01/05/2022 Coast to Vines

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Winter is coming; the BoM regularly predicts plummeting temperatures and what counts for drenching rain in South Australia.  The weather, having not yet received the BoM memo, regularly provided cool and cloudy mornings followed by stunning afternoons with clear skies, warm sunshine, and benign breezes. 

We took our bikes to Seaford to sample the Coast to Vines Rail Trail.

 

Pedaling out of Seaford.
 

The trail was busy with walkers and cyclists, a preponderance of whom were sporting long fluffy white Santa Claus beards and went by far to fast to be photographed.

Oh excitement!  A long downhill at 6%.

The path wandered through cuttings and tree tunnels,

and meandered past rolling hills of autumn vineyards. 

6km in and we were already at McLaren Vale.

We didn't stop for snacks.  Willunga and the end of the trail were a scant 6km further up the road and rumour had it the snacks were better there.


A sneaky shower of rain swept across the valley, sending us under a tree for shelter.

And then the sun came out...


Willunga was a busy little town with a plethora of cafes all shouting for our attention. We had lunch in a repurposed Golden Fleece service station at the bottom of the (in)famous Willunga Hill.  While we ate we watched the Lycra Lads chug past us to nab their Strava points on the hill.  We debated the merits of doing the hill ourselves but decided there wasn't much point given we don't use Strava and we didn't want to intimidate the Lycra Lads with our awesome hill-climbing skills.

We sat at the elephant table.

And then we rode home again.



Turn his head for home and he's off like a rabbit.

The sun shone again the next day, so we went for a coffee at the DFOs where the food court (a little bit of an exaggeration there, but never mind) coincidentally looked out over the airport.  The tables were very busy and it was quite entertaining to watch all the toddlers and old men lined up against the perspex getting equally excited over the aeroplanes which came and went and (oh joy!) the helicopter which considerately hovered along in front of the viewing area. 


We finished the day with the sunset at Henley Beach, in deference to the bad weather which is, of course, forecast for tomorrow.



Day's end.



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