Blue Lake/Warwar
Discover the scenic route to Adelaide Road Trip to AFL Gather Round
If you’ve got a week to spend on your AFL Gather Round road trip during Easter or school holidays, why not slow down and get off the beaten track. The best memories are made unhurried – when the playlist is pumping, fresh country air whips through the windows and little discoveries draw you off the highway. We suggest allowing 4–5 days for the scenic journey to Adelaide, with overnight stays in Mount Gambier, Robe (two nights) and Meningie. It gives you plenty of time to linger over the simple pleasures that appear when you least expect them along the way.
Stop in at the World Heritage listed Naracoorte Caves (just an hour from both Robe and Mount Gambier) before rolling into Mount Gambier for a bite of their famous scrolls. Marvel at the volcanic activity that shaped this region — from the craterous Blue Lake/Warwar and Mount Schank to the various sinkholes that reveal subterranean worlds. Head down to the coast for fresh caught seafood and let the salty ocean air act as your seasoning. Finally, truck on through to Langhorne Creek — a place where the vines meet the sea and river.
As a convoy of cars rolls past you — footy scarves fluttering — the kids start counting how many are wearing your colours. Suddenly, everyone along this footy pilgrimage is on the same team. These are the moments you’ll remember long after the final siren. If you want to make the most of your Gather Round road trip, why not seek the detours? Short on time? The direct route will still get you to Adelaide with ease.
ROUTE HIGHLIGHTS
Mount Gambier
Cross over the border and watch the clocks swap as you roll into the city of Mount Gambier. Get a taste for SA when you grab a freshly baked pastry from local legends ScRoll Queen, before spending the day ducking above and below ground level. Descend into Engelbrecht Cave, wander around Umpherston Sinkhole/Balumbul, before continuing onto Port MacDonnell for that first hit of ocean air.
Robe
Drift into Robe for fish and chips, coastal dunes and unhurried afternoons lazing at Long Beach. Make sure to stop past Larry the Big Lobster in Kingston for a family snap that will end up on your fridge for years to come.
The Coorong & Meningie
Follow the road along the Coorong with saltwater lagoons on one side, open sky on the other. Then roll into Meningie, the relaxed lakeside town right at its gateway. Take a Coorong Wildside Tour, wander the sandhills and slow it right down by the water’s edge.
Langhorne Creek
Hit Langhorne Creek and suddenly the vines seem to spill right up to the road. Stop at a cellar door like Kimbolton to taste rich, velvety reds and chat with the winemaker about what makes this region so special. Then wander through Strathalbyn’s charming streets for a coffee or a pastry to fuel up before the final stretch to Adelaide.
-
Attraction
Limestone Coast -
Attraction
Limestone Coast Umpherston Sinkhole/Balumbul
-
Food & Drink
Limestone Coast Limestone Coast Pantry
-
Food & Drink
Limestone Coast Bricks & Mortar Coffee Co
-
Tour
Limestone Coast Bush Adventures
-
Food & Drink
Limestone Coast Victoria Hotel Port MacDonnell - Shipwreck Bistro
-
Attraction
Limestone Coast $9.50 Tantanoola Caves
-
Attraction
Limestone Coast $2.00 Millicent National Trust Museum
-
Attraction
Limestone Coast Millicent Art Trail
-
Food & Drink
Limestone Coast Mayura Station Tasting Room
-
Attraction
Limestone Coast Larry The Big Lobster
-
Tour
Limestone Coast Tracx
-
Attraction
Limestone Coast Long Beach, Robe
-
Food & Drink
Limestone Coast Robe Town Brewery
-
Attraction
Limestone Coast Transmutation
-
Food & Drink
Limestone Coast Robe Seafood and Takeaway
-
Attraction
Limestone Coast $22.00 Humpalicious Camel Farm
-
Food & Drink
Limestone Coast Cape Jaffa Wines
-
Attraction
Murray River Lakes and Coorong $0.00 Coorong National Park
-
Tour
Murray River Lakes and Coorong Coorong Wildside Tours
-
Tour
Fleurieu Peninsula Kimbolton Wines Cellar Door Experiences
-
Tour
Fleurieu Peninsula Carriage of Occasion
South Australia Accommodation along the Route
There’s something about arriving at your country stay, after a long day on the road, that just hits differently. Pulling in just as the sun drops, throwing your bag on the bed and sinking into the pillows, knowing tomorrow brings another day of adventure. Wherever you choose to rest along your drive to Adelaide for Gather Round — be it a cabin, caravan park, farm stay or beachside shack — you’ll find that classic South Australian welcome awaiting you.
