On your bike

By GRANT BRADLEY

The mathematical precision of Adelaide's central city is fairly plain from the air and my cab ride there from the airport was a lesson in numbers. The driver was something of a statistics enthusiast and reeled off the numbers without much prompting — area of desert in state (nearly 500,000 sq/km), size of city north to south (64km), length of great white shark worrying swimmers on coast (3.6m), body count attributed to great white (one, a windsurfer) and, most remarkably, the computer cabling in Adelaide University would stretch to Darwin and back (a very long way).

Statistics were worrying me. I was there to get into part of the world-famous wine country on a bike. Forty-five wineries, two wheels, two days, one liver. The prospect of time on a bike tasting wine was not necessarily offputting for an enthusiastic commuter cyclist — the problem was working out how it would fit.

It soon became clear. My guide, Tony Hansen, from Rolling On Mountain Bike Tours, picked me up early the following day and ran through a
fairly intense two-day schedule in which there appeared ample opportunity to work up a thirst, and we set off.

Hansen, aged 38, has a PhD in molecular biology and most of his working days involve the study of DNA to work out links between food and cancer. For the past three years he has also been running cycle tours throughout South Australia. He is part of a fledgling industry encouraged to get tourists off buses and out of cars and on to bikes to see the state's outback, wine areas and beaches at a more leisurely speed.

From Adelaide's pleasant, orderly central city we headed by van south-east for 40km to the compact vineyard region of McLaren Vale, close to the Reynella estate, the birthplace of South Australian wine, which was first planted in 1838.

Commitment to cyclists is obvious. New motorways must incorporate bike lanes and the countryside has a network of quiet, safe cycleways combined with footpaths.

McLaren Vale may not be so instantly recognised as its bigger cousin, the Barossa Valley, but as with that area, it is into big Shiraz wines. Unlike the Barossa, mass tourism has not hit and its many hosts will tell you theirs is the friendly wine region.

While relatively compact, it still has 45 wineries, nearly all with cellar doors — retail outlets —- and most offering free sampling.

The region faces beaches along the Gulf St Vincent, running about 20km north to south, and stretches another 20km to the Mt Lofty ranges. It enjoys a Mediterranean climate which is great for grapes and, in autumn at least, a good temperature for cyclists.

You can bring your own bike on Hansen's tours, which typically are made up of about six cyclists, or he will set you up on a late-model, 24-speed bike with front suspension. Rolling On's cycle tourists are typically in their mid-40s, although some as old as 70 have ridden and he has also had teenagers.

Be warned: the terrain is mainly flat or gently undulating but it is not necessarily a picnic. You can go as slow as you like and, if necessary, Hansen will pick up stragglers in his van, but to see as much as possible it helps to be fit.

It is not a pub crawl — the emphasis is on sampling, not quaffing. South Australia has tough drink-driving laws and if you're caught with one or two over the odds on a bike you face the same penalties as motorists. Last year, a drunken camel-rider further north in the state was stopped, so beware.

More typically, having a few on board has meant the odd tumble for cycle tourists, although on one occasion Hansen had to wade into the surf at a beach to rescue a client who had gone a little overboard at the wineries.

The first winery we visited was Wira Wira Vineyards, near the geographical heart of the district and central to the many traditions that have either never died in this closeknit community or have been revived since recognition in the 1960s of the area's ability to produce premium table wine.

The vineyard, established by a noted eccentric and cricketer, Robert Strangeways Wigley, is soaked in history, and tours can be arranged if you phone ahead.

On the estate beside the restored 106-year-old ironstone and hardwood cellars is a three-quarter-tonne bell which rings through the district on ceremonial occasions. One is the Wine Bushing Festival, a three-day district-wide extravaganza in late October for new-release tasting, feasting and an enormous fair aimed at bringing together townspeople and the wine industry.

This festival is followed by the McLaren Vale Continuous Picnic, held over two weekends in early November. It attracts thousands to different venues, with the emphasis on an eclectic mix of "Mod Oz" food.

While the area produces 40 million bottles a year and has its fair share of corporate investment, it is still possible to "meet your maker" if you time it right at some vineyards. Winemakers are zealots who will tell you as much as you will ever need to know about micro-climates, soil types and just when the grapes should be picked, so it's best not to get locked into tight schedules.

Hansen has a broad knowledge of the area and its wines but will leave you in the hands of winery staff. However, if you need any detailed explanation of the chemical makeup of food and how it is processed, he's your man.

