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Hallet Cove Glacier Hike
This two-kilometre circuit starts at the cafe and carpark at Hallet Cove Beach and explores some unique geological sites. The hike is rated as grade 3 and will take about an hour to complete.
The highlight of the Hallet Cove Glacier hike is the Sugarloaf, an iconic geological marvel with coloured sediment layers that make up the formation.
The Hallett Cove Conservation Park is recognised as the best record of Permian glaciation in Australia and has international significance.
The Walk - 2 Kilometre Circuit - 1 Hour - Grade 3
We parked in the carpark near the Boatshed Cafe, at the Hallett Cove Conservation Park.
The well-marked and easy-to-follow track combines a bitumen path, a natural surface trail, and boardwalk steps.
Interpretive signs along the track explain the geological features. The cliff tops are the base of a glacial lake that melted 270 million years ago, leaving boulders and sedimentary deposits.
The Sugarloaf
The Sugarloaf is an iconic geological marvel of the park, with a fascinating story of glaciers and erosion. The Sugarloaf is in the area of the park called the Amphitheatre, which was once filled by a glacial lake millions of years ago.
If you look closely at the Sugarloaf, you will see different colours of the sediment layers that make up the formation:
Base layer: The dark red layer at the base of the Sugarloaf was formed by sediments left behind by the glacial lake.
Middle layer: The middle white layer consists of light-coloured sands that replaced the ice when the glacier melted about 280 million years ago.
Top layer: At the very top of the Sugarloaf, you’ll notice another colour change formed by the top soils carried by creeks and rivers from the surrounding land and Mount Lofty Ranges.
The Amphitheatre
The Amphitheatre is also produced by erosion. Its layers of sediments are from various periods of deposition. The top white band of soil limestone is calcrete, while the bottom thin, hard white layer is sandstone. In between are red and purple-mottled sediments, and beneath are glacial sediments.
Millions of years of erosion have further shaped the landscape, creating the features we see today. The cycle of erosion and deposition continues today as soils are eroded from the land and blown into the sea.
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