Adelaide Hills
Hahndorf Hill Winery, Adelaide Hills, SA. Photo credit: Marc Dobson/South Australian Tourism Commission
Adelaide Hills
Wine, walking and wildlife. Discover why a trip to Adelaide Hills is a must.
Just over 30 minutes east of central Adelaide lie the Adelaide Hills. They’re part of the Mount Lofty Ranges and are an appealing mix of fine wines and German ancestry.
Things to do in Adelaide Hills
The Heysen Trail
The Heysen Trail (named after painter Sir Hans Heysen) runs from Parachilna Gorge in the Flinders Ranges to Cape Jervis in the south. It cuts through the Adelaide Hills on its way, so if you don’t have the time or stamina for the full 1200km, you can tackle a section of it here.
The Kidman Trail
You’ll find walkers, cyclists and horse riders on this scenic trail. There’s a mix of sealed roads, forest paths and private land.
The Mawson Trail
You’ll need a mountain bike on this cycling trail; a road bike will be next to useless. It runs from Adelaide Hills to Blinman in the Flinders Ranges. It’s tough going in sections but the wildlife and views make it all worthwhile.
Morialta Conservation Park
Abseiling and rock climbing is terrific here. Just 20mins from Adelaide, the park is famed for its seasonal falls including the mighty 30m First Falls. One of our favourite things to do/places to see in Adelaide Hills.
Cleland National Park, 12km from Adelaide city.
At the centre of the conservation park is Cleland Wildlife Park. There are plenty of native species to meet (including some of the more elusive ones like wombats and dingoes).
A track runs from the wildlife park to other, notable areas of the national park, including Mt Lofty and Waterfall Gully. At the latter you’ll be unsurprised to find the park’s largest waterfall (and it is gorgeous).
Gorge Wildlife Park
All the locals are present and correct (kangaroos, wallabies, koalas), but this park has lots of non-native species too, such as American alligators, meerkats, otters and monkeys. There’s a wide variety of birdlife too.
Eat in Hahndorf
For an authentically Germanic taste experience, visit Hahndorf, the oldest German settlement in Australia (it dates back to 1839).
Today, two pubs serve local and German beer and food. There are plenty of other eateries lining the main street, and cellar doors selling wine are on the rise.
Find accommodation in Adelaide Hills
Adelaide Hills wines
The region’s valleys and sub-valleys make for bags of variation in the flavours you’ll experience touring Adelaide Hills’ 50+ wineries.
Adelaide’s Top Food and Wine Tours and Alfies Wine Tours are just two of the local organisers. Most tours will let you sample the local food as well as the wine.
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