Walk the Yorke

• South Australian summer heat is no joke, and there’s little shade on this trail, so we recommend not undertaking this ride in summer.
• A gravel bike with 40mm+ tyres will handle 99 percent of this ride. The remaining percent is sand and mud that you’d likely be walking unless you’re on a fatbike. Surfaces and gradients are quite gentle, so no suspension or special gearing is required.
• While the gravel roads are generally well-maintained, some sections are corrugated and will slow you down.
• You can book a bus ride that will take you from Moonta Bay back to Port Wakefield, but for many, it will be easiest to close the loop by simply riding the 65 kilometres (40 miles) back.
• While nearby Adelaide has plenty of bike shops, there are none on the peninsula itself, so you will need to be mechanically self-sufficient.

• Camping at any of the 19 designated bush camping grounds along the route is free and doesn’t require a permit unless you have a support vehicle.
• The exception to this is if you want to camp in Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, which must be booked in advance.
• Free camping in towns is limited, so if you’re planning to overnight in towns, you’ll be in a caravan park with the grey nomads. Book ahead, and be mindful that in peak season, some parks have a minimum of two-night stays.
• In Port Victoria, you can camp at the Oval Camping Site for $10, no booking needed.

• Food and water couldn’t be easier. Towns will typically have potable water available in parks, and there are rainwater tanks dotted at each of the campsites along the trail.
• Rain water should be treated before drinking.
• At a minimum, you’ll pass through a town with a supermarket or general store once a day, so getting enough sustenance is purely a matter of whipping out your wallet.
• If you’re eating in town, you’ll experience typical Australian country food (think meat pies and chicken schnitzel), although the seafood will be very fresh given the great fishing in the area.

location Port Wakefield-Port Vincent

Day 1 (107km, +688m / 67 miles, +2,260 feet)

The trail starts behind the caravan park in the highway town of Port Wakefield, following the yellow markers straight out of town and weaving through paddocks. About 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) in, there is a stretch of trail that can get too muddy to ride if there’s been recent rain, but once you’re through that, it’s a mix of doubletrack, dirt backroads, and a bit of pavement for the rest of the day.

The waters of the St Vincent Gulf are rarely out of sight as you ride past the Clinton Conservation Park, mangrove habitats, and the ruins of the area’s colonial past. You’ll pass the purple-tinted salt pans of Price, and the huge white ocean-side silos of Ardrossan will be your sign that it’s time for lunch.

After carb-loading at the Ardrossan bakery, it’s time to continue south through old fishing villages, where shacks are being replaced by multi-million dollar paeans to modern architecture, along clifftops with spectacular ocean views, and past a golf course with greens made of black sand. Pulling into Port Vincent, you will find that your best bet for camping is Port Vincent Foreshore Caravan Park and that the Ventnor Hotel will have you covered for all of your pub grub and hoppy beverage needs.

location Port Vincent-Foul Bay

Day 2 (113km, +503m / 70 miles, +1,650 feet)

You’ll leave Port Vincent along a beachside walking trail, followed by a mix of highway riding and shared trails. You’ll soon find yourself passing through Stansbury, a helpful stop if you’ve forgotten anything in the morning rush. Not long later, you’ll reach Wool Bay with its photogenic lime kiln and a particularly enjoyable and popular stretch of shared trail.

At the 50-kilometre (31-mile) mark, you’ll reach the town of Edithburgh, a good place to stock up on food and swim in the tidal swimming pool if you’ve got the time and the inclination. You’ll ride out past a series of mosaics on trackside rocks, then a short hike-a-bike just after Sultana Point, and after another 30 kilometres (19 miles) or so, you’ll reach the Wattle Point Wind Farm, where 55 wind turbines will loom over you as you ride through sand and scrub. From there, it’s along clifftop dirt roads for more incredible ocean views and a stop at Troubridge Hill Lighthouse, built with unique wedge-shaped bricks.

From here, it’s mostly dirt roads with some shared trail until you reach Foul Bay, which is decidedly not foul. With drop toilets, a water tank, and a sheltered table, this simple campsite will be your home for the night.

location Foul Bay-Corny Point

Day 3 (119km, +649m / 74 miles, +2130 feet)

You will begin day three riding towards the small town of Marion Bay along dirt and tarmac roads. The Marin Bay General Store presents the opportunity for a second breakfast, and from there, it’s a short ride along the shared trail to Stenhouse Bay. From here, you’ll begin one of the best stretches of the route, through Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park.

Don’t follow the cycling markers from Stenhouse Bay. Instead, follow the waking trail through the old rail cutting to find yourself among the partially rebuilt ruins of Inneston. After stopping in Inneston for some glamour shots, head back to the road to rejoin the cycle route. You’ll pass lakes on your right and towering sand dunes on your left, and you’ll get another stretch of singletrack as you approach Gym Beach campground. Depending on the movements of dunes, there can be some sandy patches here, so if you’re in a hurry, you can take the alternate route along Gym Beach Road.

From here, you’ll head inland along rural roads, past dusty sheep on your way to Corny Point lighthouse before rolling into town. Now, all that’s left to do is to stock up at the general store and cook up a storm in the huge camp kitchen at Corny Point Caravan Park.

location Corny Point-Port Rickaby

Day 4 (103km, +400m / 64 miles, +1310 feet)

It’s a bit more of a road-heavy day today, and that’s how you’ll start, heading out of Corny Point on the road for about 20 kilometres (12 miles) before rejoining the shared trail to head into Point Turton. Here, you can either stick along the shoreline or head up the hill into town to restock at the general store. This is your only real restock point for the day, so choose wisely.

From Point Turton, you’ll continue on bitumen for a while, although we do recommend the optional side trip a few kilometers on dirt out to the expanse of Flaherty’s Beach, where you can go for a swim or spectate the Flaherty’s Beach Golf Classic if you happen to be there at the right time of the year.

Coming back from the beach, the route is predominantly doubletrack that meanders beside the road, and soon you’ll find yourself riding past the colourful tractors of Hardwicke Bay, followed by a couple of hours of beachside riding along a mix of shared trail, bike track, and road.

As you approach Port Rickaby, you’re likely to hit patches of unrideable sand where dunes have migrated inland. Thankfully, after the township, it’s easy riding on roads before rejoining the shared trail shortly before Port Victoria, where you can camp at the sports oval camping ground ($10, no booking needed) and stroll down to the Port Victoria Hotel for a feed.

location Port Rickaby-Moonta Bay

Day 5 (60km, +252m / 37 miles, +827 feet)

Today is the final and shortest day of your trip. It starts with a pleasant cruise along a smooth bitumen shared-use path before transitioning onto crunchy gravel trails that weave along the top of sea cliffs and doubletrack dotted with the warrens of the Southern Hairy-Nose Wombat. There are some short patches of sand, but nothing compared to the day before.

Soon, you will leave the shared trail for the final time; walkers are treated to a long stretch of beach while the two-wheeled brethren head inland to ride a short bit of highway and some dusty bucolic roads. The final stretch of the ride is on the road and ends with a long, cruisy downhill section through town and to the jetty, where your only remaining decision is whether to take a dip in the cooling waters of the Spencer Gulf or to sidle into the beachside cafe for any refreshments you may be seeking. Congratulations!