The town of Goolwa on the Fleurieu Peninsula has a wide range of outdoor activities for the whole family to enjoy with the beach and river, walking and bike paths and some really interesting parks and playgrounds. I’ve written before about the Bristow-Smith Reserve Nature Play space which recently was ranked number 4 in the top 10 Adventure and Nature playgrounds in South Australia by Nature Play SA, but there is another smaller and quieter one on the northern side of town which is also worth a look. This playground and picnic spot is called Amelia Park and can be found just past the Goolwa Wharf Precinct, under the Hindmarsh Island Bridge with the bonus of being right on the river.

There is a car parking area before the bridge and then it’s just a short walk to the park. On the way you will pass an old barge called the Dart. It was built in 1912 and was used by the state Government in building locks, pile driving and other work along the Murray River. It now sits under the river as a piece of river history and you can’t miss it, being 21 metres long and over 5 metres wide.

Amelia park is right next to it and the standout feature is the tree house that has been built around a multi trunked pine tree which is estimated to be over 80 years old. The entire playground is made from recycled and reused materials and as well as the tree house there’s a climbing wall, fireman’s pole, a slide, seats made from old tree trunks and a restored timber boat.

It’s a perfect park to visit in warmer weather especially as it’s designed to be shaded in the heat of the day. Other facilities include picnic tables, a barbecue and drinking fountain and the river is there to try your luck at fishing. There are plenty of river birds to see too with pelicans frequently visiting this area.

A great park for the whole family to enjoy on the banks of the Murray River.

Cheers

Glenys