Paddle Around the Reef.

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

I saw this in the local community newspaper. The local Onkaparinga council is promoting this.

I know that there's plenty of kayaking on the Onkaparinga estuary but I didn't know that there was a local Port Noarlunga company that had see through and glass bottomed kayaks! Sounds like a great way to spend a few hours.

 

 

 

They did say that the places were booking out very quickly!

The company details are:

https://www.easykayaks.com.au/explorethereef/

 

 

Our see-through Kayaks at Port Noarlunga Beach – “ExploreTheReef”

 

Come and explore the reef with our see-through kayaks in Port Noarlunga.Easy Kayaks has expanded our kayak hire in Port Noarlunga and added a beachside location on Port Noarlunga Beach offering guided eco tours of the reef in our six new see-through kayaks in Port Noarlunga.You will be guided by our aquatics instructor, who will accompany and lead you for a paddle along the Port Noarlunga Reef stopping at key observation points for you to look at the underwater life and other points of interest along the length of the reef through the window on the kayak floor. We will also provide some bread to feed and entice the local fish to encircle and swim under the glass bottom kayaks on your explore the reef tours, so you can get a closer look at some of the Port Noarlunga Reef’s local inhabitants.

 

Our guided tours of the Port Noarlunga Reef using glass bottom kayaks are a unique perspective on kayak hire in Adelaide. Reef tours will be held up to two times each day in the Summer at low tide and will give each paddler and small passenger an opportunity to see some of the great underwater sights without having to go below the water.Outside of summer months, guided tours of the Port Noarlunga Reef can also be conducted throughout the year; however, tours are always subject to weather conditions and bookings are essential. During school terms, tours are conducted on weekends only.

Each of our glass bottom kayaks in Port Noarlunga can hold one adult and one small child sitting opposite them, allowing both to view the underwater reef life through the kayak. Before setting off on your guided kayak tour, you will be briefed on weather conditions, arm signals in case of assistance needed, any hazards that need highlighting, and points of interest along the Explore The Reef Tour. Should any paddler tire or show signs of fatigue, their kayak will be tethered to a staff member and towed during the rest of the duration of the tour.

 

BOOKINGS

(Guided Reef Tour season for 2015-2016 is from Dec 28 – Apr 15)

Reef tour bookings and advance payments are essential, so please use the booking form below. As soon as we receive your booking and payment, we will contact you to allocate your tour time. Tours are normally conducted at low tide anywhere between 8:30AM and 2:30PM.Each Explore The Reef Tour lasts approximately 60 minutes and costs $60 per kayak. Each tour will also be accompanied by one tour guide and an additional staff member to assist stragglers.

[Becks22]

I can't wait for our visa to be granted for exactly these sorts of things! Looks great!

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

Port Noarlunga jetty and reef is 2 minutes away from where I live

 

Best thing about this offer was that it's a freebie arranged by the local council!

[RachelP]

This looks fantastic!!

[Blossom]

Port Noarlunga jetty and reef is 2 minutes away from where I live

 

Best thing about this offer was that it's a freebie arranged by the local council!

Wow! That's unusual for Adelaide lol. Well done them!

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

The Port Noarlunga beach and reef is a popular place. The aquatic reserve is one of the most frequented scuba spots in South Australia.

The Onkaparinga council has the following info on their web site:

 

Marine Parks

 

South Australia is lucky to have some of the most spectacular coastline in the world and an even greater variety of marine life than the Great Barrier Reef. Around 85% of the life found in southern Australian waters is found nowhere else on earth.

Marine parks are the national parks of the sea. You can enjoy the beauty of the scenery and a variety of recreational activities such as boating, swimming, diving, surfing and paddling, but fishing is restricted in Sanctuary Zones.

City of Onkaparinga residents and visitors to our region can enjoy 31km of pristine coastline and the only Marine Parks on the Adelaide metro coast at Aldinga Reef, Port Noarlunga Reef and Onkaparinga Wetland.

 

The Port Noarlunga Reef is fantastic for diving, snorkelling or simply viewing as the reef is literally a stones through from the jetty. Over 200 species of marine plant and fish are found at the reef and include bryozoans, sponges, hydroids, ascidians and molluscs.

Port Noarlunga’s Aquatic Trail is excellent for dive novices. Consisting of 12 markers, it starts next to the seaward end of the jetty and travels south inside through the gap and then north along the reef.View detailed information on Marine Parks and zones.

 

 

 

Beach and jetty

 

The beach and the jetty are the biggest attractions to visitors. The close proximity of a diverse range of aquatic features making this area stand out from other coastal locations. There is also a small main street (Gawler Street) that serves visitors and locals in this beach area. It has several cafes, a pub, a fish and chip shop, a surf shop and several other businesses providing services to the locals. The old "Institute" building, built in 1924, is now the community centre.

 

Port Noarlunga Reef[

 

Port Noarlunga Reef is a narrow reef about 400 metres (1,300 ft) offshore and about 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) long and was formed from a consolidated Pleistocene sand dune. The reef runs parallel to shore and has two sections, with the area separating them called The Gap. It is a popular scuba diving and snorkelling location, with more than 200 marine plant species and over 60 fish species. There is a self-guided diving trail which was established in 1994, which is marked with a series of 12 glass plaques. The plaques indicate aspects of the reef ecosystem relevant to their location.^[6]

 

Port Noarlunga Aquatic Reserve

 

Port Noarlunga Reef at low tide, view to South from the jetty

The Port Noarlunga Aquatic Reserve was the first aquatic reserve proclaimed in South Australia, being established in 1971 to protect the reef life and the adjacent river estuary. The boundaries of the reserve were extended to the north in 1993 to include an adjacent limestone reef known as Horseshoe Reef at Christies Beach. As of 2007, it extends along the coastline from Onkaparinga Head at Port Noarlunga South in the south to Gulfview Road at Christies Beach in the north and includes the Onkaparinga River up until the Main South Road at Old Noarlunga. The reserve covers an area of 527 hectares (1,300 acres). Fishing activity is limited to the use of rod and handline while the use of ‘hand nets for the taking of shrimps for bait only’ is permitted in estuary and the Onkaparinga River. No fishing is permitted within 25 metres (82 ft) of Horseshoe and Port Noarlunga Reefs and can only be carried out from the jetty and the beach at Port Noarlunga.^[6][7][8]

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g495033-d7914841-Reviews-Port_Noarlunga_Reef-Port_Noarlunga_South_Australia.html