Adelaide-Entertainment for the kids?

[Guest The Pottertons]

Hi everyone!,

After some advice on what activities/days out etc there is within reach of adelaide for the kids? Are there any theme parks, Water parks, museums, that kind of thing. The type of things you do in the school holidays. And where do people go on holiday? as all brits tend to flock to spain, where is the place to jet off to? seem a few posts saying how Adelaide is not very exciting and just wanted to know why that would be said really? Thanks again all! As ever your knowledge is invaluable!! Yvonne x

[Guest Libby1971]

I don't think Adelaide is boring. But you would come to Adelaide from out of state if you wanted to go somewhere for a quiet peaceful break. If you want theme parks/ water parks, almost all of them are in Queensland, just south of Brisbane on the Gold Coast.

 

SA doesn't have one. The nearest it can come up with is the Worlds Largest Rocking Horse.

 

There are a couple of zoos - Adelaide and Monarto. I have been to Adelaide Zoo and it is small. Don't go expecting London or Bristol Zoo and you won't be disappointed.

 

Adelaide Aquatic Centre is in North Adelaide and is lovely there. You can go in, sit by the pools, eat, drink etc. There are spas and saunas and at least 5 diff pools that I can think of. There are swimming pools around Adelaide and there are museums. Small ones but they are fine for an afternoon.

 

People tend to stay put to the best of my knowledge or go interstate. Singapore etc are popular destinations as they are close. Long service leave is awarded every ten years within certain industries I think. This is a much bigger deal and people will tend to spend 3 months away in Europe.

 

By far, the biggest thing people do here is go to the beach and WOW! are they great beaches. It gets hot and everyone heads for the water, wherever it is. I thought every Aussie would have their own pool but no. However, when it gets hot, the only people you see on the beaches are sunburnt Brits!!!!!!!

 

Adelaide has a family welcome feel and nowhere is really out of bounds for them. There are cinemas, bowling alleys, and lots of space to run around. Belair National Park is lovely for a picnic and a wander. Cleland Wildlife Park is great to see lots of animals and feed kangaroos. Victor Harbor has a few rides on the sea front and a horse drawn bus that takes you across to Granite Island. Kangaroo Island is popular but we haven't been there yet.

 

Libby

[Guest Django]

My mate takes their family (who live in Melbourne) to Fiji every year. They love it there. She keeps saying its more than Spain could ever hope to be.

[Guest caoimhe]

My mate takes their family (who live in Melbourne) to Fiji every year. They love it there. She keeps saying its more than Spain could ever hope to be.

 

Strange how someone could think Fiji could be better than Spain

:biglaugh:

[Guest The Pottertons]

Fiji hey!!!! Im liking the sound of that!! Great post Libby- thankyou.

[Guest Diane]

People tend to go to places within SA like Moonta (on the Yorke Peninsula), Mannum (on the River Murray), or somewhere like Second Valley, down on the Fleurieu Peninsula. A lot of Aussies have what they call a 'holiday shack' - quite often a lot nicer than what I would call a shack to be sure! Camping is very popular also. The Clare Valley is lovely, as is the Barossa, Eyre Peninsula, Flinders Ranges, Kangaroo Island, McLaren Vale - depending on whereabouts you're living.

 

Farther afield I can vouch for Fiji as we went there this January - excellent deals on offer, probably even more so now after the recent slight political unrest! - or Bali is still fairly popular, as is interstate to Melbourne (supposed to be excellent for people who like shopping - although that counts me out!) either on the 'direct' (8 hours approx) route, of via the Great Ocean Road, Sydney, or the Gold Coast themeparks, or if they have plenty of money, to far north Queensland such as Dunk Island, skiing in the Victorian Ski Fields or to New Zealand. Have a look on sites such as www.travelonline.com for other islands in the South Pacific that you could consider.

 

As far as entertaining the kids goes, try and think a little more simply in terms of family bike rides, tennis games, walks on the beach or in the hills, a round of golf on a par 3 course, a game of beach/park cricket, or a family bbq in a park (most have free gas bbq's for use) or, if you're near a beach, fishing off a pier (jetty). My kids enjoy water pistol water fights in the summer, as well as making paper boats and sailing them on the river! There are places you can take the kids for somethng a bit special such as St Kilda (large outdoor park with big slides, flying foxes etc) or The Beachhouse at Glenelg (pricy but a good treat), Greenhills Adventure Park near Victor Harbour, or bowling, swimming at the Aquatic Centre. We have actually found that with school and club sports and other after school/weekend activities, when the kids have actual 'free time' they're just as happy to have a few friends over for a pizza/dvd evening, or a sleepover, or to play a game of pool or table tennis at someones house, or go to someone's for a swim/spa.

