If you follow my Instagram account you couldn’t help but see the overload of autumn colour at the moment. It’s hard not to be dazzled by all the fiery shades of the leaves that are adorning so many trees and vines in the region I live in, the Adelaide Hills. There are a number of regions in Australia that are known for their displays of autumn foliage but trust me the Adelaide Hills are right up there with the best.

This year for some reason they seem to be particularly intense, with some saying it’s a combination of the long dry summer now being followed by a relatively low level of rain so far and not much wind. All this is making for a great display with leaves hanging on for longer than you would normally expect.

To get to the hills is an easy drive less than 30 minutes from Adelaide heading up on the South Eastern Freeway. Take the first exit at Crafers and at this time of year you had better head straight to the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden.  This will definitely give you a good overall picture of the scenery up this way and leave you wowed with the sights. The botanic garden is spread over 97 hectares and is a little steep in some parts but if you follow the paths and take your time the views are worth it.  The garden is open every day and entry is free.  The town of Crafers has a great hotel for a lunch or dinner and is full of charm, warm fires and good local wines.

Speaking of wines, as this is also a wine region the vines at the moment are glorious too. As the leaves are changing to yellow the hills are taking on a patchwork quilt quality and are a picture of bliss with puffs of smoke emanating from wood burning fires in houses on the hills and cows and sheep are dotted about grazing on the green grass. All the local wineries will also have friendly, warming fires burning, to tempt you in. Take a scenic drive and see where a winding road takes you.

Another of the towns that is a must see is Stirling. Again you can come for the autumn trees and stay for everything else on offer.  This really has a village feel about it with a wealth of choices in cafes and restaurants, small specialty shops including a brilliant book shop, fashion, food and flowers just to name a few.

This Sunday also sees the Stirling market on again from 10am to 4pm, full of quality and unique goods and great food, bring your wallet a big shopping bag and your camera and head to the hills!

If you’re looking for caravan parks nearby there are two , both a little over 10 kilometres from Stirling and both set in idyllic surroundings.  The Belair National Park Caravan Park and the Hahndorf Resort Caravan Park are both worth a look.

See you in the hills,

Glenys