Things to do on the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia

The best things to do on the Fleurieu Peninsula near Adelaide in South Australia include visiting Hindmarsh Falls. You can also add in the Onkaparinga River National Park, Aldinga Beach, McLaren Vale wineries and the Deep Creek Conservation Park.

To the south of Adelaide, the Fleurieu Peninsula is often rushed through on the way to Kangaroo Island. But the region has plenty of charm in its own right, offering a strong combination of wine, nature and beaches. So carve out a bit of extra time on the drive from Adelaide to Cape Jervis to take the Kangaroo Island ferry.

The first stop on the way down from Adelaide should be Old Noarlunga, a small settlement based around a loop in the Onkaparinga River. The riverside parklands are gently idyllic. Or at least they would be were it not for the flocks of noisy, marauding cockatoos.

Things to do on the Fleurieu Peninsula: walks and wine

Further upstream, the river forms the centrepiece of the Onkaparinga River National Park. Here, walking trails head through parched fields and over rolling hills before emerging at a gorge. It’s not the most dramatic of gorges – the sides manage to be curvy rather than steep and sheer – but it’s wonderfully peaceful. There’s not another soul to be seen.

The Onkarparinga River National Park is at the northern end of the McLaren Vale wine region, which produces some of the world’s best shirazes. Several wine tours are available, but if going the DIY route, a few wineries stand-out.

Maxwell Wines offers a maze and behind-the-scenes winery tours. Inkwell makes every attempt to strip “man-made” out of everything they do, and has a micro-hotel made of shipping containers on site. The Woodstock winery has a wildlife sanctuary where you can feed kangaroos. Mitolo Wines opts for Italian flair and Hugh Hamilton Wines has paired chocolate tastings.

D’Arenberg, meanwhile, has unveiled the d’Arenberg Cube, a five story, psychedelic building full of experiences designed to get your senses fully switched on before tasting.

Fleurieu Peninsula attractions: Beaches and waterfalls

The Fleurieu Peninsula’s other major trump card is its beaches. The best Fleurieu Peninsula beaches can be found down the west coast. Southport Beach at Port Noarlunga has a beautiful location at the mouth of the Onkaparinga River.

At Aldinga or Sellicks Beach, you can drive down the beach in a 4WD vehicle. Meanwhile, at Port Willunga, there’s great shipwreck snorkelling. Or you can try horse-riding on Normanville Beach and swimming in rock pools at Carrickalinga. At Rapid Bay, further south, it’s possible to go kayaking to isolated beaches and sea caves.

It’s also possible to see kangaroos on Blowhole Beach in Deep Creek National Park.

Head inland and there are several great spots for getting close to nature. Hindmarsh Falls is not going to compare to Niagara or Iguazu any time soon, but it’s pleasingly pretty. The Hindmarsh River almost zigzags down the rocks – like a mountain pass road – rather than plummets. But it’s the setting from the lookout, and the soundtrack of birdsong that bring on the “actually, I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else” feeling.

Things to do on the Fleurieu Peninsula: Deep Creek Conservation Park and Heysen Trail

For drama, one of the best things to do on the Fleurieu Peninsula is visiting Deep Creek Conservation Park. Here, the scenery keeps changing. One minute its tufty grass – often with kangaroos bounding through it – the next it’s a photogenic road with overhanging trees creating a tunnel effect.

But get to the coast, and suddenly the wows emerge. The ocean takes on a bright blue colour, and those rounded hills suddenly look much bigger once they turn into cliffs sweeping along the peninsula.

There’s plenty of this sort of scenery along the Fleurieu section of the Heysen Trail. This is one of Australia’s great long distance walking trails, stretching from the Flinders Ranges in the outback to Cape Jervis – the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula, and ferry departure point for Kangaroo Island. Naturally, very few people do the whole trail, but taking on sections is a much beloved way to spend a few days.

Things to do on the Fleurieu Peninsula: Victor Harbor

On Encounter Bay at the eastern end of Fleurieu Peninsula, Victor Harbor is one of South Australia’s most appealing towns. During the winter months, it’s a great spot for whale-watching tours. For the rest of the year, boat cruises head out to small islets to see seals, sea lions and dolphins. It’s also possible to hand-feed kangaroos at the Urimbirra Wildlife Park.

The other main attraction in Victor Harbor is the Victor Harbor Tramway’s horse-drawn tram. This travels across the causeway to Granite Island, where penguins are often spotted.

Victor Harbor is also one terminus for the Cockle Train, which shuttles back and forth to Goolwa via Port Elliot, home of the legendary Port Elliot Bakery and Port Elliot caravan park. The Cockle Train is one of the few operating steam trains in Australia. If heading over to Goolwa, you can take a cruise on the Coorong, one of the most magical national parks in Australia.