The fun begins forty minutes south of Adelaide…
From the vines to the sea and everything in between, the Fleurieu Peninsula is SA’s adventure playground.
Made up of charming towns like Willunga, Normanville, Goolwa, Yankalilla and of course world famous wine region, McLaren Vale, the Fleurieu offers some of South Australia’s best scenic and culinary experiences.
So let’s uncover some treasures in our #greatstate that you might not know about yet…
Gin tasting with a twist
Some of the best gin is made right here on the Fleurieu and Settler’s Spirits sets the bar high. Husband and wife owners Rowland and Shelly started Settlers at 70 years of age, after a complete sea change in careers and lifestyle. “We love gin, and we used to make it just for ourselves. It was too good not to share, so we built a distillery and cellar door in the heart of McLaren Vale and haven’t looked back.”
Rowland says the flavours come to him in the middle of the night and that’s how his famous Orange and Chilli gin started. They mix and match all the botanicals themselves to make their delicious flavours and paired with a local grazing platter and some sensational views, it doesn’t get better than that!
Wine and toastie heaven
It’s the place to be in Goolwa. Wharf Barrel Shed is located right on the bank of Goolwa with views of Hindmarsh Island out in front. The old shed has been repurposed into a tasting room, where people can come and try their locally made 90 Mile Wines range as well as other local drops. And you cannot visit without trying their famous toasties. Never have I ever tried a better turkey, cranberry, camembert and red onion toastie.
Paddock to Plate
Boasting to-die-for views of Myponga Beach, Lessismore Farm is a family owned paddock to plate experience. Welcoming you into their home perched on top of the hills at Myponga, you can pick from two experiences where you’ll be taken back to basics making damper and butter from scratch, feeding their gorgeous pigs Spot and Ginger and holding their cute-as-a-button lambs. To top it all off you get to sit back on their deck with sensational views and enjoy a locally sourced grazing platter! Perfect for couples and families — it’s experiences like this that create core memories!
Horse riding in Normanville
It’s not called the adventure playground for nothing. You can see Normanville the best way… on horseback! Karen O’Leary and her team at High Country Trails take tours daily from their stables in Normanville, over the gorgeous dunes and onto the sand for one hell of an adventure. They’ll deck you out with everything you need to know about horse riding — and of course, a helmet.
Multi-award winning seafood restaurant
Located in a prime position overlooking the famous jetty at Port Noarlunga, Hortas is a magnificent seafood restaurant with a Portuguese twist. Enjoy the freshest local seafood like Port Lincoln sardines and Kinkawoonka mussels paired with a great SA or Portuguese wine list. And it’s not just us who raves about them — they recently scored a silver medal for the Best Seafood Restaurant in Australia!
Luxury countryside accommodation
Lapito House is a stone farmhouse turned stunning luxury accommodation, with a backdrop of 116 acres of gorgeous SA bushland. Inside is like a mini museum full of contemporary art and restored furniture and outside borders the Myponga Conservation Park and Heysen Trail — perfect for those who love to get amongst nature and exercise. Lapito House is ideal for couples, families and yes, pets are welcome!
Image credit: Lapito House
For more magnificent South Australian holiday ideas, jump over to southaustralia.com!
Hayley x
