Explore the picturesque walking trails and take in the breathtaking coastal views from Hallett Cove Conservation Park and dine in or takeaway from the newly renovated Boatshed Cafe.
It can sometimes be the simple things like getting back to nature and breathing in the sea air to help us slow down in this busy, fast paced world. Hallett Cove Conservation Park is home to one of Australia’s most outstanding geological and archaeological sites and offers views that are nothing short of spectacular. It’s only 35 minutes drive south from the Adelaide CBD and a great spot to visit when the weather permits.
The rocky coastline features rugged cliffs and numerous lookouts to stop for a break, take in the surrounds and listen to the waves crashing below. Explore this area with your family and you’ll appreciate the beauty just as much as the history.
Hallett Cove Conservation Park
This area was proclaimed as a conservation park in 1976 mainly as a way to help preserve its many geological features. The fascinating facts on the information boards explain the evidence of an Australian ice age some 280 million years ago.
In 1934 Aboriginal stone implements were discovered in Hallett Cove and since then more than 1,700 artefacts have been collected. Along the cliff tops to the north are glacial pavements that are recognised as the best record of Permian glaciation (298.9–252.2 million years ago) not only in Australia, but worldwide.
The park also conserves native flora and fauna and is home to an array of animals and birds, some which you will spot as you walk along the trails. Remember to keep to the paths and don’t allow kids to venture into the protected vegetation areas.
The Sugarloaf is an iconic geological marvel (light coloured mound in photo above) located in the area of the park called the Amphitheatre, which was once filled by a glacial lake millions of years ago. Up close you’ll notice the different colours of the sediment layers that make up the formation, shaped over millions of years by erosion. The Sugarloaf is very fragile, so please look but don’t touch or climb on the formations.
Hallett Cove Conservation Park is part of the Marion Coast Park which extends a total of 7.2 km from Marino in the north down to Hallett Headland Reserve in the south. A part of the Adelaide Coast Park, The Geology Circuit walk loops from the Boatshed Café at the northern end of Heron Way, along the cliff-top and glacial striations to Fryer St Reserve, and then back past the Sugar Loaf and Amphitheatre through the Hallett Cove Conservation Park. The loop will take around an hour to complete and is an easy/moderate walk with some steps. You can choose to walk all the way down to the beach, or not! Remember you’ll have to walk back up!
Further north along the trail you can walk across the two Coastal Walkway Bridges – read more here.
Hallett Cove Beach
The beach at the southern end of the Park is great for collecting a few shells, exploring the rock pools, a splash in the shallows or for throwing a Frisbee. It’s very rocky so not suited to swimming or surfing. There have been concept plans released for the possibility of a seaside pool to be built at Hallett Cove.
Location
The Hallett Cove Conservation Park is accessible via Main South Road, Majors Road, Lonsdale Road and right onto The Cove Road. There are 4 main entrances to the park – eastern entrance off Dutchman Drive, southern entrance off Heron Way and two northern entrances of South Avenue and Second Avenue. The walking trails are shown on trailheads at each entrance. Being a conservation park there are no dogs or bikes allowed.
Note: Hallett Cove Conservation Park is closed on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may also be closed on days of Extreme Fire Danger.
VIEW THE MARION COAST PARK BROCHURE & MAP
COASTAL WALKWAY BRIDGES IN HALLETT COVE – READ MORE HERE
Boatshed Hallett Cove
The Boatshed cafe was officially reopened in June 2024 after a $1.3 million makeover. The results are impressive both on the outside and once you step inside. There is a heated alfresco area for an uninterrupted view of the beach, an indoor dining area with a combination of cosy booths and regular tables and chairs, plus an outdoor kiosk. Upstairs is the Sugarloaf Kitchen & Bar, the latest addition to the Boatshed Hallett Cove (review coming soon).
Fresh and inviting, the family friendly cafe has a relaxed vibe and there is a play table towards the back corner for little ones.
The Boatshed is a favourite spot of ours for breakfast and never disappoints. The menu has a great selection of sweet and savoury dishes, plus hot and cold drinks. They also offer a vegan menu and a gluten free range as well.
The full breakfast menu is available until 11:30am and lunch is available until 3pm daily. The wood oven pizzas are popular as you would expect, and they also offer an excellent wine and cocktail list.
The Boatshed Kiosk (nextdoor) is perfect for those passing by on a walk or visiting the nearby Heron Way playground. There is coffee, smoothies, fresh juices and ice creams or if you’re looking for something to eat they offer fish, chips, burgers and more. Orders are served in takeaway packaging so you can enjoy it on the go (there is limited shaded seating and no bookings available for this area).
Location:
1A Heron Way, Hallett Cove.
The Boatshed Café is located at the southern beach end of Hallett Cove Conservation Park.
Open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch (plus dinner in summer).
You can book a table via the Boatshed Hallett Cove website.
There is onsite parking, however the carpark does fill quickly so you can also park up on the road along Heron Way, behind the cafe. There is a footpath from the road that runs down the side of the cafe.
The Heron Way Reserve Playground is on the foreshore, just south of the Boatshed (within walking distance).
For more information on Hallett Cove Conservation Park visit the Parks SA website.
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently.
Image Source: all photos by Play & Go Adelaide 2024
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