You know it’s going to be a great stay in a caravan park when it begins with winning a bottle of wine. We were staying at the McLaren Vale Lakeside Caravan Park and the husband has taken a lucky guess in a competition which saw him win a bottle of Ekhidna Wines Shiraz from one of the local wineries (and one of our favourites) in this southern vales wine region of South Australia.

This park is a big win anyway, it’s one that gives you a good feeling about it as soon as your turn into the entrance road which is tree lined, with grape vines on one side and is very green and tidy. This is an indicator for the rest of the park. Keep an eye out for ducks wandering at leisure across the road too.The caravan sites are a good size, easy to drive or reverse onto and wide enough for awnings and your car and still giving space to sit with a group of friends and enjoy the surroundings. The park’s overall appearance is green, clean and tidy with plenty of tree shade. Corellas and kookaburras can be heard every morning and evening but they are not a bother.

Central in the park and easy to reach from all of the sites are the amenities block and a camp kitchen and undercover BBQ area, both of which are clean and tidy. There is a lot of space in the camp kitchen to gather if the weather turns bad. There are cabins and en-suite sites in the park and there’s fun for all the family with a tennis court, soccer goals, a volleyball net and swimming pool to use.  The children’s playground is particularly fun too with a real speed boat and a jet ski there for kids to play on and in.

The park is situated just a short walk away from the main shopping street of McLaren Vale which has supermarkets, specialty shops, cafes, a hotel and everything you need really. Running just behind the caravan park you’ll also find the ‘Shiraz Trail’, a bike track that gives a safe passage for bike riders or walkers to meander through the region from McLaren Vale to Willunga, past vineyards and wineries, so don’t forget your bikes.

The park is also perfectly situated in the middle of more than 70 wineries, 7 breweries and 5 distilleries in the McLaren Vale vicinity, so plan at least a long weekend to discover just a fraction of what this region has to offer. Food is also a high priority in the Vale with many fine dining restaurants, casual eateries and the Willunga Farmers Market all drawcards in their own right.

With Christmas fast approaching the caravan park is getting into the spirit too with the groundsman creating these critters who will be sticking around for the season. They all have appropriate names too, the reindeers are called Chardy, Tempranillo, Merlot, Shiraz, Mourvedre, Grenache and Pinot. Perhaps harder to roll off the tongue than the usual reindeer names but I think Santa would approve.McLaren Vale Lakeside Caravan Park is 40 kilometres from Adelaide on the Fleurieu Peninsula and is set in 38 acres in a very quiet and peaceful setting. It’s a really relaxed park, big on family fun and providing a great experience for all visitors.

Cheers

Glenys