Things to do in Tailem Bend, South Australia: Best attractions

The best things to do in Tailem Bend, South Australia, are the Murray River walking loop and the ghost tours at Old Tailem Town Pioneer Village.

Tailem Bend, South Australia, is a small service town on the Murray River. The Dukes Highway and Mallee Highway meet here, making Tailem Bend something of a crossroads town.

Book in advance for the best deals on Tailem Bend accommodation.

For many Australians, Tailem Bend is best known as the home of the Bend Motorsport Park. This motor racing circuit hosts Supercars races and the Australian GT Championship.

Assuming, you’re not in South Australia to watch motor racing, there are a few things to do in Tailem Bend.

Things to do in Tailem Bend, SA: Murray River walk

For the active, top of the list of things to do in Tailem Bend is a 25km walking loop along the Murray River. This crosses into Jervois and heads down to Wellington. There are several historic buildings along the way. You can cross the river on the Tailem Bend ferry, coming back on the Wellington ferry.

The Tailem Bend ferry crossing the Murray River. Photo by John Montesi.

For information on the town and a dose of local history, the Tailem Info Station doubles as both a museum and a visitor information centre.

Things to do in Tailem Bend, SA: Old Tailem Town Pioneer Village

The main attraction in Tailem Bend, however, is Old Tailem Town Pioneer Village. Here, more than 100 historic buildings have been transported from their original locations and preserved together. The result is an atmospheric fake town, with its own church, school and village hall. Many of the old wooden buildings have an eerie, ramshackle quality to them. This ties in nicely with the ghost tours run by Adelaide Haunted Horizons.

It’s a 96km drive from Adelaide to Tailem Bend.

Tailem Bend accommodation picks

The best Tailem Bend accommodation choices are:

For good quality at relatively cheap rates (and a riverside location): Motel River Bend.
For racetrack views: Rydges Pit Lane Hotel.
For families: Big4 The Bend Holiday Park.

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