Morialta Conservation Park, Adelaide

In Morialta Conservation Park, just 10 kilometres to the northeast of the city, Fourth Creek has left its unique mark on the landscape in the shape of deep wooded gorges and a trail of tumbling waterfalls.

A walk along the creek to the falls remains the park highlight. Bird life abounds, with a chance of seeing herons, fairy-wrens and rosella parrots. Other areas of the park are designated for rock-climbing and abseiling.

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Boulder bridge is one of the areas set aside for rock climbing in Morialta Conservation Park. There are heavy duty rings for climbers to use. Parking is along the Morialta road side. Its easy to spot where to park because this is a very popular place for climbers. From there you follow the path down to the cliffs. Stop at the shoe cleaning area so you don't bring in any unwanted plant-life. Once you are down the bottom of the cliffs there is a small dirt track running along the base. From here you can see the bridge. There is however strictly no climbing on the bridge as it very fragile.

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Outdoor Adventure skills and Rock About regularly run a basic skills climbing course. The course is designed to give you an introduction to the skills and techniques involved in rock climbing and abseiling. My husband has taken 2 of their course and found them both to be a lot of fun and very informative. He has come away feeling confident in the skills he learnt.

Many Australian birds spend a lot of time on the ground searching for food. Rosellas are often seen forging through the undergrowth. Keep you noise level down when walking in scrub lands and your sure to spot one.

Visit the falls in the winter months. There is plenty of water in the river which attracts animal and birds, especially Rosella parrots who like the moist environment. The park is very green at this time of year. The golden wattle is present and is striking against the green background.

There is a visitors information area at the park with signs telling you of the various wildlife, facilities, walks you can take and lookouts. You can also find the public toilets and emergency phone here.

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Its any easy walk up stairs to the Giants cave. From there you can climb a few more stairs for a spectacular view of Adelaide. Keep you eyes peeled for the many Rosella parrots that chase each other through the tree tops.

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Morialta falls, located in the Adelaide foothills, is a favorite spot for most Adelaidians. The site was originally home to the Kaurna aboriginals. They gave the area its name Morialtra which means "ever flowing" Unfortunately Adelaide's settlement force these native people from their lands and there a very few of the Kaurna people left.

Morialta was proclaimed a resort in 1913. It covers over 650 hectares, is centered around fourth creek and has 3 falls. The 3 falls have the simple names of first, second and third falls. The falls, surrounded by nature bush, are a haven for bird and animal life. There are also many wild flowers and native plants to be found in the dense bush and in the cracks and crevices of the red rock that makes up the gorge area.

The first fall drops down the cliff face 30 metres. Walk the trails to the base of the waterfall which takes about 45minutes return or try the more strenuous First Fall Plateau Hike, with stunning panoramic views of the Adelaide plains, this takes you to the top of the falls.

To see the falls flowing at its best visit is winter and early spring. Visit in the summer months to take advantage of the cool breezes that come down from the surrounding hill sides.

The park does have picnic areas with electric BBQs, drinking fountains, a small playground, trail maps, toilet facilities and a walking trail for disabled. The gates open at 8:30am and are closed about 20 minutes before sunset. There is a small fee charge at the gate.