Family Activities
For Kids & Parents
The best family activities in Strathalbyn
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.
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Gilbert's Motor Museum
View →Classic cars and motoring memorabilia
A family-run motor museum in the heart of Strathalbyn housing a rotating collection of classic cars, motoring memorabilia and vintage advertising.
Soldiers Memorial Gardens
View →Riverside park at the heart of Strathalbyn
A beautiful riverside park at the centre of Strathalbyn, following the River Angas through the heritage town with lawns, ponds, picnic tables and the town's war memorial.
South Coast Helicopters
View →Scenic helicopter tours from Strathalbyn Airfield covering the Fleurieu coastline, Murray Mouth, Victor Harbor Bluff, Second Valley and McLaren Vale.
Strathalbyn Historic Town
View →South Australia's Scottish heritage town
One of the prettiest towns in Australia: a riverside heritage town settled by Scottish pioneers in 1839, with over 30 heritage-listed buildings and a reputation as the state's antiques capital.
Strathalbyn Sunday Market
View →A monthly antiques, collectables and craft market on the lawns of Lions Park, third Sunday of every month - one of the longest-running country markets on the Fleurieu.
Tolderol Game Reserve
View →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.
About family activities in Fleurieu Peninsula
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.
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 pulls the heritage tram across the 630-metre causeway to Granite Island. Its operator describes it as the only horse-drawn tramway in Australia. The other classic is the SteamRanger Cockle Train, a heritage rail service between Goolwa, Port Elliot and Victor Harbor on a line dating back to 1854, which the operator describes as Australia's oldest steel-railed railway.
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 every day except Christmas Day, with tickets bought at the causeway on the day. The Cockle Train runs every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday year-round, plus SA school holidays, long weekends and Easter week. Tickets are sold on the day only at Goolwa, Port Elliot and Victor Harbor stations, and services are cancelled on days of 35°C or more, so check the SteamRanger timetable before you go.
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.