Whether it’s the food, the wine or the wonder – South Australia is the destination of choice for international tourists, with visitors spending a significant $1.15 billion for the year ending June 2018.
The latest International Visitor Survey has shown tourism growth in SA is outpacing the nation, with visits to SA up 7% and expenditure up 8% above the national average of 6% and five per cent respectively.
Tourists flocking to SA are largely hailing from the United Kingdom, the US, China and New Zealand, and acting Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Tim Whetstone is confident of the state’s continued growth.
“There’s a lot to like about these figures, in particular the 8% increase in international visitor spending which brings us closer to our target of $1.24 billion by 2020,” he says.
“By 2020, tourism has the potential to generate $8 billion for the local economy and, in turn, support even more small businesses and jobs as well as our regional communities.”
Visiting SA from abroad? Here’s six activities not to be missed!
Explore Kangaroo Island
Seal Bay Conservation Park. Photo by SATC.
With a population of just over 4000 people, Kangaroo Island is the untouched backyard of SA offering experiences like no other.
Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island has been home to a population of Australian sea lions for thousands of years and gives visitors the chance to walk onto a sandy beach and watch as Australian sea lions play and rest.
If you need another reason to visit the pristine beaches of KI, how about the stellar local produce? KI Spirits was awarded Australia’s best gin in 2016 and 2017.
Make your nest at the Southern Ocean Lodge, a truly luxurious space with breathtaking views of the Southern Ocean and Kangaroo Island Wilderness.
Walk through history in Hahndorf
Hahndorf Academy. Photo by SATC.
Laden With traditional European village features and nestled in the Adelaide Hills, Hahndorf is Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement.
Start your day with a stroll through the historic main street before popping into the German Village Shop where you’ll find traditional German cuckoo clocks and beer steins. Take a walk through history at the Hahndorf Academy, a 19th century heritage building, and finish your day at the German Arms Hotel with a beer and sausage, German style.
Bring a new meaning to ‘freshly picked’ at Beerenberg, where you can spend the day picking the perfect, ripest strawberries from the farm’s strawberry patch during SA’s strawberry season, which runs from November to April.
Go shark cage diving in the EP
Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions. Photo: Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions
A 45-minute plane ride from Adelaide will land you in Port Lincoln, a town famous for its shark cage diving experiences on the Eyre Peninsula.
Shark cage diving with Calypso Star Charters takes tourists on a one-day, adventure packed trip to the Neptune Islands. Led by eco-certified guides, Calypso Star Charters is the only one-day shark cage diving provider permitted to use natural fish berley to attract great white sharks, and took home the RAA People’s Choice Tourism Award – Experience or Service in the 2018 South Australian Tourism Awards.
Travellers can take a day trip with Adventure Bay Charters, a no-bait tour group that attracts sharks by playing music from underwater speakers. If you prefer to stay dry, the boat features a world first underwater glass viewing area.
Looking to really immerse yourself in shark territory? Rodney Fox Shark Expedition is the group to pick. Departing from Port Lincoln, tours take you on a 4.5 hour voyage to the Neptune Islands and last anywhere from 3–5 days depending on your booking.
Meet some furry friends
Cleland Wildlife Park. Photo by SATC.
A trip to SA isn’t complete until you’ve been close up with a koala.
Cleland Wildlife Park is 30 minutes from the city and home to koalas, wallabies, potoroos and many more furry creatures, while Gorge Wildlife Park in Cudlee Creek offers free koala holding sessions.
Warrrawong Wildlife Sanctuary in the Adelaide Hillls offers hands on experiences with snakes, as well as encounters with koalas and wallabies among other furry creatures.
Visit the Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges. Photo by Jake Wundersitz
Glimpse into the history of the Aboriginal Dream Trail with insight from an Aboriginal tour guide, explore Wilpena Pound, a naturally-formed amphitheatre spanning across 100km, and find Australia’s largest salt lake and full of colour in Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park.
Explore the quirks of the d’Arenberg Cube in McLaren Vale
d’Arenberg Cube. Photo: Marc Mandica
Set across five levels, the striking architecture of d’Arenberg Cube in McLaren Vale features a cellar door, restaurant and a range of interactive installations across five storeys. Explore the Alternate Realties Museum on the ground floor before making your way through a wine sensory room, a virtual fermenter and a 360-degree video room. The cellar door awaits at the top with panoramic views and wine tastings.
Click here for 15 things to do in McLaren Vale, and make it a weekend trip.
Header image: Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park – Wrightsair Scenic Flight, SATC.
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