It was the perfect day to ride the Walk the Yorke between Port Wakefield and Port Arthur. Although it was winter, there had been a break in the rain for three weeks. Hopefully that would be long enough to dry out the infamous muddiness of this section of the trail.
Added to this, a beautiful new bridge had just been constructed over the Wakefield River, and the wind forecast was low.
Nevertheless, I warned Rhonda and Di that we might not be able to complete our ride as planned. If the whole thing was a fizzer, we would instead ride the newly completed Copper Trail between Port Wakefield and Balaklava.
Bridge over the Wakefield River
About one kilometre from the start of the Walk the Yorke Trail at Port Wakefield, the new bridge did not disappoint. Built on the foundations of a dismantled railway bridge, it was thrilling to zoom across.
Up until only a few weeks ago, the only way to cross the river here was via a plank of wood perched on top of a few cement pipes – very precarious with an extremely muddy approach.
Dismantled Railway
For the first ten kilometres of the Walk the Yorke from Port Wakefield, we followed a track beside a dismantled railway.
We stopped to investigate an abandoned well and a number of culverts. Although dry, the track through the samphire flats just east of Clinton Conservation Park was bumpy
and became rougher as we progressed.
About half way along, we noticed another corridor running to the east. Then we saw the bright yellow Walk the Yorke markers! Somehow we had missed a turn.
I climbed the fence in between to investigate, but the official trail looked quite sandy. We weren’t sure whether it would be easier than the track we were on now. After a quick chat, we decided to persevere on our current course and try the official track on our return trip.
Along the Yorke Highway
At the highway, the cycling and walking trails diverged. The walking trail continued along the samphire flats while the cycling trail followed the Yorke Highway for two and a half kilometres.
While there was a decent gravel verge for much of this, it definitely was not an enjoyable experience, especially when B-Double trucks thundered through.
Naturally we were quite relieved when we were able to leave the highway. Soon we were following a powerline track until we came to a stile that led into the Clinton Conservation Park.
Grass corridor – Clinton Conservation Park
The coastal wetlands of Clinton Conservation Park provide a significant fish nursery and an important site for migratory birds.
Although quite rough, the five kilometre grass corridor through the park was recently mown and quite ride-able.
The track was well sign-posted. While the Walk the Yorke trail provided regular benches to rest at, we noticed that most of these were without shade. At one stage we had to watch out for wombat holes in the track.
Port Arthur
The simple parking spot at Port Arthur offers shade with two picnic tables and free overnight camping. A short walk takes you through to the shallow waters of Gulf St Vincent, where limited crabbing for Blue Swimmer Crabs is allowed.
Our return journey
By this time we were tired from the rough and bumpy tracks, and the wind was becoming stronger. Also, we wondered what the real Walk the Yorke would be like for our last ten kilometres.
We decided to have our lunch on the way back at one of the few shady spots we had seen.
Then, after a good rest, it was time to resume our journey along the grassy track
past the powerlines
and along the highway.
This time, on the highway section, the wind was blowing us into the traffic, so we had to be especially careful.
The “Real” Walk the Yorke
Finally, with some trepidation, we began to tackle the last ten kilometres, this time on the correct Walk the Yorke corridor.
Although the track looked very sandy, after three weeks of dry, it was well packed. Fortunately we also had a wonderful tail wind.
Enjoying the easy surface, Rhonda and Di powered ahead of me.
Before long, we were back in Port Wakefield.
Summary of Walk the Yorke between Port Wakefield and Port Arthur
In our out and back ride on the Walk the Yorke from Port Wakefield to Port Arthur, we had cycled 32 kilometres, but climbed only 40 metres. The challenge of the ride comes in the different surfaces that you might encounter.
Where possible, it’s important to try and get the weather conditions right for this section. Otherwise, if it’s too soon after rain, you will find yourself contending with a lot of mud.
The Walk the Yorke Map 1 states “During wet weather, it is recommended that cyclists follow the highway through to Port Arthur…Port Wakefield to Port Arthur samphire flats are generally very muddy all winter.”
Another weather feature to consider is the wind as there is very little shelter between Port Wakefield and Port Arthur.
I used the Snap Send Solve app to report the lack of signage where we missed the turn, and the response from the Wakefield Regional Council has been very positive. I understand that they are attending to this in the near future.
We had a great time on this section of the Walk the Yorke trail.
So far our favourite Walk the Yorke ride has been between Port Moorowie and Edithburgh.
