The ultimate winter school holiday guide

By Samuel Smith
Published: Monday, June 22, 2020

With many SA restrictions easing just in time for the 4-19 July school holidays, parents are breathing a collective sigh of relief.

After months keeping the little ones busy at home, no longer does the living room have to be the epicentre of all activities.

Slowly but surely, life is returning to South Australia’s city streets, suburbs and regional centres. To celebrate, kiss the couch goodbye and spend the winter school holidays exploring mind-boggling museums, thrilling adventure parks and South Australia’s stunning landscape.

From whale watching to aerial acrobatics, here are 11 ways to get out and about with the kids during the winter break.

1. Visit the South Australian Museum

The South Australian Museum has reopened with a brand-new exhibition focussing on our favourite 4-legged companions. Dogs: a story of our best friend is a must-visit for animal lovers of all ages, showing how dogs have evolved over thousands of years, from wolves to man’s best friend.

The exhibition runs every day from 10am–5pm and includes a great range of interactive experiences. Kids can learn about dogs from a scientific and cultural perspective, inspecting skeletons, watching short films and even selecting the ideal dog for their lifestyle, with the help of an interactive digital program.

On the sillier side, kids (and small, uninhibited adults) can test their flexibility, climbing through doggy doors, playing in a kennel and taking selfies in an interactive farm scene.

Just don’t blame us if a pitstop at the local pet store is requested on the drive home.

The front of the South Australian Museum. Image: SATC

2. Watch whales in the wild

As far as awe-inspiring sights go, nothing compares to watching 23,000kg southern right whales heave themselves out of the ocean.

For an experience the kids will never forget, head to Kangaroo Island, the Fleurieu Peninsula or Eyre Peninsula for the southern right whale migration. You can spot the gentle giants throughout July, August and September each year. Some of the best places try your luck are The Bluff and Encounter Bay in Victor Harbor and Penneshaw and Kingscote on Kangaroo Island.

Find out more.

Watching whales on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Image: SATC

3. Experience the ultimate adventure playground

Have your kids reached that frustrating age when suggestions to ‘go play outside’ are met with overt eye-rolling, rather than giggles of delight?

If so, fret no more – Mega Adventure Adelaide is here to help. You won’t find any seesaws or slippery dips here. A swing? Yes, but it happens to be SA’s largest, and reaches speeds of 70km/h.

Designed by real-life adventurer, Alex Blyth, whose hobbies include mountain climbing and trekking across the South Pole, Mega Adventure Adelaide is the ultimate boredom buster.

Highlights of the giant playground include a mid-air rowing boat, floating BMX bike, sky-high picnic table, Parajump, giant swing and a 30m-high crow’s nest.

Find out more.

Mega Adventure Australia. Image: SATC

4. Explore the Mintaro Maze

Put down the puzzle books – Mintaro Maze is the real deal.

Featuring twists and turns that’ll have even the most seasoned explorers scratching their heads, the maze is one of the Clare Valley’s most iconic attractions. It also happens to be just around the corner from some of SA’s best wineries. Wink wink, parents.

Work together as a family to navigate through the maze, which consists of more than 800 lush conifers. When you’re done, relax by Mintaro’s trickling fountains or challenge the kids to a supersized game of chess.

If, after all the exploration, you’re in need of something to quench your thirst, you’ll find many of the Clare Valley’s family-friendly wineries have re-opened. For a continually updated guide of what’s open, click here.

Find out more.

The Mintaro Maze. Image: SATC

5. Rediscover South Australia’s zoos

The Adelaide Zoo is reopening its gates on June 22 with Monarto following on June 29 – just in time for the school holidays. Once again, the little ones can come face-to-fur, scale and feather with more than 2,500 animals in the heart of Adelaide.

But if your kids want to know where the wild things really are, head to Monarto – an epic 1500ha open-range animal sanctuary, home to 50 exotic and native animal species as well as the mane-raising Lions 360 experience. Stepping into a sturdy cage, you’ll get a prey’s eye view of one the world’s most awe-inspiring animals.

Watching a lion pride pad across the metal cage just metres above your head is an experience that’ll stay with you for life. So is feeling the bone-shaking rumble of their roar. At an extra cost, you can get even closer to Monarto’s lion family and hand-feed them their lunch.

Find out more about Monarto and the Adelaide Zoo.

Monarto Zoo. Image: SATC

6. Hang out at TreeClimb Adelaide

Take to the treetops at TreeClimb Adelaide – a sprawling aerial adventure park bordering Adelaide’s CBD. Featuring 8 courses and more than 70 obstacles (including courses specifically designed for kids), thrill-seekers of all ages can safely swing, leap, climb and fly through the trees.

