Port Noarlunga
Port Noarlunga, a small sea-side suburb, was originally created as a sea port. The port has long gone, and now it is a growing residential area that spreads into adjoining Christies Beach. This area is now popular as a holiday destination or for permanent residents wishing to commute to Adelaide or work locally. The Port Noarlunga jetty connects to a 1.6 kilometres long natural reef that is exposed at low tide. The beach is large and very long and has reasonable surfing in the South Port area whose name is taken from its location - 'South of the Port'.
The main commercial area backs the jetty and the Port Norlunga Surf Life Saving Club is located immediately south of the jetty, where is it backed by a large car park, and fronted by a sea wall.The reefs lower waves at the beach to less than 0.5 m, which produces a single, continuous attached bar, and no rips. Toward the southern end the beach protrudes seaward, forming a natural boundary with the more energetic Southport Beach.
Port Norlunga is a relatively safe beach owing to the usually low waves and absence of rips. However you should stay inshore on the bar, as the reefs do pose a danger, owing to higher waves breaking over the reefs and currents flowing around and between the reefs.
The jetty is extremely popular for fishing, providing good access to deeper water and the reefs. The reefs however are an aquatic reserve. There is also deeper water off Witton Bluff, which can be fished from the seawall that protects the eroding rocks.
Boomer Beach
Boomer Beach is suitable for experienced surfers due to its huge waves and strong currents. Each winter migratory Humpback Whales grace these waters with their presence, offering spectators a rare chance to view these magnificent creatures, so binoculas are a must.
Moana Beach
The locality of Moana came into being in 1927 when the land was subdivided and blocks of land were sold due to the increased interest in tourism in the area. The land was divided into blocks suitable for holiday homes and wide streets were planned and laid out. But due to the Great Depression in 1929 development of the area was initially slow. The beach front at Moana is a combination of low cliffs, sand dunes, and hard compacted sand. The beach at Moana is accessible by normal passenger vehicles and is one of the few beaches where cars are allowed to drive onto the beach. The beach is a popular place for swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving.
Port Noarlunga Reef is a narrow reef about 400 metres offshore and about 1.6 kilometres long and was formed from a consolidated Pleistocene sand dune. The reef runs parallel to shore and has two sections, with the area separating them called The Gap. It is a popular scuba diving and snorkelling location, with more than 200 marine plant species and over 60 fish species. There is a self-guided diving trail which was established in 1994, which is marked with a series of 12 glass plaques. The plaques indicate aspects of the reef ecosystem relevant to their location.
\he Port Noarlunga Aquatic Reserve was the first aquatic reserve proclaimed in South Australia, being established in 1971 to protect the reef life and the adjacent river estuary. The boundaries of the reserve were extended to the north in 1993 to include an adjacent limestone reef known as Horseshoe Reef at Christies Beach. As of 2007, it extends along the coastline from Onkaparinga Head at Port Noarlunga South in the south to Gulfview Road at Christies Beach in the north and includes the Onkaparinga River up until the Main South Road at Old Noarlunga. The reserve covers an area of 527 hectares (1,300 acres). Fishing activity is limited to the use of rod and handline while the use of hand nets for the taking of shrimps for bait only is permitted in estuary and the Onkaparinga River. No fishing is permitted within 25 metres\ of Horseshoe and Port Noarlunga Reefs and can only be carried out from the jetty and the beach at Port Noarlunga.
Seaford Beach
Seaford is a coastal suburb to the near south of Port Noarlunga. During the mid-twentieth century, numerous land developments in the area resulted from the movement of suburban population to the south of Adelaide and the rise of tourism along the southern surf beaches.
Seaford was set out in 1954 by the Wakefield Land Company Pty Ltd. To the west of the horseshoe in the Onkaparinga River at Noarlunga, the land was first settled in the farming boom of the 1840s and 1850s. Seaford was also the site, in the nineteenth century, of the Southern Race Course. The pursuit of horse racing and other sports, like hunting and ploughing matches, was an important part of the local social life.
During the mid-twentieth century, numerous land developments resulted from the movement of suburban population to the south of Adelaide and the rise of tourism along the beaches.
Onkaparinga River Recreation Park
An estuary and wetlands park set around the mouth of South Australia's second longest river, Onkaparinga River Recreation Park is part of the Onkaparinga River National Park, which encompasses an area from where the river enters a steep sided valley and flows into a gorge with cliffs up to 50 metres high and large permanent rock pools. The estuary and wetlands, where the river approaches and enters the sea, are an entirely different environment and it is around them that the Recreation Park was created. Fishing, canoeing, rock climbing and photographic opportunities abound. Access to the gorge and wetland areas is via a number of easily accessed walking trails. Free admission. Contact: (08) 8278 5477. Location: Main South Rd, Old Noarlunga, 35 kilometres south of Adelaide. How to get there: by car, via Main South Rd. Access to the estuary area is from River Rd. The park's main walking area is on the northern side of the gorge from Piggott Range Rd. Southern gates along Chapel Hill Rd provide access to the gorge area.
