I’m calling it; staycations are the new vacations.
In fact staycations might just be our saviour in a post 2020 world where we work-weary warriors want to stay closer to home but also escape from our day to day routine and score that vacation feeling, all without ever leaving the state. Not to mention avoiding those compulsory post-travel quarantines, supporting the local economy and helping to revive the travel industry. Hey, if having a little seaside sojourn means we’re doing our bit, then sign me up!
Staycations are also important on a personal level; short breaks to rejuvenate and connect as a family are arguably more important than ever before. The pandemic has made long distance travel too unpredictable, but we all still want something to look forward to… and that’s where holidaying on the home-front comes into its own.
Plan your own Adelaide metro beachside getaway
We just happen to be so lucky in South Australia because we are literally just a hop, skip and a jump away from world class beaches and family friendly attractions galore – and that’s why we decided to be tourists in our own state and book in for a beachside family escape on the South Australian metropolitan beaches. We hit Brighton, Seacliff, and Glenelg; that’s just 20 easy minutes from the CBD and more fun than you can possibly pack into a weekend!
With school holidays drawing ever closer, we’ve put together a full itinerary of activities that you can enjoy with your family, from where to stay, what to eat and plenty of adventures to keep your kiddos busy and buzzing all weekend long!
Brighton Beachfront Holiday Park
If you’re looking for an idyllic waterfront location then (as the name suggests!) Brighton Beachfront Holiday Park, ticks absolutely all the boxes.
Overlooking the crystal waters of Gulf St. Vincent, and at just 17km from the CBD, this is a perfect central base to explore the beaches and soak up your surrounds (not to mention the sensational sunsets!).
Fully contained Villas
We’re a family of five, so we stayed in one of the park’s new, fully contained, Seabreeze Villas, which can sleep 4-6 people. The Brighton Beachfront Holiday Park also offers a range of other accomodation options, including smaller cabins, caravan and camping sites, but let’s just say Mama loves her amenities, so a villa was perfect for us!
Location
The Brighton Beachfront Holiday Park is located right on the beach at Seacliff and the whole family breathed a collective sigh of relief when we arrived, it was just so peaceful. And with just a short amble from our doorstep, we had our toes in the sand and were ready to submerge ourselves in some beachside activities!
Facilities at the Brighton Beachfront Holiday Park include:
- BBQ’s
- Playground
- Kiosk
- Walking Track
- Free Wifi
- Beaches Bistro – Seacliff Surf Club at end of park (can recommend the burgers!!)
- Seacliff Hotel – 400m walk away
- Tennis court – in adjoining reserve
- Boat ramp – at nearby surf club
- Additional facilities for campers including camp kitchen and laundry
Brighton Beachfront Holiday Park
4 Burnham Rd, Kingston Park
brightonholidaypark.com.au
Stand Up Paddle SA
I cannot overstate this experience, Standup Paddleboarding in Seacliff was honestly the best couple of hours we’ve had as a family in probably… years. Even my initially reluctant surfer husband (who prefers waves to the flat ocean) left raving about how zen the whole experience was.
We certainly lucked upon absolutely pristine, textbook perfect weather for standup. The water was like a millpond and utterly crystal clear – conditions that can actually occur year round – SUP isn’t just a summer sport, autumn days often offer ideal water for standup, and if you pull on a thermal top, some of the most standout days can actually be mid-winter.
Our board hire was sorted by Stand Up Paddle SA, run by SUP guru Nat Gohl, who offers Beachfront hire as well as lessons, tours and even SUP yoga (ask Nat to show the kids how he can do a headstand on a SUP… there were lots of oohs and ahhs from our little people!)
Based right on the beachfront in front of the Brighton Seacliff sailing club, Stand Up Paddle SA has a wide array of standup paddle boards for hire, each of our nine year olds hired a board of their own and our six year old hitched a right with Mum and Dad for the afternoon.
SUP is simply a great way to enjoy a day on the water; we saw plenty of fish, starfish, eels, crabs and even a ray while we were paddling! The kids described it as the “time of their lives” and it was honestly one of the most relaxed and peaceful experiences we’ve had with them that I can remember; I cannot recommend this highly enough as a family activity and we can’t wait to head back out.
As an added benefit, SUP is a pretty good workout for body… and chill-out for the mind!
Stand Up Paddle SA is open year round.
Beach Hire and Lessons
Brighton and Seacliff Yacht Club
246 Esplanade, Seacliff
standuppaddlesa.com
Chocolate High Tea at Stamford Grand
High Tea… but make it Chocolate!
Calling all chocoholics; I think we may have just stumbled across the perfect Easter or special occasion treat for your family (and the perfect opportunity for some down time during your staycation!).
The folk at the Stamford Grand have taken High Tea to the next level with their sumptuous Chocolate High Tea.
We did a RIGOROUS (and I do mean rigorous) taste testing, and can confirm – this decadent experience is worth every calorie!
