How to do summer in SA

20 December 2022

No matter where you are — along the coast, in the Adelaide Hills, or exploring our city’s laneways — make the most of our great state’s long summer days and warm, balmy nights.

You’ve partied your way through December, switched your out of office on, and caught up with long-lost rellies over a drink or three at Christmas lunch.

With the busiest time of year done and dusted, January is a chance to reflect, recalibrate and reset, ready for the year ahead.

And where better to do that than in South Australia?

No matter where you are — along the coast, in the Adelaide Hills, or exploring our city’s laneways — make the most of our great state’s long summer days and warm, balmy nights.

The best part? Those who choose to make their move to South Australia can enjoy this lifestyle, year round!

Adelaide Oval

The summer of cricket

If there’s one sport synonymous with summer, it’s cricket. For an iconic South Australian summer experience, head to Adelaide Oval — recognised as one of the world’s most beautiful and historic sporting venues — to catch an exciting and fast-paced BBL game.

Silver Sands Beach

A beach with benefits

What’s better than a white, sandy beach on a hot summer’s afternoon? A white, sandy beach that you can drive onto, with a pop-up pizza cart from Pizzatecca!

Silver Sands beach is known for its flat waters, ideal for beginner bodyboarders, surfers and stand up paddle boarders; with the six-kilometre stretch of coastline being one of only a few beaches in SA that allows vehicles onto the shore.

Returning to Silver Sands again this summer is Pizzatecca’s authentic, Napoli-style pizza. Made with local South Australian ingredients, Pizzatecca’s pizzas — which have a cult following — will be available from their pop-up cart from 4pm, with drinks available at neighbouring Oztalia bar.

48 Flavours

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream

As well as pizza, South Australia is home to some truly world-class, authentic gelato — the perfect treat to cool-down on a hot summer’s day.

Some of our favourites include:

  • Gelato Bello in Glynde, who make their gelato onsite every day from fresh local ingredients, and are regularly told they have “the best Gelati outside of Italy”.
  • 48 Flavours on Gouger Street and in Trinity Gardens, who — as the name suggests — are known for their range of flavours, including plenty of dairy-free and vegan options.
  • Bottega Gelateria, located in the beachside suburbs of Henley Beach and Glenelg, make their 16 flavours of gelato from scratch daily, working with only the best raw ingredients; and
  • Willunga Gelato, located in Aldinga, who make gelato using predominantly local and seasonal produce from the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Sunflower farm

Fields of gold

Wander through fields of gold to pick your own sunflowers at the Atkins Farm sunflower field. Nestled in the Adelaide Hills, a 50 minute drive from Adelaide, the sunflower fields are in bloom from January.

Get the adrenaline pumping

Ok, so it might not be “relaxing and rejuvenating”, but getting up close and personal with white sharks will certainly make it a summer to remember!

The remote, wind-swept Neptune Islands, in the mouth of Spencer Gulf, are the setting for one of the world’s greatest underwater experiences: cage diving with the white shark.

South Australia is one of the few places in the world — and the only place in Australia — where you can do this, and the Islands are widely regarded as one of the best spots to see the white sharks in their natural habitat.

Deep Creek National Park

Lace-up your hiking books

For truly jaw-dropping scenery and some of our state’s best hiking trails, pack your tent and hiking boots and head to Deep Creek National Park this summer.

Locat­ed less than 100 kilometres from Ade­laide on the Fleurieu Peninsula, Deep Creek is perfect for a day trip or week­end get­away. There are five campgrounds and 15 walking trails through­out the park, some of which include sec­tions of the famous Hey­sen Trail.

Hardy’s Winery

Wine-d down

Summer wouldn’t be complete without a trip to one of our state’s world-class wine regions — Barossa, McLarenVale, Adelaide Hills or Clare — for a long, leisurely lunch and wine tasting.

For something different, search out the smaller, progressive, independent winemakers who are lending a fresh sense of purpose to our state’s wine scene — through organic, biodynamic, or minimal intervention production methods.

While you’re in the regions, take the time to head to the myriad of boutique, award-winning distilleries, too.