CLELAND CONSERVATION PARK
Perimeter Loop with Spurs : 2 hours 10 minutes, 7 km

CLELAND >
PERIMETER


We drive to the Cleland Wildlife Park entrance off the Mount Lofty Summit Road, and then down to the car park.  (The main gate opens at 7 am : parking outside the gate adds about 3 km of steep climbing to this walk.) The plan is to walk the perimeter track in an anti-clockwise direction, together with the spur tracks to the west.  It turns out to be an interesting and exhilarating walk.

We leave the car park by this gate.  The perimeter track follows around outside the electrified fence surrounding the wildlife park.

I found a rather perverse delight in communing with the enclosed wildlife in the solitude and from outside  the fence. First there was a friendly dingo ...

... and then a couple of inquisitive Cape Barren geese.

Three kangaroos joined me along the track, and in fact I saw a dozen on this walk.


The Perimeter Track is easy walking around to where the Pengana Track branches off, and this track is also easy down to the Retort Spur turn off. After this there is a steep descent to Zigzag Hill.  A nice view of Sugarloaf Hill on the way.

  

The top is a grassy mound with grazing kangaroos and a panorama from the city and across to Sugarloaf Hill and Long Ridge at right. Woolshed Gully is immediately in front. Note the roo!


Click the photo for a larger version.

The locals were quite friendly.

Looking out the other side, the Mount Osmond track comes into view.  

I don't know why Zigzag Hill has this name: perhaps it comes from the track which continues down the other side to Woolshed Gully.

The Retort Spur was a complete disappointment: about ten minutes with two steep descents down the spur into Waterfall Gully, and ten minutes out, but any views are obscured by trees, and even the partial views show no landmarks of interest.

So, back to the wildlife park and an aloof emu.  I have no love for emus.

The walk out along the ETSA spur (a power pylon service track) is easy and more rewarding. This view of the Summit shows the Waterfall Gully – Summit track in the foreground

The general view is quite breathtaking, and goes from Mount Bonython at left, past the Summit, and then St Michael's Spur and Ballet Spur at right.


Click the photo for a larger version.

Back to the Perimeter Track which from this point becomes rather more rugged with steep slopes.  The only plus I found along here was a nice duck pond where Bilba Track branches off. Finally back to the Park Entrance.  


CLELAND >
PERIMETER