South australia
Sealed with a kiss
where Baird Bay, Eyre Peninsula
A petite fishing village 50 kilometres south of Streaky Bay on the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula, Baird Bay is best known for its adorable locals – a colony of Australian sea lions, one of the world’s most threatened marine mammals. Local tour guides offer sensational swimming sessions with the playful creatures – if you’re lucky they might even steal a kiss and nibble your toes! streakybay.com.au fun fact A highly social mammal native to the country, the playful Australian sea lion is also known as the ‘puppy dog of the sea’.
Sand-sational
where Gunyah Beach, Coffin Bay
While it may sound gloomy, Coffin Bay National Park is anything but. Most famous for its dazzling scenery, the coves and coastline that fringe Coffin Bay National Park are ideal for families who enjoy boating, fishing, sailing, diving, and lots and lots of sand. Coffin Bay is also home to the extraordinary Gunyah Beach, an endless stretch of sand dunes that look for all the world like they’ve been pilfered from the set of Laurence of Arabia. We recommend trying to arrive a few hours before sunset to catch a glimpse of the kangaroos and foxes that roam the beach. coffinbay.net
That sinking feeling
where Umpherston Sinkhole, Mount Gambier
With its hanging vines and artfully terraced walls, Umpherston Sinkhole is like the set of a fairytale come to life. A collapsed limestone cave that was transformed into a lush sunken garden by James Umpherston in 1886, its viewing platforms, benches, sculptures and walking paths down into the garden’s wonderland-like depths will prove utterly irresistible to young imaginations. discovermountgambier.com.au why not… stay until dusk when the garden comes alive as hundreds of possums come to play amid its natural bounty.