Bypass Adelaide

Hi Mazzy1 ,yes If you turn right at Murray Bridge ,via Palmer,Mt pleasant,Gawler and then via Two wells to the national highway 1 you will avoid the Adelaide hills.There is a large hill at Palmer ,but it is a good run ,by the way up near Palmer hill ,keep an eye out for the polar bear on the right near the top ,very good scenery that way too .

Thanks bigred13 I will go that way it is so cold here in Ballarat the polar bears may come to life

Hi Mazzy, we live in the mid north of SA and come back from Victoria, (Melbourne) via Mildura, The Riverland, Renmark, Morgan, Burra, Spalding and then the choice of going via Wilmington (Horrocks Pass) or Quorn (Pitchi-Ritchi Pass) to Pt Augusta. Alternatively via Crystal Brook, Pt Pirie bit further south. A nice drive, different things to do and see for a change, the Lower Flinders Ranges are worth seeing/exploring if you have the time. The easiest with the van is to go via Crystal Brook but the two Passes are ok if not a bit winding downhill, nothing that you probably would have already done in Victoria. Truckies heading East use the Crystal Brook-Spalding-Burra-Morgan-Renmark route but not in any number. I drag a 28ft 5th Wheeler via the Crystal Brook route because it is the direct way to Pt Pirie. Free camps along the way.
Have a great trip.

Hi Mazzy

There are a number of ways that you can detour Adelaide. If you want to make up time, from Murray Bridge, head for Palmer, Springton, Nuriootpa and Kapunda.

From Kapunda you can either head for Tarlee, then up through Clare, then north to Port Augusta. If you do not want to go through Tarlee, a lot flatter way is Kapunda, Eudunda, Saddleworth. From Saddleworth, you can either go through to Auburn then Clare, or straight up to Burra, through to Spalding, Gulnare, then either North to Port Augusta via Melrose, or head for highway 1 via Crystal Brook.


Cheers


Stephen

Hi colcan 42 I have often gone via Mildura to Renmark with work .will not have time to stop at flinders Rangers this trip as I only have a week to be in Darwin for a family gathering .but will then meander down the wa coast for a couple of months on the way home thanks for your suggestions

Hi Stephen L
Thanks for your. Reply it seems that turning of at Murray bridge is the way to go

IME the Calder to Melb is the quickest not least cos much of it is 110 limited, not 100, and you miss the big country towns.

There's a way of avoiding Mildura that's east of Renmark by turning south around L Cullulleraine and then east to Red Cliffs. Avoids a good deal of slowish traffic.

Must say I'm a bit confused here, in your original post you say you don't want to drive the Adelaide hills and then posters encourage you to go through the Adelaide hills via Palmer Springton etc, well these are the Adelaide hills and it would be much more of an ask to drive on these windy hilly roads towing a big caravan than coming straight up the freeway.
Are you trying to miss Adelaide or the hills?

Thanks for all your replys the main reason that I was going to miss Adelaide was to make up some time as I have a tight schedule to be in Darwin .years ago it was a 3 day drive for me in car only but we tend to slow down as we age

Mazzy 1
As a local who uses all the roads mentioned, I would still take the metro route by choice, albeit avoiding peak hours, as it would be close to the quickest and certainly the smoothest with a van.
Straight in on the SE Freeway (100 kph), turn half right along Portrush Road, cut across to Hampstead Road until Regency Road - all on the A17 - then left on Regency Road and right on to Main North Road (A1) - all 60 kph and then take the Port Wakefield Road north to Pt Augusta, starting with 70, then 90 and soon 110 kph, the first 100 kms on a divided hwy and after that most, but not all, towns bypassed.
In fact just used it today coming back from being up north as I needed to take the smoothest road home as I was nursing a broken main leaf on the LHS of the van.
Cheers
Andrew

Thanks Andrew and Jen
I will be leaving Ballarat in the morning and see as to what time we will be going throug Adelaide.
The only time I have had any trouble with city's was in Sydney a few years ago when I missed a turn
Regards mazzy1