Top 5 things to do with dad in parks this Father's Day

1. Go botanical

Adelaide’s stunning botanic gardens are the perfect place to connect with family and nature this Father’s Day.

Adelaide Botanic Garden

All you need is dad, some sandwiches and a picnic blanket to enjoy the beauty and diversity of plants from around the world in the heart of the city. With 50 hectares of magnificently maintained gardens and stunning architecture, the Adelaide Botanic Garden is the perfect place to soak up some sunshine and enjoy some of Australia’s finest plant collections.

Wittunga Botanic Garden

Nestled within suburban Blackwood, the 13-hectare Wittunga Botanic Garden is a hidden oasis. Father’s Day is the perfect time to see the emerging displays of Ericas and Proteas, two spectacular South African varieties that form part of the extensive collection of water-wise plants from Australia and abroad. See if you can also recognise some of the more familiar plants from Kangaroo Island and the Fleurieu Peninsula and roll out a picnic rug near the enticing Butterfly Garden.

Mount Lofty Botanic Garden

Encourage dad to lace up his walking shoes, pack the camera and get ready to explore! Meander along the multitude of paths that sprawl across 97 hectares and immerse yourselves in the spectacular colour and diverse fauna and flora of Mount Lofty Botanic Garden.

2. Get on your bike

If dad is more the active type, there are so many mountain biking trails to explore in South Australian parks. From leisurely cruising to challenging routes and pump tracks, there is a trail to suit every level of rider. Find out more about mountain biking in SA’s parks and check out these family-friendly options.

Remarkable Epic Trail

If dad is seeking a thrilling adventure a little further afield that takes the family off the beaten path, South Australia’s newest mountain bike trail at Mount Remarkable National Park is ideal. The Remarkable Epic Trail , near Melrose, approximately 3 hours’ drive north of Adelaide, is an experience for those riders who want a challenge! This 39km closed-loop trail meanders through the Park’s rugged beauty, leading you through previously unexplored regions, revealing hidden gems along the way.

Cob­bler Creek

Cob­bler Creek Recre­ation Park, 19km north of Ade­laide, is the per­fect place for dad and the kids to have some fun. Try the Begin­ners’ Cir­cuit or Easy Does It moun­tain bik­ing trails. The KARNARFA Circuit features easy and optional trail obstacles and is a good introduction to Cobbler Creek’s intermediate trails. The pump track is per­fect for kids and is right next to the Kites and Kestrels play­ground, which offers a shel­tered pic­nic area and toilets.

Shep­herds Hill

Shep­herds Hill Recre­ation Park, just 11km south of Ade­laide, con­tains 16km of moun­tain bike trails. The fam­i­ly-friend­ly green cir­cle loops are great to start on, before pro­gress­ing to the short but tough cross-coun­try loops and fun inter­me­di­ate down­hill runs. Shepherds Hill Recreation Park even has a safe and easy area where the family can prac­tice and expe­ri­ence rid­ing on dirt.

Belair

Belair Nation­al Park, locat­ed 13km south-east of Ade­laide, has a great range of trails for begin­ners through to more expe­ri­enced riders. Belair is eas­i­ly acces­si­ble via train from North Ter­race in the city so dad and the family can load up their bikes and arrive at this recreation mecca without raising a sweat or fussing with bike racks. Among the family-friendly rides are the fire trails from Play­ford Lake to the adven­ture playground.

3. Visit a playground – everyone wins

Happy kids = contended dads on Father’s Day. If keeping the kids occupied is the secret to some downtime for dad on Father’s Day, then an adventure playground in a beautiful setting could be just the ticket.

Glenthorne National Park-Ityamaiitpinna Yarta

This new nation­al park in Adelaide’s south­ern sub­urbs is located 16km south of Ade­laide on Majors Road in O’Halloran Hill. Its adven­ture play­ground fea­tures three slides, a see­saw, spin­ner, fos­sil dig area and Kau­r­na carv­ings and sculp­tures set across 7000 square metres, mak­ing it one of the State’s biggest nature-play spaces. There are rope and log climb­ing ele­ments, a pen­du­lum swing, cub­by build­ing, a 25m long fly­ing fox and a wide range of acces­si­ble equip­ment to ensure chil­dren of all abil­i­ties can enjoy the Glen­thorne Nation­al Park-Itya­mai­it­pin­na Yarta.

