Colin Thiele Driving Tour

Step into the landscapes that shaped one of South Australia’s most beloved storytellers on the Colin Thiele Drive, a gentle 25-kilometre journey through the countryside surrounding Eudunda.

Beginning at the Eudunda Family Heritage Gallery on Bruce Street, this self-guided drive invites you to explore the places that influenced the early life of author and educator Colin Thiele. Best known for works such as Sun on the Stubble and The Valley Between, Thiele drew deeply from his childhood experiences, capturing the humour, resilience and character of rural life in a way that continues to resonate today.

As you leave the township, the scenery opens into rolling farmland and wide Mid North skies, a landscape that feels both familiar and timeless. Along the route, a series of interpretive signs marked by “Gustav and his Dog” guide your journey, referencing characters and moments inspired by Thiele’s stories and the local community that shaped them.

This is a drive to be taken slowly. Each stop offers a chance to pause, look a little closer and connect the stories on the page with the land around you. You’ll begin to recognise how the rhythm of country life, the changing seasons and the personalities of the people who lived here found their way into his writing.

Before or after your drive, take time to visit the Eudunda Centenary Gardens, where a life-sized sculpture of Colin Thiele sits with notebook in hand, accompanied by a pelican, a subtle nod to his enduring connection to Storm Boy. It’s a quiet and fitting place to reflect on the legacy of a writer who brought South Australia’s landscapes to life for generations of readers.

Whether you’re drawn by a love of literature, an interest in local history or simply the opportunity to experience the region from a different perspective, the Colin Thiele Drive offers a journey that is both personal and deeply connected to place.