Morialta Play Tree

If you haven’t taken the kids to climb the big gum tree at Morialta yet, you’re missing one of the better free afternoons the Adelaide Hills has to offer. It’s a proper climbing tree — the kind kids actually want to return to — and with the forest trails right there, you can easily stretch it into a half-day out. Keep your eyes up in the branches too, because koala sightings here are genuinely common, not the hopeful kind. The shade trees make it bearable even in summer, and the walking path suits everyone from toddlers to grandparents.