Karine Meadley was involved with parkrun way back when Newy was yet to launch.
So when she moved interstate she decided it was what her new home deserved.
Karine is the founding Event Director at Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley, one of the several events to be based in and around wineries.
Nuriootpa is the main commercial centre of the Barossa region, which is about an hour’s drive north of Adelaide.
“Dave Robbo and I are both physios and we worked for a business based in Newcastle. He was setting up Newy and needed some guinea pigs to test the course, so we went along to help out.
“I had never heard of parkrun before, despite being from the UK. Newy was then our local but was more than an hour away, so we didn’t get to go much, until we moved to the Barossa and set up Nuri.”
Interstate
Karine and her husband Michael moved to the Barossa from the Hunter region in New South Wales. Karine had run just a couple of times at Newy.
“I was surprised the Barossa didn’t have a parkrun, although when I started exploring possible courses, it was actually quite hard to find a suitable spot.
“Eventually I worked out a course in Nuriootpa and consider the whole project my “first baby”.
“While going through the process I realised I was pregnant with my real baby, and ran out of time.
“Eventually we launched Nuri parkrun in September 2017 when my real baby was four months old.”
Nuriootpa launched with 88 finishers and nine volunteers. It averages 35 finishers a week with an average finish time of 35:36.
“Our parkrun is an opportunity to catch up and get moving with a friendly group of locals including a few feathered friends, with a healthy mix of parkrun tourists each week, in a beautiful location.
“Then of course the delicious coffee after.”
The course
Karine describes it as a friendly “boutique “ parkrun located in the beautiful Coulthard Reserve, surrounded by “glorious old gum trees and birdsong”.
“Walk past the Bush chapel, to reach the start where you will be met by friendly, welcoming locals.
“Then enjoy two laps through the park passing the Barossa Bushgardens and some Barossan vines along the way.
“It’s the perfect way to work up an appetite for some Barossan gourmet experiences for the rest of the weekend.”
She says they wanted to call the parkrun Barossa parkrun but were advised against it because the Barossa region is so big and it was hoped more parkruns would pop up.
She says visitors say they’re glad it’s two laps so they can see what they missed on the first time around.
“Unfortunately, post-baby, running is no longer an option for me. Just seeing my husband Michael and Mackenzie participate, and volunteering seems to be enough of a draw.
“I NEVER thought I would say something like that. I get my fitness fix on parkrunday by cycling 30km to get there instead these days.”
After parkrun they head to Fleur Social for delicious coffee and “any bagel option”.
While in Nuriootpa
Even though there are 42 wineries around Nuriootpa, there’s more to the Barossa Valley than visiting cellar doors.
But if wine is your thing get yourself on a winery tour, or even have a go at making your own.
There are many different tours on offer, in a variety of vehicles but for a birds eye view you can go hot ballooning.
On the ground there’s the Barossa Bushgardens, chocolate factory, farmers markets, Kaiserstuhl Conservation Park and bike tracks if you want to be active.
What’s in a Name
The first records of the name Nuriootpa are from 1852, and there is some debate as to the meaning of the name. While it is agreed that the word is a local Aboriginal word, there are different accounts of the story.
One suggestion is that Nuriootpa is a derivative of Nguraitpa, meaning ‘neck country’, an indication of local ancestral spirits.