Event
Event
Adelaide
Celebrate the best of South Australia and Adelaide in winter
Winter in South Australia isn’t something to wait out — it’s something to lean into. Mornings are brisk and clear. Evenings stretch on, inviting you to linger a little longer. From June to August, Adelaide hovers between 8 and 16°C — cool enough for coats and just right for wandering through the Adelaide Central Market with hands wrapped around a hot chocolate.
Further inland, the Flinders Ranges drop colder still, but the night skies reward you for it — peppered with stars shining with a clarity only winter brings. In the wine regions, cellar doors throw open their arms — fires already lit and winemakers ready to pour. Along the coast, the winter creatures stir: whales breach near Victor Harbor and giant cuttlefish flash and swirl in the waters off Whyalla.
We’ve bundled up the best of our wintery simple pleasures for 2025. Cosy winter stays with heavy blankets, deep baths and stacked firewood. Slow-cooked winter flavours worth travelling for. Winter outings worth staying up for. You’ll even find a few generous offers from the local operators who know how to do winter well.
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Winter Outings
Longer nights, well-spent.
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Winter Creatures
The wild comes closer.
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Winter Stays
Come in and put the kettle on.
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Winter Flavours
The season of low and slow.
Illuminate Adelaide
Things to do in Winter in South Australia
WINTER OUTINGS
The sun might clock off early, but the state doesn’t. Illuminate Adelaide turns the city into a glowing canvas of light and sound and gallery doors stay propped open after dark.
Beyond the city limits, Gutsy Kangaroo Island brings bold wines and big conversations to long tables and bonfires. In Coober Pedy, it's opals, live music and red dirt underfoot. Along the Fleurieu Peninsula, locals swap whale sightings between mouthfuls of fish and chips at the Whale Watch Festival.
It’s the season of rich reds and later bedtimes. These are the outings that make winter feel like the best excuse to get out of the house.
Fowlers Bay, Eyre Peninsula
Winter's Natural Wonders in South Australia
WINTER CREATURES
When the temperature drops, you'll see nature at its most alive. On the Eyre Peninsula, glass-bottom boats float above a sea of motion — giant cuttlefish flashing electric blues and purples as they twist and glide across the sand. Along the cliffs of the Fleurieu Peninsula, whale watchers pour coffee into keep cups and wait for the next breach. Down south, the forest floor gets busy — mushrooms push through damp soil and locals fill baskets by torchlight. When night falls, the stars come out clearer and closer — best seen from a quiet pod in the Coorong or the deep dark of Arkaroola.
Burkirk Glamping, Clare Valley
Best winter getaways in South Australia
WINTER STAYS
South Australia’s winter stays don’t just keep the cold out — they make something of it. Steam rises off an outdoor bath while sheep graze in the paddock beyond. You pull on thick socks for a trip to the log pile, then curl up in robe to read while the kettle boils again. These cosy winter accommodations are built for deep rest and the feeling of being looked after.
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Best cosy winter getaways in South Australia
Best cosy winter getaways in South Australia
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Best off-grid accommodation in South Australia
Best off-grid accommodation in South Australia
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Best Baths with a View in South Australia
Best Baths with a View in South Australia
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Winery accommodation
Winery accommodation
Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyard, Adelaide Hills
Winter Dining in South Australia
WINTER FLAVOURS
Winter sharpens the appetite — and in South Australia, the food rises to meet it. Menus shift with the season: meats that fall apart, root veg that’s had time to sweeten in the soil. Rain feeds the vines and fills the pastures, and the region’s chefs — from Adelaide’s laneway diners to long-table vineyard lunches — know how to turn it all into something worth talking about. It’s a good time to book a table somewhere you’ve never been or settle into an old favourite near a roaring fire.
South Australia's Regions in Winter
In winter, South Australia’s regions come into their own. Nature gets wilder, and the places you stay are built to keep the cold out. Seafood tastes at its best, rain feeds the vines and markets fill with things that grow slower but taste better. Escape the city and see what winter brings to each region.