The adven­ture play­ground is sur­round­ed by a pur­pose-built vis­i­tor hub that includes shel­ters, BBQs, toi­lets and pic­nic areas and is adjacent to 8km of bike trails in the former O’Halloran Hill Recreation Park

Morialta nature-play space

Morialta Conservation Park offers a range of family-friendly activities – including the brand new Mukanthi nature play space. Created out of natural materials, the playground encourages families to connect with nature while climbing the Birds Nest, visiting Frog Island, finding the secret tunnel at Great Snake, and reaching the peak at Eagles Perch. After all that adventure, dad can enjoy a picnic on the lawn near Stradbroke Road and make use of the free barbecue facilities.

Cobbler Creek Recreation Park

Cobbler Creek gets another mention ahead of Father’s Day thanks to its imaginative Kites and Kestrels Playspace and picnic area which features BBQs, picnic shelters and a nearby bike pump track. Inspired by the kites and kestrels that fly overhead, the playground at Cobbler Creek Recreation Park has sandpits designed to look like bird-nests with giant eggs in the middle and there’s a flying fox and traditional play equipment to enjoy as well.

4. Get Inspired - wander to a waterfall

There’s nothing quite as relaxing and inspiring as a waterfall and there’s no better time to enjoy SA’s wondrous waterfalls than Father’s Day.

Mori­al­ta Con­ser­va­tion Park

Morialta is great to visit all year round, but spring is an ideal time to see the falls at their best and the wildflowers at their brightest. Just 10 kilo­me­tres from the city, Morialta Conservation Park offers superb views of three waterfalls linked by hiking trails that make it easy to get from one to the oth­er. The relatively flat and accessible First Falls Walk meanders alongside the bubbling Fourth Creek. Walkers will be rewarded with stunning gorge views and a grand, 30m high waterfall. The Second Falls are approx­i­mate­ly 25m high and require some more strenuous hiking. If you want to see all the falls, pre­pare for a 7.5km hike, which will take approx­i­mate­ly four hours.

Deep Creek Nation­al Park

Deep Creek is perched on SA’s Fleurieu Penin­su­la and, as the name sug­gests, is a good place to vis­it if you enjoy being close to water. The Deep Creek Waterfall is tru­ly spec­tac­u­lar after rain and has a large rock pool at the bottom that provides an enticing lunch spot. You can enjoy it by tak­ing walk­ing trails from either the Tapanap­pa Look­out carpark or Trig camp­ground carpark.

Sturt Gorge Recre­ation Park

One of the lesser-known parks with a picturesque three-tiered waterfall is Sturt Gorge Recre­ation Park, 13 km south of Ade­laide. The Riv­er Trail mean­ders alongside this unex­pect­ed, relax­ing, urban oasis, which rewards walkers after rain. Geol­o­gy buffs will mar­vel at the rock formations sur­round­ing the water­fall, which are believed to be 800 mil­lion years old. Fol­low the path that leads to the water­fall but watch your foot­ing near its base – they can be slippery.

Cle­land Nation­al Park

Cleland National Park is home to sev­en water­falls and three of these are easy to access includ­ing First Falls at Water­fall Gul­ly – the most magnificent of them all. Sec­ond Falls is a lot small­er than First Falls, but it’s still breath­tak­ing. Sit on the stone bench and enjoy the views from afar or head down the path and let the kids splash at its base in their gumboots.

5. Get up close and personal

If Dad's a wildlife lover, why not consider these gift ideas:

Cleland wildlife experiences

Dad can get up close with a koala, cockatoo, reptile or even an echidna with a personal encounter with one of Australia’s most beloved native icons. Explore Cleland wildlife experiences here. You can also hand feed animals like kangaroos, emus and potoroos with no barrier between you at Cleland National Park

Koala number plates

Would dad like to drive to help koalas survive? This unique Koala State number plate is a great gift for conservation-minded motorists, with $50 from each plate sale going toward South Australia’s wildlife rescue and rehabilitation sector. 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.