Away from the hustle and bustle of Australia’s east coast, South Australia is considered to be the country’s most relaxed state where the finer sides of life are celebrated. The stunning landscapes on offer in the Flinders Ranges, Adelaide’s exciting food scene and the small matter of the country’s finest wines means this prime cycling territory. Hopping on a saddle and pedalling into the sunset is a way of life here.

Anyone who travels to Australia is at some point going to be drawn -  like a moth to the flame - to the cascading multitudes of vineyards. However, the state of South Australia really does wine like no other and is responsible for more than half the country’s production.

Boasting the Barossa, Clare Valley and McLaren Vale wine regions this is a state that is easy to lose track of time in, particularly when you are rolling from cellar door to cellar door on a leisurely cycling tour.

Each region is beautiful in its own right and makes for a perfect cycling trip where you can enjoy the quiet countryside roads and sample some of the world’s finest wines. Multi-day tours through each of the regions ensure you can breathe it all in and that your head and legs are given ample time to recover along the way.

While the wine does dominate proceedings in South Australia there are a number of other highlights to explore such as the wildlife on Kangaroo Island, the unusual underground mining town of Coober Pedy and the stunning scenery of the Flinders Ranges

The latter is the perfect place to escape to for mountain bike lovers with excellent trails throughout the ranges to get stuck into. The super-serious riders can always stock up on some wine before they try and take on a grueling 200 kilometer (124 mi) loop trail of the Flinders Ranges.

Equally, mountain bike tour lovers who perhaps fancy something a bit calmer will find each trail through the wine regions incorporate some tricky hills amongst the rolling green countryside. And it is this lovely balance combined with an excellent glass of Shiraz or Riesling that makes South Australia a pure cycling dream.



Best Seasons:Dec - May
Popular Locations:Flinders Ranges, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley