Cleland Conservation Park, Adelaide

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Located in Cleland Conservation Park , Waterfall Gully is home to the largest (18m) of seven waterfalls in the park and is a lovely stop to visit in itself from Adelaide (10kms) or as a base for a very popular 4km (each way) walk to Mount Lofty summit (see separate review). Even if not walking the whole way to Mt Lofty summit I recommend you at least go up to the top of the first falls and perhaps as far as the second falls (about 500m).

Facilities at the Gully include free parking, restrooms and a Swiss chalet lookalike café/restaurant (closed Mondays and Tuesdays).

Getting there

By car or taxi (or walk down from Mt Lofty – only recommended if you don’t have a vehicle as Mt Lofty can be reached by public transport). If you use a taxi pre-book it for your return trip. Car parking can be difficult especially at weekends due to limited spaces and the popularity of the walk to Mt Lofty summit.

Contrary to what you may find written elsewhere there is no bus service to the Gully – closest stop is approximately 4km away necessitating a walk along a windy, busy, footpathless road though admittedly through a nice area of the city.

View from restaurant/kiosk
It is purported in various places that you can sit on the café balcony and admire the first falls. Vegetation growth actually precluded this on my visit (Dec 30 2012). This does not take from the quality/usefulness of the restaurant/kiosk.

Opening Hours
The gates to the Waterfall Gully car park are open 6am-7pm Monday to Sunday, and 6am-9pm Monday to Sunday during the daylight savings period.

Admission Fee - Free

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This challenging, well signposted, walk (8km return) begins in Waterfall Gully at the 1st Falls lookout and continues past 2nd Falls where trail climbs steeply up to the remains of Chinaman’s Hut(1.1kms). Archaeologists have been unable to find any sign of any past Chinese occupation and the hut is more probably that of European woodcutters in around 1900.

The track continues through Wilsons Bog where ferns cascade over path edge. A very luscious and somewhat cooler section on what can be a very hot walk in summer. After this the track gets steep again and joins the Heysen Trail continuing upwards past Mt Lofty Youth Hostel (formally a shepherds hut) and across Mt Lofty Summit Rd before a final ascent to Mt Lofty Summit . The aftermath of Ash Wednesday 1983 Bushfires which ripped through the area is still evident at many points along the walk.

En-route at the remains of Chinaman’s hut a side trip diversion (2.2kms return) can be made to the Eagle on the Hill. Also further up a diversion (2kms return) can be made to visit Cleland Wildlife Park.

The track is very well maintained and you will not be alone. This is a popular training track for Adelaide’s power walker and joggers.

In terms of practicalities wear proper shoes, protect yourself against the sun (some parts of walk exposed) and take sufficient water. Water can be replenished at the summit. While at the summit enjoy a coffee, cold drink or a full meal – you have earned it.

The gates to the Waterfall Gully car park are open 6am-7pm Monday to Sunday, and 6am-9pm Monday to Sunday during the daylight savings period.

Getting there

By car or taxi (or walk down from Mt Lofty – only recommended if you don’t have a vehicle as Mt Lofty can be reached by public transport). If you use a taxi pre-book it for your return trip or take bus back to adelaide - limited service for details see my Mount Lofty tip. Car parking can be difficult especially at weekends due to limited spaces and the popularity of this walk.

Contrary to what you may find written elsewhere there is no bus service to the Gully – closest stop is approximately 4km away necessitating a 4 km walk along a windy, busy, footpathless road though, admittedly through a nice area of the city.

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With only a few exceptions, and this is not one, I am personally not a fan for zoos or small wildlife parks. That said visitors to Australia and children in particular will enjoy this park.

An “open zoo” within Cleland Conservation Park and close to the summit of Mount Lofty.

The aim of the park is to let you get up close to native Australia animals. The park has 35 hectares of open bushland habitat where visitors can interact with Australian wildlife. Having entered the park and armed yourself with a bag of animal feed (fee in addition to the park entrance fee) you are pretty much free to wander around at will among the safer of the animals – kangaroos, lorikeets, emus, wallabies etc. Less safe ones (and the more reserved) are available for inspection in their enclosures – including nocturnal animals such as bilbies and bats, as well as venomous snakes and native lizards.

Onsite facilities include a café, gift shop and free bbq’s. Picnics are permitted.

Koalas – the parks additional money spinner

Photo holding Koala – A$30 (in addition to entrance fee). Daily “holding” sessions including professional photo run between 2pm - 3.15pm. An additional session is available on Sundays and public holidays between 11am - 11.45pm.

General Koala “close-up” sessions are included as part of the entry fee and occur twice daily between 11am - 12pm and 2pm - 4pm – take your own photos.

If temperatures rise to 32 degrees C – koalas are not on show.

Opening times

Open daily (except Christmas Day) from 9:30am - 5pm.

