At the very start of this year, Sman and myself took our unicycles on a 4 day tour that weaved us through some great trails in Clare Valley. We talked of possibly returning to the area on our way back home from Darwin… And that’s exactly what we did.

Once we get our gear packed in the mornings, we often sit somewhere nice and plan our day over a drink. The problem with towns like Clare is that their nice places are far too nice for a speedy departure. The cafe we sat at was warm, it was raining outside, and Sman had discovered banana chai tea.

Thankfully the rain eased and Sman could continue her ramblings on banana chai recipe ideas while we rode. We headed towards an old train line converted to a bike trail: The Riesling Trail.

The last time we rode this wonderful trail it was summertime, dry and hot. This time it was autumn, drizzling and lush; perfect for riding and lunching.

Our late start meant we cut our Riesling Trail picnic short and kept pushing on. The scenery was full of yellow leaved vineyards, the air heavy with burning hardwoods from fireplaces, the ground crunchy with pine needles, and since the trail is cycles only, not a roadtrain in sight!

The trail ends far too quickly and we’re back on the main roads. We’re racing the sun again to make Riverton before dark (and more importantly before the store closes), and we make it the nick of time.

Our host in Riverton is Ivor, who owns the now closed Railway Bed and Breakfast. He was expecting us to arrive earlier and was just about to head out looking for us when we arrived and laid his fears to rest. He very kindly prepared one of the converted railway carriages for our most luxurious night on this trip. We often talked of having a night in a fancy B&B at the end of our trip and we are enjoying every moment here.