74 Best Sights in South Australia, Australia

These magnificent formal gardens include an international rose garden, giant water lilies, an avenue of Moreton Bay fig trees, acres of green lawns, and duck ponds. The Bicentennial Conservatory—the largest single-span glass house in the southern hemisphere—provides an environment for lowland rain-forest species such as the cassowary palm and torch ginger. The Santos Museum of Economic Botany contains fascinating exhibits on the commercial use of some species, and on-site Restaurant Botanic utilizes many plants grown on-site in exquisite degustations. In summer the Moonlight Cinema series (www.moonlight.com.au) screens new, classic, and cult films in Botanic Park, adjacent the garden at sunset; if you forget a picnic blanket you can hire one as well as buy drinks and snacks. Tickets sell fast, so plan ahead. Check the website for workshops, events, and concerts in the park.

The saltbush and scrub-lined Murray River floodplain 150 km (94 miles) east of Nuriootpa is an unlikely setting for a winery, but it is worth making the journey to this spot at Kingston-on-Murray. Within the eco-friendly rammed-earth building perched above the vineyard and wetlands you can select a wine to accompany an all-day grazing platter or lunch on the outdoor deck—try the baked Murray cod with seasonal quinoa salad. Afterward, you can take one of three self-guided walks (ranging from 2.5 km [1.5 miles] up to 8 km [5 miles]); trail access is by donation) to view the surrounding wetlands (which can be "drylands" during a drought), and learn about the ongoing restoration and conservation work funded by Banrock Station wine sales and walkers' donations.

A short drive from Mt. Lofty Summit brings you to delightful Cleland Wildlife Park, where many animals roam free in three different forest habitats. Self-guided walking trails crisscross the park and its surroundings, and you're guaranteed to see emus and kangaroos in the grasslands and pelicans around the swampy billabongs. There are also enclosures for wombats and other less sociable animals. Koala cuddling is a highlight of koala close-up sessions (A$33, daily 2 pm and 2:30 pm). Breakfast with the Birds offers the chance to feed a variety of species before the park opens to the public, and private two-hour night walks (A$327 for up to four people) let you wander among nocturnal species such as potoroos and brush-tailed bettongs: check the website for the next scheduled walk. Private guided tours can be arranged for A$135 per hour weekdays, A$270 per hour weekends. Reservations are essential. 

The park is closed when there's a fire ban (usually between December and February).

Founded by Thomas Cooper in 1862, this is Australia's only large-scale, independent, family-owned brewery. The Coopers beer story began when Thomas tried to create a tonic for his ailing wife, Ann, but instead created his first batch of beer. Customers grew in numbers as Thomas hand-delivered his all-natural ales and stout by horse and cart; the tradition lives on with guest appearances at special events by Clydesdayles drawing the very same cart that Thomas once used. Visitors can take accessible guided tours (A$33) of the brewhouse and enjoy tastings of the award-winning signature Coopers ales, including Coopers Pale Ale, Coopers Sparkling Ale, and Coopers Stout, in the museum post-tour. Proceeds from the brewery tour ticket price go to the Coopers Brewery Foundation, which then distributes funds to various charities. The museum features a display of the historic horse and cart, vintage Coopers delivery truck, and pictorials showcasing the history of the brewery.

The 1860s stone cellar door at Coriole Vineyards sits among nasturtiums and hollyhocks on a hill with stunning views of Gulf St. Vincent  and the surrounding region. The surrounding vines produce some of Australia's most exciting Italian varietal wines, such as Fiano, Sangiovese, and Montepulciano. Coriole also grows olives and makes olive oils, which you can taste along with their wine. Enjoy all three as part of a meal at on-site restaurant Gather, which foregrounds foraged and estate-grown ingredients on a seasonal menu of delicate share plates.The hosted tastings are excellent and should be booked ahead.

Much of Kangaroo Island has been given over to farmland but since being declared a national treasure in 1919, a huge area of original vegetation has been protected in Flinders Chase. The catastrophic wildfires that swept through Kangaroo Island in early 2020 burnt 98% of the park but within weeks green shoots had begun to re-emerge and wildlife returned soon afterward. Now the regenerating landscape offers a unique chance to observe how well adapted Australian flora is to bushfires; many native species need fire to reproduce.