Note: kids need to be at least 100cm tall to take part.

RAA members get 15% off at TreeClimb Adelaide. Find out more.

TreeClimb Adelaide. Image: SATC

7. Join a School Holiday Program at the Adelaide Botanic Garden

The iconic Adelaide Botanic Garden has now reopened, providing parents with a leafy escape while offering kids plenty of room to blow off steam.

From 7-16 July, the Adelaide Botanic Garden’s School Holiday Program will play host to a fantastic range of activities, guaranteed to cultivate your little one’s green thumb.

Activities are suitable for kids from ages 5 to 13 and cover a range of topics from plants and people, to nature and the environment.

Our top picks include Aboriginal Plant Use, where an Indigenous guide demonstrates how plants were traditionally used by Aboriginal people, and Little Sprouts Kitchen Garden, where kids learn how to grow their own veggies from scratch.

Find out more.

The Adelaide Botanic Garden. Image: SATC

8. See South Australia by foot

From the wild coast of the Yorke Peninsula to the lush Adelaide Hills, South Australia’s scenery is as stunning as it is diverse.

Though there’ll inevitably be a few blustery days here and there, South Australia’s winter months are relatively mild – perfect for rugging up and hitting one of many walking trails meandering across the state.

Wondering where to start? Walking SA has compiled an extensive list of great South Australian short walks (and hikes), specifically for kids – 50 to be exact. Pack a picnic lunch, and spend the winter holidays exploring wetlands, bushland reserves, forests, waterfalls, mangrove trails and more.

Find out more.

Bushwalking through the Adelaide Hills. Image: SATC

9. Take a ride on the Cockle Train

Not looking a day over 130, Goolwa’s charming Cockle Train has been choo choo-ing proudly since 1887. In its youth, the Cockle Train provided an invaluable link between the Murray and the ocean, travelling along Australia’s oldest steel railway to stations in Pt Elliot and Victor Harbor.

Today, the still-spritely locomotive starts its daily run at Goolwa Station, heads to Victor Harbor, then across the plains to Middleton. It makes a stop in the beautiful coastal town of Port Elliot, where passengers can disembark and spend the day immersed in seaside charm.

The Goolwa Station is run by the National Trust and features a small historical museum, guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of any Thomas the Tank-loving toddler.

If you want the full experience though, stay on the Cockle Train till its final stop at Victor Harbor. This last stretch is well worth the wait, passing through plenty of wild coastal scenery, typical of the Fleurieu. If you’re lucky, you may even spot a southern right whale.

Find out more.

The Cockle Train. Image: SATC

10. Experience Morialta’s Mukanthi Nature Playground

Morilata Conservation Park, known for its rugged ridges, gully scenery and seasonal waterfalls, now boasts another natural wonder – Mukanthi Nature Playground.

Pronounced muh-ganthee, Mukanthi is a Kaurna word meaning ‘to celebrate and play’, which is what your little ones will be raring to do as soon as they have the sprawling playground in their sights.

Mukanthi was built in collaboration with Kaurna elders and Indigenous artists in 2017 and features 5 themed play areas: Eagles Nest, Great Snake, Kookaburra Nest, Climbing Boulders and Frog Island.

Many of the park’s gigantic play structures would look equally at-home in an art gallery, featuring natural materials and salvaged native Australian timber. Play areas flow seamlessly into one another and are surrounded by lush lawns, creeks and native trees.

Find out more.

Morialta Conservation Park. Image: SATC

11. Find out about SA’s maritime history

Arrr me hearties, avast ye: South Australia’s Maritime Museum has reopened its doors to the public. Now, once again, swashbuckling adventurers of all ages can take a step back in time and discover the state’s fascinating maritime history.

The South Australian Maritime Museum is spread out over 2 separate 1850s stone bond-stores in Port Adelaide and also includes a 1869-built lighthouse which once stood at the entrance to the Port River.

Exhibitions focus on the voyages of Matthew Flinders and Nicolas Baudin, as well as the experiences of immigrants throughout the 1830s, 1910s and 1950s. Kids can experience first-hand what it was like to travel to Australia by boat in 1836, marvel at real-life sailing ships and find out more about the Port’s ‘urban’ dolphins.

Find out more.

Port Adelaide, home of the Maritime Museum. Image: SATC

There’s so much to see in SA

It’s time to rediscover your backyard.

Find SA experiences here