Just 40 minutes south of Adelaide and you’re among award-winning wineries, sun-drenched beaches, orchards and patch-work pastures, stunning landscapes and natural bushland of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Named by the French sailor Nicolas Baudin after the French wanderer Charles Pierre Claret, Comte de Fleurieu, the region offers guests an abundance of experiences from wine tasting in McLaren Vale to whale watching at Victor Harbor, or scuba diving on the ex-HMAS Hobart. Cosy B&B’s are located throughout the Fleurieu Peninsula – many set among natural bushland, stunning vineyards, olive and almond groves or right by the beach. McLaren Vale in the north of the region is one of Australia’s premier wine-producing regions. John Reynell planted the first vines in 1838 at Reynella, where he employed a young labourer named Thomas Hardy and laid the foundations of two dynasties that would dominate the region for more than a century. Now the region is home to more than 60 wineries such as d’Arenberg, Wirra Wirra, Fox Creek and Penny’s Hill. Many have welcoming cellar doors and restaurants that specialise in local produce. Along with fabulous wines, the Peninsula is famed for its olives and olive oil, almonds and cheeses. You'll find gourmet bread, regional lamb and venison and great seafood from the oceans and the Murray River. A growing number of restaurants, farmers markets, cellar doors and speciality stores are devoted to regional fare and October is Fiesta, an annual celebration of new season’s olive oils and wines. Settled in 1839 and retaining much of its Scottish flavour, Strathalbyn boasts a long boulevard of heritage buildings housing antique shops, galleries and cafes. Among its most beautiful buildings include the Police Station & Court House Museum, the old school and the gasworks, plus there's a lovely manicured park beside the Angas River and it's only short drive to the wineries of Langhorne Creek. Further south you'll find Victor Harbor, South Australia's most popular seaside town with it's horse-drawn tram to Granite Island, the historic Cockle Steam Train and whales playing just offshore in the winter months. Once a whaling post, Victor Harbor is now home to the South Australian Whale Centre. Further along the coast is the pretty, historic river port of Goolwa (Australia’s only inland port), Hindmarsh Island and the mighty Murray River mouth and the internationally renowned Coorong National Park. River cruises leave from the historic town and ply into the Coorong, a complex 145-kilometre tapestry of lagoons, wetlands and sand dunes supporting up to 238 bird species throughout the year. At the southern-most tip of the Peninsula is Cape Jervis. Catch the ferry to Kangaroo Island or grab a backpack and walk along part of the famed Heysen Trail – a 1500km walking track that stretches right up to the Flinders Ranges. It’s little wonder that the Peninsula is a favourite holiday destination for South Australians. |
Visitor
Information
Centres
Goolwa
The Wharf, Goolwa
Telephone: +61 8 8555 1144
McLaren Vale and Fleurieu
Main Road, McLaren Vale
Telephone: +61 8 8323 9944
Strathalbyn
The Railway Station, South Terrace Strathalbyn
Telelephone +61 8 8536 3212
Victor Harbor
The Causeway, Victor Harbor
Telephone: +61 8 8552 5738
Yankalilla Bay
104 Main Road, Yankalilla
Telephone: +61 8 8558 2999 |
