This trip leads you up the Torrens River Gorge via Gorge Road. This tight and winding road runs alongside the river up into the hills and into green farming country. You’ll pass through Cudlee Creek, Gumeracha and Birdwood until you reach the source of the Torrens River at Mt Pleasant. There’s heaps to see and do along this stretch, like Gorge Wildlife Park and The Big Rocking Horse. The bakery at Mt Pleasant makes an amazing array of pies, along with other delicious stuff and great coffee. Read more about the Torrens River Gorge here.
The beautiful green hills around Mt Pleasant change to bare and rocky slopes as you head towards the mallee plains of the Murraylands. Walker Flat is a great place to stretch the legs after the race across the plains while you wait for the ferry to take you across the river where you can drive up to Forster Lookout for a spectacular high view for miles over the river, Walker Flat, and the plains beyond. Head back across the ferry and find your way to Shell Hill, not far away. Shell Hill is situated at the intersection of Black Hill Road and Murraylands Road. The area was the site of a huge deposit of oysters from an ancient seabed. It was mined for many years and all that remains is stark outcrop of shells.
Follow Black Hill Road all the way through to Cambrai. This is a fun and easy stretch of dirt road that follows the Marne River Valley. Giant river red gums give way to wheat and turf farms as you follow the course of this boom-to-bust country river. See my gallery of pictures here.
Head north from Cambrai to Sedan and then back into the hills via Kyneton. The country between Kyneton and Angaston is regarded as some of the finest and most productive in the country. Long stone walls and regal homesteads like Collingrove Homestead nearby attest to its qualities.
On reaching Angaston, you have the Barossa Valley at your feet. Angaston has some excellent restaurants and a beautiful park with facilities.
The Barossa Valley is a whole new prospect worthy of another article some other time, but you head back smack bang through the heart of it to Gawler and the city.