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
The Menz FruChocs Shop
A shopfront dedicated to South Australia's beloved chocolate-coated apricot and peach lolly, with tastings, gift packs and the full Menz range.
The Sanctuary Forest Bathing Yundi
Guided forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku) sessions in pristine riverine bush at Yundi - less than an hour from Adelaide.
The Vine Shed (Conte Estate)
An Italian-heritage family cellar door on Sand Road with regular live music, a kids play area and a big deck overlooking the vineyards.
Tolderol Game Reserve
A 428-hectare wetland on the north-west shore of Lake Alexandrina with bird hides - one of South Australia's premier sites for migratory waders and waterfowl.
Tooperang Observing Site
A dark-sky astronomy site run by the Astronomical Society of South Australia, with public observing nights in the rural Tooperang hamlet.
Tooperang Trout Farm
A long-running family fish-your-own trout and yabby farm in the hills above Mount Compass - one of the more unusual family attractions on the Fleurieu.
TrailHopper Hop-on Hop-off Wine Bus
Adelaide's only hop-on hop-off wine bus, looping a North and South route across 15+ McLaren Vale cellar doors with flexible all-day boarding.
Urimbirra Open-Range Wildlife Park
Hand-feed kangaroos and wombats at Victor Harbor
A family-run open-range wildlife park 5km north of Victor Harbor with kangaroos, wombats, koalas, dingoes and over 70 bird species - most of them close enough to feed.
Victor Harbor Holiday Park
$$Cabins and caravan sites in central Victor Harbor
A family holiday park on Bay Road, Victor Harbor with cabins, ensuite villas, powered sites and camping - a short walk to the town centre and the causeway.
Victor Harbor Horse Drawn Tram
$The 1894 tram to Granite Island
The only operating horse-drawn tram in Australia, running since 1894 across the causeway to Granite Island.
Willunga Skate Park & Nature Play
A destination skate park and nature playground at the southern end of the Shiraz Trail in Willunga, with grass for picnics and shade trees.
Wirrina Cove Holiday Park
A holiday park on Wirrina Cove with powered and unpowered camping sites, cabins and self-contained units, just metres from a quiet swimming beach.
Wirrina Cove Marina
The small marina and public boat ramp at Wirrina Cove, a base for fishing charters and recreational boaters, next door to the Wirrina resort precinct.
Woodstock Wildlife Sanctuary
A 3-hectare wildlife sanctuary on the Woodstock Wine Estate at McLaren Flat, with rescued kangaroos, wallabies and an emu, and a daily 11:30am feeding session.
Yankalilla Craft & Produce Market
A small monthly craft and produce market at the historic Agricultural Hall, third Saturday of every month, with local growers, makers and bakers.
Yankalilla Memorial Park
A sporting precinct opened in 1926 hosting the Yankalilla Golf Course and the town's football, bowls, netball, hockey and tennis clubs.
Yoga with Yaisa (Heartland Shala)
Yoga retreats, teacher training and drop-in classes at the Heartland Shala in the Aldinga Beach scrub - run by wellness guide Yaisa Nio.
Yundi Cultural Walk
A guided walk with a Ngarrindjeri or Kaurna Tribal Elder through Yundi bushland, with a meal of local produce afterward.
Family Activities in Fleurieu Peninsula - frequently asked questions
What is the Fleurieu Peninsula best known for as a family destination?
The signature family day out is at Victor Harbor, where a Clydesdale horse pulls the heritage tram across the 630-metre causeway to Granite Island - the only horse-drawn tram of its kind running year-round in the Southern Hemisphere. The other classic is the Cockle Train, a heritage steam and rail service that runs along the coast between Goolwa, Port Elliot and Victor Harbor on one of Australia's oldest railway lines.
Which beaches are best for families with young children?
Horseshoe Bay at Port Elliot is a sheltered, crescent-shaped bay with calm water, a grassy foreshore and cafes right behind the sand, making it ideal for easy beach days. Carrickalinga and Normanville on the western coast also offer calm, shallow turquoise water and soft sand, with Carrickalinga's rock pools popular for little ones to explore safely.
Where can kids get up close to animals on the Fleurieu?
Urimbirra Wildlife Park, about five minutes from Victor Harbor in Hindmarsh Valley, is an open-range park home to kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, emus, wombats and dingoes. It is open daily, animal feed is available on site, and there are scheduled koala and snake-handling experiences, plus free barbecues and picnic areas for a family lunch.
Do you need to book the tram and the Cockle Train, and what days do they run?
The Victor Harbor horse-drawn tram runs to Granite Island every day of the year, with tickets bought on the day. The Cockle Train operates on a heritage timetable - typically Sundays, Wednesdays, school holidays and daily through the summer holiday season - so check the SteamRanger timetable before you go; tickets can be purchased on the day at the Goolwa, Port Elliot or Victor Harbor station offices.
Is winter still a good time for a family trip to the Fleurieu?
Yes - winter is whale season, when southern right whales gather close to the Encounter Coast off Victor Harbor, generally from May to October with the best viewing from June through September. The South Australian Whale Centre in the heart of Victor Harbor has interactive exhibits for kids, and June's Winter Whale Fest brings family events along the coast, so the colder months are far from quiet.