Mintaro Maze: Clare Valley in the Mid North region of South Australia
The locals dubbed him ‘Mad Mick’ years ago when Mick Morris first started planting rows and rows of conifers on his front block at Minter in the Clare Valley. Sharon Morris explains:
“To begin with Mick would go up to the hotel and he wouldn't tell people at the pub what he was doing.”
Mick Morris is a man of mystery and perseverance and the day we visited, his love of a good puzzle had the kids from Minter Farrell Flat Primary in a spin as they tried to find their way out.
A quick word of advice for anyone venturing into the maze - trust your own instincts and not those of Millie, the Jack Russell - she's a cheat.
The Mintaro Maze took Sharon and Mick eight years to create. Over eight hundred pine trees have been planted to create the maze. The first thing you need to do is make your way to the centre of the maze and work your way back from there.
The day Postcards visited the maze Mick was away at his day job as an explosives expert at the Mintaro Slate Quarry. And the locals reckon there's enough around the perimeter of the maze to sink the entire block. There’s also a heavy-duty chess set and games of noughts and crosses. But the real feature is the maze and it's intricate design. Mick and Sharon originally had visions a maze design to rival Hampton Court in England but they opted for their own - something that would fit on a country block on the outskirts of the little town called Mintaro.
Along the way it's been a talking point for many a passerby including a travelling farmer who got the wrong end of the stick when he stopped for a brief chat with Mick. Sharon takes up the story:
“What are you doing there mate? Yelling out over the fence as he got out of the car. And Mick said I'm planting a maze. And the guy said ‘that's not how you plant maze’. And he threw his hands up in the air. Mick was right out in the paddock and trying to yell out not that kind of maze.”
It’s the sort of maze that requires eight hundred Cassawellan Gold Conifers and years of patience.
“The kids love it, they really love. It’s for everyone really. People just say it's a lot of fun.”
The Mintaro Maze Garden is located on Jacka Street and is open from 10am until 4 Thursday to Monday. So head to Mintaro for an amazing experience. Mintaro Maze Garden: Jacka Street, Mintaro. Open Thurs to Monday 10am - 4pm Adults $5 Children $3 If you have any further questions please email info@postcards.sa.com.au
