A New Region To Explore In Australia - Wine, Wildlife & Water-Based Activities On Adelaide's Doorstep

Located just 40 minutes south of Adelaide, the Fleurieu Peninsula, which forms part of the Melbourne to Adelaide Touring Route, offers fine wining and dining and a range of activities.

For visitors with a penchant for good food and wine, the region, which incorporates the McLaren Vale, also boasts a plethora of award-wining restaurants and bars and over 60 cellar doors providing ample opportunity to enjoy a relaxing culinary experience and to sample some of Australia’s best wines en route. Visit www.southaustralia.com or www.fleurieupeninsula.com.au.

The Fleurieu Peninsula features central highlands dominated by the Mount Lofty Ranges, dramatic gorges that split the landscape and sheer cliffs that drop sharply into the Southern Ocean. To the south-east the Coorong National Park, situated between Encounter Bay and Lake Alexandrina, is at the mouth of the Murray, Australia’s largest river. To the south west, hills sweep down to uncrowded beaches that stretch to Cape Jervis, gateway to Kangaroo Island. This diverse landscape, which includes 22 national parks, provides the ideal backdrop in which to indulge in various activities including cycling, walking and wildlife watching. There are also plenty of aquatic activities on offer too.

HISTORY
In 1802, English navigator Matthew Flinders and French explorer Nicholas Baudin met close to the mouth of the Murray River as they mapped the southern coast of Australia. The naming of Encounter Bay marks the advent of this historic meeting. Nicholas Baudin went on to name the Fleurieu Peninsula after fellow French explorer, Charles Pierre Claret, Comte de Fleurieu.

On 8 September 1836, Colonel William Light set foot on South Australian soil for the first time at a place he named Rapid Bay in honour of his ship. He recorded the event by carving his initials and the date into a boulder, which may still be seen at the site today.

ACTIVITIES AND ATTRACTIONS

SELF-DRIVE HIGHLIGHTS
Driving the Fleurieu Way from Wellington in the east, takes visitors through famous old winegrowing districts such as Langhorne Creek via a number of coastal towns including Goolwa and Victor Harbor, as well as inland to Strathalbyn, a charming 19th century Scottish town complete with village green, ducks on the river, rose gardens and picnic area.

Side trips include visiting Lake Alexandrina, Australia’s largest fresh-water lake, taking on the challenges of the Adventure Playground at Jubilee Park, Port Noarlunga, and enjoying a picnic at Hindmarsh Falls near Victor Harbor.

ART TRAIL, explore the many artist studios and galleries by following a designated self-drive art trail around the region and see some of the exquisite art that has been inspired by the Fleurieu Peninsula. Many of the galleries offer b&b accommodation, cellar doors, cafes and restaurants offering delicious local cuisine. The art trail map can be picked up at many locations in South Australia or by visiting.

GOOLWA, gateway to the Coorong National Park and the Murray River, is also known as the wooden boat capital of Australia and is the country’s only registered inland port. Goolwa Wharf has been redeveloped and traditional boat building and repair methods can be seen there along with Australia’s oldest railway, commissioned in 1854, market stalls and waterside cafés.

GREAT MURRAY RIVER cruises depart regularly from Goolwa, travelling through the bird rich Coorong National Park. Visitors can choose from a four-and-a-half or six-hour cruise ideal for the viewing of waders and waterfowl, and a five-day, four-night Great Murray River Run cruise on the Spirit of the Murray catamaran operating between Goolwa and Renmark and vice versa. The longer trip allows participants to explore river towns, learn about their history, enjoy dramatic river scenery and visit points of interest en route.

VICTOR HARBOR, a seaside resort on Encounter Bay offering fantastic seaviews, is popular with Adelaide families for its beaches, shopping arcades, horse-drawn tram to Granite Island, Urimbirra Wildlife Park, and Cockle Train to Port Elliot and Goolwa. It is also a great base from which to visit nearby Inman Valley, with its majestic roadway lined with huge gum trees, Glacier Rock, thought to be one of the largest glacial exposures in the world, and Mount Compass for wine tasting and seasonal roadside berries.

