Family Activities

Working station accommodation above Backstairs Passage

Working station-turned-holiday park perched above Cape Jervis, with motel rooms, cottages and campsites overlooking Kangaroo Island and the Heysen Trail.

Beachfront caravan park at Horseshoe Bay

A family caravan park right on the beach at Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot - cabins, ensuite sites, caravan and camping sites, and a direct walk to the sand.

Shaded bushland tourist park near the cliffs

Shaded bushland caravan and cabin park a short drive from the iconic Port Willunga cliffs, Aldinga Beach and the McLaren Vale cellar doors.

Eco-certified marine wildlife tours on the south coast

Small-group wildlife boat tours from the Granite Island Causeway at Victor Harbor, with seals, dolphins and - in winter - southern right whales.

A riverside nature playground with a wooden boat

Goolwa's premier riverside park features an award-winning nature playspace built around a 10-metre restored wooden fishing boat, right on the Murray River with BBQs, shelters and a shallow swimming beach.

Kayak tours into the Coorong wetlands

Guided kayak tours from Hindmarsh Island into the Coorong National Park - a Ramsar-listed wetland system of lagoons, sand dunes and waterbirds.

A wide white-sand beach north of Normanville

A wide, flat, white-sand beach stretching 3km along the Gulf St Vincent north of Normanville - safe for swimming, excellent for beach walks and one of the Fleurieu's best family beaches.

Thirty-seven flat kilometres from sea to slate

A 37-kilometre sealed rail trail along the old Willunga railway corridor, running from Marino on the coast through the McLaren Vale vineyards and ending on the edge of historic Willunga township.

Alice in Wonderland meets McLaren Vale

A whimsical, Alice in Wonderland-themed cellar door and restaurant on Binney Road, with vineyard gardens, long lunches and estate wines.

30km sealed cycling and walking path

A mostly flat 30km sealed path running along the Encounter Coast between Victor Harbor and Goolwa - perfect for families, casual walkers and cyclists.

Classic cars and motoring memorabilia

A family-run motor museum in the heart of Strathalbyn housing a rotating collection of classic cars, motoring memorabilia and vintage advertising.

A 280-million-year-old glaciated river bed

A Permian-era glacial pavement carved into 510 million year old bedrock on the floor of the Inman River - one of the oldest and most accessible glacial sites in Australia.

Riverside market on the Goolwa Wharf

A community market on the Goolwa Wharf with over 80 stalls of fresh produce, crafts, food and music - held on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month.

Victor Harbor's penguin-island

A small rocky island off the Victor Harbor foreshore, home to a little penguin colony and accessed by the iconic horse-drawn tram causeway.

Port Elliot's sheltered family cove

A near-perfect horseshoe of sandy beach framed by sandstone headlands at Port Elliot, one of the safest swimming beaches on the Encounter Coast.

Tiered cascade and rockpools in Second Valley Forest

A family-friendly tiered waterfall and rockpool just a short stroll from the carpark, set in the lush Second Valley Forest Reserve south of Normanville.

A country pub in the rolling hills

A traditional country pub in the tiny hamlet of Inman Valley - a classic Fleurieu lunch stop after a bike ride along the Encounter Bikeway or a visit to Glacier Rock.

The Fleurieu learn-to-surf beach

A long, gently-shelving sand beach between Port Elliot and Goolwa, widely regarded as the best learn-to-surf beach on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

A dairy town famous for Australia's only cow race

A friendly country crossroads halfway between McLaren Vale and Victor Harbor, best known for the annual Compass Cup cow race held every February.

Walking, kayaking and fishing at a SA Water reservoir

A 250-hectare SA Water reservoir opened to the public for walking, kayaking, fishing and picnics, with a spectacular lookout over the dam wall and spillway.

Beachfront villas, cabins and safari tents

Beachfront holiday park directly opposite Granite Island, with villas, cabins, safari tents and powered sites - a longstanding Victor Harbor family favourite.

Wide white sand just an hour from Adelaide

One of the longest, safest swimming beaches on the Fleurieu - a broad arc of white sand backed by dunes and a historic jetty.

Swim with giant southern bluefin tuna

A floating pontoon off Granite Island where visitors can hand-feed, view and swim with a school of giant southern bluefin tuna.

A 1908 wood-fired paddle steamer still steaming

One of only a handful of original Murray River paddle steamers still in regular operation, the wood-fired PS Oscar W offers one-hour heritage cruises from Goolwa Wharf on weekends.