CMRT Committee member Steve Harrison and wife Sue had not been to the Clare Valley since 1989. They decided to go back and ride the 33km Riesling Trail from Clare to Auburn, and then on to the 22km Rattler Trail which continues south from Auburn along the same disused railway as far as the town of Riverton. They took their pod camper and bikes.

The Trail, originally set up in the 80’s, follows the old Spalding Line. At 55 kms it is almost the same length as our proposed trail.

Greg James interviewed them recently.

 

What were the highlights of the Trail? Highlights were the many Wineries, cafes and restaurants, some great views of the Clare Valley, and learning the history of this part of Australia.

 

What are the features of the trail? It has an easy gradient, not just following the valley floor, a fine gravel surface, well maintained by volunteer group, with help from Council and local businesses, excellent map and leaflet and great signage along the way.

 

What did you see as the Tourism Benefits? All the businesses along the trail (wineries, cafes/restaurants) seemed to be invested in the trail, and were well patronised by the trail riders. A number of side trails led to sights and destinations away from the main trail, often involving steeper climbs!

 

How did you get there? We split up the 9 hour journey with an overnight stop at Pinnaroo, just over the Vic/SA border.

 

What was accommodation like? There was a great variety of excellent choices, we chose the Leasingham Caravan Park.

 

What can CMRT learn from The Riesling Trail? We need to be conscious of Surface maintenance, signposting and marketing/tourist information. They were all first class and only added to the overall experience.