Strip maps are back

By John Pedler
Last updated on: June 19, 2020 at 1:45 pm

With international and interstate travel on hold, and RAA's famous strip maps returning, what better time to head off on a South Australian road trip?

To help you get around, we’ve reintroduced strip maps leading to some of our favourite destinations – Mount Gambier via Naracoorte and the coast, Renmark via the Sturt Hwy, Coober Pedy via the Stuart Hwy, Flinders Ranges via Clare, and Port Lincoln via Port Wakefield and Cowell.

Seasoned road trippers will have fond memories of flipping the map pages to navigate around SA, while the kids slurped Snips and Sunnyboys in the back seat.

For the Google Maps generation, a strip map is a point-to-point, hard-copy road trip itinerary showing landmarks, rest areas and other features along the way, plus a brief description of the journey.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the scene, here’s how to navigate one of the state’s popular round trips – Adelaide to Mount Gambier – by strip map.

Our journey takes us down via the coast, and back home through Naracoorte.

Blue Lake, Mt Gambier. Image: SATC

The trip there

Completed in 1979, the South Eastern Freeway has made the trip to Tailem Bend a breeze. The old route was a winding affair through Stirling, Aldgate, Bridgewater, Hahndorf, Littlehampton, Nairne and Callington. If you’ve got the time, it offers a scenic alternative to the main drag.

Just east of Tailem Bend, the coast road heads south towards Meningie. Located on the shores of Lake Albert, Meningie was once a paddle steamer port when a journey from Adelaide to Melbourne included a boat trip across the Lower Lakes from Milang. It’s also the last town before reaching the Coorong.

Stop 1: The Coorong

The Coorong is a narrow, 140km-long saltwater lagoon, sheltered from the ocean by a thin strip of white sand dunes. It’s a birdwatcher’s paradise, playing host to more than 240 species, including avian travellers from as far away as Siberia and Alaska.

Experienced off-road drivers can tackle the marked 4WD tracks that lead to the coast, and kayakers can explore the nooks and crannies of this watery world.

Coorong National Park, Limestone Coast. Image: SATC

Stop 2: Kingston SE

The next stop is Kingston SE: a popular seaside town and a junction for the 2 main routes south. The shorter main road veers inland while the Southern Ports Hwy heads for Robe and Beachport on the coast. Both towns are blessed with rugged coastal scenery and sandy beaches and are well set up for holidays makers.

Stop 3: Millicent

The southern junction of these 2 routes is Millicent: the centre of a farming and pine plantation district. The wheelchair-accessible Tantanoola Caves are 19km south of Millicent and are known for their decorative stalactites and stalagmites.

This leg of the journey ends in Mount Gambier, though it’s worth taking a day trip further south to the fishing town of Port MacDonnell, where ocean swells pound the cliffs.

Stop 4: Mount Gambier

Mount Gambier’s premier attraction is the Blue Lake, which fills the crater of a dormant volcano. Around November, the lake’s water turns from grey to brilliant blue, and then back to grey the following March. Other attractions include the ivy-festooned Umpherston Sinkhole and the scorched volcanic crater – Mt Schank.

Umpherston Sinkhole, Mount Gambier. Image: SATC.

The trip back

Heading north from Mount Gambier via the Riddoch Hwy, the first major-ish settlement is Penola. If you’re strolling around town, be sure the check out the quaint historic cottages along Petticoat Lane.

Stop 1: Coonawarra wine region

Just north of town is the renowned Coonawarra wine region, famous for its big reds, particularly Cab Savs. There are plenty of cellar doors where you can taste the local drop, perhaps paired with a produce platter.

Stop 2: Naracoorte

The last major town before hitting the Adelaide to Melbourne road is Naracoorte. The nearby Naracoorte Caves are the only World Heritage-listed site in South Australia, thanks to their unique fossil deposits. The caves have been busily trapping animals for more than half a million years, and palaeontologists have unearthed fossils from several of Australia’s extinct megafauna species, including the marsupial lion and giant kangaroo.

Raidis Estate, Coonawarra. Image: SATC.

Tours of the caves range from easy strolls among the stalactites and stalagmites, to thrilling adventure caving expeditions.

Stop 3: Keith

The Riddoch Hwy meets the Dukes Hwy at Keith, and from there it’s back to Adelaide. But before you head off, check out the unusual ‘Land Rover on a Pole’ monument on the eastern side of town. Perched high in the air, it stands as testament to the mighty little workhorse that helped convert the region’s arid landscape into productive farmland.

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