The best way to see the park is on foot and several short walking trails meander through shaded valleys or along spectacular coastal cliffs. But the undoubted highlight is the 61-km (38-mile) Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail, which adds tannin-stained creeks, mallee scrub, sugar gum forests, and isolated beaches into the mix as well as passing the aforementioned geological marvels. Walkers can hike the full five-day trail or tackle a single section with a range of licensed tour operators. The effects of seas crashing mercilessly onto Australia's southern coast are visible in the oddly shaped rocks on the island's shores. 

Located just 11 km (7 miles) from the Adelaide city center, palindromic Glenelg is a busy seaside suburb known for its sandy beach, historic jetty, serene marinas, bustling shops, hotels, restaurants, bars, and The Beachouse entertainment complex. Trams lead the way to the beach, carrying passengers from the city along Jetty Road while pedestrians weave in and out of the various retail outlets that line the strip. A day trip to Glenelg is a must, but the easygoing beach vibe encourages everyone from backpackers to more discerning travelers to make it their Adelaide base. The beach is large and sandy with a very gentle slope, and the waters are calm. Expect to see large crowds on hotter days and, depending on the season, seaweed can be a problem. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: sunrise; sunset; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

Numerous trails, some of them quite steep, make the Flinders Ranges ideal for bushwalking even though the park has few amenities. Water in this region is scarce, and should be carried at all times. The best time for walking is during the relatively cool months between April and October. This is also the wettest time of year, so you should be prepared for rain. Wildflowers, including the spectacular Stuart's desert pea, can sometimes be found in early spring when male emus look after clutches of cute striped chicks. 
The park's most spectacular (and strenuous) walking trail leads to the summit of 3,840-foot St. Mary's Peak, the highest point on the Pound's rim and South Australia's second-tallest peak. Visitors are asked not to climb all the way up because of its great spiritual significance to Adnyamathanha traditional owners; fortunately the views from nearby Tanderra Saddle are just as spectacular, stretching far over the surrounding landscape towards vast glittering salt pans in the distance. Give yourself a full day to get up and back.

Renowned cook and food writer Maggie Beer is an icon of Australian cuisine. Burned-fig jam, ice cream, aged red wine vinegar, verjuice (a golden liquid made from unfermented grape juice and used for flavoring), and her signature Pheasant Farm pâté are some of the delights you can taste and buy at Maggie Beer's Farm Shop. Treat-filled picnic baskets are available all day to take out or dip into on the deck overlooking a tree-fringed pond full of turtles. Book ahead for the paid cooking demonstrations.

This 12-hour, 600-km (372-mile) tour through the Outback (A$340) is one of the most unusual experiences anywhere, with stops at outback cattle stations, bush pubs, and the world's longest man-made structure, the Dingo Fence. Tours (maximum of four people per tour; price is per person) depart Monday and Thursday at 8:45 am.

For more than 20 years this winery on the former Jurlique herb farm has practiced biodynamic farming by following lunar cycles, growing vegetables, raising livestock, and abstaining from chemical treatments. The winery cellar door is open by appointment only, and also occasional events including memorable paddock-to-plate dining experiences showcasing Ngeringa wines like the sprightly pet nat alongside incredible produce grown on-site. The farm supplies most of Adelaide's top restaurants and there is also a dedicated chamber music venue on-site. Tastings by appointment, A$20.

Founded in 1844 by immigrant English doctor Christopher Rawson Penfold, this is the birthplace of Australia's most famous wine, Penfolds Grange, and one of Australia's only city wineries. Introduced in 1951, Grange is the flagship of a huge stable of wines priced from everyday to special-occasion (collectors pay tens of thousands of dollars for complete sets of Grange). Book ahead for the Magill Estate Heritage Tour (A$25, 10 am and 1 pm daily) to hear some of the stories behind the site; if you're a serious wine lover take the Ultimate Penfolds Tour (A$150) and visit the original Penfold family cottage then head into the winery to enjoy some premium wine tastings, or go for the Iconic Penfolds Experience (A$295), which includes a three-course lunch and wine pairings in addition to the tour.

This top Kangaroo Island attraction gives you the chance to visit one of the state's largest Australian sea lion colonies. About 300 animals usually lounge on the beach, except on stormy days when they shelter in the dunes. You can visit the beach and get surprisingly close to females, pups, and bulls on a 45-minute tour with an interpretive officer; otherwise, you can follow the self-guided boardwalk to a lookout over the sand. The park visitor center has fun and educational displays, and a touch table covered in sea-lion skins and bones. There is also a souvenir shop.