WILDLIFE SPOTTING
Kangaroos – along the southern coastline it is possible to see kangaroos at almost any time of day, particularly at Waitpinga, Deep Creek Conservation Park and from the Range Road linking Victor Harbor with the newly developed Kangaroo Island ferry terminal at Cape Jervis.

Penguins and sea birds – around 2,000 little penguins return each evening to nest on Granite (or Penguin) Island, situated next to Victor Harbor, where nightly interpreted tours are available. Granite Island Recreation Park may be reached on foot or by horse-drawn tram via a causeway and walking trails, interpretive signs and lookout points draw visitors’ attention to the exception coastal scenery, as well as the many seabirds that breed in the area.

Southern right whales – between the winter months of June to September, whales return to Encounter Bay where it is possible to see these magnificent creatures from Middleton, Port Elliot, Victor Harbor, the Bluff and Granite Island.

Dolphins and Australian fur seals – during the summer months, visitors to Granite Island may take cruises around the area to spot these mammals.

Bird life is best spotted on a cruise from Goolwa through the 120kms. of shallow lagoons of the Coorong National Park, protected by towering sand hills and home to 230 species of birds. This National Park is internationally significant as a refuge for migratory wader and waterfowl.

NATIONAL PARKS
With 22 national parks dotted around the Fleurieu Peninsula, visitors can enjoy walking and wildlife spotting in equal measure. The Heysen Trail, considered South Australia’s premier walk, passes through Newland Head Conservation Park located near to the popular beachside town of Victor Harbor and protecting two stretches of beach, rocky headlands and bushland.

Further west along the coast, Deep Creek Conservation Park offers amazing views of Kangaroo Island. Comprising approximately 4,500 hectares with 18kms.of scenic coastline, it offers some of the State’s most scenic and challenging bushwalking through tall stringy bark forests and vegetated hills, whilst wildlife includes western grey kangaroos, short-beaked echidnas, southern brown bandicoots and southern emu-wrens. There are five campgrounds in the area for visitors to choose from as well as comfortable cottage and retreat-style accommodation for those who like the softer approach.

Other coastal parks include Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park, south of Port Willunga, with its rare plants and impressive sand dunes. A range of walking trails of varying lengths provide different ecosystems to explore, such as river red gum forests, mallee scrub and heaths.

Further north, 34 kms. south of Adelaide, Ongaparinga River National Park features South Australia’s second longest river which flows into a steep-sided valley through a magnificent gorge with 50-metre high cliffs. The Park also offers some spectacular scenic views together with opportunities for fishing, canoeing, photography, birdwatching, bush walking and picnics.

For a gentle walk, short hike or springtime flower walk, there is Cox Scrub. At Old Noarlunga a swing bridge leads across the Onkaparinga River to a trail along the valley floor, and at Currency Creek a 30-mins. stroll reveals a Ngarrindjeri ‘canoe’ tree, an old Cornish mine shaft and a charming pool with tumbling waterfall.

For visitors interested in history, both the Scott Creek and Talisker Conservation Parks are home to heritage-listed ruins including the Almanda Mine ruins in the former, and early Cornish mining settlements with a well-preserved record of nineteenth century mining practices in the latter.

ACTIVITIES
SURFING AND SEA KAYAKING - Surf and Sun offers small group lessons in surfing and sea kayaking between October and the end of May. Experienced instructors conduct surfing lessons on Middleton Beach and sea kayaking adventure tours around the offshore islands of Encounter Bay, off Victor Harbor. All equipment is provided and the excursions, which depart from Adelaide, include transfers, a scenic tour of the Fleurieu Peninsula and a picnic lunch.

