Ride of the month: Hume to Toora gravel loop

A ride suitable for gravel bikes sets out from Murray Bridge’s Hume Reserve on the banks of the River Murray, returning there after following a 35-kilometre loop.

On the outward journey that passes Toora Reserve, it follows 23km of nice rubble surfaced roads, before heading back to Hume Reserve again on 12km of bitumen.

Hume Reserve is also known by the name Pomberuk, a place of deep spiritual, cultural and historic significance to the Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal people.

Currently it is a popular fishing and dog exercise spot for the local Murray Bridge
community.

Heading 900 metres along Hume Reserve Road from the river’s edge past the
Murray Bridge silo complex adjacent to the main railway line, riders need to take a
very sharp right hand turn into Swamp Road just prior to the railway crossing.

The 1.2km gravel-surfaced Swamp Road initially crosses a small bridge over
Rocky Gully Creek, eventually ending at a T-junction with Pump Road.

Gravel bike riders need to turn right at this T-junction and follow the road until it turns into Hutchinson Lane, then Hutchinson Drive.

Eventually riders come across a four-way intersection where the large Murray
Bridge-Onkaparinga pipeline passing high above the road can be seen straight
ahead.

At this intersection, riders need to take a right hand turn into Toora Road.

Toora Road passes the SA Water maintenance building, a large undercover dairy complex and the Murray Bridge Pistol Club on the left-hand side.

To the right is the Murray Bridge-Onkaparinga pipeline’s main water pumping station located on the river edge, as well as a number of lowland flood irrigated dairy grazing paddocks.

The distance from where riders initially join Toora Road and the end of that road at the Toora Reserve is just over five km.

At Toora Reserve, the road takes a sharp left-hand bend and changes name to Dean Jaensch Road which goes uphill for just over one km prior to crossing the bitumen Kuchel Road and continuing on.

After crossing the bitumen Kuchel Road intersection, Dean Jaensch Road makes its way past the adjacent paddocks for just over four km, prior to meeting up with the bitumen Mannum Road T-junction.

At this point riders turn left along Mannum Road and proceed for 800 metres along the bitumen until they come across the rubble-surfaced Wilkins Road to the right.

Turning into Wilkins Road, riders go past the side of the magnificent new structure of the TFI Abattoir in the distance on the right hand side.

Wilkins Road proceeds for 5km before crossing the bitumen Reedy Creek Road, known by locals as Palmer Road.

As riders cross Reedy Creek Road, the name changes to Bretag Road and proceeds for another three and a half kilometres, going over the abandoned Monarto- Apamurra railway line before meeting the bitumen Pallamana Road T-junction.

At this point, riders take a sharp left-hand turn and head back along the bitumen Hillview Road, once again crossing the abandoned Monarto-Apamurra railway line and also going down a dip in the road at the Preamimma Creek crossing.

After approximately 5km riding on the bitumen Hillview Road, riders once again come across Reedy Creek or Palmer Road and ride straight ahead toward Murray Bridge.

This part of Reedy Creek goes for around three and a half km before meeting up at a T-junction with Mannum Road.

Continuing to head towards Murray Bridge with a right-hand turn at this point, riders go for another two and a half kilometres on the bitumen road past the old TFI Abattoir and Rocky Gully Wetland on the left-hand side before once again meeting up with the gravel Hume Reserve Road to the left just prior to the main railway line crossing.

A short 900 metres later once again passing the large grain silos, riders
arrive back at their starting point of Pomberuk or Hume Reserve.

More rides of the month

• Monarto Woodland
• Challenging climbs for road bikers
• Five reserves, one wetland and a wharf ride
• More rides of the month