Autumn Is Our Favorite Season In The Clare Valley.
Vintage is in full flow, and the excitement it provides is unparalleled. Events are being planned, and the leaves on the trees are starting to turn, bringing gorgeous fall colours of reds and yellows to the countryside. Mornings are a bit crisper, and the days are clear, with the sun and a moderate breeze warming us.
As a result, Autumn is a very popular season, and we recommend that you reserve your lodging as soon as possible.
Take advantage of the additional days and stay longer in various self-contained accommodations with three long weekends – March, Easter, and April – and the school vacations all happening in Autumn.
Our friendly personnel at the Clare Valley Wine Food & Tourism Centre or the Burra & Goyder Visitor Information Centre are experts on the many types of accommodation available in the Clare Valley. Give them a call, and they’ll be happy to help you choose the best accommodations for your visit.
It’s time to start thinking about how you’ll spend your days now that you know where you’ll sleep at night.
With temperatures averaging 23 degrees, now is the ideal time to go outside and enjoy our beautiful surroundings.
Riesling Trail Riding
The Riesling Trail is a must-see sight all year long, with new reasons to come each season. On the vines and the trees, Autumn produces flashes of orange and gold. If you don’t have your bike, you can get one from Clare Valley Cycle Hire, Riesling Trail Bike Hire, or Scoot the Valley. If you need a boost, consider an electric bike. You’ll have just as much fun, if not more, and your legs will be less sore. This is our kind of workout!
If you’re bringing the kids, don’t forget to stop at Richardsons Park Playspace and the Little Red Grape Bakery in Sevenhill. This short excursion allows easy access to Tim Adams Wines, Mr. Mick Wines, Shut the Gate Wines, everyone’s favourite Good Catholic Girl, and our oldest vineyard, Sevenhill Cellars, which is just 6km south of Clare Town Centre or 3km from Discovery Parks (also in Clare). It’s a little yet powerful segment.
The Riesling Trail is 33 kilometres long, with alternative on-road loops for more experienced cyclists and a Rattler Trail extension to Riverton if you have boundless energy. Check out our helpful guide, ‘How to Make the Riesling Trail’, for more information.
Put on your walking shoes…
The Clare Valley offers a variety of hiking opportunities throughout the autumn months. Whether you desire a simple (1km/40mintue) walk or a more demanding trek (100km/multi-day), stunning vistas, wonderful wines, and lots of space are ensured. Try out the first two stages of the Clare Valley Wine and Wilderness Trail, which are scheduled to be completed by Easter 2022. The initial parts are now open, beginning with the Clare Valley Wine, Food, and Tourism Centre and continuing to Jim Barry Wines and Jeanneret Wines.
A stroll in the Spring The views from Neagles Rock Lookout are just as beautiful as those from Gully Cascades, especially around golden hour. Check out our most recent article, ‘Walking in the Clare Valley,’ for more information.
There are walks around Burra, Port Wakefield, Blyth, and other nearby towns. Several hikes (or portions of hikes) will be restricted during the fire ban season.
Play a game of golf
At the Clare Golf Course, near the Clare Country Club and Gleeson Wetlands, tee off and enjoy a game of golf. Completing this 18-hole course on a sunny day is often followed by wood-oven pizzas and a drink with the locals. If you’re a dedicated golfer, the Autumn Golf Classic, which takes place in March and lasts five days, is a must-see. The Club is open every day and welcomes guests. They can help you with equipment rentals, so you can still have a great day even if you decide on the spur of the moment or forget to bring your clubs (oops).
If you want to squeeze, there are nine golf clubs within 50 kilometres of Clare, including Blyth, Balaklava, Burra, Farrell Flat, Owen, Riverton, Saddleworth, Snowtown, and Yacka in as many rounds as possible.
Travel the world with your taste buds without leaving Australia!
Tantalize your taste senses by dining at one of the region’s top restaurants, which take influence from cuisines worldwide. India of Clare is one of Australia’s greatest Indian restaurants, serving delicious, award-winning Indian cuisine. It’s a flavor explosion on your tongue, with classic curries blended with handmade spices and prepared using ancient traditions passed down through generations.
Ragu & Co is delivering the flavours of the nonnas to you on a plate, keeping everything traditional. Think fresh spaghetti bowls and traditional Italian meals.
