Fleurieu Peninsula is nature’s playground – a place of sparkling seas and flourishing vines, a place of whales and seals and leafy seadragons, a place that reliably leaves people feeling… happy.

1. Love the Causeway!

The Causeway is a physical link with Granite Island (circled by the magnificent Kaiki walk) and a symbolic link with the past. Ngarrindjeri-Ramindjeri motifs of animals are etched into the new $43 million Causeway, while the famous Clydesdales pulling the Victor Harbor Tram are a living, loveable piece of history. Operating since 1894, the tram makes regular crossings each day!

2. Take Surf Lessons

There are five kilometres of broad, flat, unspoiled beach extending from Middleton to Goolwa. Most weekends you’ll find three surf schools at work, usually supervising whole pods of newbies on the schools’ high-floatation boards. Just turn up to join in – heaps of fun! Adrenaline junkies are also served by operators offering tandem parachute jumps, as well as flights in helicopters, Tiger Moth biplanes and gyrocopters.

3. Pick a Beach, Any Beach…

Close to Adelaide you’ll find quintessential suburban sands with all the colourful beach-life you’d expect. Further south, where the land rises steeply, you’ll come upon small cusps of white sand hidden among rocky coves. The mighty South Coast is home to Endless Summer-type beaches with powerful surf. The dunes east of the Murray mouth are the start of the unique fresh/saltwater ecosystem that is the Coorong.

4. Explore Three Wine Regions 

Treat your palate to the famous wines of McLaren Vale, served in cellar doors of hand-hewn stone and architect-inspired flights of fancy (including the eccentric and compelling D’Arenberg Cube). Then switch off the satnav and surrender to the country lanes of three lesser-known wine regions – Langhorne Creek, Currency Creek and Southern Fleurieu. They’re creating a buzz among connoisseurs for a reason!

5. Watch for Whales 

The southern Fleurieu offers one of the most accessible places to view southern right and humpback whales, that regularly visit waters off Port Elliott and Victor Harbor between May and October (often arriving with their calves). Don’t miss the brilliant South Australian Whale Centre at Victor Harbor.

Read dueSouth Magazine here.