Five towns near Adelaide you should road trip to this weekend

Luckily, if you’re thinking of a quick getaway from Adelaide for the weekend, there are some amazing quaint and vibrant towns within an easy drive. We've compiled five favourites to cross off your list.

While this Weekend Drives article lists five towns to road trip to, there are many more in each pocket of the country which we encourage you to visit also. Think of this as your starting point. The devastating bushfires have affected many regional towns across the country so there has never been a more important reason to pack the car with mates and an empty esky and visit the towns around your region to support local and in many cases, family businesses.

While Tanunda is perhaps the epicentre of Barossa Valley happenings, you’ll have to pass though Lyndoch to get there. This lovely little town, established in 1837, is good for either a walk down the main street to visit the cafes, the bakery or even butcher, or to base yourself for a couple of nights to explore surrounding wineries such as Hemera Estate, 1847 Wines or Schild Estate. There’s some interesting heritage sandstone architecture and gardeners will love nearby Lyndoch Lavender Farm or the rose garden at Lyndoch Hill.

This seaside town is a favourite getaway for Adelaide residents, which makes sense as Victor Harbor is less than an hour’s drive from the State’s capital. Take the horse-drawn tram across the causeway to Granite Island to see penguins, ride on the steam-powered Cockle Train to Goolwa, sip a coffee on The Esplanade and watch for whales out to sea or think about visiting the nearby Coorong wetlands. There’s a twice-monthly market, the locally caught seafood means great fish and chips or a more serious dinner at one of the many restaurants.

The Clare Valley is the Barossa’s more distant cousin but at only 130km from Adelaide, it’s still easily accessible for weekend drives. Chief attractions are, of course, the wineries and the region is famous for its Riesling in particular, but the town of Clare itself is well worth visiting. There’s some nice old buildings such as the town hall, courthouse and Knappstein Winery is centrally located. Rent a bike and explore the Riesling Trail (it follows the old railway line and is nice and flat) and find a great restaurant for a lazy lunch or dinner.

Hahndorf is Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement, built by Prussian settlers back in 1839. Today, this picturesque town is a popular getaway for couples and families with its tree-lined streets and surrounding rolling hills, it’s a peaceful setting. The main street is lined with shops, galleries, a cheese maker, jeweller, candle makers, a craft brewery, traditional sweet shops, and of course Bavarian style restaurants and cafés. There is even a mini-golf course to keep the kids busy after they’ve loaded up on sweets.

You can almost taste the Outback, you’re getting so close to it as major population centres slip behind and, about 200km from Adelaide, you arrive at Burra. Founded as a copper mining town and now the area’s major agricultural hub, this town seems almost frozen in time with its Victorian streetscapes, historic buildings and wide, eucalypt lined streets. Three kilometres out of town you’ll find the derelict Midnight Oil House, named after the cover shot of that band’s “Diesel and Dust” album. In town, the restored railway station with its fossil displays is a hit, as is the cute-as town hall and the regional art gallery is a must-see. Quite a few of the old miners’ cottages are now rented out as heritage accommodation so stay a while, and explore.

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