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Flinders Ranges & Outback
Flinders Ranges & Outback
Winter strips the heat and sharpens the colours. The stars seem closer, and the silence goes deeper.
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Limestone Coast
Limestone Coast
Winter wakes the forest floor. Truffles, mushrooms and cool-climate wines are reason enough to head south.
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Adelaide Hills
Adelaide Hills
Low clouds drift through the trees and woodsmoke curls from cellar doors — this is red wine country in winter.
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Clare Valley
Clare Valley
In winter, it’s all golden vines and crisp bike rides between tastings.
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Eyre Peninsula
Eyre Peninsula
The season for seafood lovers — with plumper oysters, deeper blues and the annual show of giant cuttlefish in the shallows.
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Barossa Valley
Barossa Valley
A region made for this season — the wine’s bold and slow-cooked dinners stretch on in century-old stone cottages.
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Murray River Lakes & Coorong
Murray River Lakes & Coorong
The stillness of the river settles in deeper here — mornings are misty and nights are made for stargazing.
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Fleurieu Peninsula
Fleurieu Peninsula
Watch the ocean swell from windswept cliffs, then duck into a cosy pub just as the rain rolls in.
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Riverland
Riverland
Citrus season brings colour to the trees and tang to the air — best enjoyed from a riverfront retreat.
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Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island
Winter strips it back to the essentials — wild beaches, fresh seafood and time to yourself.
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Yorke Peninsula
York Peninsula
Off-season in the best way: uncrowded surf and longer casts from quiet jetties.
Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide
Winter Getaways in Adelaide
Adelaide wears winter well — wrapping you up like a scarf and nudging you out the door to find things to warm the hands and soul.
By day, ovens stir behind market stalls as fresh sourdough is sliced and still-warm pastries vanish before you reach the next shop. Just 20 minutes from the city, the road curls upward to the Adelaide Hills. Crunch your way up Mount Lofty to get the blood moving before sinking into a cellar door couch and tasting the season in your glass. Winter softens the edges of South Australia’s wine — it’s fuller, earthier, spicier.
When night falls, Illuminate Adelaide turns North Terrace into a living artwork — light ricochets off sandstone and pinks and purples spill across the pavement. A few streets over, Adelaide Oval roars as the crowd rises with every goal, scarves pulled tighter as the temperature drops.
Back on your doorstep, cheeks flushed and the scent of woodsmoke still clinging to your coat — Adelaide gave you more than you expected.
Top Winter Partner deals
Looking to stretch your winter a little further? These offers are a good place to start. From cosy stays to getting you there and back, we’ve pulled together a few deals that make it easier to spend more time where it counts — out in the wild, by the fire or wherever else the season takes you.
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Book a vehicle to KI & up to 4 passengers travel free^
Limited to first 200 vehicle bookings
^Offer available until 2 Jun 2025 unless sold out prior. Offer is limited to the first 200 vehicle bookings. Valid for travel 1 Sep - 30 Nov 2025. T&Cs and travel date restrictions apply. Visit website for full details.
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Kangaroo Island - stay 3 nights, pay 2^
Stay 4 nights, pay 3 also available^
^Stay 3 nights and pay for 2 nights, or stay 4 nights and pay for 3 nights at select stays. T&Cs and travel date restrictions apply. Visit website for full details.
Plan your South Australian winter getaway
If your favourite part of winter is thawing out by a fire with something good in your glass, you’ll fit right in here. The temperature drop brings what’s already special into focus — seafood gets sweeter, red wine gets bolder, cool nights invite stargazing and rare wildlife out of hiding.
This is the time for travellers who like their getaways a little softer, but full of feeling. If June to August usually feels like something to endure, this year, make it something to savour.
Ready to plan? The trip planner can help you piece it all together.
William Creek Hotel, Flinders Ranges & Outback