Coromandel Valley | McLaren Vale

This enclave of suburbs, cushioned in the Adelaide foothills, are popular for bushwalking, bird watching, picnics and enjoying the outdoors.

The area is named after the ship Coromandel, which arrived at Holdfast Bay in 1837 with 156 English settlers on board, later some of the crew escaped and took refuge in the hills near Coromandel Valley.

Today the area is a well-built, pleasant, leafy, suburban neighbourhood.

Coromandel Valley is home to severalbuildings that provide a rich built heritage, including the former Winns bakehouse and adjacent butchery, the former Methodist and Baptist churches on Main Road, Hurds Hill the one-time home of the Matthews family, Horners Bridge, the primary school and adjacent Anglican Church, Waits former butchers shop, the houses on the Magarey property and the former biscuit factory.

The Sturt River flows through the area and is a popular place to go bushwalking,exploring the Chambers Creek area and Horners Bridge the first bridge over the river, constructed in 1866. The area is also surrounded by many green reserves that are suitable for picnics, such as the Weymouth Recreation Ground and Frank Smith Park, where there is a BMX track. Finish your day of adventure with a meal and/or drink at The Duck Inn a local favourite watering hole.

Cherry Gardens and Iron Bank

Cherry Gardens is a semi-rural suburb, with a strong sense of community and history. Play a round of golf at the picturesque Blackwood Golf Club, and then wander through the pretty Soldiers Memorial Park. Keep an eye out for eggs, flowers and olive oil for sale on the roadside.

Make Cherry Gardens the starting point for a horse riding adventure. Follow the natural terrain, multi-use Tom Roberts Horse Trail Network, which is identifiable by trail markers, as it broadly spans from Cherry Gardens to Kangarilla in the south and Woodcroft in the west. Established through on-road linkages, and along road verges and unmade road reserves, this trail is designed for horse riding, however is also a treat for walkers and mountain bike riders in some sections. The level of difficulty and suitability is dependent on terrain, location and prevailing weather conditions.

The nearby rural suburb of Iron Bank is surrounded by a vast stringybark forest and is home to a population of just over 500. The oval and tennis courts are enjoyable family locations to let the children run around and enjoy the fresh air.

Chandlers Hill

To the south of Coromandel Valley, Chandlers Hill is ideal for horse riding, with scenic views over the Happy Valley Reservoir and to the coast, and Scott Creek Conservation Park ready to explore nearby.