EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

CLARE itself is a surprisingly ordinary town, with few concessions to the weekend visitors who pour in from Adelaide: it consists primarily of Main North Road, and everything is closed on Sunday. Tourist information , in the town hall at 229 Main North Rd (Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm; tel 08/8842 2131, www.clarevalley.com.au ), provides an excellent free visitors' guide and can book accommodation and restaurants.

Wineries around town include Knappstein Wines, 2 Pioneer Ave (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm), an ivy-covered sandstone building with a verandah and an open log fire in winter; Jim Barry, a friendly, family-run place on the Main North Road (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat & Sun 11am-4pm); and Leasingham, 7 Dominic St (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat & Sun 10am-4pm), a large commercial winery established in 1893. There are also stations open for tours and farmstays : pick of the bunch is Bungaree Station (tel 08/8842 2677, fax 8842 3004; cottages B&B $90-115, BYO-bedding shearers' quarters under $20), a working merino station 12km north on the Main North Road; one of the oldest and largest properties in the district, it has its own church as well as a swimming pool. Geralka Rural Farm (tel 08/8845 8081, fax 8845 8073; on-site vans $20-35, units $50-70), is a sheep and cereal property 25km north of Clare which offers weekend farm activity tours aimed at families (Sun & daily during school holidays 1.30pm, or by appointment; 2hr; $8, children $4).

Places to stay in Clare itself are all along Main North Road: overlooking the hills, 2.5km south of the centre, is Clare Valley Motel at no. 74 (tel 08/8842 2799, fax 8842 3121; $70-115); the Clare Central Motel is at the north end of town at no. 325 (tel 08/8842 2277, fax 8842 3563; $90-115 including breakfast); both motels have pools. The best of the hotels are the friendly family-run Bentleys , 191 Main North Rd (tel 08/8842 1700, fax 8842 3474; motel rooms $50-70, hotel rooms $35-70), which has an atrium bistro; and the Taminga Hotel (tel 08/8842 2808; $20-35), offering basic pub rooms. You can camp 4km south of town at Clare Caravan Park , on Main North Road (tel 08/8842 2724, clarpark@rbe.net.au ; on-site vans $20-35, cabins $35-70), with a swimming pool on site.

Besides the pubs, you can eat well during the day at Clare Fine Foods , 279 Main North Rd (closed Sun), a small deli serving gourmet rolls and sandwiches and dishes such as Caesar salad or pasta; the espresso coffee here is the best in town. The only place for internet access is at Caprice Clare ($5 per 30min) in the Village Plaza on the Old North Road.