Take a walk on the wild side and discover an underrated treasure in Adelaide’s north-west.
Review by Carla Caruso
There’s nothing like stumbling upon hidden gems in your hometown that you haven’t encountered before.
One day during the school holidays, when my family-of-four were at a loose end, we decided to go check out the St Kilda Adventure Playground. It’d been on our to-do list forever.
The playground has much to offer too, including a three-level castle, flying fox, pirate ship, and a ‘volcano’ with multiple slides. (The St Kilda Tram Museum, open Sundays, is also nearby.)
However, it was a natural attraction two minutes’ drive away that really stuck in my mind from our day out: the St Kilda Mangrove Trail.
The trail was established in 1985 to preserve and promote the unique local environment. It features an elevated boardwalk that meanders through tidal salt marshes, mangroves, and seagrass channels, leading to a lookout with scenic views across the Barker Inlet.
Over the years, the trail has unfortunately faced challenges due to environmental factors. According to Walking SA, much of the mangrove suffered dieback in late 2020.
As of 2024, about half of the original boardwalk has been closed, including the aforementioned lookout tower at the trail’s end. The remaining accessible section is approximately 450m long and took us about 20 minutes to complete. It’s still fab for a meander.
The trail’s open daily from 9am to 4pm (except on Christmas Day). Entry is free, but you must first obtain an access gate key from the Tackle & Tucker kiosk (adjacent the boat ramp on Cockle Street), leaving a $20 cash deposit or a form of identification.
Just inside the trail, there are toilets and an interpretive centre, although the latter was closed when we visited. However, there are good interpretive signs along the way.
I felt a bit like the heroine in the Where the Crawdads Sing wandering through, even though the book (and film) are set in the marshes of North Carolina! The St Kilda terrain ranges from dense, shady sections to drier, sunshine-filled areas with sparkling water.
Mangrove forests are considered among the most productive plant ecosystems on Earth. Countless green leaves harness sunlight through photosynthesis to create plant matter, forming the foundation of the local food web.
The St Kilda Mangrove Trail is isolated and obscured from public view, so it can be best to venture there with others. Children aged under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, and dogs (and cats!) are not permitted.
Depending on tides, the boardwalk can also be wet. As well, the trail may be closed due to weather conditions. (Call 8280 9355 to confirm if it’s open.)
While visiting, you’re asked to talk quietly to avoid disturbing the wildlife and just soak up the serenity.
For unusual, filmic scenery, the trail is well worth a visit. St Kilda isn’t just a name synonymous with footy!
Location:
The trail begins from Mangrove Street in southern St Kilda, South Australia.
For more information and all enquiries, please visit the City of Salisbury website.
All photos by James Elsby for Play & Go Adelaide.
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. All photos are by Play & Go (unless specified).
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