3 Christmas present ideas for nature-lovers

As the holiday season approaches, finding the perfect gift for the nature lover in your life is made easy with our guide. Get ahead this year and discover 3 unique gift ideas. Your organised and relaxed holiday season starts here!

1. Cleland Wildlife Park experiences

Cleland Wildlife Park in the Adelaide Hills is one of South Australia’s most iconic tourist attractions, renowned for its wide open spaces where you can get closer to animals including koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and potoroos.

A range of Cleland Wildlife Park gift vouchers are available just in time for Christmas. From one-off day passes to yearly memberships, there is something for everyone.

How about a close encounter with the resident echidnas, spending time inside their enclosure and helping with feeding time (watch out for those long sticky tongues!)? Or your loved one can even have breakfast with the birds.

The best bit? Knowing that your purchase is contributing to the many programs and conservation efforts undertaken at the park.

Top tip: Gift cards are convenient and easy to purchase online.

2. Koala Plate

Looking for something special for a wildlife lover? We think a Koala Plate might just be the perfect idea.

Available for $151 for an existing vehicle registration, these special number plates make a truly unique gift that your loved one will never forget.

The best part? $50 from each purchase goes towards a fund to support the state’s wildlife rescue and rehabilitation sector. It’s a great way to support the volunteer carers that help sick and injured animals recover so they can be returned to the wild.

Interested? You’ll need to order before 5pm on Friday 1 December to guarantee the plates are available in time for Christmas. You can also nominate to collect your plates from a Service SA Customer Service Centre to save time and avoid any postal delays.

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.

3. Annual parks pass

A multiple entry parks pass gives the gift of experiences at the best of South Australia’s national parks year-round, at sites like the white sand beaches of Lincoln and Coffin Bay national parks, the rugged coastline of Deep Creek National Park and the ancient mountain landscapes of Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park.

An annual parks pass covers vehicle entry fees for parks where fees apply, such as Belair National Park, Coffin Bay National Park, Deep Creek National Park, Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, Ngarkat Conservation Park, Lincoln National Park, Mount Remarkable National Park and Para Wirra Conservation Park.

A 12-month multiple entry parks pass costs $121 ($97 for concession holders) and can be bought online. And there’s another feel-good alert – proceeds from the pass contribute to the maintenance of SA’s huge national parks estate, which covers more than 21% of the state.

With the shopping list sorted, maybe it’s time to think about how you’re going to decorate. Ditch the exotic plants this Christmas and deck the halls with these native species instead.

Main image: Father Christmas fishing for Australian salmon in Lincoln National Park (courtesy of @robertlangphotogrpahy Instagram)

This story was originally posted in December 2019 and has been updated with new information.