There are so many national parks and conservation/reserve parks in South Australia and there are a few near to Adelaide. Morialta is among them that is close to city (~10km from north east of Adelaide CBD). Without knowing much what this national park will offer except knowing that it has big deep gorge, and few pretty waterfall (at least that’s what i’ve read), i’m on the bus there on a sunny Sunday.
Although the Adelaide metro bus system brings u there, but not exactly to the doorstep or inside the national park. I have to stop at the closest stop and walk. Before i actually reached the entrance of Morialta conservation park, i can see boundaries of the park. One small entry into the bushes directly caught my attention though not knowing where it’ll lead me (i thought i’ll get to the conservation park car park still somehow), i just went in and started my bushwalking. But it’s actually a long walk uphill, all the way upppppppppp. I was gasping a lot as it’s been a long time since i walk uphill. Finally after 15-20 mins continuous walk uphill, i was blessed with a more flat route, and a splendid view when i looked back :)
I can see the whole Adelaide CBD from up there :).
Can u spot the kangaroo in the bottom picture????
I was actually walking over a hill called Blackhill which actually not consider part of Morialta but a conservation park itself. And Blackhill conservation park is link together with Morialta conservation park :). So while walking on top of blackhill, the view on top was pretty good as the picture below shows :). There’s also a couple of trails here and one of them is “pretty corner trail” which by its words caught my attention, wondering what view it will offer it trek this trail, haha.
And unfortunately, it’s extra walking uphill……arghhhhhhhhh. Still i persisted, hoping i will blessed with some panoramic view of Adelaide hills. Yet, i reached a junction that told me that the trail was where i had just walked a couple of minutes ago. Then, i was “what the??? where’s the pretty corner???”
Not bothered about pretty corner anymore, i opted the trail that will lead me to Morialta car park. And amazingly the trail turned up to be something that was pretty new to me!!!
New vegetation with plants that grows on the edge of hills and rocks. It’s the first time i saw those plants in the wild and there are heaps of them. And this side of the hill is more rocky with some beautiful rock shapes :)
Finally after walking a fair distance, i knew i’m in Morialta and can see the huge deep gorge and ridges.
As u can see, this place is HUGEEEE but very dry because it’s summer when i was there. Can you see the tiny trails in the smaller picture?? That shall give you the scale of the place, haha.
Saw this wild flowers popping out of nowhere, quite pretty :)
Morialta is not only famous for its gorge, but also it’s three falls. With first fall being the easiest to reach, 2nd and 3rd higher n higher up. Sadly, it’s summer and all water run driesssssssss, even though i thought that there should at least have some drops of water flowing because it just rained one week ago. But i guessed Australia summer is quite cruel some to water and creeks, haha, NO MERCY for any drops of water.
There's suppose to be water pouring down from here, first fall. But……everything is just as dry as the desert. TOOOOOOOOOO bad……, people i’ve met there told me to come back during winter, where South Australia receives the most rain throughout the year.
Saw this odd dried up plant, which instantly came into my mind as some ape which we have owez seen in the old movies, haha.
Saw the poster here with the picture on first fall??? Pretty isn’t it??? It suppose to be like that, too bad……i told myself i shall come back to see the waterfall during winter or spring, hehe. On the way back to the ACTUAL Morialta conservation park entrance, saw this GIANT CAVE which first thought, MUST be vyvyvyvy big, but it’s actually vyvy small compared to any cave i have seen, lol.
hehe, this time- can u spot the sleeping koala?? DUn tell me u cant, lol.
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The dinner was on a Sunday with the following Monday a holiday. Though she invited, i was not sure whether i’ll join or not as kangaroo island filled my mind. I was hoping to go kangaroo island during that weekend. But in the end i’ve decided to join the dinner as i realized it’s too hard to organize such a short trip to a place which is better enjoyed using at least 5 days, and i couldn't find any one to go along, haha.
But i must admit that i’m GLAD i’ve joined the dinner. Xiao’s house was awesome and stylish. Imagine a double storey apartment on the highest level with two balcony each facing east and west. Watch sunrise on the east amid the Adelaide hills as backdrop and sunset over the west, HOW good can one get??
And most importantly, i get to meet new ppls and make new friends :)
We had an AWESOME spanish meal that night with fine wine and Sangria which is a type of cocktail.
Wayne cooked us Spanish-style squid,
Spanish seafood rice with mussels named “paella”.
There’s Wayne, Kiwi, Xiao, Michael, Pike See and Me (left to right) :). Kiwi’s from HK, while Michael and Pike See both are from M"’Sia. All working or studying in IMVS. I fall in love with Sangria that i drank alot, haha. Really like it, will try to learn how to make it myself one day. Hehe, have to get the recipe from Wayne, he make really good Sangria according to Xiao who have a good taste bud and tasted food all over the world. We all finished the food, and i was to clear up any that was left behind, haha. First time tasted Spanish food and Sangria which both taste AWESOME!!! Banyak thanx to Xiao for inviting me, hehe.
Then we had biscuit tiramisu as dessert. Kiwi made this biscuit tiramisu. Hehe, looked special?? Taste AWESOME too, haha. Again, first time saw such type of tiramisu, haha.
Here’s the sunset view from the west side balcony, how nice!!!
We chat alot, Michael can talk very well, haha. Learned and heard alot of stories, haha. It was a WONDERFUL nite, i’m glad that i chosen to join the dinner instead of Kangaroo island. No regrets!!! YEAH!!!!
