SA - Wardies B’Day Ride

Wardies B’Day Ride Article by David Ward

A FINE MORNING SHOWED PROMISE, BUT IT HAD BEEN CHUCKING IT DOWN THE PREVIOUS COUPLE OF DAYS, SO A TURNOUT OF TWELVE MEMBERS AT THE GLEN OSMOND SERVICE STATION ON SUNDAY, JUNE 21, WAS REALLY GOOD.

Three saw us off and nine of us headed up the freeway just as it began to rain. Unperturbed we peeled off at the first turn-off and headed through the twists and turns through Glen Osmond, past the golf course, with views overlooking the city - if you’ve got time to look - out of the suburbs past Penfolds Winery, then up the Norton Summit Road, navigating its tricky hairpins, especially so in the conditions. Out on the Montacute Road and then the dive down into Basket Range, down into the valley, with water flowing over the road, and avoiding the slippery

green bits, then up the other side, alongside the flowing Sixth Creek, complete with waterfall for the attentive! Up through Carey Gulley and across the valley to pick up the newly re-surfaced Deviation Road, a challenge on the best of days. All still together, in the intermittent weather, we headed along the Lobethal Road to Lenswood and then across Chapel Hill towards Cudlee Creek. A quick whizz up the end of Gorge Road following along the Torrens River and then picking up the AdelaideMannum Road past the over-flowing Torrens Weir,

to all safely arrive at The Big Rocking Horse cafe at Gumeracha - (we didn’t think you were coming in the rain!). Coffees and cakes enjoyed by all, with, socially distanced catch-up chats for about an hour, before heading off on our way home. Back towards Cudlee Creek where some headed westward, then along Gorge Road and up Corkscrew Hill, (just for fun)

along Montacute Road and back over Mount Lofty, and heading our separate ways homeward. I enjoyed the ride, I trust everyone else did. Some really interesting roads, probably a challenge at the best of times and the conditions certainly added to that challenge, but there were smiles on people’s faces, and to me that’s what it’s all about. Thank you for making my ride a pleasure!