Don Moseley Park received an extensive playground redevelopment late 2025. This nature-themed upgrade includes water play, a flying fox, sandpit, huge 4.2m tall towers, slides, swings, cubby houses and so much more.

The best news? The famous ‘train’ roller coaster has remained part of this playground!

If you are heading to the states South East or on a road trip to Melbourne or any where along Dukes Highway, Keith Playground (around 2.5 hours from 91¹û¶³´«Ã½) is an iconic MUST stop. Their famous ‘train’ could well be the last of the states REAL fun old school play equipment and I guarantee your kids will run and run and play and burn energy ready to get back in the car.

Keith the township has a great bakery (The Morning Loaf) and also worth looking for the ‘Land-rover on a Pole’ the ‘Army Tank’ and the ‘CFS shed wall mural’.

Even if you are heading to Mount Gambier via Dukes Hwy, you would generally turn off just before the town – totally worth driving a few hundred meters up the road.

Check it out here:

Upgrade images below thanks to Sarah Cunningham

Good News is that the roller coaster ‘train ride’ as pictured below has remained part of this playground upgrade.

Located at the end of the Mundy St in Robe and located right on the foreshore surrounded by grass this playground has a magical view. Robe is a magical place and this fully fenced playground aimed at the under 8s is the ideal spot to let the kids run around whilst you soak in the epic views. Featuring a small climbing tower and slide, plus swings, check this one out on your next weekend away down the South East.

Most local councils will have rules specific to their beaches and rules for driving. Not all beaches are suitable for all vehicles and some will be 4×4 access only. Conditions will vary dramatically so before heading out, check local council, tide and weather guides for conditions that may impact your day out. Aim to drive at low tide and allow enough time to return before the turn of the tide. For up to the minute weather forecasts, jump on the page and for daily fire warnings, the will have you covered.

So pack up the car and check our list of beaches you can drive on around metro 91¹û¶³´«Ã½ and regional SA

Moana Beach

Only 45 minutes from 91¹û¶³´«Ã½’s CBD, the closest of Onkaparinga Council’s big 4 driving beaches, Moana is accessed at the ramp next to the Moana Surf Life Saving Club, at the southern end of the Moana Esplanade. Incredibly busy around public holiday times, if people aren’t your thing, perhaps pop further south to Sellicks or Silver Sands, but the atmosphere on the big summer holidays like New Years and Australia Day is quite incredible! Cost of $12 for non-onkaparinga residents and with a 10kph speed limit here, you can access the Onkaparinga Beaches from 5:30am til midnight during summer. More at the page.

Aldinga Beach

With Moana these are generally the busier of the Onkaparinga drive on beaches, and again can get rather hectic on the busy summer days and public holidays. Jump on the beach here at the ramp on the lower esplanade (car park and toilets here too which is very handy), with the usual Onkaparinga fees and rules also applying. Get council updates .

Goolwa Beach

A stunning run along the Sir Richard Peninsula, start at the Goolwa Surf Lifesaving Club on the end of Beach Road at Goolwa. The speed limit here is 40kph and it may be 4×4 accessible only in various conditions, but for the most part this is a relatively easy stretch. Be mindful drivin on the sand dunes is illegal.  Jump on the page for up to date info.

Yorke Peninsula

With some of the state’s most beautiful beaches and of course the Innes National Park, Yorke Peninsula has some stunning locations to explore, including plenty of core-memory building beach drives. Check out the for up to date information on beach access to their driveable beaches below;

Flaherty Beach
Parsons Beach
Pondalowie Bay

Mostly 4×4 access only, check local conditions at the time of your trip and prepare accordingly.

Limestone Coast

The beautiful stretch of our state encompassing the trip down to Mount Gambier, some spectacular beaches in this region are accessible by (primarily 4×4) vehicles. The most famous of these is Long Beach at Robe, a family friendly beach that offers fairly gentle surf usually and 12km of beautiful beach driving scenery.

