It’s time to be a bit adventurous. It’s time to extract yourself from your current sumptuous surroundings at The Playford, put on your safari garb, and leave the urban ‘jungle’ behind. It’s time for you to go out and go a bit wild because, not far from the centre of Adelaide, there’s wildlife just waiting to be tamed.
At the Adelaide Zoo, you’ll discover wildlife in abundance. Just stretch out your hands to feed kangaroos or hold the cuddliest koalas. Take a magical swim with dolphins or watch the awe-inspiring migrating whales. There are more than 300 species of animals at the zoo. And you won’t want to miss the star attractions, Wang Wang and Funi, the only giant pandas in the southern hemisphere. If you’re going to experience something extra exceptional, you can stay for the ‘wild nights’ overnight experience.
But your adventure has only just begun. Just an hour’s drive from Adelaide up the South Eastern motorway, you’ll find animals from Africa and Asia on the move—they’re roaming around Monarto Zoo, a massive conservation park and the largest open-range zoo in Australia. It’s home to South Australia’s first-ever southern white rhinoceros and Australia’s largest giraffe herd.
Head for the hills is the cry. Take a trip to Adelaide Hills and venture deep into the Cleland Wildlife Park, where animals roam freely across 35 hectares of native bushland. And picture this. You can have your photo taken when you’re feeding a kangaroo or holding a koala. At Gorge Wildlife Park, there’s a real wild side on show. You’ll be able to marvel at the monkeys, meerkats, alligators, and all of your favourite Australian animals, such as wombats, dingoes, echidnas, and ferocious Tasmanian devils.
If you’re looking for a truly magical wildlife experience, you can’t beat a wildlife tour of Kangaroo Island. You can do it any number of ways. By coach, four-wheel drive, on foot, jumping in a boat or taking to the skies in a chopper. Other guided tours can be just as fascinating. You can join a guided tour at Seal Bay Conservation Park and take a wild walk amongst a colony of Australian sea lions.
Down at Victor Harbour, just an hour’s drive south of Adelaide, you can take in nature on a much larger scale. Right here, you can watch endangered southern right whales migrate to the Great Australian Bight, off Eyre Peninsula’s far west coast, to breed and calve.
Closer to Adelaide, you can experience a once-in-a-lifetime moment. All you have to do is head down to Glenelg Beach and join Templeton Sailing for the magnificent opportunity to swim with dolphins. Or, if you don’t want to join in, you can always sit back and watch these superb creatures at play.
Grab hold of your sense of adventure. Go and take a walk on the wild side. Experience the excitement and natural beauty that Adelaide’s unique wildlife can offer. Then, return home to The Playford to tell and remember stories of your wildest adventure ever.
