West Beach
West Beach is one of Adelaide's most popular seaside holiday destinations. It offers award-winning caravan park and holiday village accommodation, particularly suited to families. The beach is wide and the sand clean. West Beach is also close to popular Glenelg and Henley Beach precincts, offering restaurants, cafes and live entertainment during warmer months. There are numerous parks and greenspaces throughout West Beach, the largest known as Apex Park. Apex Park is a huge park along the river torrens with playgrounds, horses and walkways.
West Beach is adjacent to Adelaide Airport, which is in the adjacent suburb also named Adelaide Airport. It was moved here from Parafield Airport in 1955. There are frequent domestic and international flights and the airport is also used for private aviation.
The suburb of West Beach was first laid out in 1929 by Sir John L. Stirling, Sir Frank Moulden and Arnold M. Moulden, as trustees of 'The Settled Estates of F.J. and P.J. Gray'.
"This estate which in future will be known as West Beach at present consists of high undulating sandhills. The party inspected the work accomplished. This comprised the continuance to the sea, the distance of about a mile, of the Richmond Road, which previously stopped at the Tapley's Hill Road; the grading and topdressing of the sandhills, involving the removal of 200,000 tons of sand, and the building of an esplanade and three roads connecting it with Military Road, which was raised 8 feet and remade. The whole of the work was carried out under the order of the Supreme Court and the town was laid out under the approval of the town planner (Mr W. Scott Griffiths)... "
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The River Torrens, which enters into Gult St Vincent here, forms the suburb's borthern border. The River Torrens Linear Park Trail begins/end here and follows the river along 30 km of its length through various suburbs to Athelstone, where it emerges from the Adelaide Hills. The trail runs right through the city centre, passing the Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide Convention Centre and Adelaide Zoo, providing an oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Often lined with River Red Gums and reed beds, the trail is an oasis in the city and suburbs. With numerous playgrounds, picnic spots, duck-feeding spots and toilets along the route, the trail can be enjoyed by everyone.
The trail can be walked by sections, or as a circuit by walking down one side of the river, and returning on the other side. There are trails on both sides of the rivers for much of the river length, connected by numerous bridges. Users can pick up the path at countless spots, however the city section near Elder Park is generally the most popular option. Featuring level, bitumen paths, the River Torrens Linear Trail is ideal for all fitness levels and perfect for families with small children. Many people choose to stop half-way along the banks of the River for a picnic or to feed the ducks.
There are minimal, but some, arterial road crossings. Bridges are dotted along the length of the trail, enabling users to cross the River and loop back to their starting point. Much of the trail is bitumised, however some sections are gravel (which means the other side of the river will be bitumen). The trail is generally flat, but is steeper towards Athelstone, and sometimes as it goes under road bridges. The trail is flat through the Adelaide CBD section, and west to West Beach.
The shared-use trail is suitable for walkers and cyclists. The terrain is generally flat with minimal rises, meaning the walk is easy. The full circuit is 35 km long and takes a full day. If you'd like to ride the trail on two wheels but don't have your own bicycle you can hire one from Linear Park Bicycle Hire, located in Elder Park by the Torrens Lake.
The beach north of the Patawalonga Creek mouth runs relatively straight for 2 km to the West Beach marina, and another 2.5 km to the Torrens River mouth (Fig. 4.67). The continuous beach is backed by a combination of dunes and seawalls, and fronted by a surf zone contain two shallow bars and troughs. The beach faces west-southwest and receives low winds waves averaging 0.5 m, and higher waves during strong westerly winds. The waves maintain a double bar system, with a unusually attached inner bar, a shallow trough and shallow outer bar. The bars slowly migrate to the north causing the configuration of the beach and surf zone to change over time. Rips occasional cut the inner bar following higher waves, and strong currents can flow in the trough, particularly on a falling tide.
The main beach at the surf club offers the best swimming conditions well clear of the breakwaters, groynes and boat traffic to the south. There are occasional water pollution problems on southern West Beach and at the Torrens mouth. The beach that has been modified by the river entrance walls and new marina, but still offers 2.5km of natural beach and the added protection of the patrolled area.
The training wall, marina breakwater and groyne are all very popular fishing spots.