Your family can venture into the various sweet treats including house made chocolate scones and a fistful of chocolate delicacies, mousse cups, brownies, cakepops and macarons to name but a few (and some savouries just to assuage the guilt a little bit – arancini balls, come at me!) in the luxurious beachfront setting of the Promenade Restaurant.
Kiddos can sample luxurious hot chocolates while the bigger people can choose… a more adult drink, if they so desire (don’t mind if I do)!
This is the perfect afternoon indulgence and something special for a treat, for you and your littles!
Available every Saturday & Sunday in April
11:30am – 2:00pm and 3:00pm – 5:00pm
$45 per person [+Booking fee]
Bookings are essential
The Stamford Grand Adelaide has a variety of accommodation packages available, so you can always come for the chocolate and stay for the weekend!
The Stamford Grand
Glenelg Foreshore, 2 Jetty Rd, Glenelg
stamford.com.au
The Beachouse
I’m fairly confident that if you have little tykes in tow, you’ll have heard of The Beachouse!
This was a no brainer for us on our staycation itinerary, because this place is literally the house of fun for kiddos.
With indoor, heated waterslides (so, perfect for a visit in any season), dodgem cars, bumper boats, mini golf, a play castle and no end of arcade games and even a traditional carousel, if you want to while away the hours keeping the kids entertained and active, there’s no better place.
Everything at The Beachouse runs on an easy tap-card system; all rides and games are accessed via this tap card system, you pay for attractions as you use them, so there is no entry fee.
We opted for the “Power Hour Super Max” which gave us 120 minutes of pure adventure and included waterslides, dodgems, bumper boats, mini golf, carousel and arcade games, but there are a variety of options depending on the attractions you’d like to have access to and the time you’d like to spend!
The Beachouse
4 Colley Terrace, Glenelg
thebeachouse.com.au
Oh, and if you’re wondering where to park, check out this downloadable parking map of Glenelg:
jettyroadglenelg.com.au/visit/parking
Skyline Ferris Wheel Glenelg
Our next stop was the Skyline Ferris Wheel at Glenelg because what better way to get a birds eye view of Adelaide’s incredible metro coastline? And just quietly, I have a small obsession with Ferris Wheels and will ride one at any given opportunity; I was not disappointed.
This hugely popular attraction stands 35 metres high, seats up to 144 people in 24 gondolas, and is the tallest portable wheel in Australia, so rest assured the view is going to be pretty speccy. They even take your photo in front of a green screen prior to your spin and by the time your ride is done they’ve whipped up a keepsake photo for your optional purchase!
Set up in Moseley Square near the jetty, The Skyline Ferris Wheel is open daily from 10am to 9.30pm until 26 April 2021.
Tickets cost $10 per person or $30 per gondola and can be purchased onsite.
Skyline Ferris Wheel
Glenelg Foreshore, Moseley Square, Glenelg
Wigley Playspace + Tramside Kiosk
We do love a good playground here at KIDDO, and funnily enough, so do our kiddos! The $1m Wigley Reserve playground development was completed prior to the summer months, and it is fun with a capital F.U.N.
The playspace features:
- a climbing tunnel
- in-ground trampolines
- swings
- slides
- a log climbing structure
- stepping boulders
- a sensory nature-trail
In addition, there’s a drinking fountain, bike racks, custom-built shade structure, seating and 10 new exercise stations in the fitness hub, plus PLENTY of grass for parents to relax on while the kids run wild!
Wigley Playspace
Wigley Reserve, Glenelg
And for coffees and snacks…
The brand spanking new Tramside Kiosk is the perfect spot for beachside eats in Adelaide with the kids! Officially opening in early December 2020, just in time for summer vibes, this cool location is just a hop skip and a jump away from the new Wigley Reserve playground! Offering light snacks (and top notch coffee!) you can actually eat inside the old Glenelg Tram, which is a super cool novelty for kids; but if you prefer the salty sea air they also offer seating outside the tram. Keep in mind they’re open from Wednesday – Sunday, so pick another spot for your Monday & Tuesday snack time!
Tramside Kiosk
Anzac Highway, Wigley Reserve, Glenelg
The Minda Coast Park Walk
Rounding off our family beachside escape, we walked off all those chocolate mousse cups along the newly constructed continuous two-way pedestrian and cyclist trail along the metropolitan Adelaide coastline.
The full pathway stretches from Glenelg in the north to Seacliff in the South, but suffice to say the little legs weren’t making it that far after a full weekend of activities, so we chose the Minda Coast Park section, which winds along the beach front and in behind the dunes, totally sheltered from sea breezes.
The wind was up and the kite surfers were out, and it was the perfect way to end the weekend. The coastal pathway at Minda Coast Park is fully accessible and perfect for bikes, scooters or your good old feet!
Minda Coast Park
Start at The Kiosk at Somerton, Repton Road, Somerton Park
Start planning your own beachside getaway
With 30km of coastline from Seacliff to North Haven on your doorstep, space to move and fresh air to breathe, a beachside getaway beckons these school holidays.
Plan your own family beachside escape:
adelaidebeaches.com.au/schoolholidays
