Explore The Shiraz Trail | McLaren Vale Walking & Bike Track
The McLaren Vale region is synonymous with good quality food and exceptional wine. Whilst this side of town might not be the first place you think of when it comes to planning a family friendly day out, The Shiraz Trail might just change your mind. Claiming the title of the most well known trail in the region, The Shiraz trail is an 8km stretch ideal for cycling, walking or pram pushing past scenic landscapes.
Review by Angelica-Hazel Toutounji
If the sound of 8kms has you less than enthused, the beauty of this experience is that it truly is a choose your own adventure. You can choose to start or stop at any point along the way and linger longer at playground stops or coffee shops.
I recently experienced the Shiraz Trail with my four-year-old daughter on a lazy Monday morning. She rode her bike along the flat trail and I walked/jogged besides her for multiple sections of the track. With spring around the corner, the entire area was filled with bright yellow Golden Wattle flowers and white blossoms galore. My daughter is an animal lover and delighted in the sheer number of birds that she encountered along the way.
After a long drive I treated her to a kid’s platter and babyccino at the popular café Manna MV, before we jumped on the trail. We then decided to start close to the Old Almond train, now a recently converted Japanese restaurant called Hanabi, which was closed for our visit. Starting here you will find you are spoilt for choice when it comes to exploring nearby attractions. The McLaren Vale Hotel is close by if you want to eat before embarking on your journey. The popular Hardy’s Winery is also next door and offers wine tastings and the opportunity to purchase their products, as well as their new zero alcohol range.
After meandering in this area for quite some time we decided to explore the McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Coast Visitor Information Centre (VIC), a short drive down the road. The VIC is a fantastic place to call past when you arrive into McLaren Vale. Not only are the staff incredibly helpful and can provide guidance on the Shiraz Trail and local area recommendations, the centre is kid friendly too. There is a café on site, the opportunity to hire e-bikes (with a range of family friendly options), a gallery and even an outdoor playground too.
The last and final stop of the day involved getting back onto the trail towards the rotary playground. This is only a short distance by bike from the VIC. After a busy and wholesome day, we decided to make our way home at this point. If you have older kids with you or want to visit more wineries, you can continue on. Other popular stops on this journey include Serafino Wines, Oxenberry Farm and Battle of Bosworth.
The other option is to start your journey in Willunga and make your way towards McLaren Vale. After speaking with the staff at the VIC, I was glad that I chose to tackle the trail in this way. This section of the track is nice and flat and also notably the best for small children.
What we loved about the experience:
• The opportunity to explore a different region of Adelaide
• The incredible scenery
• Mostly flat surfaces that made the journey easy, ideal for walking, cycling, prams, even wheelchair users
• Being so close to the main street with numerous options for food, drink and toilet stops
• Getting outside, moving our body and having fun as a family
• Nature all around us
Location:
Starting Point – McLaren Vale (north end): The Shiraz Trail begins on Main Road in McLaren Vale, near the McLaren Vale Visitor Information Centre and close to the historic Almond Train site, where parking is conveniently available
Ending Point – Willunga (south end): The trail finishes at the former Willunga railway station / Horse Yards, next to Willunga Park—a vibrant spot with picnic lawns, playgrounds, and a skate park
For more information and all enquiries please visit the City of Onkaparinga website & the McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Coast website
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
Image Source: Photos by Angelica-Hazel Toutounji for Play & Go
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