Bicycle Riding, Songlark Grove Look Out, Hewett, South Australia

Songlark Grove Look Out
Hewitt, South Australia.

I haven't been out cycling in a while. In fact my bicycle has spent the best part of the last year or so with two flat tyres in the garage. So long in fact that I couldn't remember if the tyres were punctured or they just went flat over time?

Anyway, after moving house, I decided to go out and buy the pump connection I needed to pump the tyres up - which was the main reason I hadn't ridden the bike in quite some time.

I pumped them up and, having not gone flat again after about a day, I figured the bike was good to ride. Sure the back tyre was virtually bald but otherwise good to go!

Since we still live right along side Gawler's 8km bicycle trail I made the decision to follow it into the neighbouring suburb of Hewett to see if the Barossa Council had extended it any further than the last time I rode in that direction.

Turns out they had extended it quite some distance... maybe even a good 8km in that direction or more. Much of the trail is now road base and gravel, not tarmac, like with Gawler's end, but still a considerable improvement over the vague dirt track that kind of petered out into nowhere previously.

The trail is a very nice ride, winding through parks and bushland with a few steep hill climbs (great if you're riding for the exercise value) a real highlight was the park I discovered on Songlark Grove (that's the name of the adjacent road), Hewett. I did try to find the name of  the park but couldn't see any signs and it's not marked on any maps. Basically it's a developed community recreation space for the surrounding housing estate.

I might have rode right past except some bright spark had the foresight to erect a bunch of over size rectangular door frames that drew my attention to the spot. You can't see the lush green park from the bike trail, it just looks like you're riding past a giant dirt and scrub land hill.

Beyond those door frames in the distance
is a lush green park.

Following the winding trail running through the door frames to the top you're greeted with a stunning 360 degree view of the landscape which includes the valley and bushland through which the North Para River runs and the farmland beyond.

The North Para River runs through the valley
on the left of the photo.

If you'd like a better view of the park (and a not so great look at the view) then look up Songlark Grove on Google Maps, go to street view and have a wander around.

Photos really don't do these kind of views justice. You really have to be there and experience just how far you can actually see. Good reason enough to get away from whatever tech your head is buried in see how big the world is by comparison.