Little Para Gorge: Keith goes for a ramble in this suburban Gorge on the Adelaide City region of South Australia
Between the city and the hills is the City of Salisbury - home to 120,000 people. And just behind them, past the Old Spot Hotel on the Main North Road is the Little Para Gorge. Carved out by the twists of the Little Para River it is a deep but short gorge that could be hundreds of kilometres from the suburbs. Maybe that's why the locals like to call it 'Parachilna'.
The Nature Reserve and Walking Trail follows the Little Para River, which meanders from the Little Para Reservoir out to the Salisbury plains. From the eastern end, up near Golden Grove, you can look right down the gorge, past the giant Holdens plant to the Gulf beyond. A patchwork of delightful council reserves and walking trails follow the river all the way down to Port Wakefield Road. And hit the trail with the City of Salisbury's Parks Manager, Bob Green and you learn lots about the early history of every gully and hill.
Bob Green: "This little gully coming off the main gorge is known as 'cattle duffers camp'. Back in the early days a few little rascals used to grab the little poddies and bring them up here, pen them off and keep them in here. You've got water close by, good feed and apparently there was quite a little thriving business for a while."
The gully is studded with magnificent stands of Peppermint Gums. At one time the hills and the plains further down would have been covered with woodlands like this with native wattles and grasses as an understorey. There is also a clump of magnificent Grass Trees, which Bob reckons is at least 7 to 800 years old. Once plentiful in the gorge, they were heavily harvested for their gum. Now protected, they're re-establishing themselves on the steep hillside.
Bob showed us an introduced cotton plant covered in caterpillars. "It's host to our Golden Wandering Butterfly. When the butterflies emerge they feed on the flowers that are very rich in nectar. Then they come back and they lay more eggs so it a whole breeding cycle on this plant.
"Look at that one little bush - 8 to 10 caterpillars on it. Isn't that great for the environment? It's a good bio indicator of a healthy environment - if you've got butterflies and frogs in the creek what better place to be?"
Stretching across the gently flowing Little Para River, which is fed by the Little Para Reservoir up the valley, is a thick iron cable. "It was used as a flying fox by the people that lived around the corner here. The used the flying fox to take their stores back and forwards when the river got up quite high."
Settlement in this area dates back to 1837 and remnants of some of the earliest almond trees and orange groves are still blossoming. In the creek is another example of the healthy environment.
Bob Green: "This is fresh watercress. It tastes slightly peppery. It will only grow alongside a nice river and fresh water which is an indication of a healthy river system. And we're only 2 kilometres from the main North Road. This is nature at its best."
The City of Salisbury has a number of brochures outlining their various trails, historic walks and reserves. Drop in to the council offices or give their Customer Centre a call and they'll send one out. Or download a copy from the community section of their website. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
Salisbury Trails & Reserves Council Office
12 James Street
Salisbury
Customer Centre 8406 8222Published 5th July 2009
