Category: South Australia

Kingscote South Australia Australia

Yorke Peninsula South Australia Australia

One of the best scenic routes runs through Mount Pleasant linking Adelaide with the Barossa via the rich pastoral lands of Mount Pleasant. Mount Pleasant is the home of one of South Australia’s largest agricultural shows and renowned for its wine areas of Springton and Eden Valley. The Merindah Mohair Farm is a must.

Freeling is well known as the home of the Gungellan Hotel – one of the main settings for the Australian television series McLeod’s Daughters. McLeod’s Daughters airs in 100 countries and the pubs and streets of Freeling feature regularly on screen. The local countryside is one of the major stars of the show and is free for everyone to enjoy. Wander the heritage streets of this quaint rural town with its many historical buildings. Set on gently undulating land with a mild Mediterranean climate, Freeling is the centre of a major wheat-growing district. In was once the largest hay-producing centre in South Australia, with haystacks so large they could be seen for miles.

Listed on the National Estate Register and also declared a State Heritage Area, the former copper mining town of Burra is one of the most beautifully preserved towns in South Australia. It all began with the discovery of copper in 1845 by shepherds Thomas Pickett and William Streair. A number of townships soon developed – the South Australian Mining Association town of Kooringa, plus Redruth (Cornish) Aberdeen (Scottish) Llywchwr (Welsh) and Hampton (English). By 1851, the settlement now collectively known as Burra had a population of 5,000, second only to Adelaide with a population of 18,000. And after the closure of the Monster Mine in 1877, the town became a service centre for an extensive agricultural and pastoral area. Today you can explore one of Australia’s most beautifully preserved towns on Burra’s Heritage Passport Trail. Armed with a charming little guidebook and your own key, you’ll drive past 65 fascinating sites and learn why Burra was once South Australia’s copper central. The 11km route includes Redruth Gaol, the Monster Mine and “Creek Street”, where 1600 people lived in dugouts along the riverbank. Burra is also a great place to look for antiques, and don’t miss Thorogoods of Burra (a boutique cider brewery) and the Burra Art Gallery.