WALK CLARE VALLEY

SUGGESTED PRE-TOUR NIGHT HOTEL

We suggest the Hilton Hotel in Adelaide, a 4 star hotel overlooking Victoria Square in the heart of Adelaide’s entertainment and shopping district; this is also our meeting point at 7.30am on the first morning of the tour.

DEPARTURE TIME

7.30am

TRANSFER TIMES

Morning: 2 hour transfer from Adelaide to Clare Valley. Alternatively, drive yourself to the start of the trail.
Afternoon: 10-minute transfer from the end of the walk to accommodation.

WALK GRADE

10kms. 3 hours. Grade: Easy to Moderate.

TERRAN

The trail will travel on a network of backroads, road reserves & private property. Where possible the hiking trail follows cross country trail routes. The track has a firm base, some steps and occasional rocks (country dirt roads).

WALK ITINERARY

Meet your guides in the foyer of the Hilton Hotel in Adelaide at 7:30am and transfer to the Clare Valley for the start of the trail. The town of Clare was established in the early 1840s by the first European settlers when they arrived in the district, led by John Horrocks. Edward Burton Gleeson named the town after his ancestral home of County Clare in Ireland.

The walk begins at the Clare Valley Tourism centre and for a short time follows the Riesling Trail, we pass by Tim Adams wines and quickly move to a hiking trail through native gums and make our way to one of the highest points in the Clare Valley, Mt Angus on Hill River Station, with stunning views over both the Clare & Hill River Valleys, we stop for a picnic lunch on the summit (weather permitting), or retreat to a private hill top hut.

After lunch we continue along the top of the Dunns range and end the walk in the vineyards of Stanley Flat. After our walk, we transfer to Jim Barry Wines for a cellar door experience.

We’ll then head to our accommodation for the next two nights at Bungaree Station, a unique, authentic and historic country retreat established in the same year as nearby town of Clare. The farm has a huge amount of history and is still run by the same family today! We will be staying in beautiful heritage-listed buildings that have been converted into accommodation, blending historic character with modern convenience. Tonight enjoy dinner in the main house with local Clare Valley wines.

TRANSFER TIMES

Morning: 10-minute transfer from our accommodation to the start of our walk.

Afternoon: 15-minute transfer from the end of the walk to accommodation.

WALK GRADE

10kms. 3 hours. Grade: Easy

TERRAIN

The trail will travel on a network of backroads, road reserves & private property. Where possible the hiking trail follows cross country trail routes. The track has a firm base, some steps and occasional rocks (country dirt roads).

WALK ITINERARY

Enjoy a hearty breakfast and grab a coffee from the Station Store before heading out for today’s adventures. Today’s walk begins in the Armagh area and finishes in the Skilly Valley with lunch at the award winning Skillogalee Restaurant.

Along the way we pass through picturesque, native landscapes in the region, rocky sandstone outcrops, natural springs and steep sided valleys as we make our way to Spring Gully Conservation Park, south of Clare. The Park conserves important habitat for wildlife and unique vegetation which was once commonly found within the largely cleared and settled Clare district.

We’ll continue on to Blue Gum Lookout, Eldredge Wines and Jeanneret Wines before settling in for a gourmet lunch in Skillogalee Wines restaurant in their historic stone cottage surrounded by vineyards in the wooded hills in the heart of the Sevenhill subregion, one of Australia’s oldest wine regions.

The family-owned vineyards and winery have been releasing award-winning hand-crafted wines for over 50 years. In addition to being a highly-regarded regional wine producer, the historic cellar door and restaurant will definitely tempt your tastebuds featuring local and seasonal produce.

From here we’ll transfer to Penobscot Farm, owned and organically grown by The Watervale Hotel for a farm tour before enjoying their delicious produce with a degustation dinner paired with local wines to compliment the dishes!

The team here are very passionate about both fresh, local produce and Clare Valley wines and aims to showcase the diversity of the region. Their menu is a paddock-to-plate experience based on seasonal produce. Afterwards, we return to our accommodation.

TRANSFER TIMES

Morning: 40-minute transfer from accommodation to the start of walk.
Afternoon: 2-hour transfer from Clare Valley to Adelaide.

WALK GRADE

8-10kms. 4 hours. Grade: Easy to Moderate.

TERRAIN

The trail will travel on a network of backroads, road reserves & private property. Where possible the hiking trail follows cross country trail routes. The undulating track has a firm base, some steps and occasional rocks (country dirt roads).

WALK ITINERARY

Enjoy breakfast before heading out for today’s walk which begins at Sevenhill Cellars, the oldest and first winery in the Clare Valley where we can see multiple historic stone buildings (which is still in use) and if you like taste some of their award winning wine.

We walk through the Sevenhill Property towards the Dunns Range, passing through private farmland and making our way to the banks of the Hill River where Pikes Winery is located.

From Pikes we again pass through private farmland making our way to Paulett’s award-winning Bush DeVine Restaurant for lunch with spectacular views of the countryside.

Their Head Chef loves working with local ingredients, which are usually hand-picked from their Bush Devine Garden or provided by local producers. Their philosophy is ‘great wine deserves wonderful food!’ and we couldn’t agree more! A great way to finish our walking adventure.

If we have time before departing to Adelaide we’ll visit the Polish Hill River Church and museum.

Afterwards, we return to Adelaide where our walk concludes at the Hilton Hotel in Adelaide. If you have driven to the Clare Valley we will transfer you to your car.

FINISH TIME

Arrive back into Adelaide around 5pm.