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South Australia (Clare Valley) |
| Auburn | |
| AUBURN, 120km from Adelaide, is the first settlement, small and village-like, which began life as a halfway resting point for wagons carrying copper ore from Burra to Port Adelaide. Auburn is a pretty town at the southern gateway to the Clare Valley. It dates from the 1840s, when it serviced the bullock wagons travelling between Burra's rich copper mines and the coast. | |
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walk along its back streets is like taking a step back in time - many of
its original buildings remain, especially St Vincent Street. Walking tour
guides are available from the National Trust or Aubum Stores. Famous
colonial bard CJ Dennis, author of 'Sentimental Bloke' was born and spent
his early years here.
The Rising Sun Hotel is one of many great pubs in the valley, first licensed in 1850. It has small bedrooms in the hotel and mews-style accommodation in old stone stables, as well as a very affordable modern Australian menu – things like kangaroo fillet with a shiraz butter sauce – and an appropriately long wine list. A more luxurious place to stay is Dennis Cottage – it has a spa, as well as paraphernalia associated with C.J. Dennis, the popular poet who was born here in 1876. Tatehams, on the Main North Road is a very distinguished dining/guesthouse combination that even has a French chef. Nearby are two small wineries to visit, with restricted opening hours: Grossets (Wed–Sun 10am–5pm) and Mount Horrocks (Sat & Sun 10am–5pm). Heading north through the Clare Valley |
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| The next small village is LEASINGHAM, where you can camp or stay at Leasingham Village Cabins, a popular place for grape-pickers from March to mid-April; wineries often phone and ask for workers. An attached restaurant serves simple inexpensive weekend lunches (licensed or BYO; lunch Sat & Sun, dinner Sat). You can taste wines nearby at Tim Gramp Wines (daily 10.30am–4.30pm). At WATERVALE, 2km north, there are four small wineries: Crabtree of Watervale, North Terrace (Thurs–Mon 11am–5pm, daily during school holidays), is one of the most enjoyable in the valley. | |
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