The upside is that Restaurant & Wine Bar’s newcomers want to keep things simple. The food was inspired by their background and travelled around Europe, and meals are best enjoyed on the terrace with a bottle of Clare Valley wine.
Attend one of our numerous events to get in the holiday spirit!
The SA Autumn Garden Festival, Clare Valley Running Festival, Clare Races on the March Long Weekend, and Easter, all building up to the famed Clare Valley Gourmet Week, are just a few of the fantastic celebrations in the Clare Valley in Autumn.
Other smaller activities occur around our area during this time of year, including markets, seminars, live music, tastings, and more – there’s something for everyone.
Check to see at least one of Auburn’s various Fringe productions in March. Before the play, have dinner at Terroir Auburn or the Rising Sun Hotel and a fortified tasting at Mr. Nobody Cellardoorway. The March Long Weekend is jam-packed with great music and delicious cuisine, with various locations providing something unique to its visitors. The March Family Fun Day at the Races is a highlight.
Whether you’re a runner or a gardener, you’ll want to be here on April 1. The annual South Australian Autumn Garden Festival will be conducted over two days, including a workshop with Sophie Thompson on Saturday. You’ll need to start training for the Clare Valley Running Festival Half Marathon, 10km or 5km on Sunday. You are welcome to bring your children to the kid’s run.
Because ANZAC Day falls after Easter, there are three public holidays a week (allowing you to take 11 days off while only using 4 days of leave – a plus!). Look for our published list of operating hours and forthcoming activities on our ‘What’s On’ page in the coming weeks. The Clare Easter Races are set to be another spectacular event, so get out your dresses and hats and join us on the field.
Tasting Australia begins in May, with local events at the famed Watervale Hotel and Kilikanoon Winery. For further information, see the online program. Tasting Australia complements the annual Clare Valley SCA Gourmet Week wonderfully. Our largest event has grown even larger and better, keeping the popular week-long structure. There are extra opportunities to participate in a masterclass, private tasting, or even a stroll between vineyards and the regular festival activities. The program will be announced shortly, but in the meanwhile, we’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions about Gourmet Week.
By automobile, explore our area.
When looking for a picturesque drive, we recommend choosing a route and go! In less than an hour, the panorama shifts from the beach to the outback, travelling through the grasslands and vineyards. There are also approved paths marked out for you if picking your way is frightening for you. Check out the Clare Valley’s Best Scenic Drives.
Starting and ending at the Clare Valley Wine, Food, and Tourism Centre, the Clare Valley Scenic Drive takes you up and around the Clare Valley Wine Region, passing by historical buildings and points of interest. Of course, there are several possibilities to experience our region’s cuisine and wine, put on your hiking boots and go for a stroll, or just stop and take in the scenery.
Explore Dare’s Hill Circuit Drive to go out into the wilderness and experience the outback without driving for hours. From Burra to Terowie in the north, this road travels through sheep ranches, which have formed the core of this agricultural area. You can see where Goyder’s Line crosses just out from Mount Bryan. Stop to see the stunning views from Dare’s Hill Summit and go into the rebuilt Sir Hubert Wilkins farmhouse (keys from the Hallett General store). On your route north of Burra, you’ll pass the famed ‘Midnight Oil House,’ which is worth a picture stop.
Some of the locations of interest along these paths are on private property, so visit only with permission.
Mintaro’s edges are revealed.
Mintaro’s history stretches back to the 1840s when it was an important stage stop to Port Wakefield for copper from the Burra Mines. Mintaro is a state historic area and a unique example of a well-preserved mid-nineteenth-century hamlet in South Australia. Mintaro’s slate quarry was established in 1854 and is currently one of Australia’s oldest continually producing quarries. During the 1870s and early 1880s, when pastoral and agricultural enterprises like wool and wheat expanded in the state’s Mid North, Mintaro grew as a rural service center. Mintaro Railway Station (later called Meriden) was established in 1870, followed by Edmund Bowman’s Martindale Hall in 1879-80. Both are Instagram chances not to be missed.
Martindale Hall is a Georgian-styled home that seems to have been pulled from the English countryside. It was built for £30,000 and had 32 rooms and a basement. A polo park, racetrack, boating lake, and a cricket pitch used by the English 11 were among the exterior borders. You may walk around the hallways and chambers now and envision what life was like for the affluent upper-class pastoralists who formerly lived there.
