Cycling the Amy Gillett Pathway
No hills, no traffic, no worries: from Oakbank to Birdwood in the Adelaide Hills, the Amy Gillett Pathway is the sweetest 22 kilometres you'll ever cycle!
OK, I’ve dusted off my old treadly. Where am I heading?
The Amy Gillett Pathway is a family-friendly cycling, walking and horse riding trail that runs 22km through the Adelaide Hills, delivering country vistas, historic townships and wineries along the way. Specifically, it runs north-south through the fertile valleys and vales with bucolic country vistas, small townships and a few wineries to pop into en route. You can also expect to enjoy a safe and easy ride: not only is this bike trail separate from the road, most of it is flat.
Download the Amy Gillett Pathway Map right here
Use this map as your guide to traverse the length of the Amy Gillett Pathway from top to bottom, and vice versa!
Wait – how can a bike ride through the Adelaide Hills have no hills?!
The Pathway is on a sealed bitumen track that follows the course of an old railway line. And since trains don’t perform very well on inclines over 5%, the trail is completely flat in parts or, at worst, subjected to a super-gentle incline over several kilometres. The old rail corridor is also wide enough to allow for two lanes of cyclists, walkers and the occasional horse rider. Even the slowest of riders will be right at home.
The pathway can be accessed at many points, with facilities accessible in townships. Beginning at Oakbank, it passes through Woodside, Charleston and Mount Torrens, before concluding at Birdwood.
Why is it called the Amy Gillett Pathway?
Amy Gillett was a member of the Australian women’s cycling team before she was tragically killed while training in Germany in 2005. The pathway was built as part of a nation-wide program initiated by family and friends to encourage people to enjoy cycling and, importantly, to do so in perfect safety.
Who uses the Pathway?
Though loved by locals as a pleasant, traffic-free way to get between townships, the Pathway is increasingly being discovered by visitors as a way to immerse in rural landscapes, indulge in cool climate wineries and sample the laid-back lifestyle of farming communities in the Adelaide Hills.
During the week, you’ll be amazed how many retirees use the Pathway, many of them cycling in small groups to get some exercise and drink enough caffeine to light up Melbourne. At the weekends, the track is big with families, with little tackers in particular enjoying the mix of two-wheeled locomotion, four-legged livestock and a promised visit to Melba’s chocolate factory. And it’s finding favour with the Instagram generation who like nothing more than an afternoon of wine and wheels – though how much of the actual track they end up cycling is a moot point.
Finally, yes, you’ll probably see a few hardcore cycling enthusiasts but they’re usually on Onkaparinga Valley Road (not far from the track), seeking out more punishing gradients.
Twenty two kilometres sounds like a lot – will it tax me?
Organisers say the 22km ride can be done in 3 hours return on two wheels (or 4.5hrs if you’re on foot). But this is taking it very sedately indeed.
The bottom line is, no one is feeling the need for speed. The Amy Gillett Pathway is really about enjoying the journey.
One-way or return?
Unless you’re looking for peak fitness, you’ll probably want to do the trail one-way, with time to stop and enjoy a few things. Doing a one-way ride will require a party of at least two riders and necessitate two cars – one car serving as drop-off, one positioned for collection. If this isn’t practical, you could do half the trail as a return trip, which will still see you clocking up a healthy 16km (we suggest Oakbank to Charleston and back or vice versa).
Still with practical matters, you should take water and sunscreen and a couple of tools for any seat adjustments etc. Alternatively, however, you could let someone else take care of the bike-y business.
Bike Hire, Supplies and Repairs
Bike About in Woodside offers standard and electric bikes for hire. Collect them (and a map of local wineries) from the Woodside Providore. If you’re on an electric bike the trail will be a breeze, in fact a full 44km return trip shouldn’t be out of the question.
Bicycle Fix in the main street of Woodside is the place to buy a bike and accessories or arrange repairs. There is also a bike repair station at Woody Trails in Woodside.
Trail Tips!
Check the wind on the Bureau of Meteorology app! If there’s anything over 10 knots, you want it at your back.
Be aware, many operators in the Hills serve on weekends and shut on Mondays and sometimes Tuesdays. If you’re not sure, check online.
Parking
Easy. There’s dedicated parking on Gillman Road at the Oakbank end and parking near the oval at Mount Torrens and at the Birdwood end. Parking is also available in Woodside and next to the Pony homeware shop in Charleston.
Break it down for me -- what’s on the trail?
It’s easiest to think of the trail in three sections.
Section 1: Oakbank to Woodside (5km)
This flat section kicks off close to Gillman Road, passing through glades of pines and gum trees. Your first glimpse of vines is at Wicks Estate on the corner of Riverview Road – which appropriately heralds an optional 7.5km detour loop (via Riverview and Pfeiffer Roads) through wine country that’s home to Bird in Hand (restaurant and cellar door currently closed due to redevelopment) as well as Petaluma and Artwine cellar doors.
The trail passes behind the Main Street of Woodside, where you’ll see gardens filled with chopped wood, chook houses and veggie patches. If you’ve got kids – or you’ve got an inner kid busting to get out -- be sure to stop at the terrific Woody Trails BMX track adjacent to the Bikeway on your left. Feel free to test out the earthy jumps, bowls and ‘pump bumps’.
