Donkey Discovery | Hahndorf | Review

Fall in love with the magical nature and gentle companionship of donkeys at Donkey Discovery in Hahndorf.

Review by Angelica-Hazel Toutounji

As soon as I saw on social media that there was an experience in Adelaide that involved cuddling donkeys, I knew I had to book my family in to try it. Set in the picturesque setting of Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills, but tucked away from the busy main street, Donkey Discovery is one of South Australia’s most underrated experiences.

Walking into Donkey Discovery, we were met with warmth and kindness from Sarah and her small team. We signed a waiver, she introduced herself, and before we knew it, we were walking towards a paddock filled with donkeys. Having young kids with us (8, 6, 5 and a 9-month-old baby), we were given some guidance on safety measures and how best to interact with the donkeys before stepping inside.

This sounds serious, but the main thing to understand is that, as with horses, you want to be mindful of not walking behind them, as they have a natural blind spot and can reflexively kick. After hearing this, we edged into the area slowly and carefully, but it wasn’t long before we were grinning from ear to ear and totally captivated by these gentle giants.

Initially, the baby was asleep in the pram, which we brought into the paddock. But the donkeys had other plans and started sniffing and nudging the pram, which woke her up. They did this in a playful and curious manner, and it wasn’t long before the baby got in on the donkey pats too. The other kids dove right into the experience, patting and brushing the donkeys and giving them lots of cuddles.

After spending some time in the big paddock, we moved to a smaller area with a mother and baby and had a chance for some one-on-one interaction with the pair. After this, we met a pair of ponies and had the chance to plait their hair while giving them a brush and a pat.

After our pony time, we had a break for afternoon tea, which included unlimited tea and coffee, juice boxes for the kids, chips, munchies and the most delicious homemade sweet treats, including brownies, biscuits and scones with Beerenberg jam and cream. Not only did we feel so well looked after, but they even included gluten-free items, which was so thoughtful! During this time, we had a brief talk about the history of donkeys in Australia and were shown some old photographs too.

To end our experience, we went to the back paddock to meet Gregory, an elderly rescue donkey and the old soul of the herd. Sarah spoke about how the donkeys came into her life and told us all about Gregory. We saw his tongue trick and snapped a selfie with him. As this was the end of the experience, our kids weren’t into sitting still, so we missed a lot of the talking, but still got a lot out of the whole day.

What really surprised us about our time at Donkey Discovery was how calm we felt and how this experience had a profoundly positive impact on our nervous systems. We went in thinking it would be a fun, farm-like activity, but honestly, it was so much more than that. We left with a new found appreciation for donkeys. They’re incredibly gentle, have beautiful natures, and it was fun tuning into their unique personalities and bonding with them for a few hours.

We opted for the two-hour Donkey Discovery experience, but Sarah also offers a Horse Wisdom program and is a certified Equine Assisted Learning Practitioner. After visiting the donkeys and meeting Sarah, we absolutely understand how creating a connection with donkeys could support mental health.

We’ve been fortunate enough to do lots of different animal experiences around Australia, and this is up there with the best of the best. We loved visiting Donkey Discovery from start to finish. We’d jump at the chance to return and can’t stop telling everyone who will listen how incredible it was!

So, if you’re looking for a family activity you’ll remember for years to come, give Donkey Discovery a visit!

What we liked about it:

• literally everything, we have a new found love of donkeys now!
• We loved being able to be so close to the donkeys and give them snuggles.
• Sarah and the team were so kind and passionate about donkeys.

Things to consider:

• its important to be as calm as possible around the donkeys so prep the children before hand and go with a small group.
• This experience does book out quite often so it does help to book in advance.
• Wear gumboots and clothes that are appropriate for a farm setting.

Our favourite nearby coffee spots/cafes:

• You are a few minutes away from the Main Street of Hahndorf but honestly the afternoon tea is delicious, you won’t need to go anywhere

Location:

Windsor Ave, Hahndorf

You can follow Donkey Discovery on Instagram and Facebook.

DISCOVER MORE TO SEE AND DO IN HAHNDORF

For more information and all enquiries please visit the Donkey Discovery website.

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.

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go (2026).

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