Our tour was in early April, just past the peak of a vintage where volumes were down, but vineyard staff were still weary from 18-hour days harvesting grapes. It pays to visit wineries as early in the day as possible (most open at 10 am) as the chat starts to dry up later in the day.

For views, we hit the hills to d'Arenberg Wines (elevation 250m but late in the day it seemed higher) where the patchwork of shiraz, grenache, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay vines unfolds from its restaurant.

Coriole's Wines, further downhill from d'Arenberg, does a big line in olives - oils, olives themselves and vinegars. It has a lovely cottage garden, listed heritage buildings dating back to the middle of last century and is the kind of relaxed, low-key place which in the late afternoon was plainly a good place to spend a few hours with friends and family.

Wine prices throughout the area can start as low as $A5 for a cleanskin (unlabelled) white but most of the better-quality wines start from between $A10 and $A12. Stocking up large when you are on a bike is not the most practical and is usually unecessary. You can buy most of the wine in supermarkets or liquor stores for cellar-door prices and in many cases they are available here. Ask about New Zealand distributors.

McLaren Vale, like the other vineyard areas of South Australia, is big bed-and-breakfast country. We stayed in Willunga House, an elegant 150-year-old converted post office in Willunga, one of the oldest settlements in the district, where rates started at $130 a night.

Next morning we went hill-hunting. The Old Willunga Hill is a long, steady slog reaching an altitude of 350m - about the same as the Bombay Hills near Auckland - that gives a good view of McLaren Vale and further south to the Fleurieu Peninsula.

The hill is used as a special stage in world cycling's Tour Downunder during January. When you see messages of encouragement aimed at cycling's elite painted on the hill road, you know you're into something reasonably serious. The ride is not compulsory but it is a good way to work up an appetite.

We then headed down through native bush towards McLaren Vale Olive Groves, where planting on the hillsides began early this century. This 12ha farm is foodie heaven, with its staggering range of olives and cold-pressed oils. Otherwise, you can get among the ferral olives that grow along the 7km cycleway that runs through the middle of the McLaren Vale flats. There, elderly Greeks and Italians pick the olives to supplement their pensions.

If you have a sweet tooth, try Medlows Confectionary, which sells a huge range of pectin-based jellies and chocolate - a good diversion if you happen to have the kids with you. The area is also bountiful in almonds and in August the many groves are in full bloom.

The sea is never far out of the picture. Mclaren Vale is Australia's closest major wine-growing area to the ocean, which offers a refreshing sea breeze and, if you wish, a dip which can be a little chilly.

In the 1930s, the sweeping Moana beach was the first in the state to allow men to bathe topless, and in keeping with this pioneering tradition, nearby Maslin Beach was in 1975 the first in the country to declare naked bathing legal. It is still a mecca for nudists.

Cycling holidays are not for everyone - the research shows adventure tourists would rather pay to jump out of a plane than be charged to get on a bike. But if you enjoy wine and can ride a bike, such a holiday is a neat solution. The key is to enjoy both in moderation.

* Grant Bradley travelled to South Australia as a guest of the Australian Tourism Commission, the South Australian Tourism Commission and Qantas

Casenotes


GETTING THERE: Qantas and Air New Zealand fly several times a day via Sydney or Melbourne to Adelaide. Return economy fares start at $899. A Qantas "Happening Holiday" offers five nights' accommodation in Adelaide and airfares for $1199.

GETTING AROUND: Two-day McLaren Vale tours with Rolling On, including farmstay accommodation, $A189.
Ph 0061 8 8358 2401, e-mail rolling@dove.net.au or Wine-tasting camel treks with Outback Camel Co, $A80 for the day. Ph 0061 8 8543 2280.

Rental cars from Adelaide: Thrifty Car Rental starts at $A45 a day.
Ph 0061 82118788, e-mail thriftysa2thrifty.com.au

Adelaide Smart Cars: Limo-type taxis for $A29 an hour. An alternative if the crew is drinking. 0061 8285 8555.

WHERE TO STAY: Check with the McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Visitor Centre (well worth a visit when in the area — wine tasting available) for full listings:

Ph: 0061 8 8323 9944,
fax 0061 8 8323 9949 or e-mail: rhand@mclarenvale.aust.com
If you are travelling after July 1
beware of a 10 per cent GST Australia is introducing. Check the effect on prices.

Links


Rolling On

Thrifty Car Rental