We pass a one lonely man pruning grape vines that stretch endlessly before him. How very daunting. You have to love Australia and Australians.
The heritage listed township of Mintaro was a favourite and as we walked the streets we were taken back to another century and could almost hear the clip clop of hooves along the roadways. The old sandstone houses here have mostly been renovated but those that haven't still hold a wonderful charm. There is a slate mine behind the town and slate has been used extensively within the township.
After Mintaro we head towards Martindale Hall that was built in 1879. It is truly magnificent and if you ever watched the movie "Picnic at Hanging Rock" you would recognise it immediately. We park the car in the car park and walk the pathway towards the house. There is a large circular driveway in front of the. house and we imagine all the coaches setting guests out in front of the staircase leading up to the mansion. Inside the mansion everything has been kept exactly as it was in 1879 and indeed the mansion was bequeathed to the South Australian Government so that it could be kept this way for the public to enjoy.
On our way to Martindale Hall we stopped at the Mintaro Maze. This is a place that families with young children come to enjoy. There are games set up in the courtyard and many families are here playing games with their kids. We walk through the living hedge maze that has quirky statues at every corner. It takes us a whole five minutes to find our way out but it was fun. The thing we loved the most was the tiny little handles that you turn to play you a song. You have to guess the song but sadly we cannot guess any of the five tunes!
So that is a quick round up of what we have been doing over the past five days. We have many more things planned and time will dictate how many of those things we will be able to achieve. The van is still our priority and we have an auto electrician booked for Wednesday so that is number one priority.
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