Family Activities
For Kids & Parents
The best family activities in Fleurieu Peninsula
The horse-drawn tram at Victor Harbor, steam trains at Goolwa, calm bays for swimming, farm animal experiences and playgrounds - the Fleurieu is a family holiday legend.
The Fleurieu Peninsula is a brilliant place to travel with children, with a stack of things to do that work for all ages and most weather. The classic family day out is at Victor Harbor: ride the heritage horse-drawn tram across the causeway to Granite Island, then hop aboard the Cockle Train, a historic steam-and-heritage railway that runs along the coast to Goolwa.
There's plenty more to keep kids busy. Think mini golf and foreshore playgrounds, the trout farm at Tooperang where you can catch your own, wildlife parks, and gentle, swimmable beaches up and down the Gulf St Vincent coast. Markets, farm gates and pick-your-own orchards turn a simple drive into an adventure, and the region's many short, flat walks and rail trails are easy going for little legs and prams.
Rainy days are well covered too, with museums, galleries, indoor play and family-friendly cafés in the larger towns. Most attractions are close together and easy to string into a single outing, and lots of beaches, walks and parks are free. For the most popular activities and the Cockle Train, check seasonal timetables and book ahead during school holidays.
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114 places
Onkaparinga River Recreation Park
A 250-hectare estuarine recreation park where the Onkaparinga River meets the sea - distinct from the upstream Onkaparinga River National Park, with quiet walking trails and rich birdlife.
Penny Red Beer Co
A vineyard-set craft brewery and dog-friendly taphouse in The Range, with 13 taps of beers brewed onsite and a wood-fired pizza kitchen.
Pirates Sea Charters
Half and full day fishing charters and sightseeing sea tours of the Fleurieu coast, Coorong and Encounter Bay from Victor Harbor.
Port Elliot Historic Railway and Seaport Centre
$Inside Australia's oldest public railway terminus
The 1853 Port Elliot Railway Station, now home to the National Trust's Historic Railway and Seaport Centre, tells the story of the horse-drawn tramway that connected the Murray River to the sea.
Port Noarlunga
One of the most iconic beaches on the Fleurieu - a long, sheltered bay framed by ochre cliffs, a 1921 timber jetty, and the Port Noarlunga Reef just offshore.
PS Oscar W
$$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.
Samastah Yoga
Hatha, yin, prenatal and kids yoga at Port Willunga, plus beach yoga on Port Willunga Beach in summer and sound therapy sessions.
Sanctuary Day Spa & Skin Clinic
A full-service Victor Harbor day spa offering massage, Japanese scalp spa, floatation therapy, facials, hot stone and deep tissue treatments.
SeaLink Cape Jervis Ferry Terminal
The departure point for daily SeaLink ferries to Kangaroo Island - the defining infrastructure of Cape Jervis township and a Backstairs Passage viewing point in its own right.
Second Valley Caravan Park
A pet-friendly beachside caravan park at Second Valley with cabins and powered sites, walking distance to the jetty and beach.
Sellicks Beach
A long sweep of sand below the cliffs
A wide, family-friendly drive-on beach at the southern end of the metropolitan coast, famous for its cliff-backed sands and clifftop sunsets over Gulf St Vincent.
Signal Point Gallery
Contemporary gallery on the Goolwa Wharf
A contemporary and touring exhibition gallery housed in a landmark building on the Goolwa Wharf, looking out over the Murray River.
Small Batch Wine Tours
Sommelier-led intimate wine tours into McLaren Vale, the Barossa and the Adelaide Hills - all-inclusive small groups led by Matthew Kurko.
Smiling Samoyed Brewery
Microbrewery in an old Myponga dairy factory
An award-winning microbrewery housed in a converted dairy factory in Myponga, famous for its beers named after the owners' Samoyed dogs.
Soldiers Memorial Gardens
Riverside park at the heart of Strathalbyn
A beautiful riverside park at the centre of Strathalbyn, following the River Angas through the heritage town with lawns, ponds, picnic tables and the town's war memorial.
South Australian Whale Centre
$The story of Encounter Bay's whales
Interpretive whale centre on the Victor Harbor foreshore, home to an excellent education gallery and the best vantage point for winter whale spotting.
South Coast Helicopters
Scenic helicopter tours from Strathalbyn Airfield covering the Fleurieu coastline, Murray Mouth, Victor Harbor Bluff, Second Valley and McLaren Vale.
Southern Fishing Charters
A 15-metre Westcoaster deep-sea charter vessel from Cape Jervis for serious offshore fishing in Backstairs Passage and beyond.
Spirit of the Coorong Cruises
Daily 2, 3.5 and 6-hour cruises from Goolwa Wharf through the barrage and into the Coorong - the only operator running scheduled cruises through the Murray Mouth.
SteamRanger Cockle Train
$Heritage steam trains along the coast since 1887
The historic Cockle Train follows the coast from Goolwa to Victor Harbor on tracks laid in 1887, run by SteamRanger Heritage Railway.
Strathalbyn Historic Town
South Australia's Scottish heritage town
One of the prettiest towns in Australia: a riverside heritage town settled by Scottish pioneers in 1839, with over 30 heritage-listed buildings and a reputation as the state's antiques capital.
Strathalbyn Sunday Market
A monthly antiques, collectables and craft market on the lawns of Lions Park, third Sunday of every month - one of the longest-running country markets on the Fleurieu.
Surf & Sun Middleton
South Australia's largest and longest-running surf school, based in the main street of Middleton - daily 2-hour group lessons, surfboard, SUP and wetsuit hire, and trailer-based hire on the beach.
The Almond Train
An iconic 1920s train carriage on Main Road McLaren Vale that has been a roadside almond, olive oil and pantry-goods stop for more than 25 years.