It’s that time of year again, when for a short time you can see the spectacular change of season and brilliant autumn colours in South Australia.

For the best show of colour, I can’t think of a better region to witness this beautiful time in nature, than in the Adelaide Hills. It passes quickly though, so if you want to capture this wonderful show, jump in the car and try these places soon.

Stirling

From Adelaide to Stirling only takes around 25 minutes on the South Eastern Freeway and once there, you can park the car and take a wander, soaking up the village atmosphere. There are plenty of places to shop, eat and explore just make sure to dress with a few more layers to be comfortable in the chillier weather. Deciduous trees line the streets so the autumn feel is everywhere.

Stirling has terrific markets and the last of the Laneways Markets for this season will be on Sunday May 22nd. It runs from 9am to 3pm and is a huge celebration where you can browse and buy from local businesses and community groups and watch performance artists.

The cafes are warm and welcoming too.

Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens

A perfect place to get your autumn colour fix in one spot, is at the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens not far from Stirling. The gardens are open every day from 8.30am to 4pm on weekdays and until 5pm on weekends. It’s free to visit but you do pay a small amount of $4 for car parking, a flat fee for all day.

Autumn is probably the most popular time of year to visit these gardens because the displays are just so good, so visiting during the week is a better less crowded option than on the weekend.

Hahndorf

This village with a strong German settler heritage, is a popular town to visit anytime of year, and autumn brings the bonus of colourful trees and lots of cosy places to eat and drink with open fires to keep you warm.

Hahndorf is best seen on foot after parking the car, and you can take your time browsing in a wide variety of shops and enjoying coffee and cake or better still, a big hearty German lunch at one of the hotels or restaurants in town.

Uraidla

There are no shortage of tree lined winding roads in the hills and it’s also a major wine region of South Australia so the grapevines are putting on their best autumn colours at the moment, but it won’t be long before the vines will be bare.

These vines are not far from the town of Uraidla where you can stop at the hotel or bakery and enjoy more hearty food. The hotel is worth a stop in to see, for the quirky decor alone.

Wherever you choose to go in the Adelaide hills you won’t be disappointed with the views at the moment, so it’s worth taking a drive and enjoying the season while the spectacle of autumn colour is about. And…you never know what other magical discoveries you can uncover in your travels.

Enjoy autumn in the hills

Glenys