Barossa Valley Holiday Attractions
South Australia
THE
WHISPERING WALL
(South
of Cockatoo Valley)
The whispering Wall
is the retaining wall
for the Barossa Reservoir.
Its shape enables a
whispered message at
one end to be heard
140 metres away at the
other end. It also provides
excellent scenic views
of the reservoir and
barbecue and picnic
facilities.
GAWLER
FOLK MUSEUM
Telephone
(08) 8522 2730
Built
as a Telegraph Station
in 1859 this building
now houses a display
of pioneer memorabilia.
The different displays
include a pioneer kitchen,
sitting room, bedroom
with four poster bed,
music room, grocery
store and dairy. Special
features include a sewing
machine and milking
machine collection.
SEPPELTSFIELD
From
Marananga, an imposing
avenue of date palms
lines the route to Seppeltsfield,
a mini village of I9th
century stone winery
buildings, the focus
of the large winemaking
operations of B. Seppelt
& Sons. The complex
offers tasting, picnicking
spots and touring, while
the old Seppelt's family
home has been restored
and is available as
accommodation. Halfway
to the winery. the Seppelt
family mausoleum sits
on a hill which provides
wonderful views over
Seppeltsfield.
LUHRS PIONEER GERMAN
COTTAGE
Telephone
(08) 8562 1057
This
is a genuine, heritage-listed
German cottage built
in 1848 by the Barossa
Valley's first German
school-teacher, JH Luhrs.
Each of the rooms is
filled with German artefacts
which depict a part
of German heritage,
there is also an old
school house with school
memorabilia.
STRAIGHT
GATE LUTHERAN CHURCH
Telephone
(08) 8562 1057
Built
in 1851, Straight Gate
Lutheran Church is one
of South Australia's
oldest Lutheran Churches.
Its bell tower and an
1871 German-made bell
are still in use.
SANDY CREEK WOOD DOLL
WORLD
Telephone
(08) 8524 4183
This
interesting display
features the unique
Carter-Wood Dolls. All
dolls on display are
made on the premises
and appear quite life-like.
A special feature is
the world famous two
metre carousel with
twenty five dancing
horses. Visitors can
inspect the workshop.
BAROSSA
HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Telephone
(08) 8566 0212
Tanunda's
1865 post and telegraph
building houses this
museum, specialising
in Barossa German heritage.
Its collections include
wedding gowns, German
artefacts, books and
photographs. One room
has an altar and church
furniture with German
inscriptions.
THE
KEG FACTORY
Telephone
(08) 8563 3012
Makers
of handcrafted kegs,
garden tubs, wine racks,
barrel furniture and
bars. Group workshop
tours can be arranged.
THE
KEV ROHRLACH MUSEUM
Telephone
(08) 8563 3407
On the
site of the former Hardy's
Winery, this technology
and heritage museum
displays over 3,000
exhibits from local
heritage to aerospace.
The Kev Rohrlach Collection
is one of the finest
private collections
in the world with an
outstanding array of
several thousand immaculately
preserved exhibits,
most of them rebuilt
and magnificently restored
by Kevin himself.
MENGLER'S
HILL LOOKOUT
This
should not be missed
- to the east of the
town, it provides superb
vistas over much of
the Barossa and also
features Sculpture Park,
with its abstract works
by some of the world's
leading environmental
sculptors.
NORM'S
COOLIE SHEEP DOG PERFORMANCE
Telephone
(08) 8563 2198
On an
Australian farmland
setting in the heart
of the Barossa Valley,
Norm Keast and his loyal,
happy working sheep
dogs put on a performance.
STORY
BOOK COTTAGE AND WHACKY
WOOD
Telephone
Displays
60 children's fairy
stories and nursery
rhymes. Whacky Wood
features Australian
gnomes and puzzles for
all ages. A live animal
enclosure has Peter
Rabbit and a walk-in
rabbit burrow. Tea rooms
and picnic area are
available.
BARMERA
THEATRE ART GALLERY
Telephone
(08) 8588 2270
This gallery exhibits
paintings by local artists.
It features oil paintings,
watercolours, pastels
and photography. Sculptures,
china painting, pottery
and other crafts are
also displayed.
BERRIVALE
COMMUNITY MURAL
Telephone
(08) 8586 5462
Six metres high and
fifty metres wide, this
mural depicts the history
of the Riverland's fruit
industry from the pioneering
days of the Chaffey
Brothers and paddlesteamers
to the present day.
Painted in 1985 by community
groups, the mural is
brilliantly floodlit
at night.
BERRIVALE
ORCHARDS SHOWROOM
& THEATRETTE
Telephone
(08) 8582 1455
A fifteen-minute video
explains the history
of the Berri area and
shows the processes
in the district's large
fruit and juice plants.
In the showroom a comprehensive
range of handcrafts,
juices, canned fruits,
dried fruits, nuts and
condiments are available.
THE
BIG ORANGE
Telephone
(08) 8582 2850
Three kilometres from
the town and set in
an orange grove, the
Big Orange sells Riverland
produce such as dried
fruit and nuts, fresh
citrus fruit, freshly
squeezed orange juice,
Riverland wines and
local arts and crafts.
The lookout at the top
of the Big Orange provides
great views of the Riverland.
THE
LOOKOUT TOWER
Telephone
(08) 8582 122
The views
from this 15.8 metre
lookout tower are stunning
- Berri, the river and
the orchards around
it are seen in panoramic
detail.
