Adelaide Shorebird and Dolphin Festival 2019
Celebrate Park of the Month in the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary and the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park-Winaityinaityi Pangkara during November.
Discover amazing wildlife and stunning landscapes with so much to see and do, from bird and dolphin watching to kayaking, snorkelling and mangrove tours. There will be great outdoor events and activities all month.
What’s on
- Parkapiki competition – Win a 12 month vehicle entry pass
- St Kilda Mangrove Trail ranger guided walk
- Science in the sanctuary
- Ranger guided sunset walks
- Dolphin census day
- Garden Island clean up with Sea Shepherd
- Microplastics survey with AUSMAP
- Shorebirds 101
- Whales and dolphins, behind the scenes with SA Musuem Bolivar facility tour
- Bird Island kayak
- Mangrove creeks of Barker Inlet kayak
- Port Gawler snorkel
- Torrens Island Tour
- The Flock Oz
- Nature journaling for families
- Nature smartphone photography
- Dolphin Sanctuary and Ships’ Graveyard kayak tour
- Dolphin Sanctuary stand up paddleboard Tour
- Junior Ranger discovery day
Family Friendly Highlights
Port Gawler Snorkel
Join snorkel leaders from Experiencing Marine Sanctuary (EMS), and park rangers, for an incredible guided snorkel through the magical world of the Port Gawler River mangrove forest within the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary. The mangrove forest is home to an amazing variety of colourful fish and plant life so join us on this special aquatic adventure.
Suitable for children 5 years and above who are good swimmers. At least one parent to accompany and supervise two children. EMS has limited wetsuits and floatation devices for under 7 years. 5-7 year olds can participate if parents supply child’s own wetsuit and floatation device, and supervision is one-on-one by a parent.
Port Gawler Jetty, Port Gawler Road | Cost: $29 adult | $19 Children.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
The Flock Oz
The Flock is a creative and fun community-driven project that aims to spread the word about the threats to our shorebirds and build support for their protection.
A family friendly event that kids will especially enjoy. After learning about shorebirds you can paint one of your own on pre-prepared wooded shorebird silhouettes.
St Kilda Community Hall, Beach Road, St Kilda. | This event is FREE but registration is essential.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Nature Journaling for Families
What do you get when you mix imagination, attention, poetry and natural history with a love of the great outdoors? … Nature journaling. Nature journaling is a great way to relax and re-connect with nature. Anyone can do it. It’s as easy as it is surprising, and as beautiful as it is enlightening. If you can pick up a pencil and squiggle a wavy line, this workshop will have you putting pencil to paper to record your observations and wonderings. Join Jenny Deans, gardener and landcarer, for this workshop.
No drawing or artistic experience required, the workshop is great for anyone who likes to take the time to sit and contemplate nature and is recommended for ages 8 to 12, but may also suit other school-aged children.
Sunday 25 November, 9:00 am – 11:30 am
Boat Ramp, Garden Island Road, Garden Island
Cost: $10 and registration is essential. Booking available soon.
Dolphin Sanctuary and Ships Graveyard Kayak Tour
To celebrate the Adelaide Shorebird and Dolphin Festival, Adventure Kayaking SA is offering a 10% discount on its Dolphin Sanctuary and Ship’s Graveyard kayak tour.
Explore the Dolphin Sanctuary and Ship’s Graveyard Maritime Heritage Trail. Here you’ll find one of Adelaide’s “secret spots”, in an area of surprising beauty. The sheltered mangrove-lined creeks are home to a fascinating array of marine life, birds and the Port River dolphins. The Ship’s Graveyard is a unique feature of the area with over 20 wrecks to view. All this makes for a sensational adventure and kayaking is the most environmentally sensitive way to explore and interact with the dolphins.
The kayak tour is 3 hours of fun with a guide who will lead you on an unforgettable adventure. It is easy paced with plenty of time for photos and storytelling by your guide. This tour is recommended for adults and children over the age of 10 years, although we have had younger children come out and have great fun.
Sunday 24 November 2019, 9:30am – 12:30pm & Thursday 28 November 2019, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Boat Ramp, Garden Island Road, Garden Island
Cost: $70 per person. When booking please use the promo/voucher code ‘FRIEND’ for a 10% discount.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO & TO BOOK
Dolphin Sanctuary SUP Tour
Thursday 28 November 2019 | 10 am – 12 pm
Saturday 30 November 2019, 10 am – 12 pm
The experience:
To celebrate the Adelaide Shorebird and Dolphin Festival, Adventure Kayaking SA is offering a 10% discount on its dolphin sanctuary stand up paddleboard tour.
The calm waters around Garden Island in the sensational Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary is the best location to try this great activity for the first time or for more experienced paddlers to explore this amazing part of Adelaide. As part of the tour we will introduce you to the basics of Standup Paddle Boarding (SUP). We then go exploring the sheltered waters of the sanctuary around Garden Island to spend time with the Port River Dolphins and explore the amazing mangrove creeks.
This is a perfect activity to share with your family or friends and is suitable for active adults and children 8 years and over.
Meeting point: Boat Ramp, Garden Island Road, Garden Island
Bookings: Cost is $70 per person. When booking please use the promo/voucher code ‘FRIEND’ for a 10% discount.
For bookings and further information visit Adventure Kayaking SA.
Junior Ranger Discovery Day
Saturday 30 November, 9:00 am – 1:30 pm
The experience:
Love exploring South Australia’s marine environments and want to learn more about them? Junior rangers are invited to come and learn all about dolphins, mangroves, shorebirds and what you can do to help protect them.
Hear from rangers and volunteers, then check off your activity passport at each of the ‘ranger stations’.
Registration includes a FREE cruise (kids only) on the Dolphin Explorer to put your newly learnt skills to the test. Two hour dolphin cruise departs 11:30 am from Queens Wharf (end of Commercial Road, Port Adelaide).
Suitable for children aged 7-12 years. All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
What to bring:
- sun cream
- hat
- water
- warm jumper just in case.
Meeting point: Port Adelaide Visitor Information Centre, 66 Commercial Road, Port Adelaide
Bookings: This event is FREE but registration is essential.
PARK LOCATIONS:
Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary
The southern end of the Sanctuary is located only 20 minutes’ drive from the city of Adelaide and is easily accessible from the Historic Port Adelaide. Other access points to the Sanctuary include Garden Island, St Kilda, Snowdens Beach, Outer Harbour and North Haven Marina.
Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park-Winaityinaityi Pangkara
The southern entrance to the national park is located 30 minutes north of Adelaide. The park covers 14,633 hectares, stretching along a strip of coastline between St Kilda and Parham.
For more information and all enquiries please visit the Parks SA website.
What: Adelaide Shorebird and Dolphin Festival
When: November 2019
Where: Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary & Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park-Winaityinaityi Pangkara
Who: Everyone
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
Image Source: Adelaide Shorebird and Dolphin Festival event page
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