· 5 min read
From hand-feeding kangaroos at Cleland to spotting bettongs after dark at Warrawong, the Hills offers some of the most accessible wildlife encounters in the state.
You don't have to go to the outback to meet Australia's wildlife. Some of the most rewarding - and accessible - encounters in South Australia happen in the cool bushland of the Adelaide Hills, a short drive from the city.
Up close at Cleland
Cleland Wildlife Park, on the slopes of Mount Lofty, is the classic introduction. Kangaroos and wallabies roam open enclosures you can walk among, hand-feeding from a paper bag, and you can meet koalas up close. It's a forgiving, family-friendly first encounter with native species.
After dark at Warrawong
For something rarer, head to Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary near Mylor, a pioneering fenced refuge for threatened species. Its dusk tours are the drawcard - this is one of the few places you can see bettongs, bandicoots, potoroos and even platypus going about their business as the bush wakes up.
In the wild
Beyond the parks, the Hills' conservation reserves teem with life. Walk Morialta, Cleland Conservation Park or the trails around Mylor at dawn or dusk and you'll find kangaroos, echidnas, koalas dozing in the gums and a chorus of birdlife. Move quietly, look up, and the Hills will show you its wild side.