[Rachiegarlo]

There are also holiday workshops at Carclew for school aged kids, ice skating, the Art Gallery in town has a junior type club, where they have themed days for the kids. Most schools have Vacation care if you work and have organised fun activities and outings. If your child is musical or dramaish there are workshops for these in the summer. Most local libraries will have crafty, story telling themed days for the littlies. The National train museum is good all year round, they have themed days during school holidays. There are Art classes, sport clinics for netball, cricket, soccer etc also. Movies, parks galore.

Old Tailem Town is a good trip out and you can combine it with Murray Bridge.

There is the Royal Show in Sep(like a county fair with rides and shoowing of animals, fruit etc). There is an animal farm barn in Hahndorf, riverboat cruises to see the dolphins around port Adelaide. The boardwalk through the mangroves at St Kilda. The tramway museum with endless tram rides for the entry price at St Kilda. Whispering wall out at Williamstown. National Parks.Indoor rock climbing, Par 3 golf courses. Paddleboats on the Torrens. Plays and musicals and ballets aimed at children under 10 in the Festival Theatre on Saturdays from April to August with craft / activities in the foyer. Sleepovers. Beaches.

Tusmore Park has a wading pool, a creek, bbqs, play equipment, tennis courts, space to ride a bike, kick balls.

Botanic Gdns, lots of hidey hole walks through mini forests, hug the tree and listen to the water running inside it, see the Amazon lily pads that featured in Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan films. Smell the Curry tree. Float leaves down the fountain at the Mediterranean garden.

Visit Victor Harbor and walk round to the rocky wild side of Granite Island, try to spot the Fairy Penguins in their holes, and the wallabies that live there.

Watch "Storm Boy"then take the kids to the Coorong and Goolwa, where it was filmed. Days out to the old copper mines at Burra, or to Walleroo and take the slow train ride to Bute and back.

Anywhere on Kangaroo Island is good for a holiday, you can take your car on the ferry, or fly and hire a car.

Robe,in the South East is a good family holiday in the caravan/cabin park.The beaches are pleasant and you can talke in the caves at Naracoorte with their stalagtites etc.

 

When you get here try to get hold of Adelaide Child mag which is published free every 2 months. It lists everything that's on for kids, plus term time classes and activities. You will prob find it at your local library.

 

Rachel

[Guest Diane]

Fantastic list Rachel, that should go into some reference section on the site if there is one for future use.

 

OOh that reminds me, the Regency TAFE also offer kids cooking courses - if you're here already they're booking for the July holidays now. Also local libraries offer a whole programme of holiday activities, and there is a magazine called Free Adelaide - usually available in places like Hungry Jacks for some reasons - that is also worth looking out for.

[Guest The Pottertons]

Thankyou so much Rachel and Diane for such great posts. Must have taken you both ages to list it all!!!!! I really appreciate it. So how people can say Adelaide isnt exciting i dont know!!!!!!!! We Arent there yet, we are still in the queue! But really looking forward to investigating everywhere with the children when we arrive!

Thanks again Yvonne xx:jiggy:

[Guest sprayer]

Hello all

 

I was wondering if there are any facilities for quad biking in Adelaide. My eldest son has just started quad biking in the uk and would like to carry on in Australia.

 

Jill

[Guest leemi1]

Hi everyone!,

After some advice on what activities/days out etc there is within reach of adelaide for the kids? Are there any theme parks, Water parks, museums, that kind of thing. The type of things you do in the school holidays. And where do people go on holiday? as all brits tend to flock to spain, where is the place to jet off to? seem a few posts saying how Adelaide is not very exciting and just wanted to know why that would be said really? Thanks again all! As ever your knowledge is invaluable!! Yvonne x

 

 

hi

try cleland wildlife park up mount lofty you can walk around most of the animals and feed the kangaroos it is one of the best places we went to it only cost $15 per adult dont know about the kids if you like the zoo then you will love this place

 

mick

[Rachiegarlo]

There are some quad biking tours of Kangaroo Island and in the outback, although people have used them on their properties for some time, as an activity I think it is fairly new. Try googling it on australian google.