Naracoorte to Adelaide road trip: Best stops, distance & time

The best stops on a Naracoorte to Adelaide road trip are the Mount Monster Conservation Park, Murray Bridge and Hahndorf. By car along the Riddoch Highway and Dukes Highway, the distance from Naracoorte to Adelaide is 333km, with a driving time of around 3h41m.

The Naracoorte to Adelaide drive connects a Limestone Coast town famous for its caves to South Australia’s state capital. Most travellers will come along this route as part of a longer road trip from Warrnambool to Adelaide or Melbourne to Adelaide.

To choose your Naracoorte accommodation, head here.

Adelaide brings food tours of the fabulous Central Market, Torrens River cruises, swimming with dolphins and the chance to walk across the roof of the Adelaide Oval. To book Adelaide accommodation, step this way. For a  full range of Adelaide tours and experiences, explore here.

This guide should help travellers plan their perfect Naracoorte to Adelaide road trip itinerary.

Naracoorte to Adelaide distance and driving time

By car along sealed roads, the distance from Naracoorte to Adelaide is 333km. That makes for a driving time of around three hours and 41 minutes.

The town of Naracoorte offers swims in the Naracoorte Swimming Lake and learninf about the wool industry at the Sheep’s Back Museum.

But the key highlight is just to the south – the Naracoorte Caves. An extraordinary collection of megafauna fossils has been found here. There are several tour options – pick Victoria Fossil Cave to learn about the discoveries, or Stick-Tomato Cave if you just want a spectacular-looking cave.

Naracoorte to Adelaide road trip: Padthaway to Keith

North of Naracoorte there are a few wineries around Padthaway. Try CW Wines or Farmers Leap Wines or Padthaway Estate if you fancy a tasting stop.

Otherwise, continue north. There’s a decent lookout at the Christmas Rocks Conservation Park, but the Mount Monster Conservation Park is a better spot. There are walking trails, usually providing plenty of wildlife sightings, around an imposing granite outcrop.

About 12km to the north of the Mount Monster Conservation Park is Keith, which has a caravan park and golf course. It is most famous, however, for being the home of the Landrover Up A Pole. And, yes, it’s pretty much what the name suggests.

Naracoorte to Adelaide road trip: Keith to Murray Bridge

Beyond Keith on the Dukes Highway, Lake Indawarra in Tintinara is a decent place for a picnic, while Coonalpyn has a massive mural over its grain silos.

You can be forgiven, however, for bombing straight on through to Tailem Bend.

Things to do in Tailem Bend include tackling the Murray River walking loop and getting spooked out by the ghost tours at Old Tailem Town Pioneer Village.

The next town along the Murray River is Murray Bridge, where you can walk among the wildflowers in Kinchina Conservation Park or take a Murray River paddleboat cruise.

Murray Bridge accommodation costs from $101 per night, with good options including the Bridgeport Hotel.

Click through for the next section: Murray Bridge to Hahndorf.

Naracoorte to Adelaide road trip: Murray Bridge to Hahndorf

A little further along, you’ll reach the Monarto Safari Park – one of the biggest zoos in Australia.

It’s not too much longer before you reach the Adelaide Hills, with Mount Barker being the first town you encounter.

Reasons to stop here include the Prancing Pony Brewery, SteamRanger Heritage Railway, Howard Vineyard and Berrigan Wines. You might also want to try walking to the Mt Barker Summit Lookout.

Next up is the most fun town in the Adelaide Hills – German heritage-laced Hahndorf. Here, you’ll find excellent Adelaide Hills wineries such as the Sidewood Estate, The Lane and the Hahndorf Hill Winery.

Alternatively, you can enjoy German-style food and beers at the Hahndorf Inn and German Arms Hotel.

Other attractions include artist Hans Heysen’s studio at the Cedars and the kid-pleasing Hahndorf Farm Barn.

Hahndorf to Adelaide

On the way into Adelaide, the route then passes the Bridgewater Fairy Garden, Raywood Gardens and the Mount George Conservation Park. Near Crafers, it’s possible to make an engaging detour to the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden, Mount Lofty Summit and Cleland Conservation Park.

Underrated aspects of Adelaide include the Himeji Japanese Garden, kayaking tours of the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary, Semaphore Beach and the koala-dotted Morialta Conservation Park.

You can also try mountain bike tours, a wine discovery experience at the National Wine Centre and a twilight coastal cruise.

More South Australia travel

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The best stops on a Ballarat to Adelaide road trip.