Bristow Smith Reserve

A playground worth the drive

Bristow Smith Reserve sits on the banks of the Murray River on Barrage Road, a short walk or drive from central Goolwa. Its nature playspace has become a Fleurieu icon - the centrepiece is a beautifully restored 10-metre wooden fishing boat that kids clamber over and through, surrounded by Parkour elements, sensory walls, climbing nets, basket swings and stepping logs carved with native animals.

What visitors do

Families come for the playground, stay for the picnic. There are three free public BBQs, shaded shelters with tables, a cypress pine carved with Australian wildlife, and a shallow sandy swimming beach on the river's edge for small children. A boat ramp and jetty sit alongside the reserve, so you can watch fishing tinnies and kayakers come and go while you eat.

Practical notes

Free, open all hours, with a large car park, public toilets, drinking fountain and accessible swings designed for wheelchair users. The reserve is dog friendly on-lead. Combine it with a short drive onward to the Goolwa Barrage for a half-day family outing.