The Bandicoot Trail of Mark Oliphant Conservation Park in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia is a 4.5km looping trail through forested hills. Mark Oliphant Conservation Park is a biodiversity hot spot and home to the endangered Southern Brown Bandicoots and Yellow-Footed Antechinuses. While rarely-seen, you might spot these elusive marsupials on your hike if you are quiet and lucky.
There are a few trails you can explore in Mark Oliphant Conservation Park. In this hike, I took the Bandicoot Trail (in orange) in an anti-clockwise direction, plus a side trip through the trail pass gate 7. You can download the free Avenza Maps for your navigation.
While there are several trailheads you could use to enter the park, only the main trailhead has a parking area if you are driving.
Bandicoot Trail
10.20am: Start of the Bandicoot Trail in an anti-clockwise direction.
(+10)10.30am
(+7)10.37am: A bit of uphill towards Evans Drive.
(+9)10.46am: The trail goes through Evans Drive road for around 500 meters before heading back into the forest.
Side Trip
(+4)10.50am: At some point on Evans Drive, there is this gate (numbered 7) where you can enter an out-and-back short trail.
It’s a nice quiet trail with a tiny stream by the side.
(+17)11.07am: At the end of the trail, there seems to be a private cottage, so I did not enter the area.
(+20)11.27am: Back to Bandicoot Trail, leaving Evans Drive back into the forest.
It’s a gentle slope down towards the car park and information area.
(+21)11.48am: Short stop at the picnic shelter.
I got some sticky seeds from the plants growing around the picnic shelter sticking onto my shoes.
After the hike, I stopped by Hahndorf, a lovely German settlement in South Australia. I had a delicious ‘spaghetti ice cream’ at Eis Haus.
Have this guide helped you? Tag @meowtainpeople in your hiking stories & posts!
*Captain Planet passing by* Remember, please take care of our environment, and please don’t destroy the Nature. Leave no trash behind and take back only photos and memories (and also some trash if you can). Walk on the designated path and stay in the middle as much as you can, so that the exposed soil doesn’t spread/corrode further. BE ONE WITH NATURE *flies away*
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