The school holidays are now almost at an end and if you’re fast running out of ways to keep the kids busy then we’ve got a few ideas for some great days out that will help to keep them entertained.
Calling all Earth Guardians to Adelaide Zoo
Over the school holidays Adelaide Zoo is running a special ‘Earth Guardian’ program where children collect an earth shield on entry and complete four important missions around the zoo. This activity has been designed to encourage children to learn about recycling and protecting the planet.
As well as the Earth Guardian program there are plenty of opportunities to ‘Meet the Keepers’ around the zoo and learn more about your favourite animals. For younger children the zoo has a great petting area where you can get up close with roos and quokkas, the quokkas are incredibly tame and don’t seem to mind being petted! And if you’re feeling brave you can buy a packet of food and go in with the goats, sheep and deer. Watch out though as these animals will do anything for a snack and will even jump up and snatch it straight out of your hand!
For the bigger kids there are plenty of other interesting (and noisy!) animals to meet including the huge hippo who greets you on arrival, the largest of all the rodents, the South American capybara, the roaring lions and the rowdy siamangs who can be heard hooting and hollering as they swing through the trees. And don’t forget Adelaide Zoo is also home to Wang Wang & Funi, Australia’s only Giant Pandas.
Only a short walk from the CBD Adelaide Zoo is open every day from 9.30-5pm.
All aboard at Monarto Zoo
If you are looking for an animal experience of a different kind then it’s well worth taking the short drive out to Monarto Zoo (approx. 1hr from Adelaide). The largest open range zoo in the world Monarto is home to the giraffe, black and white rhino, cheetah, lions, chimpanzees, addax, eland, bison and many other exotic animals.
As it’s an open range zoo, the only way to get around this huge space is by shuttle bus! You can pick this up from the visitor centre and it operates on a hop on hop off basis. As you tour around the zoo there are plenty of opportunities to hop off the bus and visit the many viewing platforms. These areas offer a great way to get a closer look at the animals and throughout the day you can also enjoy keeper talks on the various species of wildlife.
Monarto Zoo is open from 9.30am – 5pm (last entry at 3pm) every day of the year, except if the forecast temperature for Monarto is 40 degrees or above, in which case the zoo will be closed.
RAA Members save on entry to both Adelaide Zoo and Monarto Zoo.
You can choose from day entry tickets or buy a ‘Two Zoos Pass’ to visit both which is valid for 3 months from purchase.
Kayak with dolphins
The Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary is one of the gems of metropolitan Adelaide. Located in the Port River and Barker Inlet, the sanctuary is just 20 minutes from the city centre and features a 10,000-year-old mangrove forest. A resident pod of about 30 bottlenose dolphins call the river home, while another 300 visit the area regularly.
‘Adventure Kayaking SA’ experts will take you for a fun, kayaking tour around these sensational natural environments where there is also a chance to look for ship wrecks! Suitable for all ages and levels of fitness these tours are great for either first-time kayakers or experienced paddlers.
Adventure kayaking operates on Wednesdays, Thursdays, weekends and some public holidays. RAA members save on the price of entry by pre-purchasing tickets online.
Cleland Wildlife Park
Not far from Adelaide, within view of the city, there’s a patch of bush where strange animals roam. Some of these have long disappeared from the Hills landscape while others never existed there at all. But just a short drive from the suburbs it’s possible to pat a koala, see potoroos scuttle about, come face to face with a deadly Inland Taipan and marvel at the huge mouth of a Tassie Devil.
Cleland Wildlife Park is an SA institution and is home to an enormous variety of marsupials, birdlife, reptiles, fish and amphibians. There are regular feeding times for the colourful and rowdy lorikeets, the Devils, the pure bred dingoes and, of course, Cleland’s world famous koalas. And if you want to get up close to the free roaming animals such as the kangaroos, emus, wallabies and potoroos then we recommend grabbing a bag of food as you enter and hand feeding them on your way around the park.
During the school holidays (until Friday 23 Jan) Cleland will also be running Reptile Wildshows every weekday. These shows are a chance to meet some of the other famous residents, like snakes and lizards as well as ask the keepers questions.
With opportunities for interaction with the wildlife, Cleland is a great family day out and a real winner with kids. RAA Members save 10% on entry, pre-purchase your tickets here.
Travelling Interstate over the holidays?
If you’re venturing further afield these holidays then don’t forget if you’re an RAA Member you can also save on entry tickets to a wide range of theme parks and attractions across Australia including; DreamWorld, SeaWorld, WhiteWater World, Australia Zoo, Sealife Sydney Aquarium, Taronga Zoo, Melbourne Aquarium, Sovereign Hill and heaps more.
For more information on where you can save click here, call 8202 4346 or visit your local RAA Shop today.