If you’ve cycled from Mount Torrens, detour to Woodside’s Main Street for the cyclist’s staple of coffee and cake. The town is home to the excellent Woodside Providore, two bakeries and two hotels. If you’re holding out until the very end, the Oakbank Hotel is open from 11am, with a family-friendly beer garden and a primo steak menu featuring Australian-grown Wagyu and Angus to boost those flagging protein levels.
Section 2: Woodside to Charleston (3.5km)
On the north side of Woodside – and right on the track – is Barristers Block winery. A warning: this winery is very easy to arrive at and VERY difficult to leave. It’s quite literally on the track, a spread of shady lawns, tasting room and a rustic tin shed supported by coarse gum boughs. It offers coffee and brunch to two-wheeled traffic Thursday to Sunday, while lunch is served daily. If you think your experience of cycling 22km will be enhanced by sparkling Pinot Noir, tastings start at 11am.
Five hundred metres north of town, detour off the track into Charles Street. Now, this is definitely a hill, but it’s worth the short climb to the 1919 Woodside Farmers Union Factory. The historic brick complex is now home to Woodside Cheese Wrights (they do hampers if you fancy a picnic along the bikeway) and Melba’s chocolate factory.
Melba's is a sweet-toothed time warp, with its lovely old signage and time-honoured confectionary such as cola bottles, UFOs and liquorice bullets. Confectionary production is always underway and workers are happy to stop and explain the arts of enrobing, depositing and panning. Thanks to your cycling endeavour, sampling fresh fudge and chocolate is relatively guilt-free.
The Pathway heads into broader paddocks of mixed farming, with some beautiful colonial-era farmhouses evident on the upper slopes of the valley. You’ll also see some vestiges of the huge dairy farms that dominated this region before wine became more profitable than milk.
Section 3: Charleston to Mount Torrens (8km)
The trail detours behind Charleston, into open grazing country and quieter surrounds removed from the road. After 4km the trail reaches Springhead Road. From here it’s a small wiggle to Charleston Cherries, where you can boost your natural sugars by picking your own (cherries available December, apples in March).
At Springhead Road, the trail begins a very gentle ascent. This 4km climb is almost imperceptible, but it is climbing, which is important to note if you’re with young children. It crosses the main road outside Mount Torrens, where you’ll encounter the award-winning wine producer Lobethal Road; the cute cellar door is open most days and serves lunch platters, with a more substantial seasonal menu on weekends.
All that remains is a kilometre-long ride (the only unsealed part of the trail) into Mount Torrens. This small agricultural town is home to the family-friendly Mount Torrens Hotel which serves the like of chicken schnitty burgers from noon.
Note, Charleston is a popular starting point to do an Oakbank-return ride. The 1855 Charleston Hotel in the main street serves coffees and lunches. Locally-made bangers and mash, taken under the mulberry trees in the brick-paved garden, are especially restorative.
Section 4: Mount Torrens to Birdwood (5.7km)
Leaving Mount Torrens from Oval Road, the trail gently descends into a lush valley, passing the site of the old Mount Torrens Railway Station before heading into open rural country.
A highlight is the restored Burford’s Hill Railway Bridge, built in 1918 and now locally heritage listed. The reinforced-concrete bridge once carried trains across Burford’s Hill Road and today carries cyclists and walkers, with a newer steel truss bridge linking back to the trail.
From here, the route follows Angas Creek through woodland, vineyards and grazing country. Watch for farm crossings, where the trail may occasionally be closed while cattle move between paddocks. Stop and wait quietly. Sightings of cows riding bikes remain rare.
Near Birdwood, the trail crosses Angas Creek and William Creek before reaching town. Continue along William Street, turn left onto Torrens Road, and reward yourself at one of Birdwood’s cafés.
If I’m going one way, should I do the trail northwards or southwards?
Good question, because the direction you travel certainly alters the experience…
Heading north (Oakbank to Birdwood), your party will encounter the distractions around Woodside when you’re at your most energetic – which means you’re more inclined to do them! Hit Charleston and you've completed over two-thirds of the journey - and from here you’ll begin to encounter those very modest up-slopes into Mount Torrens and Birdwood. Trail-side refreshments (and distractions) reduce once you leave Charleston, though there is a warm welcome waiting at the family-friendly Mount Torrens Hotel, and excellent picnic spots (and barbecues) in the outdoor grounds of the National Motor Museum in Birdwood. If you're keen for a caffeine fix, hit The Fold cafe just across the road from the museum.
Heading south (Birdwood to Oakbank), you may get a surprise from the slight incline out of Mount Torrens, running from the oval to the road crossing. The gradient is extremely gentle, but it runs for a kilometre and it might make small kids grumpy. On the plus side, it’s easy street from here! Also, you’ll end your ride in the towns of Woodside and Oakbank, with plenty of pub and coffee options, as well as Barristers Block winery which makes for a very attractive post-ride proposition.
Coming Soon...
Stay tuned for further developments including visitor infrastructure along the Pathway, which are currently subject to grant funding from the Government of South Australia.
A fifth and final section of the Amy Gillett Pathway is currently being planned, extending Birdwood to Mount Pleasant. This logical extension of the trail will add another flat section through pastoral country and will see the Pathway concluding in a pictureque town on the edge of the Barossa. The town is home to the lively Mount Pleasant Farmers Market (every Saturday morning), a brilliant bakery, and a couple of great places to wet your whistle in Robber's Dog Distillery and Elysian Springs winery.
At the time of writing, there’s no date for construction but updates will be posted on the Amy Gillett Foundation website.
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