The finest way to see Mintaro is on foot, on a self-guided historical tour of the city. While most of the remaining structures are private dwellings or lodgings, the magnificence of the masonry may be appreciated from the outside (or why not book to stay in one, like Reillys Wines Heritage Cottages). The municipality has produced a fascinating Mintaro Heritage Walk that you may pick up or download on your travels.
Explore your inner kid while attempting to navigate Mintaro Maze. Work your way to the labyrinth’s centre, which has hedges and metal screen art, right on the (h)edge of town. To add to the fun, see if you can figure out “who is seated next to the Cheshire Cat?” before counting the green gnomes in the Fairy Garden (warning: some of them aren’t PG-rated) and challenging your partner to a game of chess or chequers. Before you depart, stop by the café and gift store for some refreshments and pick up one of the unique games.
And what about after all that exploration? The Magpie & Stump Hotel is a local favourite, serving delectable pub grub best eaten on the lawns on sunny days or by the fire on chilly days. Reilly’s Wines is situated just over the road and is open for wine sampling and a beautiful restaurant every day.
Discover our past by following a path.
Head north from Mintaro towards Burra, following the historical path. Grab a Burra Heritage Passport and accompanying key from the Burra and Goyder Visitor Information Centre after exploring the fabulous town square and driving around this amazing township’s 11-kilometer self-guided driving tour. You may use the key to access eight closed buildings and 50 additional points of interest. You’ll tour the Unicorn Brewery’s underground cellars and visit Burra Creek’s dugouts to get a sense of being a poor miner during the 1800s copper boom. The view of Australia’s only open-cut mine from Morphett’s Enginehouse is breathtaking, and try if you can locate Peacock’s Chimney as you drive in. Make time for lunch at St Just Café, where the coffee is excellent, and browse the products in the adjacent homewares shop. On rare Saturdays, the businesses flow out onto the street for the Burra Market, which attracts craftsmen from all around the area.
Continue your exploration of our region’s history at Bungaree Station, this time of our agricultural past. The Hawker family selected that parcel of land on Christmas Day, 1841, and their self-guided tour includes audio postings so you can hear the story read to you by a member of the Hawker family. Stay the night at their lodging and assist the crew in feeding and collecting eggs for the animals, including kangaroos and deer. The best way to see this lovely property is to go on a private farm tour with the proprietors. The only way to appreciate the experience.
From the shore, go east!
Who knew there was a seashore in the Clare Valley Tourism Region? This area stretches west and north of Dublin through the iconic protest sculptures and up to Port Wakefield before turning inland. Why not take a drive through this region on a beautiful Autumn day?
Instead of driving straight through Port Wakefield, turn left off the main highway and visit the town. The colonial history, harbour, and tidal lagoons will all thrill you. Grab a picnic lunch from nearby cafés or bakeries before exploring the mangroves and looking for wildlife. Alternatively, travel to the Rising Sun Hotel for some fantastic pub fare in a family-friendly setting.
Continue north to Lochiel (or farther north to Snowtown, the big blade, and spectacular water tower art), then turn right and follow the road to Blyth, stopping for a photo with Lochie, the resident eel at Lake Bumbunga. The Medika Art Gallery (with childcare), two theatres, the famed Blyth Breakout Rooms exhibiting the Waffle Ward (try the Baconutella –
We highly suggest stopping at Balaklava to try Wendy’s Café N Cakes’ products if you’re travelling south. Many people make this a must-see location anytime they visit the area.
Did someone mention wine?
Would a Clare Valley Tourism Region vacation be complete without a visit to sample the wine? With vintage well started and winemakers sharpening their talents to generate the next outstanding product that this area is well recognized for, the Valley is buzzing with activity.
It all builds up to the Clare Valley SCA Gourmet Week, which will take place from May 13 to 22, 2022. The first weekend is Classic Gourmet, which includes music, food, wine tastings, and other activities. ‘Breathe it In’ with workshops, culinary schools, excursions, exhibits, and more from Monday through Friday. Finally, visit us in the ‘Land of the Lengthy Lunch,’ where we celebrate food and wine with a series of (surprise, surprise) long meals.
There’s so much to see and do in the Clare Valley, and Autumn is the best season to visit.