Check out the for more on beach access and council updates to the below driveable beaches;

Long Beach Robe
Little Dip Conservation Park
Coorong National Park (pictured)

image credit: Escape the Daily

Sellicks Beach

Beautiful Sellicks Beach, overlooking the cliffs of the Deep South and with seemingly endless kilometres of pristine sand, is a magical spot right on our door step. $12 vehicl entry fees (for non council residents) and a 10kph speed limit await here, with low tide giving a massive beach space for play and driving. page has all the current info you need.

Silver Sands

A nudge north from Sellicks, Silver Sands is simply stunning….and just quietly this is one of our favourites. Generally quiet and with plenty of space, it is accessible for most vehicles most of the time (as are all the Onkaparinga Council beaches), there is nothing quite like a day at Silver Sands with the sun hitting the cliffs. A few blocked off zones exist here which are accessed via permits, which can be applied for on the page.

Eyre Peninsula

A decent trek from 91¹û¶³´«Ã½ in the state’s far west, an Eyre trip should be on every South Aussie’s bucket list. This is true 4×4 country so don’t attempt it in your trusty Camry, but for those 4×4 equipped, the scenery here is so special. The local council out at is your source for local access and updates. Check out the below drive access beaches when planning your Eyre Peninsula trip;

Lincoln National Park
Coffin Bay National Park
Scotts Beach

Emu Bay Kangaroo Island

One of Australia’s best beaches, and only 15 minutes from Kingscote over on KI, Emy Bay is generally accessible by all vehicle types. Jump on the site for beach access news and be wary during the summer months of the weather and bushfire risks on the island.

 

North Beach Wallaroo

North Beach at Wallaroo is a must stop on your trip at the top of the leg. Flat and spacious, it has always been accessible by cars whenever we have been up, but check for up to date info here. The North Beach Cafe at the boat ramp makes for a fantastic family friendly stop too we might add.

There is a brand-new adventure playground featuring 4 slides, climbing frames etc. all on a giant sandpit, providing hours of fun. The park also has a fabulous new Jumping Pillow, plus 2 tennis courts which are perfect for practicing your game.

And good news – their BRAND NEW indoor heated pool with indoor waterslides is also now open!!

Blue Lake Holiday Park facilities also include a games room which features a table tennis table and an assortment of games. There’s also a well-equipped camp kitchen featuring BBQs, fridge, oven, microwave, cooktops, toasters and more.

Perfectly located alongside the world-famous Blue Lake (just cross the road to find a lookout), there’s nature walks and trails close by plus easy access to the golf course next door. There’s also the amazing Umpherston Sinkhole to explore, the Little Blue Lake, Mount Shank plus various events and activities happening throughout the year.

Blue Lake Holiday Park has a range of accommodation available to suit many budgets from luxury Lakeside Villas sleeping up to 6, Valley Lake Retreats sleeping up to 4 and many other economical cabins, caravan and tent sites.

Pets are also allowed on sites and selected accommodation, but you need to contact reception first to arrange this.

Follow them on or or call their friendly staff on (08) 8725 9856

What happens when 3 local Mums decide that it’s about time their kids had a brand new playground…? They just go and get one built (with some help)! Enter the Naracoorte Caves Fossil Hunters Nature Playground!

With the help of the local community and backing of the local CWA Limestone Ladies group, 3 Naracoorte Mums raised enough votes to WIN a $150,000 State Government Fund My Neighbourhood Grant to create an amazing Nature Playground at the Naracoorte Caves National Park. They came up with the idea, campaigned for votes, won, and project managed the entire project from start to finish! What a top effort.

The playground is a unique, interactive playground for all young visitors to the national park, complementing the other existing activities at the Naracoorte caves. The theme reflects the world heritage fossils and magical caverns below, incorporating the indigenous Wonambi ‘rainbow snake’ and Southern Bent Wing bats, as well as a teaching circle for learning and understanding.

The park features a maze of tunnels and dig pits. There’s a slide big enough for three people, a basket swing, cubby frames, balance logs and limestone boulders. Older kids will love the log scramble and rope net and we love the learning circle and story-telling chair which will be a special space for sharing knowledge and history of the area.

One of the major elements wanted was for the play space to be as inclusive as possible. And even with limited budget there is a 360-degree access path, a wheelchair accessible fossil and sand play table, and a series of redgum picnic tables designed to allow wheelchair clearance underneath. The slide also has wheel up access top and bottom. They’ve done a great job.