RIVERLAND DISPLAY
CENTRE
Telephone (08)
8582 2325
On display is an excellent
range of vintage and
classic cars and motor
cycles. Other parts
of the collection include
dolls, large scale aircraft,
fish replicas, shells
and a gem and mineralogical
display. The culture
of the district's Aboriginal
groups is also featured.
WILABALANGALOO
FLORA AND FAUNA RESERVE
Telephone
(08) 8582 1804
Four kilometres from
Berri, this 100 hectare
property has walking
trails from which to
spot native animals,
birds and admire the
magnificent river scenery.
The large homestead
dates from 1942 and
is now a museum of early
river history, with
photographs of the town
and riverboats.
COBDOGLA
IRRIGATION MUSEUM
Telephone
(08) 8588 7031
This was once a pumping
station and dates from
the turn of the century.
It exhibits the only
working Humphrey pump
in the world - a 20th
century invention that
acts like a giant water
cannon. The museum also
has a 1920 traction
engine and a 1909 steam
locomotive which are
both available for rides.
WOOD
SCULPTURE DISPLAY
Telephone
(08) 8584 6256
A display of more than
200 different hand-carved
wood sculptures designed
and crafted by Loxton
artist Mike Elvey. The
collection consists
of around thirty wood
species, including mulga,
river gum, river oak
and blackwood.
MONASH
Monash
is perhaps best known
for its Super Playground.
This playground is not
only for children, but
also adults. Its equipment
includes one person
earth movers, rotary
cones, flying foxes,
roller coasters, multiple
slides from a 13.5 metre
tower and much more.
A good range of equipment
for all ages - and it's
free.
PUMPING
STATION and WATER
FILTRATION PLANT
Telephone
(08) 8540 2002
Guided tours are available
at this impressive piece
of engineering, built
to pump water to South
Australia's Iron Triangle
towns at the top of
Spencer Gulf and beyond.
HISTORICAL
MUSEUM AND HERITAGE
SOCIETY
Telephone
(08) 8235 9266
In the town's old railway
buildings on the waterfront
at Morgan, this museum
displays artefacts and
photographs from the
river's paddlesteamer
past and rail history.
A model of the paddlesteamer
'Lazy Jane' includes
an audio-visual presentation.
There are also walking
areas where visitors
can see old rail trucks,
rail line and signals,
cranes and the old wharf.
OVERLAND
CORNER HOTEL MUSEUM
Telephone
(08) 8588 7021
Built in 1859, this
hotel was one of the
first stone buildings
in the Riverland. It
serviced the overland
Cattle trade to New
South Wales and is near
the river on the original
stock route and coach
road. Now under National
Trust control, it has
been restored. Pick
up a map for the Overland
Comer Walking Trail
and wander past Aboriginal
campsites, over cliff
tops and through the
flood plains and ancient
quarry.
A trip along Murtho
Road, which runs north
of Paringa, is a must,
both for Murtho Forest
Park, with its boat
ramps, camping ground
and picnic spots,
and for Headings Cliff
lookout tower with
its superb views over
the Murray.
Paringa has three
lookouts with striking
panoramic views of
the town and the countryside
around it the Apex
Lookout Tower offers
excellent views of
the town . The Black
Stump is part of a
root system of an
ancient river red
gum tree eight metres
in diameter and estimated
to be around 500 to
600 years old and
Headings Cliff lookout
north of the town
has stunning river
views with picturesque
cliff scenery.
BREDL'S
WONDER WORLD OF WIILDLIFE
Telephone
(08) 8585 1431
This wildlife park is
one of Australia's largest
private zoos and has
the biggest collection
of reptiles in the country.
On show are snakes,
alligators and crocodiles
as well as other animals
and birds. Make a time
to watch the snake feeding
and handle the boa constrictor.
HARDING'S
FOLKLORE GALLERY
Telephone
(08) 8586 6972
The central feature
of this gallery is its
massive 74 square metre
ceiling mural. It depicts
colonial Australian
bushrangers and took
more than 3000 hours
to finish. Also on display
are collections of colonial
art and weapons.
OLIVEWOOD
Telephone
(08) 8586 6175
This is the home of
South Australia's irrigation
pioneer, George Chaffey.
Built of pine logs,
it sits in beautiful
grounds surrounded by
palms, olive and citrus
trees. A museum at the
rear of the house exhibits
old photographs, early
Renmark artefacts and
an old copper used to
manufacture olive oil.
PS
INDUSTRY
Telephone
(08) 8586 6703
This
working paddlesteamer
was built in 1911 as
a workboat for the South
Australian Engineering
and Water Supply Department.
Its job was to keep
the river open for traffic
by removing snags. Restored
to its original condition,
it is still powered
by steam. It is moored
next to the Renmark
Information Office.
RUSTON'S
ROSE GARDEN
Telephone
(08) 8586 6191
This magnificent rose
garden has over 35,000
bushes, with more than
3,000 varieties of rose
on display. There is
also a large collection
of flowering trees and
shrubs, iris and day
lilies in a landscaped
setting.
TERRIGAL
FAUNA PARK
Telephone
(08) 8541 3414
This fauna park is set
in an orchard and features
swans, Cape Rawen geese,
native ducks, kangaroos,
wallabies and nocturnal
marsupial. It has sixty
aviaries with Australian
parrots, there is also
a miniature children's
zoo. Pheasants roam
the grounds.
CLIFFTOP
LOOKOUT
Not
far from Waikere town
centre, this lookout
provides a spectacular
panoramic view over
the river, cliffs, the
town and surrounding
land and Hart and Jaeschke
Lagoons with abundant
birdlife.
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