South Australia Food & Drink along the Route
Some of the best moments on a road trip happen when you pull over. A warm pastry with your morning coffee from a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it bakery, fish and chips eaten on a sun-warmed bench or a quick stop at a cellar door to stretch your legs and taste the local reds. We’ve picked a few favourite food and drink stops along the way, each one offering a little taste of local flavour.
Detours
The best road trip stories often come after an unexpected detour. If you’ve got a spare day or want to stretch your trip a little longer, turn off the main route and explore parts of the Southern Ocean Drive, stopping in at Coonawarra, Naracoorte or along the Fleurieu Peninsula. Take the side roads, pull over for a quick stretch and see how many little memories you can collect like souvenirs before arriving in Adelaide.
-
Coonawarra
-
Naracoorte
-
Fleurieu Peninsula
Coonawarra
Coonawarra is cabernet country and its red soil is as famous as its wine. Roll through row after row of vineyards, wave g’day to the locals and let the pace of this unique wine region slow you down. Don’t miss a long lunch at Ottelia or take a leisurely stroll through Wynns, where decades of hands-on winemaking are etched into every barrel. When you get home, uncork a bottle from your travels and pour it out for family and friends, paying the generosity of this place forward.
Naracoorte
There’s a sense of calm when you step inside Naracoorte’s caves. It deprives you of your senses, the dense rock blocking any noise from the outside world – along with any light. Duck low, follow the twists and turns and watch little ones’ eyes widen as stalactites and stalagmites peek out from the rocks all around them. Emerge back in the national park, where the wetlands and open plains feel like they stretch forever.
Fleurieu Peninsula
Before embarking on your final stretch into Adelaide, take the time to wind through the hills and vineyards of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Just when you think you’ve seen every shade of green, the ocean appears. That mix of land and sea sets the scene for a long lunch by the water at Kuti Shack, swapping stories with a winemaker at cellar doors like Down the Rabbit Hole and d’Arenberg and wandering the quiet trails of Deep Creek.
Direct Route to Adelaide
Even the direct route from Melbourne to Adelaide has its simple pleasures. Grab a bakery bite in Bordertown or Keith, breathe in the Murray River air as you roll through Tailem Bend and if you’ve got a spare hour, lions and meerkats are just a quick turn-off at Monarto. Finish with a stroll (and maybe a strudel) in Hahndorf and then it’s straight to Adelaide in time for the first bounce — allowing 8–16 hours to fit in a few stops and an overnight stay.
-
Attraction
Limestone Coast Bordertown Wildlife Park
-
Attraction
Limestone Coast $2.00 Clayton Farm Heritage Museum
-
Attraction
Limestone Coast Walkway Gallery
-
Attraction
Limestone Coast Land Rover on a Pole
-
Attraction
Limestone Coast Don Moseley Memorial Playground
-
Accommodation
Murray River Lakes and Coorong $65.00 Coonalpyn Hotel
-
Attraction
Murray River Lakes and Coorong Coonalpyn Silos
-
Tour
Murray River Lakes and Coorong Monarto Safari Park Experiences
-
Attraction
Murray River Lakes and Coorong $35.00 Karting at The Bend Kartdrome
-
Food & Drink
Adelaide Hills Grunthal Brew
-
Food & Drink
Adelaide Hills German Arms Hotel
-
Food & Drink
Adelaide Hills Kitchen Farm
-
Attraction
Adelaide Hills Laratinga Wetlands