The Mid North region of South Australia takes in the Clare Valley, the central wheatbelt, the eastern section of South Australia's Copper Belt and the Southern Flinders Ranges. With the exception of Burra's copper mining heritage and the region's two major wine regions - the Barossa and Clare Valleys - the points of interest in this area are not well known and in the main are less obvious. But for those willing to take to the intricate network of back roads that criss-cross the region, there are some wonderful villages, ruins and abandoned settlements with long-forgotten stories to tell, just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.

To visit the coastal regions, drive north from Adelaide along Port Wakefield Road via Gepps Crossing, towards Port Augusta. To visit the Barossa Valley, take Great North Road at Gepps Crossing, passing through Elizabeth and Gawler to Hewett. At Hewett, take Sturt Highway Greenoch, Nuriootpa and Truro. Alternatively, take Barossa Valley Way at Gawler to visit Lyndoch, Tanunda, Angaston and Nuriootpa. To visit the Clare Valley and towns in the Wheatbelt and Copper Belt, continue on the Main North Road at Hewett and follow the signs to the towns you wish to visit.

Best Time To Go

Autumn to spring is the best time to visit when the weather is mild and vegetation and wildlife thriving. Summer visits can be rewarding, too, provided your activities are tailored to weather conditions.

The climate is typically Mediterranean with cool winters May to August ranging through 10-18 degrees, and warm to hot dry summers November to March ranging through 24-35 degrees. Coastal areas tend to have minimum winter temperatures that are several degrees warmer than those recorded by the inland regions, whereas in summer the opposite occurs.