Barossa Valley Wineries Day Tour

Depending upon in which part of the City, or Suburb that your accommodation is situated, I will collect you at somewhere between 8:30 a.m. and 9:10 a.m., so we can exit the "Square Mile" by 9:15 a.m.

Then we depart via. the North-Eastern Suburbs of St. Peters, Payneham, Campbelltown and Athelstone, accessing the beautiful Adelaide Hills through the winding and picturesque Gorge of the River Torrens, past Thorndon Park (Reservoir),  Kangaroo Creek Dam/ Reservoir, Cudlee Creek, Milbrook,  and Gumeracha, a typical Adelaide Hills Town of about 400 people, and at about 350m. elevation.

The first stop is Gumeracha, at the Big Rocking Horse. This is an Award-winning Tourism Venue featuring as an eye-catching icon, an 18m. high replica of a wooden toy Rocking-horse. Only this one doesn't rock, (or even roll a little bit.) It was built as a display icon, and as an adventure climb, provided as it is with stair-ways and ladders, well guarded platforms and walk-ways and a sort of a "crow's nest" lookout from the very top of the Horse's head. Here is available a wide array of delightful snacks, both savory and sweet, which can be purchased with a range of magnificent coffees in the Cafeteria.

There is also, an extensive Native Fauna Park for you to stroll, accessible through the Wooden Toy Factory Shop. This outlet features over and above the run-of-the-mill souvenirs, a fantastic range of Wooden Toys of all sorts, for boys and girls of most ages, manufactured right here on-site. To browse this Shop is a fascinating experience, even if you wish to buy nothing!  

So, by 10:30 we drive on through more Adelaide Hills type Country S.A., Mt. Crawford Regions of Pine Forests, planted nurtured and managed by S.A. Forestries & Primary Industries. Passing through Williamstown after skirting around the Warren Reservoir on the South Para, and then on to the renowned "Whispering Wall"  of the Barossa Reservoir. We enjoy ample opportunity to "put it through its paces", and actually experience the remarkable phenomenon of voices echoing so clearly around the 150m.arc of the arch dam wall. If we move on by 11:30a.m.we sort of "enter" the Valley through quaint localities of Cockatoo Valley and Sandy Creek and into Lyndoch, named Lynedoch by Col. Light after one of his close friends and Commanding Officer, in the Battle of the Barossa, Spain in the 19th. Century.

It's in this Town's Main Hotel-Restaurant that we enjoy our midday (2-courses, if you like) meal and a glass or two of the local product. The Plan is to get through this phase by 1:00p.m., so we can proceed with our Tour of a number of Wineries of Historic and Contemporary significance through the Barossa Valley.

We visit Yaldara Estates, Jacob's Creek and Chateau Dorrien, where Meads of several treatments, can be tried and purchased.

At each of the Wineries we visit, of course, tastings of the establishments' products is available. The opportunity to purchase these Wines and Meads is also a "given". On our retreat back to Town, we ascend a climb over the Barossa Hills to Angaston, stopping on the way at Mengler Hill Lookout- providing an opportunity for shooting off a spool of film to record the magnificent panorama, tour past the "back-blocks" of the "Lindsay Park Stud", founded, and made famous by the world renowned Family of the late Colin Hayes, and stop again at Angas Park Fruits Sales Promotion Venue.

Having stocked up on confectionery and/or chocolate and/or dried fruit, or you may have just absorbed the aroma of the place, return to Adelaide across the rolling plains of some of this State's Cereal Cropping Belt, (out on the Adelaide Plain).

So, now, the Tour Proper being over, the route back to the City generally includes Nuriootpa, the Sturt Highway through Gomersal or Sheoak Log, Gawler, Smithfield, Elizabeth and Salisbury followed by traversing the Northern Suburbs and across the River Torrens into Adelaide by 5:30p.m., and back to your Motel.

Now, for the current year, 2007-2008, the Price for this whole Day Tour, all inclusive, is $69.00 per person, including GST.

We can, however, do a "Budget Tour" without impacting on those Patrons wishing to take advantage of all facets of the Itinerary, and that means, at the Budget Price of $50.00 each, you may purchase your own food at Lyndoch while the others enjoy the Hotel Menu.