The Gawler Greenway is a railside trail which follows part of the operational line to Gawler, some on-road sections featuring sharrows. It’s a long-term state government project that will ultimately cover 45 km. The 14 km section between the CBD and Dry Creek described here is substantially complete and several smaller bits are being completed. The shared path moves through a variety of landscapes such as inner urban residential areas, industrial zones, railyards and wetlands.

The main sections of the trail are:

• CBD to Islington Railyards (9 km): Starts in the Adelaide Parklands and rolling through inner-urban settings before reaching an industrial area and the railyards
• Railyards to Dry Creek (5 km):  More industry and wetlands before an abrupt end at the Salisbury Hwy

Adelaide CBD to Islington Railyards (9 km)

• Like many railside trails in inner-city areas, space is limited for this one, so it tends to follow unusual routes and signage is often not as good as it could be.
• The trail starts in Adelaide Parklands, on the banks of the River Torrens. Park at Lot 104 Montefiore Rd off Festival Dr (with the trail starting slightly to the north), or catch the train to Adelaide Station and ride south along the Karrwirra Parri/River Torrens shared path to join the Gawler Greenway.
• Proceed west along the river, past the Torrens Lake Weir and turn left into the shared-use railway underpass
• Continue along the edge of the river and cross the high-level bridge just before Port Rd
• On the other side of the river, continue straight on, using the bridge to cross over the Outer Harbor Line. Follow the path to the left and turn right, then right again when the path gets to Park Tce
• Follow the trail as it slowly curves to the right until it reaches a railway line. Use the level crossing to cross and follow the trail to the left which passes the former North Adelaide Station. Just past the station car park, take the trail to the left and follow the railway line.
• Follow quiet Park Tce until it returns to the line, where you can cross Hawker St. The streets are marked with sharrows indicating the direction to be followed, including turns.
• Once over Hawker St, turn left into Gilbert St and then left into Albert St/Guthrie St which can be followed right through to Torrens Rd
• Turn left at Torrens Rd and use the footpath to travel a short distance down to the railway line where the trail travels under the Torrens Rd overpass. This is a good place to stop for a rest and there is a bike repair station.
• The trail continues on northward along Davenport Tce for 2 km, where a gravel track on the edge of a property development is used for a short distance. This section of trail will be upgraded once the property development has been completed. When nearing the Regency Rd railway bridge, take the pedestrian level crossing on your left. Once over the line, cross the road and use the underpass to get to the other side of Regency Rd. There is often broken glass in the underpass, so take care.
• Turn left, cross Pedder Cr and follow the bike trail, until you reach the traffic lights at Naweena Rd. Cross Naweena, turn right, and follow the on-road bike lane for 2.7 km. When the road veers left, take the shared-use path on the right. There are good blue-and-white directional signs along this section.
• The shared-use path will take you over an intersection and on to an underpass, which will take you under Grand Junction Rd. The trail has taken a slight detour as the Islington Railyards and associated industrial precinct prevent the trail from following the Gawler Line.

Islington Railyards to Dry Creek (5 km)

• Once through the Grand Junction Rd underpass, cross the road and, slightly to your right, you will see the trail resume.
• Follow the trail through the industrial estate (not the most scenic or fragrant place) for 1. 2km and cross Cormack Rd using the pedestrian crossing. The Gawler Line is now next to the trail on the right.
• Once Cormack Rd, follow the trail to the left and then cross Magazine Rd, turn right and follow it north for 450 m. Turn right into Henschke St and follow it to the end and you will see the trail start on the left. The Gawler Line is now on the right
• Follow the trail for 1.75 km until it reaches Salisbury Hwy
• The trail ends here but may continue on to Mawson Lakes, where the Parafield railside trail awaits.

CONNECTING PATHS

• Magazine Rail Trail (500 m): Magazine Rd, mentioned above, also forms part of the Magazine Rail Trail. This area was originally home to a 600 mm-gauge railway for a horse-drawn train from the Islington railyards, along Henschke St and north near Magazine Rd to the Dry Creek explosives storage area. As residential and industrial development moved closer, the storage facility was relocated. This route connects the Gawler Greenway to the Port River Bikeway and Tapa Martinthi Yala along the Northern Connector Freeway (see below).
• Wetland Trail (2 km): There is a scenic alternative to the section of the greenway from Henschke St to Salisbury Hwy. At Henschke St, continue north on Magazine Rd until you reach the Salisbury Hwy (A9). Turn right and follow the gravel path for 200 m, where it heads into the wetland. The trail continues on through the wetland with occasional narrow and low bridge crossings before it arrives back near Salisbury Hwy and the current end of Gawler Greenway. This is not a formal path or trail and it could  be described as a goat track in some sections. Cyclists need to assess the risk associated with travelling on an unmade track through a wetland.
• Port Expressway Connection: At the northern end of Magazine Rd, a shared-use path veers to the left and follows the expressway and the Barker Inlet Wetlands for 900m before passing under the expressway in what can only be described as a modified stormwater drain (it’s better than crossing the expressway but often a little damper). Follow the shared-use path and turn left onto a wider path/road which can be followed to Salt Pan Junction. At this point you have two options – turn left and follow the Port River Bikeway toward Port Adelaide (7.6 km) or travel onward (north) on the Tapa Martinthi Yala shared-use path which follows the freeway for 16.7 km. From there, Tapa Martinthi Yala connects with the Stuart O’Grady Bikeway which leads to Gawler (22.6 km)