YACHTING options are available in the Coorong National Park with charters for bare back and skippered sailing available from Goolwa and Marina Hindmarsh Island, as well as sailing lessons at Clayton.

Other aquatic activities include DEEP SEA FISHING CHARTERS, PARASAILING, SNORKELLING, BODY BOARDING, SWIMMING, COASTAL and FRESH WATER LAKE SAILING.

WRECK DIVING. The former Naval destroyer, HMAS Hobart, located beneath the waters at Yankailla Bay, provides an ideal site for a guided wreck dive from five to 35 metres. Participants may explore 90,000 square metres of the ship, including engine room, missile launcher, gun turrets and tunnels. Here one can also spot the rare leafy sea dragon, the State’s marine emblem, as well as rock lobsters. Additionally, there is an interpretive underwater trail running north along the reefs from Aldinga Bay.

WINE TASTING. For Adelaide visitors wishing to undertake a value-for-money tour outside of the city, Prime Mini Tours offers a range of wine tasting tours.

WINE AND ART TOUR. Visitors can enjoy a relaxing day tour visiting wineries, art galleries and artist studios whilst being driven around in a fully licensed limousine and including an a la carte lunch at Red Poles and complimentary champagne (see accommodation options below).

CAMEL TREKKING. Blue Sky Camel Charters offers a selection of ‘From the Bush to the Beach’ excursions by one-humped dromedary camels. Itineraries include Victor Harbor and Goolwa Beach as coastal options with treks into the bush land of the Fleurieu Peninsula and Flinders Ranges. Accommodation ranges from shearers’ quarters and lodges to sleeping bags by the side of a camp fire.

HOT AIR BALLOONING with Adelaide Ballooning is available over Strathalbyn, one of the most picturesque villages in South Australia, surrounded by vineyards and farmland. Flights include champagne, breakfast after landing and flight certificates.

WALKING - The Heysen Trail, often considered Australia’s premier walk, provides visitors with spectacular cliff top views and ample opportunity to see echidnas, eastern grey kangaroos, lizards and wildflowers.

CYCLING - Self guided cycle tours starting in Glenelg, Adelaide’s lively seaside suburb, are an ideal way to explore the Fleurieu. Cycling Tours Australia offer a range of tour options from two days to five days that wind there way through the suburbs of Somerton Park, Brighton, Seacliff, Port Noarlunga and Moana plus the wine region of McLaren Vale and onto the resort town of Victor Harbor. Prices include bikes, maps, roadside assistance and accommodation.

STONE SCULPTURE AND ART CLASSES can be done at Bella Cosa in the heart of McLaren Vale. The centre promotes art, food and wine with its unique blend of winery, cafe, art gallery and sculpture park. Enjoy wine and tapas whilst being taught how to sculpt or paint in these inspiring surroundings. The centre is run by Peter Maddox and his wife and daughter and features a guest cottage for those that would like to stay.

Other activities include ABSEILING, SKIRMISH, HANG GLIDING and SCENIC FLIGHTS

WINING AND DINING
The McLaren Vale wine region produces a number of world-famous wines and, with 45 cellar doors in the area, there are many opportunities for wine tasting including the popular Shiraz varieties. The Vale is also home to some of the State’s best restaurants - the Willy Hill Café in historic Willunga, the Salopian Inn at McLaren Vale and the Star of Greece at Port Willunga.

Producers of McLaren Vale opened in October 2007 and is a stunning property situated 40 minutes from Adelaide in 32 hectares of vines, olive grove, orchards and native fauna that offers guests a unique food and wine experience. Guests can visit just for the day or enjoy a retreat package that includes accommodation and evening meal.

Guests are invited to take part in tastings, making and leaning about wine, olive oil, verjuice, apple cider, preserves, cheese and regional products all year round. Activities could involve picking grapes, harvesting olives, making fresh cheese, bread-making, pickling, preserving, blending and bottling wine.

