Top 5 things to do with dad in parks this Father’s Day
1. Go botanical
Adelaide’s stunning botanic gardens are the perfect place to connect with family and nature this Father’s Day.
Adelaide Botanic Garden
All you need is dad, some sandwiches and a picnic blanket to enjoy the beauty and diversity of plants from around the world in the heart of the city. With 50 hectares of magnificently maintained gardens and stunning architecture, the Adelaide Botanic Garden is the perfect place to soak up some sunshine and enjoy some of Australia’s finest plant collections.
Wittunga Botanic Garden
Nestled within suburban Blackwood, the 13-hectare Wittunga Botanic Garden is a hidden oasis. Father’s Day is the perfect time to see the emerging displays of Ericas and Proteas, two spectacular South African varieties that form part of the extensive collection of water-wise plants from Australia and abroad. See if you can also recognise some of the more familiar plants from Kangaroo Island and the Fleurieu Peninsula and roll out a picnic rug near the enticing Butterfly Garden.
Mount Lofty Botanic Garden
Encourage dad to lace up his walking shoes, pack the camera and get ready to explore! Meander along the multitude of paths that sprawl across 97 hectares and immerse yourselves in the spectacular colour and diverse fauna and flora of Mount Lofty Botanic Garden.
2. Get on your bike
If dad is more the active type, there are so many mountain biking trails to explore in South Australian parks. From leisurely cruising to challenging routes and pump tracks, there is a trail to suit every level of rider. Find out more about mountain biking in SA’s parks and check out these family-friendly options.
Remarkable Epic Trail
If dad is seeking a thrilling adventure a little further afield that takes the family off the beaten path, South Australia’s newest mountain bike trail at Mount Remarkable National Park is ideal. The Remarkable Epic Trail , near Melrose, approximately 3 hours’ drive north of Adelaide, is an experience for those riders who want a challenge! This 39km closed-loop trail meanders through the Park’s rugged beauty, leading you through previously unexplored regions, revealing hidden gems along the way.
Cobbler Creek
Cobbler Creek Recreation Park, 19km north of Adelaide, is the perfect place for dad and the kids to have some fun. Try the Beginners’ Circuit or Easy Does It mountain biking trails. The KARNARFA Circuit features easy and optional trail obstacles and is a good introduction to Cobbler Creek’s intermediate trails. The pump track is perfect for kids and is right next to the Kites and Kestrels playground, which offers a sheltered picnic area and toilets.
Shepherds Hill
Shepherds Hill Recreation Park, just 11km south of Adelaide, contains 16km of mountain bike trails. The family-friendly green circle loops are great to start on, before progressing to the short but tough cross-country loops and fun intermediate downhill runs. Shepherds Hill Recreation Park even has a safe and easy area where the family can practice and experience riding on dirt.
Belair
Belair National Park, located 13km south-east of Adelaide, has a great range of trails for beginners through to more experienced riders. Belair is easily accessible via train from North Terrace in the city so dad and the family can load up their bikes and arrive at this recreation mecca without raising a sweat or fussing with bike racks. Among the family-friendly rides are the fire trails from Playford Lake to the adventure playground.
3. Visit a playground – everyone wins
Happy kids = contended dads on Father’s Day. If keeping the kids occupied is the secret to some downtime for dad on Father’s Day, then an adventure playground in a beautiful setting could be just the ticket.
Glenthorne National Park-Ityamaiitpinna Yarta
This new national park in Adelaide’s southern suburbs is located 16km south of Adelaide on Majors Road in O’Halloran Hill. Its adventure playground features three slides, a seesaw, spinner, fossil dig area and Kaurna carvings and sculptures set across 7000 square metres, making it one of the State’s biggest nature-play spaces. There are rope and log climbing elements, a pendulum swing, cubby building, a 25m long flying fox and a wide range of accessible equipment to ensure children of all abilities can enjoy the Glenthorne National Park-Ityamaiitpinna Yarta.
The adventure playground is surrounded by a purpose-built visitor hub that includes shelters, BBQs, toilets and picnic areas and is adjacent to 8km of bike trails in the former O’Halloran Hill Recreation Park
Morialta nature-play space
Morialta Conservation Park offers a range of family-friendly activities – including the brand new Mukanthi nature play space. Created out of natural materials, the playground encourages families to connect with nature while climbing the Birds Nest, visiting Frog Island, finding the secret tunnel at Great Snake, and reaching the peak at Eagles Perch. After all that adventure, dad can enjoy a picnic on the lawn near Stradbroke Road and make use of the free barbecue facilities.
Cobbler Creek Recreation Park
Cobbler Creek gets another mention ahead of Father’s Day thanks to its imaginative Kites and Kestrels Playspace and picnic area which features BBQs, picnic shelters and a nearby bike pump track. Inspired by the kites and kestrels that fly overhead, the playground at Cobbler Creek Recreation Park has sandpits designed to look like bird-nests with giant eggs in the middle and there’s a flying fox and traditional play equipment to enjoy as well.
4. Get Inspired — wander to a waterfall
There’s nothing quite as relaxing and inspiring as a waterfall and there’s no better time to enjoy SA’s wondrous waterfalls than Father’s Day.
Morialta Conservation Park
Morialta is great to visit all year round, but spring is an ideal time to see the falls at their best and the wildflowers at their brightest. Just 10 kilometres from the city, Morialta Conservation Park offers superb views of three waterfalls linked by hiking trails that make it easy to get from one to the other. The relatively flat and accessible First Falls Walk meanders alongside the bubbling Fourth Creek. Walkers will be rewarded with stunning gorge views and a grand, 30m high waterfall. The Second Falls are approximately 25m high and require some more strenuous hiking. If you want to see all the falls, prepare for a 7.5km hike, which will take approximately four hours.
Deep Creek National Park
Deep Creek is perched on SA’s Fleurieu Peninsula and, as the name suggests, is a good place to visit if you enjoy being close to water. The Deep Creek Waterfall is truly spectacular after rain and has a large rock pool at the bottom that provides an enticing lunch spot. You can enjoy it by taking walking trails from either the Tapanappa Lookout carpark or Trig campground carpark.
Sturt Gorge Recreation Park
One of the lesser-known parks with a picturesque three-tiered waterfall is Sturt Gorge Recreation Park, 13 km south of Adelaide. The River Trail meanders alongside this unexpected, relaxing, urban oasis, which rewards walkers after rain. Geology buffs will marvel at the rock formations surrounding the waterfall, which are believed to be 800 million years old. Follow the path that leads to the waterfall but watch your footing near its base – they can be slippery.
Cleland National Park
Cleland National Park is home to seven waterfalls and three of these are easy to access including First Falls at Waterfall Gully – the most magnificent of them all. Second Falls is a lot smaller than First Falls, but it’s still breathtaking. Sit on the stone bench and enjoy the views from afar or head down the path and let the kids splash at its base in their gumboots.
5. Get up close and personal
If Dad’s a wildlife lover, why not consider these gift ideas:
Cleland wildlife experiences
Dad can get up close with a koala, cockatoo, reptile or even an echidna with a personal encounter with one of Australia’s most beloved native icons. Explore Cleland wildlife experiences here. You can also hand feed animals like kangaroos, emus and potoroos with no barrier between you at Cleland National Park
Koala number plates
Would dad like to drive to help koalas survive? This unique Koala State number plate is a great gift for conservation-minded motorists, with $50 from each plate sale going toward South Australia’s wildlife rescue and rehabilitation sector. Find out more and order today by visiting Ezy Plates. For more information on how to purchase a number plate as a gift, visit Ezy Plate’s FAQs.