The Mawson Trail: Mt Bryan East to Willalo Hall

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Mt Bryan East to Willalo Hall

Continuing north along the trail near Mt Bryan East, we encountered more of that Flinders-esque landscape we had seen last ride. The view from Dares Hill Summit was rewarding, we could see for miles, although I had no real idea of what we were looking at. We left some scrub and re-entered farmland dramatically crossing Goyders Line.

Mt Bryan East to Willalo Hall
50km

Had a look-in at the the childhood home of Antartic explorer, Sir Hubert Wilkins. Cool that such an old homestead survived without even turn-of-the-century renovations, although I think it was abandoned a long time ago. I guess this is all in part due to it's isolation out there so close to Goyders Line.

Sir Hubert Wilkins was an amazing adventurer, yet unfortunately, most Australians know little of his incredible life. Sir Hubert Wilkins was born in 1888 just east of Hallett, in a humble outback cottage. His thirst for excitement and knowledge led him to enjoy a life rich with wondrous experiences. He went to the Antarctic, as a photographer and naturalist on several expeditions. 1926 saw Sir Hubert making experimental flights in the Arctic region, until 1928 when he made the first ever trans-Arctic flight from Alaska to Spitzbergen (3350km) in 205 hours. He was subsequently knighted as a result.

The Regional Council of Goyder, the Australian Geographic Society, Dick Smith, the National Trust and the volunteer based Sir Hubert Wilkins Memorial Trust Committee have restored the cottage of Sir Hubert's birthplace to its original condition.

Eating a late lunch in Hallett, thankful for the shop and lush green lawns by the local hall, we pushed on through some headwinds for Willalo Hall.

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Stats	Mawson Trail
Stats	Mt Bryan East to Willalo Hall
Distance	51.3km
Start Time	10.01am
End Time	4.33pm
Moving Duration	3h43m
Stationary Duration	2h26m
Moving Average	13.8km/h
Overall Average	8.3km/h
Max Speed	40.0km/h

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About the Mawson Trail

The Mawson Trail traverses some of the most beautiful and spectacular regions of South Australia including the Adelaide Hills, the Barossa Valley, Clare and Gilbert Valleys, the Flinders Ranges and remote rural areas. With almost 900km of little-used country roads, unmade or unused road reserves and forest tracks, the Mawson Trail is Australia's premier off-road cycling trail.

The trail is named after Sir Douglas Mawson, an intrepid and adventurous Australian explorer. As a lecturer in petrology (the study of the origin and structure of rocks) at Adelaide University, Mawson led field trips to the South Australian Outback on numerous occassions in the early 1900s.

The trail was originally developed by the State Government in 1992, starting from the Festival Centre in Adelaide. In 2004 the trail was redeveloped which involved redirection in some areas, including a re-route via the Riesling Trail, the rail trail from Auburn to Clare, and the inclusion of some loop trails in some of the more popular areas. A new logo was developed, representing the ancient land of the Flinders Ranges, Australian fauna and the bike wheel, and the trail re-signposted with bright, informative new signs. The trail officially starts at the eastern end of the River Torrens Linear Park, on Gorge Road at Montacute (approximately 15kms NE of the Adelaide CBD).