Red Earth Gullies and Open Grasslands of the Clare Valley

Overview

In hiking terms, the Clare Valley is not one single park but a small cluster of very different protected areas in South Australia’s Mid North, roughly 130 to 180 km north of Adelaide. Around Clare itself, the landscape shifts quickly from steep gullies and grassy woodlands to open native grasslands, while further out at Red Banks the country opens into deeply eroded creek lines and striking red cliffs. That variety is a big part of what makes the region interesting to walk in.

The main conservation areas associated with the Clare Valley are Spring Gully Conservation Park, Mokota Conservation Park, Red Banks Conservation Park and Martindale Hall Conservation Park. Together they give a good sense of the district’s natural character, from creek-cut slopes and seasonal waterfalls to broad grassland remnants and fossil-rich country.

Highlights

The Clare Valley’s scenic character comes from contrast. At Spring Gully, steep undulating country drops into the creek bed, with grassy woodlands leading to a seasonal waterfall that falls 18 metres after rain. Red Banks is completely different again, known for its deep red alluvial cliffs, eroded gorges and permanent waterholes along Baldina Creek.

Mokota adds another side of the region, protecting one of the largest remaining examples of open grassy native vegetation in the area. Rather than dramatic rock faces or a single landmark, its appeal is in the wide, open feel of the landscape and the chance to see a rarer kind of Mid North country that has disappeared from much of the surrounding farmland.

Best Time to Visit

The cooler months are generally the most pleasant time to spend time in the Clare Valley parks, when walking weather is milder and the country is at its greenest. Spring is especially rewarding around places like Spring Gully, where wildflowers and orchids come into bloom, while the seasonal waterfall is best after decent rain.

Different seasons bring out different sides of the region. Red Banks is especially memorable when the afternoon sun catches the red cliffs, and the permanent waterholes can draw in wildlife at dawn and dusk.

Plants and Animals

Native vegetation changes noticeably from park to park. Spring Gully is known for grassy woodlands, spring wildflowers and orchids, while Mokota protects high-quality native grassland with more than 150 indigenous plant species, including 32 with particular conservation significance in South Australia. Red Banks conserves threatened ecological communities including scented mat-rush tussock grassland and mallee box woodland, along with rohrlach’s bluebush.

Wildlife is just as varied. Western grey kangaroos, euros and common brushtail possums are recorded around Spring Gully. Mokota provides habitat for 28 animal species, including the vulnerable white spotted skipper butterfly and the vulnerable Flinders worm lizard. At Red Banks, short-beaked echidnas, southern hairy-nosed wombats, birds and reptiles are part of the living fauna, alongside kangaroos that give a modern echo of the region’s much older animal history.

Culture and Heritage

Spring Gully has a direct recorded connection with Ngadjuri people, with its grassy woodlands and open grasslands described as a place that provided an abundance of food before European settlement.

The Clare Valley parks also carry a strong pastoral and colonial history. Martindale Hall Conservation Park preserves the heritage-listed Martindale Hall, built in 1879 on what was established as Martindale Station, and it remains one of the district’s most recognisable historic places.