Laratinga Wetlands Bike Ride | Mt Barker
Discover the Laratinga Wetlands for bird watching, a leisurely walk and family friendly bike ride though Mount Barker.
There’s no doubt Mt Barker is booming, however a visit to the Laratinga Wetlands and a ride along the bike paths winding through Mt Barker reveal this town still has a quiet side.
Heading down the South-Eastern Freeway, we took the Bald Hills exit onto Bald Hills Road, and within a few minutes we had arrived at the Laratinga Wetlands, which is well sign-posted. There is ample parking and a little bridge leads you straight towards a lush green grassy area big enough for numerous families to have picnics, kick a footy and have a barbie. This area has modern-looking toilets and several shelters complete with tables, chairs and BBQ facilities.
The wetlands are beautiful and offer lovely vistas.
The compacted gravel paths weave around the lakes and make for an easy ride or walk, so they are accessible and perfect for prams or strollers.
There are several places to stop along the gravel paths to look out for birdlife. We spotted pelicans, Dusky Moorhens, Wattlebirds, Ibis and Eurasian Coots among others. There are also some boardwalks to wander along including one which juts out over the water to make birdwatching more accessible.
It is easy to walk or ride along the wide gravel paths and stop and start at your leisure.
A ride through Mount Barker
The ride from Laratinga Wetlands into and through Mt Barker is very easy. There are lovely wide paths with little undulation which wind around the streets of Mt Barker. One of the best things about riding here with kids is the lack of roads to cross so we decided to ride all the way to Keith Stephenson Playground on the opposite side of Mt Barker. This was approximately a 3km ride at an easy pace which didn’t take long at all.
The bike paths connect to many of the main centres of Mount Barker – it’s only a few minutes ride to the Homemaker centre (with toilets and cafe) and then a few minutes further on to the main street of Mount Barker – Gawler Street – with coffee shops abounding.
The pathway is also surprisingly picturesque; parts of it are lined with old oaks and elms following the creek line.
Location:
Laratinga Wetlands – Bald Hills Rd, Mount Barker
For more information and all enquiries please visit the Mt Barker District Council 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.
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