Onkaparinga River National Park is located in South Australia, which is thirty-two kilometers south of the area of Adelaide. Onkaparinga is unique because even though it is not far from busy Australian suburbs, it is surrounded by hills, which keep it quiet. The park is also fairly unknown to tourists, making it a great place to go to get away from the busy life and crowded tourists attractions. The Hardy’ Scrub section of the park has some of the best undisturbed vegetation in the park. The main vegetation in Onkaparinga is grass. There are some eucalypts in the park as well. Other plants include Grey Box, Pink Gum, Mallee box, Red Gum, and Blue Gum. The park has been invaded by the European Olive weed. Naturalists have been trying to revegetate areas of the park that have been destroyed by human contact.

There are several excellent views in the park. Onkaparinga is a great place to observe some of the unique insects of Australia. Australia is home to some beautiful butterfly and dragonfly species, and Onkaparinga gives visitors the chance to view them in their natural habitat. There are many kangaroos in Onkaparinga River National Park as well. The Onkaparinga Gorge has some excellent hiking terrain. The view from the top is beautiful, as is the river at the bottom.

To get to Onkaparinga, go to Main South Road in Old Noarlunga. You can also access the park from River Road and Commercial Road. While at Onkaparinga, enjoy the rugged scenery. This is a great park to enjoy bush walking. Those who wish to explore the trails of Onkaparinga need to be in good physical shape, as the trails are steep and extremely rugged. There are some easier trails in the gorge that allow less rugged visitors to head down to the river level.

One of the best trails in Onkaparinga is the Echadna Trail. This trail takes bush walkers by six different heritage sites. Visitors will see structures from the 1880s! They will also see Peppermint Box and River Red Gum plants while on this trail. Also, there are over twenty-five unique orchid species native to this area.

Another great location to visit in Onkaparinga is the estuary section, which is off Main South Road. Here you can see the interesting contrast between different wetlands environments. Here many different species of fish and birds breed. There is a five kilometer trail at this area.

Onkaparinga River National Park has an interesting history. The area around the river was originally settled by the Kaurna Aboriginal people. Onkaparinga means “women’s river.” In the mid 1800’s European settlers came to the area and displaced the Kaurna people. The Europeans began to farm in the area and used to river to transport their goods to Port Noarlunga. Visitors to Onkaparinga can see remains of the Pingle Farm, which was built in the 1860s. There is an underground water tank, barn, and shed that can be seen.

Onkaparinga is a great location to enjoy some interesting photography, as well as river fishing, canoeing, and rock climbing. The Onkaparinga River is the second longest river in Australia. The park follows the path of the river all the way to the sea. The cliffs of the gorge reach up to fifty meters, giving visitors great photography opportunities.