Find it at the Naracoorte Caves and if you’re considering a trip to the area, be sure to check out our Limestone Coast for Kids posts here for heaps of other cool tips: /limestone-coast-for-kids/

Where: Jubilee Highway E, Mt Gambier

Once a cave formed through dissolution of the limestone. The sinkhole was created when the top of the chamber collapsed downwards creating the perfect environment for growing.

Enter James Umpherston in 1886 who turned the space into the incredibly beautiful sunken garden that it is today. Full of hanging vines, ferns, flowers and plants of all shapes, sizes and colours. It’s stunning!

The sinkhole is free to visit and open from dawn to dusk and, as the sun sets, the Umpherston Sinkhole comes alive with hundreds of possums as they come into this tranquil garden to feed. Bring some fresh fruit (no bread please) to feed them if you like.

A long set of steps will lead you down into the sinkhole and you’ll be able to stop and there’s a number of spots to stop and admire the garden from different heights and angles. When you get to the bottom you’ll want to save some time for a good walk around, and there’s even an undercover shelter with seating and a free BBQ down there! There’s lots of paths and nooks and little caves making it a magical place for kids to explore.

There’s kiosk/shop at the top with snacks, icecreams, coffee and souvenirs. On our last visit it looked pretty shut up so we unfortunately aren’t aware of the opening hours and specific offerings.

I would like to think that most South Australians have at least heard of the caves, or have already been. For me my last visit was 10 years ago but like a lot of places, it constantly changes and updates so for me it was like a whole new experience on this visit.

At Naracoorte, the caves have acted as pitfall traps and owl roosting sites, collecting animals for at least 500,000 years. The Caves preserve the most complete fossil record we have for this period of time, spanning several ice ages, the arrival of humans in the area and the extinction of Australia’s iconic Megafauna roughly 60,000 years ago. The bones of Megafauna species such as Thylacoleo carnifex Marsupial Lion, Thylacine, Zygomaturus and sthenurine kangaroos have been found in the fossil deposits.

But you don’t like enclosed dark spaces I hear you say? Never fear, my kids don’t love them either but you won’t have any issues at Naracoorte. I am quite tall and rather clumsy, so I was worried about knocking my head or tripping over things, but with a range of caves to suit all abilities and ages they truly have everyone covered.

During our latest visit we did the – this one is great if you are on a timeline, cause you don’t need to wait for a tour to start to go in, you just pay your entry fee and make your way to the cave. There are some steep stairs leading into the cave (definitely not pram friendly, but we did see some parents with baby carriers which is a great options) then several paths that you can take once in the cave to explore. There is soft lighting in the cave, so you don’t trip and and can keep an eye on your kids at all times, without it being too bright. Stick Tomato Cave has a couple of fascinating cavernous rooms to explore and the view looking out of the cave towards the sky is stunning.

On a past visit we have also done the , which you could probably call the entry level cave with huge cavernous rooms with high ceilings and great lighting. The kids will love the amazing formations and at between 30-40 minutes, it is not too long if you think you will struggle underground. That is just one of a number of caves and tour options, ranging from Bat Cave tours (um nope) to Adventure caving (my kids are sooks and wouldn’t come with me….next time!). to book a Naracoorte Caves tour online

The visitor centre and Cave Café are fantastic and will add to the exploring experience, learning about the fossil history of the caves while eating cave snacks (cave snacks aren’t actually a thing, but I take any chance to eat delicious café snacks).

Before you leave, make sure you check out the brand new Fossil Hunters Playground next to the visitors centre. To give you an idea how good the playground is, it rained during our visit and we still couldn’t drag the kids away. So allow enough time for the kids to play while you eat cave snacks.

Naracoorte Caves National Park is open from 9am – 5pm every day (except Christmas Day or days of catastrophic fire danger). Entry to the national park and car parking is free, however .

To find our more about Naracoorte Caves visit

We have other great suggestions on where to go, what to see and do around the Limestone Coast area on our Limestone Coast with Kids post here: /limestone-coast-for-kids/

As we mentioned, it is fully fenced – as it’s right next to a lake, this is super important so even the grassy reserve next door is fenced. Obviously still keep an eye on adventurous toddlers with the water so close, but you can breathe a bit easier knowing they don’t have direct access to the lake or carpark.

