Crafers West, SA 5152

Perfect for people who love nature and want to be near the city. Many of our neighbours have lived here for over 30 years because they like it so much.

A great place for active people and families who want their children to be able to safely explore the outdoors.

You can be in the CBD in 13 minutes if you get green lights, but 20 minutes is what I plan for. Most delays are actually along Glen Osmond Rd, not the freeway, and so have nothing to do with your Hills location.

The suburb covers a big area and so some reviews will be very different. A few streets are up against the train line (same in Stirling, Algate, Bridgewater) so I'd be aware of that. You won't hear the train from most of Crafers West streets though.

Some houses are buried away down long one-way streets so have a higher fire risk. Others are 30 seconds from the freeway on-ramp. So fire risk varies greatly depending on the street.

I'd suggest that there's no difference in community spirit compared to any nice suburb, we have had good relationships with neighbours in both the hills and in the city. However, there's a lot more space between houses so less chance of disturbing each other.

Buy an eBike and you'll be at all the Hills pubs, restaurants, cafes and numerous wineries without breaking a sweat. Or get a traditional bike and get fit :)

Crafers West is a trail runners, bush walkers and mountain bikers paradise given it is up against Belair National Park and access trails to Brown Hill Creek Recreation Park. The north side of Crafers West is within a stone's throw of Cleland Conservation Park. If you like nature and want to be close to a city, I'm not sure you could find a better suburb in Australia.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the streets that come off Sheoak Rd. Albert Ave would be my top pick because it's the most quiet and the closest to the National Park.

Crackers west has been my home for 15 years. In this time I have loved living there, the people and most certainly the end of year Christmas party. I have made many friends and friendly acquaintances and have most certainly enjoyed sitting on my veranda, looking at the view and drinking a good cup’a.

This has been the norm for 15 years, until last July. I was out on my usual 1:36pm walk through Crackers when I saw it. It seemed to be a tall, hairy person walking through the bushier parts of the road. I thought it was my neighbour David for a moment but quickly realised David is much hairier around the lower back. I made a quick jog over to the person but realised pretty much instantly it was a Sasquatch.
I must say that I do enjoy the wildlife in this area but can’t really agree with a bloody Sasquatch milling around the place. Well that and the killer bees.

Crackers west is a beautiful part of the world focused on quiet, peaceful living and a great community. I give Crackers a 4/5 rating (minus 1 star for Sasquatch and killer bees)

I recommend the Crafers Hotel for a great pub lunch.

Heath Rd is a small, sparsely populated street that is just perfect. Fantastic views of the mountains and lots of birdlife, kangaroos, koalas and rabbits. We even had a pair of peacocks walking down the road.

Not a lot of local places to eat, but the crafers hotel is in walking distance as is Stirling for your local shops/pub.

Traffic is minimal and owners seem respectfully and polite.

If you are a private person who enjoys peace and quiet and values their privacy this is not the street for you. Every-one including people who you have never met know all about you thanks to street reporters we call 'Reuters' and 'News Of The World'. Expect a visit within days of moving in so they can update their spreadsheets.
Cars, letterboxes, Council signs and even Christmas decorations on front fences have been vandalized over the years.
Bogans rev their toys and blast their music at any old hour.
Expect to be tailgated regularly and nearly wiped out on the narrow road by some of the hoons (the speed limit is 50kph not 50mph) who don't understand what a white line means - yes you are not supposed to straddle it.
And don't forget the annual ritual where you will be expected to stand at 7.30 am on Christmas Day, pay your money and have a cup of coffee with the clown who has spent the last 12 months tailgating you.
The fire risk is extreme, a fact that is not appreciated by all. Emmet Road is a 2.5 km dead end road with probably 80 homes. A fire from the E/NE would cause havoc if the road was blocked for whatever reason.
Finally remember to walk with your back to traffic, walk on the road and wear dark clothing especially at night.

After 25 years, this is still heaven! You can live in a beautiful bushland setting, with amazing wildlife - and only 20 minutes to the city!! Overseas visitors just cannot believe it. Yes, its a bit cold in winter but most houses are set up for it - log fires, glass of wine etc etc. And, unlike other areas in SA, this a place where you truly get four seasons - each one spectacular in its own way. Stirling is nearby (we walk there - although its a long, but beautiful walk through bush trails) with great restaurants and the best pub in the hills plus all the usual 'big city' conveniences. Excellent primary and secondary schools are close by.
People always ask me about bushfires but the risk is vastly overstated. Statistics tell it all - the last bushfire in Crafers West was 1954! And since then, the Freeway has been built which provides an additional 'fire break' (fires come from the north, driven by hot northerly winds) for the area. But, like anywhere, simple precautions are needed - such as not lighting fires on a severe fire risk day!
We moved from Norwood and would never leave here - crime is virtually unheard of (I cant remember the last time we even locked our doors when going out) and there is a real sense of community. Unlike many city suburbs these days, you know your neighbours here! Our kids grew up here and, although now adult and living interstate, they cant wait to come home to what the desribe as the 'best place in the world'. We agree!

Heath Road, unlike much of Crafers West, is a short walk to public transport or only about twenty minutes into the centre of the city by car. It is a no-through road currently attracting new residents (three building projects are under way). All of the residents enjoy uninterrupted valley views and the wildlife includes koalas, echidnas, kangaroos and numerous species of cockatoos and finches. It is a short healthy walk to Crafers or Stirling. St Catherine's and the Crafers Primary schools are nearby. Despite the proximity of the Freeway and the Adelaide-Melbourne rail line, it is unusual to hear any traffic. Not all the homes on Heath Road are connected to mains water and residents would be unwise not to have a well planned bush fire strategy. None of the homes are connected to a sewer system.

I challenge anyone to come up with another locality in Australia where you can live on 23 acres of open space and native woodland with kangaroos, koalas, echidnas and close to 100 species of birds 10kms out and still only 20 mins from a city centre with over 1 million people. With the freeway bypassing this area 10 years ago it has vastly improved the local ambience while improving the access to Adelaide. Being under the strict guidlines of the Adelaide Hills Face Zoning, what you see is what you get... a very discrete number of houses in a semi-rural and natural bushalnd setting.