The list has been compiled by national travel website Experience Oz and seeks to highlight some of the state’s most iconic attractions and best experiences for domestic and international visitors.
Topping the full list of 100 experiences is the Flinders Chase National Park on Kangaroo Island, renowned for its Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch natural rock formations, as well as being home to a colony of long-nosed fur seals.
Other natural attractions also feature highly, with Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges National Park taking second spot, and Head of Bight – considered one of the state’s best whale-watching sites – coming third.
Rounding out the top 10 are: tour the Barossa Valley; see an event at Adelaide Oval; swim with sea lions at Port Lincoln; walk some of the Heysen Trail; explore the German heritage at Hahndorf; enter Umpherston Sinkhole (a sunken garden created after the collapse of a limestone cave), and see the wildlife at Monarto Zoo.
Remarkable Rocks, Kangaroo Island.
A spokesperson for Experience Oz told InDaily the list was compiled from information gained through regular customer feedback and polling, as well as staff recommendations. Both free and paid experiences have been included, with the company also aiming to give regional attractions “their due”.
While South Australians may take issue with some inclusions – and the “top 100 things to do before you die” description of the list – it does provide inspiration to explore the diversity of experiences the state has to offer and to look beyond the CBD.
Well-known city attractions such as the Art Gallery of SA, South Australian Museum, Adelaide Botanic Gardens and Adelaide Central Market feature alongside places such as Blue Lake (a crater lake on the Limestone Coast), historic Martindale Hall in the Clare Valley and the Wilkadene Woolshed Brewery in the Riverland.
In acknowledgement of Adelaide’s burgeoning small bar scene, people are even urged to “drink at a laneway bar”.
“With several years’ worth of data and feedback on hand – and in response to persistent questions about how to find new things to do in Australia – we put together the bucket list so that even locals of South Australia will find a special part of the state they’ve never visited before,” says Experience Oz digital manager Matt Hobbs.
Experience Oz’s full South Australia top 100 bucket list:
- Flinders Chase National Park
- Explore Wilpena Pound
- Visit Head of Bight
- Tour the Barossa Valley
- See an event at Adelaide Oval
- Swim with Sea Lions at Port Lincoln
- Walk some of the Heysen Trail
- Explore the German heritage at Hahndorf
- Enter Umpherston Sinkhole
- See the wildlife at Monarto Zoo
- Cage dive with great white sharks at Port Lincoln
- Enjoy the beach and shopping at Glenelg
- Indulge at McLaren Vale
- The Blue Lake at Mt Gambier
- Naracoorte Caves National Park
- Relax at Maslin Beach
- Seal Bay Conservation Park
- Explore the Coorong
- Walk on Lake Gairdner Salt Lake
- Ride the Victor Harbor Tram
- Cleland Wildlife Park
- Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden
- Visit St Peters Cathedral
- Unwind at Himeji Gardens
- Crayfish and Coastline at Robe
- Cycle the Clare Valley Riesling Trail
- Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary
- Swim with Dolphins at Glenelg and Baird Bay
- Go ballooning over the Barossa
- Visit the Pink Lake
- Do the Arkaba Walk
- Seafood and nature at Coffin Bay
- Attend an event at Victoria Square
- Explore Innes National Park
- Views and dining atop Mt Lofty Summit
- Cruise the Murray River
- Wildlife at Adelaide Zoo
- Fly over Lake Eyre
- Visit the Historic Cedars
- Tour the Coopers Brewery
- Camel Treks Australia
- Shop at Adelaide Central Market
- Skydiving South Australia
- Historic Charm at Strathalbyn
- See Murphy’s Haystacks
- Tour Adelaide Gaol
- Explore the Old Timers Mine
- Hike the Gawler Ranges
- Granite Island Penguins and Scenery
- Attend Adelaide Fringe
- Ride the Pichi Richi Railway
- Raptor Domain Kangaroo Island
- Stroll through Adelaide Botanic Gardens
- Go Kayaking with dolphins in Port River
- Visit historic Burra
- Peruse the Art Gallery of South Australia
- Shopping and architecture at Adelaide Arcade
- Visit Martindale Hall
- Drink at a Laneway Bar
- Step back in time at Loxton Historic Village
- Take a Kangaroo Island Ocean Safari
- Wine and dine at Penfolds Estate Cellar Door
- Visit Carrick Hill
- Explore Morialta Conservation Park
- Edutainment at the Adelaide Migration Museum
- Test your vocals at the Whispering Wall
- Relax on Henley Beach
- Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre
- Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park
- Surf the South Coast – Goolwa to Yorke Peninsula
- Indigenous history at South Australian Museum
- Food and drink at Banrock Station
- Explore Umoona Opal Mine
- Relax at Waterfall Gully
- Hand-pick at Beerenberg Strawberry Farm
- Take the kids to Penfield Park Railway
- Try a drop at Wilkadene Woolshed Brewery
- A cultural stop at Wadlata Outback Centre
- Visit Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
- Navigate Mintaro Maze
- See the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
- Peruse the National Motor Museum
- Wining and dining at Primo Estate
- Visit the Big Rocking Horse
- Indulge at Melba’s Chocolates
- Visit the Mary MacKillop Interpretive Centre
- Family Entertainment at Farm Barn
- Historic Flight with Adelaide Biplanes
- Gourmet cheese at Udder Delights
- Stay on Troubridge Island
- A top drop at Langmeil Wines
- Thrills at MegaAdventure Aerial Park
- Explore Deep Creek Conservation Park
- Food and scenery at Windy Point Restaurant
- Ride the SteamRanger Railway Cockle Train
- Visit Gorge Wildlife Park
- Spend some time at Stirling
- Visit the Classic Jets Fighter Museum
- Stargazing at Woomera
- Attend the Royal Adelaide Show