12 Reasons to Visit South Australia For Your Next Adventure Travel

Last week our conversation with South Australian Tourism Commission left us craving for an adventure trip. While we have to wait to experience the thrill of South Australia, we got them to write an exclusive article to inspire the readers of Blue Sky Dreamers to take an adventure trip soon!

There are two ways of embarking on an adventure- the first is where you go on a hunt for some adrenaline rush, and the other is where the adventure comes find you. In South Australia, it’s always the latter! Whether you are looking for some fun adventure thrills or something out of the ordinary, South Australia has scores of activities to get your heart racing. Simply select any one of the gripping activities and get to know the extreme side of South Australia.

Go shark cage diving

This one definitely tops the list! get up close and personal with one of nature’s most dangerous predators. Nothing screams adventure like Shark Cage Diving at Port Lincoln in the Eyre Peninsula, especially when it’s only one of the two places in the world you can experience it at! Specialist tours by Adventure Bay Charters, Calypso Star Charters and Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions will get you face-to-face with Great White Sharks from the safety of a purpose-built cage. An exhilarating experience!

Swim with playful sea lions

If swimming with wild animals is your kind of adventure, there’s something more. How about an ocean dip with sea lions? You can go on a guided tour with Adventure Bay Charters, Calypso Star Charters or Baird Bay Ocean Eco Experience in the Eyre Peninsula where wild but unshy ‘puppies of the sea’ swim right up to you. The whole experience gives you an opportunity to blend with wildlife under minimal restrictions.

Remarkable Rocks, Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island

Swim with the dolphins

Would you dare going for shark cage diving?

Little Sahara Sand Boarding

RoofClimb, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

RoofClimb, Adelaide Oval

Helicopter ride Barossa

Barossa Valley Ballooning

Jump in and play with wild dolphins

If that’s too extreme for you, say hello to dolphins! More than a thousand common and bottlenose dolphins call the coastal waters near Adelaide, home. Through tours operated by experienced crew members, you can observe and swim alongside wild dolphins in their natural habitat. Glenelg’s Temptation Sailing offers dolphin viewing and swimming experiences, just 25 minutes from Adelaide’s city centre. Kangaroo Island is also another dolphin hotspot. Kangaroo Island Marine Adventures will take you to remote coastal beaches where you can swim with wild bottlenose dolphins and frolic with seals.

Walk sky high on a Roof-Climb tour of the Adelaide Oval

If you are the kind of adventure seeker who has a weak spot for aerial views or simply loves cricket, then the Adelaide Oval roof-climb will end your search! Heralded as a happy hunting ground for Indian cricketer, Virat Kohli, Adelaide Oval holds a special place in the hearts of cricket lovers across the world. Walk right to the top of the stadium at a jaw-dropping height of 50 meters above the hallowed green turf for the best views of the grounds and the city Adelaide from the iconic domes of the venue.

Go sandboarding and quad-biking on an island

Have an experience of a lifetime with KI Outdoor Action, on Kangaroo Island, which offers a range of activities including quad biking, sand-boarding or tobogganing for practitioners of all levels of difficulty. Hop on a quad bike for spectacular scenery and unforgettable views of Vivonne Bay from vantage points accessible only by ATVs. Crank up the adventure levels by few notches by going sandboarding across the massive dunes of Little Sahara Desert, a heritage sand dunes area on the island.

Cave or climb you way through ancient landscapes

Discover ancient fossils, caverns and Aboriginal rock art through the underground cave networks in South Australia. You can visit one of the few dry limestone caves in Australia at Kelly Hill Caves in Kangaroo Island or explore one of the richest fossil deposits in the world at The World Heritage Listed Naracoorte Caves in the Limestone Coast.

For art & culture fans the enchanting Aboriginal handprints of the Murrawijine Caves on the Eyre Peninsula are a must-see. If you are a climber, you will enjoy the diverse cliffs at Morialta Conservation Park is just a 25-minute drive from Adelaide city. The park features beautiful bushland, with waterfalls and steep ridges, where top-roping is easy with heavy duty rings already embedded in the cliffs

Canoe adventures on the mighty Murray River

What better way to explore the maze of waterways branching off the main Murray River channel than by kayak or canoe! Hire a kayak or canoe with Canoe Adventures and make your way through a remarkable network of wetlands and waterways meandering through national parks and internationally recognized reserves. The tour also caters to novices with basic training skills provided at no extra cost but if you are not upto paddling your way through the river you can opt for a relaxed guided tour as well.

Fly over gorgeous vineyards and countryside

Float high above birds, and sometimes the clouds and glide over the vineyards and rolling hills of the Barossa ranges on a hot air balloon or helicopter ride. Situated only an hour’s drive from Adelaide, this is one the best ways to see the picturesque valley of South Australia. You are guaranteed an unforgettable experience and countless memories while you explore the panoramic vineyards from high above the ground.

Booking.com

Hike up to waterfalls and summits

Take a hike up wild Australian bushland where you end up with a view of not only one spectacular waterfall but three! The Three Falls Grand Hike by Walking SA skirts around the edge of the gorge at Morialta Conservation Park with views of the cliffs and continues up the falls. Easily accessible from Adelaide by metro bus, this hike is considered one the best in South Australia.

However, if you like something a little toned down then a trek or cycle up to Mount Lofty Summit in Adelaide Hills, just 20 minutes away from Adelaide. This journey to the top can present you with some of the most stunning views of Adelaide that you will ever see, especially as the sun goes down on it.

Pitch a tent on pristine white sands

Kangaroo Island has a large number of excellent campsites, but none compare to Vivonne Bay where the sands are impossibly white, the waters are turquoise blue and, when the winds are blowing, the full drama of the Great Southern Ocean can be observed. Enjoy a beach many consider the most beautiful in Australia, go fishing from the jetty, wander along the white sands and know you have pitched your tent in the place many regard as one of the best that Kangaroo Island offers.

Dive through shipwrecks and ocean reefs

Divers can explore engine rooms, mess decks and gun turrets when they dive down to the ex-HMAS Hobart shipwreck in the Fleurieu Peninsula, just 2 hours’ drive from Adelaide city. Another great spot for diving in the Fluerieu is at The Port Noarlunga Aquatic Reserve in the, the first aquatic reserve proclaimed in South Australia, which is home to the Port Noarlunga Reef. The Reef, 400 metres off shore and about 1.6 kilometres long, is home to more than 200 marine plant species and over 60 fish species, making it popular with snorkelers and divers.

Test your surfing skills on epic waves

South Australia offers some of the country’s most challenging surf breaks. Kangaroo Island has been nominated as the state’s best surf destination by surfers around the world with some of the most challenging surf breaks located across the island. The level of difficulty ranges from gentle locations such as Pennington Bay and Stokes Bay right up to the rocky points at Hanson Bay. Vivonne Bay is the island’s surfing jewel and suits all abilities.

The bottom line is, irrespective of the kind of adventure you are looking for, South Australia will always find a way to rope you in for thrills that may last for few moments but will carve memories of a lifetime…Because, this is South Australia- where leisure marries adventure!