Vegetation along the trail
Located within
Sandy Creek Conservation Park is the
Wren Walk which boasts lovely views across heath country and peppermint box woodland. Although declining in population, numerous bird species can still be found along this 3.5-kilometre trail. Do look out for the superb fairywren in particular. These beloved little birds, believe it or not, won Australia's Bird of the Year in 2021.
Northern side of the dune
The
Wren Walk goes around the main sandy ridge of the park. Gently undulating, it would be suitable for those with a moderate level of fitness. Start at checkpoint C3 and head in an anticlockwise direction along the southern side of the dune. The vegetation varies from grass trees and mat rushes to banksias and bottlebrushes. From checkpoint C2, you'll walk up the dune before descending on the northern side. There are views at the top of the dune. As you reach the starting point, the ground gets barer with fewer shrubs under the trees.
On the link trail
Vehicle entry to the park is via Conservation Park Road. From the car park, follow the 600-metre link trail to the
Wren Walk. This link trail passes through an old farm clearing where western grey kangaroos are often seen grazing at dusk and dawn. To our surprise though, we encountered a huge mob of them in the middle of the day.
The mob of kangaroos
If you're interested in history, you might want to check out the ruin just off the boundary track. Turn left as you enter the park and, after a short walk, you'll see some stone remains in the distance. No one knows for sure what the ruin used to be, but my guess is that it was probably a farmhouse.
Ruin
Sandy Creek is approximately 60 kilometres from Adelaide and the
Wren Walk can be enjoyed for free. So, next time you're visiting the Barossa, why not also include a bushwalk on your itinerary. There's more to the region than just wine-tasting.
