Adelaide to Wellington

Saturday 9th March 2013

Left Adelaide around 0830, on a cloudy and very hot and humid day. Took these pictures of Rundle Mall and King William St as I left this excellent city. It's my favourite place in Australia for  many reasons, it's beautifully laid out with many significant historic buildings, it has a great cycling scene with loads of rides to join in, and there are masses of events on during the summer including the Fringe festival, at which I've attended some really good shows. And the climate is fantastic, dry and sunny almost every day, in marked contrast to the eastern state capitals.

At the edge of the city lie the Adelaide Hills, and it's a 10km solid climb up to the top via the scenic Crafers Bike Path which runs adjacent to the main highway:

Although it's only 735kms to Melbourne via the most direct road route, I intend to cover a lot more than that, via a very roundabout itinerary which should take in the Grampians, the Goldfields, and possibly the Great Ocean Road and more.

As I finished the ascent there was a good view over the Adelaide plain, although it would have been better on a clear day, like virtually every other day has been for the last 2 months:

From Crafers I went through a number of small Hills towns, Stirling, Aldgate, Echunga, Mylor, along a quiet, undulating road, reaching the pleasant country town of Strathalbyn around 1300:

After lunch at a bakery there I continued along a quiet road heading east towards the wine growing region of Langhorne Creek, where I enjoyed tastings at 3 different wineries, all pretty good.

Continuing east through this sparsely settled region I reached Wellington, on the banks of the Murray River, around 1700 and checked into the town's only hotel, which backs onto the river:

 I had a decent fish dinner at the nearby Old Courthouse, an historic building just by the ferry:

Total distance today 111kms.