Newland Head
Newland Head is a rocky headland situated at the eastern end of Waitpinga Beach, on the coast of Fleurieu Peninsula.
Waitpinga Beach, which means in Aboriginal Language “windy place” is a beautiful beach but dangerous for swimming. Waitpinga Beach is popular for fishing, surfing and in the breeding season, whale watching.
The sand dunes at Waitpinga Beach provide a natural barrier from the ocean eroding the coast.
How to get there
Newland Head is 1-2 hours from Adelaide. From Adelaide, take the route towards Victor Harbour and exit onto Welch road towards Ring Route. At the roundabout take the exit onto Mill Road, then turn left to Waitpinga Road. Follow Waitpinga Road, paying attention to bear left onto Dennis Road, which you follow for 3.4 km to the car park.
Walking trails in Newland Head Conservation Park
The main walking trails are:
- Coastal Cliff Loop Hike
- Ridgeway Hill Loop Hike
- Heysen Trail
Newland Head Coastal Walk
Newland Head coastal walk follows the Heysen Trail over the coastal cliffs of Waitpinga.
From the car park take the boardwalk over the sand dunes, following the Heysen Trail sign.
The trail head is at Waitpinga Campground. From here, continue on the Heysen Trail, which is very well marked trail.
The stone hut at Waitpinga Campground was built in 1980 by Dennis Family.
Passing the gate, walk on the sandy track paying attention to the exposed tree roots.
The trail will turn right to follow the rocky cliffs, surrounded by coastal vegetation. On the way, you will see kangaroos and echidnas.
After one hour from the start, reaching the Southern Ocean, the views are breathtaking with sheer cliffs that drop in the ocean, with the Bluff and the West island in the distance. Try to spot sea eagles that fly in the area.
Reaching the track junction and information board, take a short break on the bench and decide the return way.
The options are :
- Return the same way to enjoy the coastal breeze on the hot summer day.
- Return inland via Ridgeway Hill walking trail.
- You can extend the walk to King’s Beach following the Heysen Trail which will be 11.5 km one way.
Returning back the same way, you walk a total distance of 11 km and climb 257 meters. It will take 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Choosing the option to return inland via Ridgeway Hill, the hike is slightly longer. The total distance is 11.37 km with a 278 climb and takes 3 hours and 40 minutes.
Walk Variations
You can extend the walk to King’s Beach following the Heysen Trail, which is a spectacular walk. The total distance is 11.5 km one way, so about 23 km return.
You can download this portion of the Heysen Trail from the website
The Friends of Heysen Trail https://heysentrail.asn.au/heysen-trail
Other walks in the Fleurieu Peninsula are:
- 1. Deep Creek Circuit at https://aussietrailwalker.com/deep-creek-circuit
2. Aaron Creek hike at https://aussietrailwalker.com/aaron-creek-hike/
3. Cobbler Hill Marrano Circuit at https://aussietrailwalker.com/cobbler-hill-marrano-creek-circuit/