South Australia

Fleurieu Peninsula
The Fleurieu Peninsula sits half an hour south of Adelaide where Gulf St Vincent meets Backstairs Passage. The Peninsula has more than twenty conservation parks where wildlife can be seen in natural bush settings. 

The Fleurieu Peninsula is bounded by Gulf St Vincent to the west and the Southern Ocean to the south, the two connected by the Backstairs Passage at Cape Jervis (where the ferry leaves for Kangaroo Island). There are fine beaches on both coasts and, inland, more wineries in the rolling Southern Vales. It’s pleasantly undeveloped: many of the towns were settled from the 1830s and there’s a lot of colonial architecture, often housing restaurants and B&Bs. 

For a round trip, leave the city via the Adelaide Hills and cut down through Mount Barker to well-preserved Strathalbyn and Goolwa, on the south coast, circling round through Victor Harbor, Willunga and McLaren Vale. The peninsula is a good place to cycle – in addition to its roads it has two sealed bike paths: the 15km Ngarrindjeri Bikeway (shared with rollerbladers and walkers) follows the coast from Goolwa to just beyond Victor Harbor; another (shorter) path runs between Willunga and McLaren Vale.

If you’re relying on public transport, try Premier Stateliner (tel 08/8415 5555) which makes two to three daily trips from Adelaide to Goolwa via McLaren Vale, Willunga, Victor Harbor and Port Elliot. There’s also a sporadic service provided by the Southern Encounter steam train (occasionally replaced by a diesel locomotive) which chugs from Mt Barker to Strathalbyn through Goolwa and Port Elliot to Victor Harbor (1–4 Sundays a month, closed Feb–April; call 08/8391 1223 for details).

 If you’d rather take a tour, Bee-init Tours (tel 08/8332 1401) offer several half and full-day minibus tours of the peninsula from Adelaide; the most popular includes afternoon wine-tasting in Mclaren Vale and an evening observing the Fairy Penguins at Victor Harbor ($44; 6hr). A day-trip with Shaun’s Boundaway Tours (tel 08/8371 3147; $39 including morning and afternoon tea) heads through the Adelaide Hills and takes in wine-tasting plus all the peninsula sights, with time for a swim at Maslins Beach in warm weather.

Climate

The climate on Fleurieu Peninsula is mild, or temperate. Sometimes the district is said to have Mediterranean climate. Except in the loftier hills districts above Willunga and around Mount Compass and Myponga, the weather is affected by the ocean. Temperatures tend to be a few degrees milder in summer and warmer in winter.

Hotel Accommodation

Area: Name of Hotel/Resort Rating Remarks
Fleurieux Penn. (McLarenVale) St.Francis Winery Resort MC Quality Inn
 
Fleurieux Penn. (Victor Harbor) Colonial Motor Inn MC  

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