The playground itself is split into about six different sections with sealed paths between each area. There is a climbing section, a ninja course area, a maze, an accessible playground, a pirate ship, a digger and sand section and just some general play equipment – something for everyone and all ages. When we visited there were toddlers enjoying the digging pit right through to teens giving the more challenging climbing frames a go.

There are multiple tables, picnic seats and BBQs, some undercover, some not, so again, perfect for all weather and occasions. The toilets are also close by, no need for a long trek when your kids need to go RIGHT NOW.

The playround overlooks Valley Lake and is surrounded by the towering ranges all around – seriously stunning. There are also a number of wild birds pecking around and we have no doubt that in the right conditions you might even spot some kangaroos.

We spent nearly an hour here, but it was cut short by the rain. This could easily be a playground to spend half a day at. It’s a short drive from the Blue Lake Holiday Park and the Blue Lake itself.

We are so glad we are no longer sleeping on the Valley Lake Playground – it’s an absolute winner.

Valley Lake Playground
Scenic Drive
MOUNT GAMBIER SA 5920

There are two main dining areas at the Park Hotel, both with plenty of room for large or smaller groups. The main dining area also has some comfy couches by the fire and a salad bar – we love a salad bar, with plenty of options!

The menu includes burgers, seafood, salads and mains plus a sizeable sides and starters menu. There is a 2-course lunch special for $20 which includes one of five selections from the menu and your choice of dessert – what a bargain!

There are SEVEN options on the Kids Menu (including Dino Nuggets, so cute!) – our kids both opted for the Kids Plate which was a fantastic option with plenty of healthy fuel including carrot sticks, dried apricots, cucumber, fresh fruit, crostini sticks and dip. It was HUGE and allowed them to pick away at their own pace rather than facing a huge meal of just one or two foods.

The Kids Meals are priced at $13 which includes a drink, we think this is pretty affordable considering the amount of food our kids got on their plates!

The staff were absolutely lovely, coming over several times to check we had everything we needed, clear plates and chat with the kids. It’s always nice when the staff engage with the children, it definitely made us feel so welcome.

The Park Hotel is just up the street from a playground and picnic area so you could absolutely make a day of it and wander across the road for a play before or after your meal!

Oh and did we mention that Park Hotel also has accommodation upstairs? Perfect for a family coming to visit Mt Gambier if camping isn’t your thing!

Park Hotel
163 Commercial St West
MOUNT GAMBIER SA 5290

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So what do ScRoll Queen do anyway? A delicious range of savoury and sweet scrolls that are perfect for breakfast, lunch or a treat. They also do loaded scrolls which are essentially toasties with fillings such as bacon and eggs and the scrolls are used as the bread – YUM.

ScRoll Queen also serve coffee and juices to wash down your scrolls.

Here are the flavours that were on offer when we visited ScRoll Queen recently:

• Cheese and Chive
• BBQ Salami
• Sweet Chilli and Mozzarella
• CinnaScRoll
• Apple Cinnamon
• Vanilla Custard
• Blueberry Cheesecake
• Blueberry Glaze

We grabbed a box of six to take back to our accommodation and cut them up carefully – trust us when we say, there was nearly a tape measure involved to ensure everyone got an equal amount, no one wanted to miss out on even a millimetre of scrumptious scroll goodness. Our faves were Cheese and Chive for the savoury and CinnaScRoll for the sweet – however they were all delicious and polished off in record time!

ScRoll Queen has two locations in Mount Gambier so take your pick and pop in to grab some breakfast, lunch or just a snack for the family. The cafe location we visited had a small number of bench seats inside and a couple of outside tables so there isn’t heaps of room, but you can get everything as takeaway and head to a local park or maybe even the Blue Lake or Umpherston Sinkhole to enjoy your scrolls with a view!

ScRoll Queen Bakery
155a Bay Road
MOORAK SA 5291

ScRoll Queen Cafe
17a Crouch St
MOUNT GAMBIER SA 5290

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