For visitors interested in meeting ex-pats who, for example, have become successful restaurant owners and chefs, there is Beverley Millott, originally from Crawley, who runs The Creek’s Café About Food located on the outskirts of Strathalbyn in Langhorne Creek.

Real foodies can also get a taste of the Fleurieu Peninsula’s fresh produce on the Mount Compass Food and Produce Trail where visitors journey through the central uplands in order to taste seasonal produce from fruit orchards, pick their own berries and visit local craft co-operatives and potteries.

Alternatively, for those taking a self-catering break, many farm gates sell their vegetables, specialty gourmet produce, olives, oils, meats and cheeses.

Recommended restaurants include:

Salopian Inn – An award-winning restaurant located on the outskirts of McLaren Vale in a slate-floored stone building dating from 1851. In creating the seasonally changing menu the chef selects only the best ingredients, preferring local fresh produce where possible.

Star of Greece - Once a former bait and tackle shop, this charming cliff top café is named after a shipwreck off the coast of Port Willunga. With fabulous views across the water, especially at sunset, the café serves modern Australian cuisine. Local seafood such as squid, garfish and whiting are a specialty, as well as Kangaroo Island chicken and goats cheese.

Awganix Brasserie - This organic restaurant is an organic and wholefood brasserie. Everything is organic, from the beans that are ground in the coffees to the bread that is baked.

d’Arrys Verandah Restaurant - In 1996 the original d’Arenberg 19th century homestead was renovated and extended to house the winery’s cellar door facilities and to create a magnificent hilltop restaurant overlooking d’Arenberg’s vineyards, McLaren Vale and the Willunga Escarpment falling into the Gulf St. Vincent.

ACCOMMODATION
There are numerous self-contained cottages, b&b’s, winery villas, motels, retreats, hotels and youth hostels located throughout this region. Highlights include:

Chapel Hill Guest House is the McLaren Vale Winery’s five-star, seven-room gourmet retreat where connoisseurs of good food and wine can stay in the luxuriously appointed guest house offering views of the surrounding vineyards and ocean in the distance. The focal point is the impressive demonstration kitchen which seats guests, theatre-style, offering up to 20 visitors the chance to participate in hands-on gourmet cooking classes.

Authenticity Health & Wellness Retreat is a boutique retreat in historic Port Elliot set in 26 hectares with fabulous views of the Fleurieu Peninsula. The retreat offers a wide range of spa treatments plus special workshops and tailored programmes. Catering for a maximum of 12 guests, workshops include ‘Weight Loss & Fitness’ and ‘Art’ and the retreat now offers new wet treatment rooms that opened in 2008, for an expanded range of treatment packages. Gourmet vegetarian cuisine, daily exercises classes and relaxation massages, use of the Jacuzzi and Spa plus a choice of accommodation are included in standard bookings.

Ridgetop Retreats in Deep Creek Conservation Park, near Cape Jervis, offers award-winning accommodation surrounded by the natural vegetation and wildlife. Winner of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects Award for design excellence, architect Max Pritchard designed the accommodation to take full advantage of its location with features like floor to ceiling windows offering panoramic views across the scenic vista.

The Vintage b&b, situated in the Mclaren Vale, is a real find for holidaymakers seeking a romantic retreat in stylish, elegant surroundings. The 1850’s property has been beautifully furnished using a combination of modern and French provincial styles to create a welcoming home from home in this popular wine-growing region.

Waverley Estate, built in 1856 at Port Elliot, offers comfortable, modern self-contained accommodation, as well as a bed and breakfast option in a charming old-world setting, as well as including Italian language and cooking classes, and day spa pampering. Other facilities include a solar-heated swimming pool and tennis courts.

McLaren Vale Motel, family owned and operated, offers a choice of 12 studio deluxe and deluxe king apartments, and 25 spacious ground floor units, each of which come with a fully-equipped gourmet kitchen with quality furnishings and appliances. A saltwater pool with adjacent BBQ area is also available.

