The 7 Best Things To Do In Adelaide This December
This summer is about the outdoors, spectacular wine, fresh local produce and captivating wildlife – things Adelaide does better than anywhere else in the world. Experience a wildlife safari, a European Christmas and a close encounter of the exhilirating kind.
[listicle]Be a Zoo Keeper for a day
Go behind-the-scenes at Monarto Zoo and work alongside their specialist keepers, feeding and conducting health checks on some truly amazing animals.
Monarto Zoo is a little slice of the African Savannah in South Australia. Covering 1,500 hectares, the open-plan park offers the opportunity get up close with animals like zebras, giraffes, meerkats, southern white rhinos and black rhinos, cheetahs and African lions – as well as locals the yellow-footed rock wallaby and Tasmanian devil.
The zoo was launched in 1983 as a breeding and pasture reserve before opening its gates to the public a decade later. An hour’s drive from Adelaide, the zoo is open 365 days a year between 9am-5pm.
Dance where vino meets disco
Hot Dub Time Machine knows how to throw a party. This December they’re packing the DJ decks and heading south for a day among the vines at McLaren Vale’s Serafino Winery. Joined by a hot line-up including Client Liaison, Bag Raiders, Nicole Millar, Luke Million and more, Hot Dub Wine Machine tops our list of “summer parties not to miss”. It’s all going down September 10.
Photo: Client Liaison
Experience a German Christmas in Oz
The German village of Hahrdorf may be doused in sunshine rather than snowfall this December, but that’s not going to stop ‘Christkindlmarkt’. Late-night shopping, 50+ market stalls, window displays and live entertainment will transform the main street into a fun and festive Christmas market.
Just a quick 20-minute drive up the freeway from Adelaide, arriving in Hahndorf feels like travelling back in time to explore South Australia’s migrant roots. Christkindlmarkt runs from December 16 to 18.
Image: Hahandorf
Partake of Australia’s largest tasting room experience
The National Wine Centre overlooks the stunning Adelaide Botanic Gardens and is home to the recently launched ‘Wined Bar’. It’s impossible to miss, with its iconic wine barrel-inspired architecture.
Register for one the centre’s educational sessions, or take a self-curated tour using the unique swipe card system. 120 wines are available for tasting via an Enomatic dispenser designed to prevent spoiling and allow tastings from vintages normally offered only by the bottle – due to rarity and price. You can choose between a mouthful (25ml), a half glass or a full glass – just swipe, swill and go! Wined Bar also serves a light, tapas-style menu to accompany your tasting.
Set sail for Shark Bay
Some might feel a little out of their depth when coming face-to-nose with one of nature’s fiercest and most fascinating creatures. For others, shark diving is quintessential bucket list material. Adventure Bay Charters run “Australia’s first advanced eco-certified shark cage diving experience” using soundwaves to attract sharks, rather than baiting. And what tunes do great whites dig? The Hilltop Hoods and AC/DC, apparently.
Tours set off from Port Lincoln and sail past friendly dolphins and native birdlife to a spot on Neptune Island National Park the locals call “Shark Bay”. Here, guests can dive inside a shark cage or keep dry encased in a unique 360-degree “Aqua Sub”.
Image: Adventure Bay Charters
Unearth the secrets of the Willunga Farmers’ Market
The Willunga Farmer’s Market Instagram is a visual feast of the most sensational, in-season produce South Australia has to offer. Take the short drive down the Southern Expressway and get a taste, IRL.
Established by small-scale producers to trade directly with their consumers, the market has run successfully for more than 15 years. With 80 farmers and local producers now participating, this is where the freshest seafood, meats, relishes, jams, pastries and produce are found.
The market is held each Saturday morning from 8am-12.30pm, all year round.
See the stars after sunset at Adelaide’s Moonlight Cinema
Starting on December 1 and continuing right through until February 19, Adelaide’s Botanic Park will play host to our favourite open-air cinema.
Opening with a flurry of blockbusters including Sully, Suicide Squad and Nocturnal Animals, the program also includes guaranteed crowd-pleasers like the Grease sing-along. Moonlight Cinema is perfect for rolling out the picnic rug, cracking a few coldies (the venue is fully licensed) and gorging on cheese – be it the cinematic or delicious variety. It’s also a splendid date outing.
Image and lead image: Moonlight Cinema/Facebook[/listicle]
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