Not sure where to go or what to do. We have put a jammed packed day together for you on the McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Coast.
Pack the kids and the dog (but only if you have one) and enjoy a great day out.
Morning
If you’re here on a weekend, take the kids to Willunga Farmers Market for the morning (open every Saturday). The farmers and producers are always happy to chat to kids about their farm-fresh produce. Settle in for some brekky and a coffee afterwards, if time permits.
There’s a collection of cafes close by that are great for little ones too. In Willunga, try De-Rose Kitchen - Previously Three Monkeys, The Farm, The Golden Fleece Cafe and The Green Room - all kid-friendly with lovely outdoor courtyards. In McLaren Vale,there's the Tin Shed, McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Visitor Information Centre Cafe and The Almond Carriage Cafe with milkshakes and kids menu to suit all ages (hot tip - they’ve also got an enormous collection of train books that’ll keep the kids occupied for hours too). Towards the coast, try The Flour Store in Port Noarlunga.
Lunch
While many of the region’s cafes are great for lunch, there’s also a collection of bakeries, restaurants and cellar doors that welcome kids and furry friends. Home Grain Bakery in Aldinga and McLaren Flat are great for a traditional bakery lunch, as well as The Cottage Bakery in McLaren Vale and the Willunga Bakery.
When it comes to cellar doors, Ekhidna offers beautiful lawns for the kids to roam, as well as lunch, wine and beer for parents, while Swell Taphouse and Victor’s Place have plenty of family-friendly casual food options and lawns for you to sit and soak up the beautiful views while the little ones run off all of their energy.
Pit Stop
If you’re after something to do between wine tastings and meal-times, there’s plenty of fun pit-stops along the way that’ll keep everyone happy and occupied. Maxwell Wines in McLaren Vale not only offer a beautiful cellar door, winery and restaurant, but they also have an enormous maze that’s popular with local and visiting little ones alike. At Woodstock Winery, you can feed the kangaroos that live on the property (feeding time is 11:30am daily) while Willunga Creek Wines offers a nine-hole mini golf course.
If you’ve got a little green thumb in your family, the new Flower Cellar Door is a wild wonderland for littlies. Their quaint cafe, greenhouse space and eclectic grounds are the perfect pit-stop with a difference to explore. Another unique experience for the kids is Adelaide Biplanes where you can perch in their cosy cafe adjacent to the airfield and watch the vintage planes take off and land right before your eyes.
For something a little more relaxing for parents, head to one of the region’s family-friendly cellar doors. Gemtree Wines is home to one of the most popular playgrounds as well as Gus and Caruso the resident alpacas, which means you can sit back and relax while the kids play. Fox Creek Wines also offer a kids treasure hunt to little winery-goers, while Angoves Family Winemakers have lawn games fit for the whole family.
Evening
With a wide range of pubs, casual eateries and fine dining options, the region will leave you spoilt for choice when it comes to finding the perfect place for a family dinner. If you’re after a simple pub classic, you can’t go past the iconic Willunga Hotel or the Old Bush Inn in Willunga. Mick O’Shea’s Irish pub (Hackham) has plenty of children’s meal options and communal lawns for the kids to play on while you sip some of their craft brews. Also the picturesque Victory Hotel restaurant boasts stunning views, a lawn for kids (right next to the dining area) and special menu for little ones too.
A range of other regional restaurants also feature feasts for the little ones including Star of Greece in Port Willunga, Hortas in Port Noarlunga and Oscars in McLaren Vale.
