Top 10 Budget-friendly Things to do in McLaren Vale, South Australia

Fox Creek Wines is an iconic, award winning winery located in McLaren Vale, South Australia. With a rich heritage in crafting fine regional wines since 1994, Fox Creek Wines portfolio ranges from Sparkling white through to Shiraz and includes exciting Italian varietals. Our commitment is to cultivate a unique wine brand that embodies the qualities of craftsmanship, innovation, consistency and authenticity. We invite you to visit our historic 19th century stone Cellar Door cottage, conveniently located 45 kilometres south of Adelaide, between the villages of McLaren Vale and Willunga on the Fleurieu Peninsula. The expansive grassed areas surrounded by flower beds, gum trees and of course vineyards, allow visitors to find their own tranquil spot from which to enjoy a view of the cottage, the Fox Creek winery and our iconic wine region, McLaren Vale.

Shottesbrooke Vineyards is a well-respected, award-winning 5 star wine producer in the premium winegrowing region of McLaren Vale. Offering a variety of both traditional and educational wine tastings, private picnic areas, and hosted, behind-the-scenes winery and vineyard tours, there really is something to delight everyone - those with an hour to spare, or those who have all day. Their unique experiences showcase everything that modern, sustainable winemaking can be, and aim to celebrate regionality in wine and the intricacies of the winemaking process.

Taste our handcrafted wines in the beautiful setting of our piazzetta-style cellar door and tasting room. For groups of 7 or more, please book in advance for our JOSEPH Experience tasting, a seated flight of premium wines with a tasting platter of local bread, Italian cheese and delicious JOSEPH Extra Virgin Olive Oil for just $20 per head, refunded upon purchase from the JOSEPH range. Our family looks forward to welcoming you to our award winning winery.

Picture this: a calm, relaxed creek-side setting amongst gum trees in a revegetated native corridor filled with abundant wildlife. Your picnic hamper is by your side as you sit back, listen to birdsong, and sip a James Halliday 96 point rated DogRidge Cabernet. Afterwards, you wander through the Cellar Door and art gallery and settle in at the handmade refectory table to be guided through a comprehensive tasting experience. Such is the DogRidge experience, and it's one not to be missed. The 'Dog Ridge' is a very old grapevine rootstock, no longer used in modern viticulture as it is too vigorous. This remnant of wine history, combined with the fact that Jen and Dave Wright have been breeders of curly coated retrievers and live on a sandy ridge...well, the name makes sense. DogRidge began when Jen and Dave discovered their first 40-acre vineyard in the ancient soils of McLaren Flat's Kurrajong Formation. In 2005 Jen's son Fred, and his wife Sarah, joined the team, with the sole ambition of making great McLaren Vale wines. Before long the Cellar Door opened, and shortly after that the art gallery did too. The 1940s vineyard on ancient Kurrajong soil makes for wines that are heavily perfumed on the nose, with a gentle tannin. DogRidge specializes in the juicier varieties and blends that the McLaren Vale is known for. Take, for example, DogRidge's pride and joy, its 'Most Valuable Player' - the 2012 Shiraz. With an aromatic dominance of mud cake, after dinner mints and cut cedar, you know you're in for something special. The palate starts with a vibrant burst of dark berry fruits up front, with a spiced Christmas cake middle and baked plums on the finish. Sounds too good to be true! But fear not, it's the real deal. The fruit is picked super ripe and vinified in open fermenters with extended skin contact, then pressed delicately into French oak to mature for nearly three years. It's no wonder James Halliday gave it a 95 point rating. Jen and Dave recommend you buy a bottle and enjoy it with a BBQ rib eye steak, mushrooms and red wine jus: spectacular. DogRidge harvests from late January into March, and grows chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, shiraz, grenache, cabernet, and petit verdot grapes. The Wrights are proud of DogRidge's environmental record, having received property management awards for sustainability and minimal impact on the environment. These awards recognise DogRidge's efforts at incorporating biodiversity into the vineyards, recycling of wine barrel oak and green waste, and conservation of precious water resources. When you arrive for a tasting, you'll be provided with Jen's sourdough bread and Wild Tree extra virgin olive oil for dipping. Be sure to try the botrytis dessert wine, a fortified Viognier, as well as the delectable produce. Open 362 days a year, there's never a bad time to visit DogRidge - take a picnic and make a day of it!

NB Scuba is based in Mclaren Vale South Australia,10minutes away from Port Noarlunga. Conveniently located on the Fleurieu Peninsula where some of the best dive sites are, including theEX-HMAS Hobart shipwreck,Second Valley and Rapid Bay where the famous Leafy sea Dragons can be found. We are a small business that pride ourselves on providing safe and fun-filled courses at affordable prices. You can also do one of our highly recommended Leafy sea dragon tours and Experience the Magical, Mysterious and Mesmerizing Leafy Sea Dragon in its own habitat. These Mystic creatures are getting rarer to see now,so get a guided tour with one of our highly experienced guides. Come dive at the Rapid Bay Jetty and see all the weird and wonderful critters Blue ring octopus ,eagle rays ,weedy sea dragons ,dumbling squid,cuttle fish,port jackson sharks ,shuffel noise sharks frog fish ,worty prowfish to name a few thats this amazing dive site has to offer see the Leafys in all their Glory. price $180 per person and 50%off each person after that,so group of 2 is $270 .group of 3 is $360 and so on.All inclusive of full gear hire and tanks for either 1 or 2 extra long dives. We are a home based business so On the day ye everything is well planned and organised but done at a more leisurely pace and we have very long dives as a result of this as We are here to make sure u get value for money and have a lots of fun and to give you the very best possible leafy tour experience .. So no strict set regimented schedules like the other operators do making everything feel rushed and hurried making for shorter dives etc..also we are the only operator to use gear trolleys to and from the dive site .making for a much more enjoyable experience instead of walking with all the gear on your back . We also offer special summer weekend rates for small groups so come see the leafy in all its glory. dont DELAY BOOK today!

‘Ambler Touring’ is a unique personalised passenger service that can offer transport between various pre-arranged destinations or travel between suggested venues or facilities within regional South Australia on a casual basis as required. Airport pick-up and drop-offs can also be arranged and this could eliminate the need for some travellers and tourists to hire a personal vehicle for short stays. Tours are personalised to the requirements of the traveller

Wirra Wirra is a James Halliday 5 Star Winery and its hero wine, Church Block, is the largest selling red blend in its category in Australia. The ironstone buildings that have been at the heart of Wirra Wirra have recently been refurbished to create a world class facility that includes the main cellar door with a range of exclusive wines, Harry's Deli, a relaxed provedore style cafe, a range of behind the scenes tours of the winery and historic ironstone cellars, plus spacious gardens that are the perfect location to enjoy a regional platter or family BBQ. All only 40 minutes from the city of Adelaide.