The Santos Tour Down Under will take place in and around Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and South Coast regions during January 2026. This rail trail may be impacted to varying degrees by the Tour.

Sun 18^th January 26: Women’s Stage 2 will pass through Oakbank, Woodside and Mt Torrens. Expect increased cycle and pedestrian traffic on the Amy Gillett Trail between Oakbank and Mt Torrens.

Mon 19^th January 26: Women’s Stage 3 will pass through Birdwood, Mt Torrens, Woodside and Oakbank. Expect increased cycle and pedestrian traffic on the Amy Gillett Trail between Birdwood and Oakbank.

Official opening of the Mt Torrens to Birdwood section will take place on 13 November 2025.

This scenic, shared use trail links the towns of Oakbank, Woodside, Charleston, Mt Torrens and Birdwood via the railway corridor, taking advantage of the topography for panoramic views. It is possible to enjoy a ride all the way from Oakbank to Birdwood almost entirely on traffic-free dedicated shared paths.

Take advantage of coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants in the larger towns. There are toilets and picnic facilities in Woodside, Charleston, Mt Torrens and Birdwood (National Motor museum).

The trail has four main sections:

Oakbank to Woodside (5 km): Probably the busiest part of the trail, with a trail hub just out of Oakbank to get you moving.

Woodside to Charleston (5 km): Marks the transition from country town to country

Charleston to Mt Torrens (7 km): A gentle climb most of the way, with a freewheel into Mt Torrens

Mt Torrens to Birdwood (6km): A peaceful ride along a heavily wooded rail corridor

Oakbank to Woodside (5 km)

• The trailhead is on the corner of Onkaparinga Valley Rd and Gillman Rd, about 500m north of the Oakbank town centre. Here there’s parking, seating, water, a bike repair station and bus stops.
• Oakbank is a small town, with a pub, eateries and a racecourse, home of steeplechasing and jumping in SA, including the Great Eastern Steeplechase.
• The trail is a hot-mix asphalt surface that follows the old railway alignment northeast for 3.5 km.
• At Woodside, there are facilities at the recreation ground just before the trail crosses Onkaparinga Valley Rd and curves behind the shops.
• There are cafes and bakeries on Onkaparinga Valley Rd as well as a good bike shop (Bicycle Fix corner of Onkaparinga Valley Road and Tiers Road).
• If you’re looking for a little excitement, the Woody Trails BMX/MTB tracks is on the left at the Woodside Station site. It is landscaped and maintained by volunteers from the Love Woodside Group. The station’s well, which used to supply water to steam trains and stock, has been restored. There is ample parking on Station Rd near the tracks, picnic facilities and a bike repair station.
• You can use the streets opposite Woody Trails (Post Office Road, Station Road and Langbien Road) to access the eateries, 50m away, on Onkaparinga Valley Road.
• From the end of Langbein Av, the trail returns to the railway alignment and passes through a picturesque, heavily wooded section of Woodside.
• The trail passes Barristers Block Winery on the left before it again crosses Onkaparinga Valley Rd.
• Melba’s Chocolate Factory and Woodside Cheesewrights are signposted to the right just north of the road crossing.

Woodside to Charleston (5 km)

• There are several more road crossings along this section and a few more wineries.
• At Charleston, the trail does a dog-leg to the right along Newmans Rd.
• Newman Park, a shaded picnic area with ample parking, toilets, playground and free BBQ, is located on Newman Road, near its intersection with Onkaparinga Valley Rd.
• Hope Blooms Café is located on Newman Road, immediately opposite the playground. A good chance for a coffee while the kids enjoy the playground. Hope Blooms Café is open Wednesday to Saturday, 7.30am to 2.30pm.
• Charleston Hotel does lunch and dinner 7 days, and all-day meals on weekends.

Charleston to Mt Torrens (7 km)

• This section features scenic farmland and traverses deep, shady cuttings and high embankments. It is a steady climb from Charleston to the road crossing approaching Mt Torrens. There is a large rubble carpark on the northern side of the point where the trail crosses Onkaparinga Valley Road. This is the highest point of the trail. This area has a bike repair Station and the entrance to Lobethal Road Winery is located immediately opposite the carpark, on the southern side of Onkaparinga Valley Road. The cellar door is open Thursday to Monday, 11am to 5pm. Meals and platters are available. Further details are available from lobethalroad.com.
• After a short downhill run, the trail reaches Oval Rd on the northwest side of Mt Torrens; turn right on to Oval Rd for access to Mt Torrens township. Mt Torrens has a general store and hotel. Toilets and a defibrillator are located at the oval.

Mt Torrens to Birdwood (6km)

• The section of the trail commences from Oval Road and slowly descends into a lush valley. The old Mt Torrens Railway station was located adjacent to the trail at the start of this section.
• The Burford’s Hill Railway Bridge has been restored and now carries cyclists and walkers over Burford’s Hill Road. As rubble has been removed from the northern abutment of the bridge, a new steel truss bridge connects cyclists to the continuation of the trail. The Burford’s Hill Bridge (constructed 1918) is a fine example of a reinforced concrete railway bridge which has now received a local heritage listing.
• The trail continues through dense woodland, vineyards and grazing cattle while closely following the Angas Creek on the eastern side.
• Watchout for the cow crossings which are used by local farmers to move their stock from one side of the trail to the other. The trail will be blocked occasionally while the cows cross. Please wait quietly and watch for the cows riding bikes!!
• The Angas Creek and William Creek are both crossed near Birdwood.
• Once in Birdwood, continue on William Street and turn left onto Torrens Road to explore the cafes in Birdwood.