Joseph Seppelt was a Silesian farmer who purchased land in the Barossa after arriving in Australia in 1849. Under the control of his son, Benno, the wine-making business flourished, and today Seppeltsfield Winery and its splendid grounds are a tribute to the family's industry and enthusiasm. Fortified wine is a Seppeltsfield specialty; this is the only place in the world where you can find an unbroken lineage stretching back to 1878. Most notable is the exquisite 100-year-old Para Liqueur Tawny. Book ahead for the Centenary Tour that allows you to walk through the cellar and taste it directly from the barrel. The Rosé Grenache and Cabernet are also worth tasting before exploring the rest of the complex that includes an excellent on-site restaurant, an art gallery and studios that you can visit, a soap factory that runs workshops, and a coffee roaster as well as the Seppelt family mausoleum that overlooks an avenue planted with more than 2,000 palm trees.

The area's first winery, Sevenhill Cellars was created by the Jesuits, and they still run the show, with any profits going to education, mission work, and the needy within Australia. In the 1940s the winery branched out from sacramental wine to commercial production, and today make a variety of styles including Riesling (try the St. Francis Xavier label), Verdelho, Grenache, and fortified wines. Enjoy a tasting (A$10, redeemable), then head on a self-guided tour of the grounds that takes in the cellars, the cemetery, and the church crypt where Jesuits have been interred since 1865.

A must-see, Tandanya is the first major Aboriginal cultural facility of its kind in Australia. You'll find worthwhile changing exhibitions of works by contemporary, notable Aboriginal artists, and a theater where you can watch cultural performances and shows by visiting artists from around the country and the Pacific Islands. There's a great gift shop, too, where you can buy Aboriginal-designed household goods, apparel, and artwork.

This is one of Australia's top estate wineries and a good representation of classic, artfully made Barossa wine. The modern and airy tasting room complements its original 1850s settler’s cottage cellar door, with subtle color tones and earthy textures. Taste the iconic Shiraz wines on the deck overlooking its renowned Descendant vineyard for A$20, or upgrade to the more premium experience with the renowned RunRig that is blended with Viognier to create a powerful, elegant wine.

This is an enormous underground complex with an original mine, a noteworthy video on the history of opal mining, exhibits examining the Indigenous and European history of the region, and examples of underground bunk camping and cooking facilities. Learn about the story of opal, different types and qualities of opal, examples of hand-dug and modern dugouts, and the experience of living underground. Guided tours of the mine (A$13) are available at 10, 2, and 4 daily. There is also an opal shop and museum with noteworthy opals and fossils that are free to view.

At South Australia's first farmers' market—and arguably its best in terms of the quality of the products and the overall experience---there are more than 60 stalls showcasing local cheese, meat, and produce as well as famous bakeries. There family-friendly, Saturday-morning-only market also has excellent freshly brewed coffee and legendary brisket and pickle sandwiches. Visiting here is a wonderful way to get to know local culture. Occasionally, producers offer workshops on topics such as cheese making.

Australia's oldest family-owned winery, the iconic Yalumba sits within a hugely impressive compound overlooked by an imposing clocktower. It's the only winery in the southern hemisphere with a functioning cooperage on-site, and that can be visited on one of the many tours that start from A$50. A range of tastings are available in the tasting room that is decorated with antique wine-making materials and mementos of the Hill Smith family, whose ancestors first planted vines in the Barossa in 1849. Try the award-winning Viognier and The Signature, a classic Australian "claret" blend of Shiraz and Cabernet. Private tours can be arranged upon request.

An imposing building constructed in 1863 in Renaissance style, the Town Hall was modeled after buildings in Genoa and Florence. Tours visit the Colonel Light Room, where objects used to map and plan Adelaide are exhibited, and there are frequently traveling art exhibitions. The balcony of the Town Hall is famous for the appearance of the Beatles in 1964, which attracted the venue's largest crowd to date: approximately 300,000 screaming fans.