Red Poles b&b, in the Southern Vales, offers rooms set in a picturesque quadrangle around tranquil gardens overlooking vineyards. The licensed cafe, with live music on Sundays, is open for lunch from Wednesday to Sunday serving delicious local and imported produce at good prices, plus an art gallery and the chance to take part in art classes.

Linger Longer Vineyard b&b, set in a tranquil vineyard overlooked by the Willunga Ranges, is a comfortable self-contained apartment within easy reach of superb beaches, award winning wineries and the historic towns of Willunga, McLaren Vale and Aldinga.

The Ginger Blue b&b, a beautiful French Provincial-style hideaway at Goolwa, is a restored artist’s studio ideally situated for guests wishing to enjoy the plentiful bird life of the Coorong National Park.

McCracken Country Club Resort at Victor Harbor offers 40 4.5-star rooms for both leisure and business travellers, whilst facilities include a health club, flood-lit tennis courts, sauna and spa, restaurant, bistro and cocktail bar.

Beach Huts b&b, located in the coastal town of Middleton, near Victor Harbor, offers eight individual Brighton beach style huts that have been beautifully furnished and individually decorated.

There are also a number of campsites in national parks, plus well-appointed caravan parks for those who wish to take maximum advantage of Australia’s outdoor lifestyle.

ADDITIONAL EXTRAS
Based at Victor Harbor, Harbor Hampers puts the finishing gastronomic touch to a weekend away on the Fleurieu Peninsula. A hamper full of delicious home made treats can be delivered to any b&b door or a perfect picnic hamper collected from the business’s shop door. Harbor Hampers will tailor baskets to meet individual tastes including marinated roast chicken, gourmet quiches, fresh salads, home-made apple pies and platters of fresh local produce like olive oil, dukkah, olives and chutneys.

ANNUAL EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

MEET THE WADERS FESTIVAL (September to November), the State’s biggest celebration of migratory bird life, marks the annual arrival of wader bird species into the Limestone Coast, Murraylands and Fleurieu Peninsula. Many birds fly non-stop from Japan, China or Siberia over a three to four-day period, which is the equivalent of a human running the four-minute mile for 60 hours continuously.
Festival events extend from Port Macdonnell near the Victorian border to Mannum in the Murraylands and include art and craft exhibitions, camel treks, guided walks, expert talks and Murray River and Coorong cruises. The Department of Environment and Heritage has produced a publication called Waders of the Coorong and Lower Lakes to coincide with the event.

SELF DRIVE PACKAGES FOR THE MELBOURNE TO ADELAIDE TOURING ROUTE
Self-drive travellers wishing to experience the Melbourne to Adelaide Touring Route between Adelaide and Melbourne can choose from a range of packaged itineraries with coastal, wine or history themes, as well as accommodation and sightseeing. Suggested trips, which take between five and eight days, can be individually tailored.
The touring route highlights 10 regions from both Victoria and South Australia including the Limestone Coast, Fleurieu Peninsula, Murraylands, Kangaroo Island and the Adelaide Hills.

DID YOU KNOW?

1.The Murray River completes its 2,500 kms. journey at Goolwa where the river enters the Great Southern Ocean at the Murray Mouth.
2.As much water flows from the Amazon River in half a day as to the mouth of the Murray in a whole year.
3.Lake Alexandrina is the largest fresh water lake in Australia.
4.Strathalbyn Target Archers boast a gold medal archer at the 2000 Olympics.

IN SUMMARY
Situated less than 40 minutes from the State capital, on the coastal journey between Melbourne and Adelaide, with its temperate climate, wildlife, nature parks, and water-based attractions, together with numerous wineries, excellent restaurants and plentiful sightseeing opportunities, the Fleurieu Peninsula is able to offer something of interest to visitors of all ages and interests.

For further information: www.southaustralia.com or www.fleurieupeninsula.com.au.