Hallett Cove Conservation Zone, S.A.

Hallett Cove Conservation Zone, S.A. created by Robert Jackson

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Summary

Nestled in the southern suburbs of Adelaide, Hallett Cove is a total gem with something for everyone: fascinating geology, flora and fauna, and a few hills for the fitness minded.

Description

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This loop walk is accessible by a 5 -10 minute walk from Hallett Cove Beach Railway Station, and with a cafe at the start/end of the walk, this conservation area will intrigue and delight you. The geology is mind-blowing: going from shallow seas in Pre-Cambrian times , to the remains of a Permian ice-sheet, to Pleistocene sediments. Hallett Cove is a veritable layer cake of surprises.

The going is fairly easy with steps and a boardwalk for a lot of the paths, but there are some steep sections to get the blood pumping. This walk is part of a larger walking trail that meanders along the cliff tops and beaches of the area. Hallett Cove is also a significant site for the Kaurna people, the traditional owners of the Adelaide region.

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Points of Interest

1. Hallett Cove Beach

Looking from the cafe, along the beach. Those boulders were dropped there by the melting of a continental ice-sheet at the end of the Permian era some 270 million years ago!

2. Singing Honeyeaters

Singing Honeyeaters are plentiful in the coastal heath.

3. The Amphitheatre

A short climb takes you to the Amphitheatre, the Sugarloaf and right into the layers of sediments.

4. Red sand with Kestrel

The colours are amazing!

5. The Bluff

The path moves from beach level to the cliff tops.

6. Permian Pavement

This sheet of rock is covered with deep scratches. "So what?", you say. Well, they were only made by a continental ice-sheet that covered Australia and Antarctica 270 million years ago.

7. Permian Pavement Close-Up

There are only a few places in Australia you can see evidence of the permian Glaciation. Here is one, Werribee Gorge near Bacchus Marsh in Victoria is another.

8. Rugged Cliffs

The path continues along the craggy Pre-Cambrian cliff tops.

9. Boardwalks

Most of this walk is done on boardwalks. They are well made and designed, and take you everywhere you want to go.

10. Another Layer Cake

Pretty sure these sediments are from the Pliocene.

11. Waterfall

During the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago, St Vincent Gulf was a large grassy plain. This little waterfall flows over Pre-Cambrian rock, so it has been running for much longer than a mere 10,000 years.