Mawson Trail

The Mawson Trail is a long-distance cycling trail in South Australia starting just east of Adelaide in the Adelaide Hills and extending almost 900 kilometres (560 mi) to Blinman in the Flinders Ranges.^[1] It is suitable for mountain bikes.^[2]

The Mawson Trail traverses remote areas of the Mount Lofty and Flinders Ranges, mostly away from bitumen roads, and often off-road on tracks and unmade road or forest reserves. It also passes through a number of country towns. It starts at the upstream end of the Torrens Linear Park on Gorge Road, leading in to the Adelaide Hills.

BikeSA hosts a guided two-week tour of the entire length every second year.^[3]

The trail is named after explorer Douglas Mawson.

Route

The route is generally described south-to-north, although it can be ridden in either direction. Signage along the route is provided for both directions.

The towns passed through are:

• Adelaide (outskirts)
• Lobethal, a large town with the Lobethal Bierhaus brewery.
• Birdwood, home of the National Motor Museum.
• Tanunda, a large town with the Barossa Valley Brewing brewery.
• Nuriootpa, main commercial centre of the Barossa valley
• Kapunda, with cafes, supermarkets and pubs.
• Riverton
• Auburn, with pubs, cafes, and a brewery.
• Clare, a large town with a large supermarket, bike shop, cafes, and many wineries nearby.
• Burra, a large historical town with several pubs, supermarkets and cafes.
• Hallett, with a service station/general store and a pub.
• Spalding, with a general store and pub with barbed wire museum.
• (Near Jamestown)
• Laura, with a supermarket and cafes.
• Melrose, with a bike shop cafe, two pubs, and several cafes.
• Wilmington, with a pub, general store and cafe.
• Quorn, a large historical town with four pubs and several cafes.
• Cradock, a tiny hamlet with a pub.
• Hawker, a small town with a roadhouse/general store and a cafe.
• Rawnsley Park Station, a caravan park with pub and general store.
• Wilpena, a very large caravan and campsite with pub, general store and information office.
• Blinman, a small tourist village with pub and mine tours.

References

1. "Mawson Trail". Trails SA. Office for Recreation & Sport. 15 April 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
2. "Mawson Trail, SA". Cycle Trails Australia. 4 August 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
3. "The Outback Odyssey". Bicycle SA. Retrieved 16 September 2014.

External links

• Mawson Trail (South Australian Government webpage)

Coordinates: 31°05′35″S 138°40′51″E / 31.092926°S 138.680838°E