5 alternative ways to enjoy Mad March in Adelaide

It’s this time of year that Ade­laide real­ly comes alive. With Fringe, the Ade­laide Fes­ti­val, WOM­ADe­laide and Clip­sal 500 in the mix, the city is tru­ly buzzing.

But what if you need a break from the hus­tle and bus­tle? Or some­thing to do beyond the busy CBD?

Here are 5 alter­na­tive ideas to keep you enter­tained and help you unwind in some of South Australia’s spe­cial nat­ur­al and his­toric places:

1. Vis­it a park dur­ing Parks Week

A huge selec­tion of free activ­i­ties are being held in nation­al parks and reserves across the coun­try from March 5 to 13 to cel­e­brate Parks Week. There’s guid­ed snorkelling tours at Encounter Marine Park, a morn­ing pilates ses­sion at the stun­ning Mount Remark­able Nation­al Park, fun for the kids with a junior ranger chal­lenge at Para Wirra Recre­ation Park, and Belair Nation­al Park’s 125^th anniver­sary cel­e­bra­tions. Be sure to check out the full list of events.

2. Plan your autumn gar­den makeover

Whether you’re a green thumb or a total new­bie, there’s a lot to be said about get­ting out in the gar­den. It’s a great way to unwind, enjoy the fresh air and get back in touch with nature. The cool­er months from autumn to win­ter are the per­fect time for plant­i­ng, so start the ground­work now and plan your gar­den makeover. Think about the look and feel you’re going for, and if a native gar­den is up your alley, con­sid­er a trip to the State Flo­ra experts at Belair or Mur­ray Bridge for some plan­ning advice. They spe­cialise in water­wise South Aus­tralian species that will bring colour, but­ter­flies, birds and insects to your gar­den and grow a range of plants per­fect for our state’s unique cli­mate and soil conditions.

3. Take in the tunes at Gaol Blues Festival

Chill out to the cool sounds of Blues music at the his­toric Ade­laide Gaol in its 175^th anniver­sary year at Gaol Blues Fest on March 20. The day fea­tures a col­lec­tion of local blues artists, culi­nary delights with a South­ern Unit­ed States flavour, and a selec­tion of local craft beer, cider and wines. You can relax and take in the tunes or explore the mys­te­ri­ous cor­ri­dors, cells and walls of the old gaol. Get your tick­ets online.

4. Head out to Shepherd’s Hill Park Adven­ture Day

If you’re the active type, head out to Shepherd’s Hill Recre­ation Park just 12 kilo­me­tres south of the CBD for a taste of bike rid­ing, archery or guid­ed dog walks as part of the park’s Adven­ture Day on March 20. Shepherd’s Hill is Nature Play South Australia’s ​‘Park of the Month’ and to cel­e­brate, you can check out the recent­ly upgrad­ed bike trails, the spe­cial jumps bowl, and the des­ig­nat­ed kids zone, or take part in a nature tour of the endan­gered Grey box grassy wood­land. Plus, there’s a sausage siz­zle and ice cream– what’s not to like?

5. Catch a Fringe show in the Ade­laide Botan­ic Garden

OK, so this doesn’t get you out of town, but if you’re after a per­fect blend of fes­ti­val fever and nature, head to the Ade­laide Botan­ic Gar­den for a Fringe Show. Lead your­self up the gar­den path – and indulge your sens­es – as you head to the show.There’s some­thing for all ages, at the moment you can catch the mag­i­cal fairy tale of Otan­i­cal for the kids or The Bunker Tril­o­gy: Mor­gana, Agamem­non and Mac­beth for adults.

Head­er image cour­tesy of Jason Tyn­dall, Nature Play SA.