Head south this Spring to the Onkaparinga River National Park. The parks are located 35km south of Adelaide. Access to the Recreation Park from River Road, Noarlunga Downs and from Commercial and Sauerbiers Roads, Seaford Meadows.
A kaleidoscope of nature’s best with diverse hiking trails to the op of the cliff tops or down to permanent rock pools teeming with life. You’ll see rugged ridge tops and the narrow river valley of the spectacular Onkaparinga Gorge. Wherever you go, you’ll be among native wildlife such as birds, koalas, kangaroos and possums. There are Shared-use trails also offer opportunities for mountain bike riders and horse riders to enjoy the rugged beauty of the park.
Just next door is the Onkaparinga River Recreation Park. The river spills onto the plains, creating wetland ponds and flood plains. The area conserves important fish breeding habitat and hundreds of native plant and animal species, many of which are rare. The Onkaparinga River estuary also provides habitat for endangered migratory birds. You can go fishing in the river, wander along the wetland boardwalks, ride a bicycle on the shared use trails, walk your dog (on a lead), kayak the calm waters or just be at peace with nature.
There are many spots for an informal picnic in the Onkaparinga River Recreation Park. There is parking, a BBQ, picnic tables, a kayak and canoe launch and a toilet located at the main entrance on River Road.
For the camping enthusiasts the campsites are very flat and are made of compacted dirt/gravel. Sites are not powered so you will need to be prepared to be self-sufficient. Most of the campsites are wheelchair accessible, as they are on flat ground with a compacted gravel surface. The road slopes down to the toilets but is accessible by car. The toilet facilities are wheelchair accessible.
5 Amazing experiences that you can do this Spring at Onkaparinga Parks are:
-Watch the sunset from Chapel Hill lookout and maybe you might see an Owl on their nightly watch
-If camping overnight watch the shooting stars
-Explore the boardwalk along the wetlands loop track (4.5 km)
-Bring the binoculars for Nature’s hike (3.5 km) and wildlife spot up close or far away
Find it at: Flagstaff Hill, South Australia Sturt Gorge Recreation Park is internationally recognised as an area of conservation and geological significance. The park is also home to a rock formation, known as sturt tillite, that is believed to have been formed from glacial material dropped from ice floating in the ocean that covered South Australia 800 million years ago! WOW! Sturt Gorge Recreation Park is located 13km south of Adelaide. Entry to the park is on foot, with with a number of pedestrian entry points readily available around the perimeter. For example, you can enter from Broadmeadow Drive, Black Road and Bonneyview Road in Flagstaff Hill, The Boulevard in Bellevue Heights and Craigburn Road in Craigburn Farm You can ride your bike on roads open to the public or use the specific mountain bike trails and tracks on offer in the Sturt Gorge Recreation Park. Or walk among the steep slopes and shrubland, look out for the diverse range of native animals which come to drink at the waterholes along the Sturt River. There are no facilities in the park. Please ensure you carry sufficient water, food and supplies for your entire visit. It is also a good idea…
What a great adventure! Blackwood Forest Recreation Park is a fantastic suburban park located in Hawthorndene, just 12 kms from the Adelaide CBD The most striking feature of this park is the huge pine forest that is a great place for kids to explore. Lots of little cubbies and huts throughout to climb in and on, swings, creek, blackberries, mud and trees to climb too! Surprises around every corner. It's a popular spot for walking, jogging, horse riding, bike riding and off leash dogs so you'll need to share the space with others. There are quite a few nearby cafes and bakeries if you want to stop and get a cuppa or snack on the way and be aware there are no toilets so make sure you take care of business before you arrive. [wpgmza id="138" cat="8" marker="739" zoom="16"]
Find it at: Bowman Park Road, Crystal Brook The incredible new nature play space at Bowman Park Crystal Brook is now open! The photos below just look incredible and we can't wait to head up and have a look on our next road trip. Designed and built by the uber talented folks at Climbing Tree Consultancy (Simon has been promising to show us his shed...which we expect will be EPIC!), built in only 9 weeks (meanwhile painting a toy box has taken me about 3 months so far....) after an idea 3 years in the design and planning, the result is a stunning play space located along the edge of a creek with majestic river redgums and an abundance of local wildlife. What we love is how the whole community has come together for this, with talented local artists and builders providing their amazing skills but also rocks, machinery and other little gems you will find during your adventures. We think they have absolutely nailed it. Just a short drive off the main Highway to Port Pirie and Port Augusta, this is the NEW detour that you just have to take!
I'm a Mum of 2 girls and also one 4 legged ratbag of a dog called Rudy. I work from home and family balance out the work/school hours with lots of beach time, walks, bike rides skates, scooters and surfs. We like being outside. Our favourite places in Adelaide are the Adelaide Hills and Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park