Barossa and Clare Valleys

• Barossa Valley and Eden Valley
• Clare Valley
• see also:
  • South Australia
  • web:
    • Barossa Valley
    • Clare Valley

Barossa Valley:

• introduction:
  • comprises the historic Barossa Valley and Eden Valley
  • famous wine grape growing district dominated by German immigrants who settled the region after 1842 and the spurred the real growth in winemaking in the 1880's.
  • the main town of Nuriootpa is 75km (1hr 15min drive) north of Adelaide via the Sturt Hway & the Barossa Valley Way
  • Barossa Valley towns also include Williamstown, Lyndoch, Tanunda, and Bethany
  • Eden Valley is via a turn to the south east from Nuriootpa along the Angaston Rd passing through Eden Valley and thence to Springton and Mt Pleasant at its southern extent.
• weather:
  • avg. min/max temperatures range from 4-13degC in July to 14-29degC in Feb when it is often over 35degC 
• wineries:
  • Penfolds
  • Seppelt
  • Wolf Blass
  • Jacob's Creek
  • Yalumba
  • Peter Lehmann
  • Richmond Grove
  • Saltram
  • Jenke
  • Bethany
• events:
  • every weekend:
    • Barossa Farmer's market
    • Barossa Craft Market
  • January:
    •  
  • February:
    • Barossa Under The Stars outdoor event
  • March:
    • Tanunda Show
    • Barossa Vintage Festival
  • April:
    • Kapunda Celtic Festival
  • May:
    • Barossa Golf Open
  • August:
    • SA Coopers Rally - 1st round of the Australian Rally Championship
    • Barossa Jazz Weekend
  • September:
    • Barossa Wine Show
  • October:
    • Barossa International Festival of Music
  • November:
    • Lyndoch Lavender Festival
  • December:
    •  
• national parks:
  • Para Wirra recreational park
  • Kaiser Stuhl conservation park
  • Hale conservation park
  • Warren conservation park
  • Sandy Creek conservation park

Clare Valley:

• introduction:
  • north-west of the Barossa Valley, Clare township is 105min by car from Adelaide
  • the Clare Valley is primarily a wine region with surrounding farmland with pockets of pristine bushland, and vast pastoral country to its north.
  • the 1st sheep station was settled in 1840, and the 1st vines planted in 1842.
  • the discovery of copper in 1845 led to a copper boom based around the Monster Mine, Burra, but the discovery of gold in Victoria in the 1850's drew many away to try their luck in gold as well as bullocks, supplies and equipment, so smelting companies had to import mules and muleteers from Chile to keep the ore moving
  • Clare was named by Edward Gleeson, an Irish settler after his lush homeland of County Clare
  • the movie Breaker Morant was filmed ar Redruth Gaol, Burra
  • Martindale Hall, a Georgian style mansion built in 1879,  was the location for filming much of the movie Picnic at Hanging Rock
  • explore historic towns of Mintaro & Auburn with its lanes lined with buildings of the mid-1800's
  • Australian poet CJ Dennis who wrote the Sentimental Bloke was born in Auburn & raised in Mintaro
• wineries:
  • Seven Hill Cellars - Clare Valley's oldest winery
  • Reilly's Wines
  • Mount Horrock's Wines
• national parks:
  • Martindale Hall Conservation Park
  • Spring Gully Conservation Park
  • Redbanks Conservation Park