Admission fee

Adults: A$20
Concessions: A$16
Children: A$10
Family: A$50

Discounted admission fee - Cleland has a voucher in the Adelaide version of the Entertainment Book for 25% off entry prices and RAA members receive a 10% discount.

Access - via car or bus

By Car – from the city (20-30mins) take Glen Osmond Road to the South Eastern Freeway, take the Crafers turn off and head up Mount Lofty Summit Road, travelling past the Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens and then turn left and continuing until park is reached.

By Bus - Adelaide bus(route number 823 from Crafters Ramp (stop 24/24A) noting very limited service for this bus). A number of buses from city stop at Crafters ramp eg 840, 860, 863 and 864. Refer http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/ for route details.Allow an hour with a carefully timed connection - best connections with 864/864F for which, I understand, it waits. If necessary.

The views from up at the lookout are wonderful. Seriously wonderful. There are suit with all age, you can take you family to acknowledge how beautiful the natural are!
There is a restaurant and souvenir shop. You can feed and close with lovely animal, and also you can hold koala for once in your life before you go back to your country...

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When in Adelaide the majority of visitors want to get up close to Australias local wild life..well at CLELAND WILDLIFE PARK this is the place where you can pat a Kangaroo or a koala..great photo opportunities to be photographed up close with all animals..There are daily keeper talks on various wildlife..There are Koala closeups and hands on..11.00 AM to 12 noon daily also at 2 00 PM till 4.00 PM daily..walk amongst many different kangaroo and wallaby species even rare rock wallabies..walk in bird aviaries..just walk slowly and quietly for best photo results..
open daily from 9.30AM till 5.00 PM except Xmas day..

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When in Adelaide the majority of visitors want to get up close to Australias local wild life..well here at the CLELAND WILDLIFE SANCTUARY this is a place where you can pat a Kangaroo or a koala..great photo opportunities to be photographed up close with all animals..There are daily keeper talks on various wildlife..There are Koala closeups and hands on..11.00 AM to 12 noon daily also at 2 00 PM till 4.00 PM daily..walk amongst many different kangaroo and wallaby species even rare rock wallabies..walk in bird aviaries..just walk slowly and quietly for best photo results..
open daily from 9.30AM till 5.00 PM except Xmas day..

One of my main objectives while in Oz was to get my hands on one of these cuddly critters. While most wildlife parks in Australia are eco-friendly and wise enough to not allow guests to get too up close and personal with the animals, I searched and searched until I found one with no such qualms…hurrah!!

These beautiful parkland's are situated just 12km from the city center and offer magnificent views of Mt Lofty and the scenic Waterfall Gully. Highlights are the new Ocean to Outback Interpretive Center which is an interactive journey through South Australia's diverse landscapes. There are daily animal feeding presentations, koala close up and handling sessions and 90 minute guided nocturnal wildlife tours.

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At Cleland Wildlife Park you will see different kind of Australian animals. There are Tasmnanian Devils, koala's, kangeroo's, dingo's, birds... If you want you can have a photo taken with holding a koala.

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I visited Cleland Wildlife Park a few days into my visit to Australia in April 2006. I was taken there by a couple of locals after telling them that I had never seen a kangaroo!

This wildlife park is located near Mount Lofty Summit, about a 20 minute drive from Adelaide, and is a great place to get up close to the native animals.

Upon entering the park, you can purchase bags of animal feed with which to feed the various animals in the park. You are free to wander around at your leisure and to get right up close to the animals. Having kangaroos, wallabies and emus eating from my hand is an experience that will live with me forever.

The animals that you can see at the park include:

Western Grey Kangaroos;
Yellow-footed Rock Wallabies;
Red Kangaroos;
Tasmanian Devils;
Dingoes;
Koalas;
Emus;
Potoroos;
Bandicoots;
Bettongs;
Cape Barren Geese;
Dama Wallabies;
Kangaroo Island Kangaroos;
Swamp Wallabies;
Wombats.

There is also an "Ocean to Outback" house which houses a selection of snakes, lizards, small mammals and insects.

At certain times of day you can watch the animals being fed (that is, those animals that you can't feed yourself). Feeding times are as follows:

Lorikeets: 12:30pm
Tasmanian Devils: 2:00pm
Dingoes: 2:30pm
Swamp aviary birds: 2:45pm
Pelicans/waterbirds: 3:00pm
Bush birds: 3:15pm
Snakes/reptiles: 1:30pm (Sundays only)

You can have your photograph taken while holding a koala for a cost of 12 AUD.

Opening times

Open daily (except Christmas Day) from 9:30am - 5pm. No entry after 4:30pm.

Entrance fees

Adults: 13.50 AUD
Concessions: 11 AUD
Children: 8 AUD
Family: 36.50 AUD