Australia's second-oldest zoo still retains much of its original architecture. Enter through the 1883 cast-iron gates to see such animals as the giant pandas, Sumatran tigers, Australian rain-forest birds, and chimpanzees housed in modern, natural settings. The zoo is world renowned for its captive breeding and release programs, and rare species including the red panda and South Australia's own yellow-footed rock wallaby are among its successes. In 2008, the Australian government and Adelaide Zoo signed a cooperative agreement to help secure the long-term survival of the giant panda, and in 2009 Wang Wang and Fu Ni arrived on loan from China to become the only giant pandas in the southern hemisphere, and the first to live permanently in Australia. Special VIP panda tours are also available, as are Keeper For A Day tours that let you go behind the scenes and interact with a range of animals. Ask at the ticket office about feeding times, and consult the website for opening times for specific areas of the zoo.

Many famous Australian painters, including Charles Conder, Margaret Preston, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, Russell Drysdale, and Sidney Nolan, are represented in here. Extensive Renaissance and British artworks are on display, and the atrium houses Aboriginal pieces. There is usually a visiting exhibition, too. A café and bookshop are also on-site.

Between 1855 and 1897 this sprawling colonial structure was the home of Sir Henry Ayers, South Australia's premier and the man for whom Uluru was originally named Ayers Rock. Most rooms—including the unusual Summer Sitting Room, in the cool of the basement—have been restored with period furnishings and the state's best examples of 19th-century costumes and lifestyle. Entrance is free on weekends and volunteers lead guided tours when they're available.

A progressive picnic matching South Australia's finest artisan cheese with wines from the region's best wineries. The tour, which can last around four hours, begins at the Blessed Cheese shop, where the staff will arm us you with a cooler full of cheese, dried fruits, crackers, and nuts; a map; and tasting notes, before sending you off to taste at wineries along the way (A$50 per couple). Tour providers in the area like Top Food and Wine Tours offer an all-inclusive package that includes a driver/guide and lunch on this trail (A$320 per person for 8 hours).

The surf here is very big thanks to the exposed reef break. Most waves are dumpers, hence the name Boomer, and can get up to 15 feet high. As a result, this is a beach for surfers and strong swimmers. Waves decrease toward Victor Harbor, providing lower surf and usually calm conditions. In summer the surf tends to be mostly flat, but you need to be vigilant of rocks, rips, and sharks year-round. There is an excellent view down the entire beach from the headland at Port Elliot; from here you can spot the southern right whale, which in winter claims this area as its territory. Amenities: lifeguards; parking; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming.

You can drink in a leafy vineyard view while tasting from the wine barrels (if you get so lucky) at this understated cellar door. Winemaker Derek Fitzgerald's repertoire includes Semillon, GSM, Shiraz, and Rhône blends.

This town full of character—and characters—about 44 km (27 miles) northeast of Clare is worth a detour. The discovery of copper in 1845 made Burra the country's largest inland town but the ore ran out quickly (the biggest mine closed after just 32 years) and Burra settled into a quiet existence. Today the 11 km (7 miles) Heritage Trail leads you to 49 sites related to Burra's rich mining past: the A$30 Heritage Passport (available from the visitor information center) includes a booklet with information about each of the sites on the trail and free entry to eight locked sites and museums—these include the massive open-cut Monster Mine; two "homes" dug into the banks of Burra Creek, where some 2,000 people lived before a flood in 1851; and colonial Redruth Gaol, which appeared in Australian film Breaker Morant. It includes a guidebook, map, and a key to eight locked historic sites and four museums.

Tasting here is relaxed and casual in a brick-floor, timber-wall cellar door, which is warmed by a log fire in winter. After making sure the resident cats have vacated it first, settle into a director's chair at the long wooden table and let the staff pour. Nine Popes, a huge, decadent red blend, is the flagship wine, and the ruby-red Rose of Virginia is an iconic Australian rosé. You can enjoy a glass of either with a cheese platter on the veranda. Tastings from A$10.

Riding the Riesling Trail from Clare to Auburn is one of the best ways to explore the valley—it takes around 2½ hours to cycle the whole thing (one-way), unless, of course, you get distracted by the wineries along the way. This 35-km-long (22-mile-long) cycling track follows the path of the old rail line that sliced through the hills until it was irreparably damaged by the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires. Bikes (including helmets, which are mandatory in Australia) for both adults and kids (and baby seats) can be rented from Clare Valley Cycle Hire. If you want to make life a bit easier, consider an e-bike with a small motor.