Whether you grew up watching the Labyrinth, Maze Runner or Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, there’s something about a maze that lures both the young, and young at heart. Luckily for those of us in South Australia, we have an abundance of mazes to keep us adventuring, right across the state.
South Australia is also home to Australia’s oldest maze – the Belair maze, which was planted in 1886. It’s a Hawthorn maze, which makes it one of only 3 left in the world. While it’s no longer ‘maze-like’ and is more showcasing the historic remnants of a maze, you can make out the six concentric circles of hawthorn trees which were originally planted.
For those wanting more impressive structures, here’s 6 of the best to check out with, or without, the kids.
WOODHOUSE ACTIVITY CENTRE – THE LABYRINTH, ADELAIDE HILLS
Navigate a giant maze tackling quizzes and riddles at the many dead ends.
Work your way through the giant split-level maze, with a few unique twists thrown into the mix. This maze has a fun fireman’s pole, a slide and 2 flights of stairs adjoining the 2.8m drop from top to bottom tier. The maze has a 135m direct route from start to finish, or you can extend the experience to 537m by finding quizzes and riddles at each of the 17 dead ends.
Think you’ve memorised the path to the finish line? The internal panels are interchangeable so the route will be changed up regularly to keep this cool new activity fresh and exciting. How A-MAZE-ING is that?!
Cost: Day passes to the Woodhouse Adventure park are $20, with concession card holders getting in for $17. Under 5’s are free and there is a family discount of $68 for four people. The pass not only gives you access to the maze, but the whole park, which hosts other fun activities like climbing walls, disc golf, tube slides and hiking trails.
Address: Woodhouse Activity Centre, 37 Spring Gully Road, Piccadilly South Australia
For more information, visit their website here.
MAXWELL MAZE, MCLAREN VALE
Alongside its restaurant and many cellar door experiences, Maxwell Wines is also the home to a mind-bending maze that is located at the bottom of the vineyard, opposite its stunning vines.
The famous maze will help keep your children entertained whilst you relax in the beautiful picnic grounds with a bottle of wine.
To make your experience even more memorable, from September through to April you can book a premium picnic package. The package includes non-exclusive access to the maze, gorgeous low picnic tables catered with both a sweet and savoury grazing tables, an assortment of Maxwell’s popular wines and fun lawn games to keep you entertained.
The Maxwell picnic grounds and maze are available for customers on a first-come, first-served basis during normal business hours for groups of 11 adults or less.
Cost: Groups of 12 or more adults are by appointment only and must book the Premium Picnic Package, at $112 per head.
Address: 97 Chalk Hill Road, McLaren Vale, Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia.
For more information visit their website here.
GLEN-FOREST MAZE, EYRE PENINSULA
A little further from Adelaide, is the Glen-Forest Maze. Just fifteen minutes out of Port Lincoln, the $200,000 tourist park maze opened its doors in 2019 and has been bustling every since.
The wheel-chair accessible maze was architecturally designed by Englishman Adrian Fisher, who is renowned for his maze-designs. With nearly 1000 mazes to his name, across dozens of countries, the design features five towers, removable sections and up to six different maze configurations.
It took over 70 tonnes of Cypress Pine to build the structure, which is just one of the features at the tourist park, which is known for its wide array of wildlife.
Cost: The Adventure Maze costs $10.00 per person (or $8 with entry fee).
Address: 877 Clarkes Ln, Green Patch SA
For more information visit their website here.
MONASH ADVENTURE PARK PLAYGROUND MAZE, RIVERLAND
Monash Adventure Park provides fun for all ages including crazy leaning towers, a Burmese rope bridge, wave bridge, mini basketball, flying fox, slippery dip and lots more.
Take your family wandering through the huge maze, with its high walls, secret doorways and little playground hidden inside.
There’s free electric barbecues and picnic facilities along with a paddleboat kiosk, and a lovely creek meanders through the park.
Monash Adventure Park is a great place for any family to visit and one of the most popular attractions in the Riverland.
Cost: Free!
Address: 20 Madison Rd, Monash, South Australia.
For more information visit their website here.
BELAIR NATIONAL PARK FORT MAZE
Let the kids explore an active wonderland at Belair National Park’s adventure playground while you grab a hot drink from the kiosk, open during business hours on weekends, public holidays and school holidays.
Be sure to check out the adult-size wooden fort and the maze of tunnels, perfect for a game of chasey or hide-and-seek. While it’s not strictly a maze, it’s close enough for this guide!
Make a day of it and spend time exploring the rest of the park too.
130 years after first planting, you can explore the remnants of the original, historic maze, and make out the concentric circles it initially featured. Volunteers are now working to replant the hedges and restore the maze to its former glory, keeping this piece of South Australian history alive.
Cost: Free!
Address: Stop 25 Upper Sturt Rd – East Side, Belair SA
For more information visit their website here.
Know of any other great mazes in South Australia? Email [email protected]
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