Mawson Trail Overview

Whist contemplating whether I wanted to continue racing after my crash racing on the velodrome and subsequent recovery from the collarbone surgery, I was told about the Mawson Trail in South Australia.

The idea of touring especially with heavy panniers has never taken my interest, but along with hearing about the Mawson trail I was told about bikepacking. This is the idea of using lightweight camping gear and various softbags to carry it on the bike had me intrigued. I began investigating the trail and bikepacking gear further, started shopping for equipment and booked two weeks leave for the following May.
  
The Mawson Trail is a 900km mostly off road route than meanders from Adelaide, through the Adelaide Hills, Barrossa and Clare Valleys, the dry hills around Burra till finally traversing though the Flinders Ranges to finish at Blinman, the highest town in South Australia.

 The trail was perfect for my first bike packing trip. Well signposted with accompanying trail maps, many towns to pass through for supplies and finally transport for myself and bike back to Adelaide. Due to its meandering circuit, if I was too ambitious with my schedule or stuck in the renowned red clay that catches out the unwary as soon as it rains I could take the tar and cut a few corners to make up time.

It was a tough itinerary I'd given myself; 11 days of riding included a few short days in the Flinders Ranges. As it would be my first visit in the area, the shorter days were so I could fit in a couple of day walks at Wilpena Pound whilst passing through.

I planned to ride the trail North; riding away from the city so the trip could climax with traveling through the rugged Flinders ranges. Although going this way meant I'd have to time my ride to perfection to make Parachilna by Wednesday night. This was critical so I could catch the twice weekly bus South first thing Thursday morning to then make the Friday morning Overland train back to Melbourne.

It was fortuitous with the Overland train schedule fitting my two weeks holiday perfectly. Train to Adelaide left first thing Saturday morning and returned the morning after the bus back to Adelaide. Why take the car when I could take the train from home? No fear of speeding fines or the issue of figuring where to leave my car for a couple of weeks. Was also cheaper than if I drove!