Visitors are flocking to South Australia's national park sites with the Naracoorte Caves and Cleland Wildlife Park smashing attendance records.
The popularity of our parks comes ahead of another bumper summer program providing more opportunities to experience the best of the state’s nature, wildlife and heritage, including a new escape cell experience at the Adelaide Gaol.
Visitation to the gaol increased by more than 34 per cent between 1 December 2022 and 30 November 2023, with nearly 40,000 people walking through its heavy iron doors compared with the same period last year.
More than 96,000 people travelled to the state's south east to experience the Naracoorte Caves - up from 86,565 for the same period the year before - while the nearby Tantanoola Caves received an 8.5 per cent boost in attendees, to about 35,000 visitors.
Attendance to Cleland Wildlife Park climbed 34 per cent on the previous year, with almost 130,000 people venturing to the beloved Adelaide Hills site.
Nearly 94,000 people visited the spectacular Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island.
National Parks and Wildlife Service Visitor and Commercial Services Manager Gary Joyce said South Australians were blessed to have some of the world’s best natural environments and amazing visitor experiences right on their doorsteps.
"Whether it’s the Adelaide Gaol, the spectacular Naracoorte Caves or Cleland Wildlife Park, I highly recommend South Australians to venture out to see what makes our state so amazing," Mr Joyce said.
"We are thrilled with the amount of people who have visited our national park sites this year, setting new records along the way."
Mr Joyce said over the holiday period our sites would be hubs of activity, providing a range of unique, fun and educational experiences.
"There is plenty to do in our parks and tourism sites this summer, so if you’re planning school holiday activities or heading off on a road trip, our parks and reserves have got you covered," he said.
This article was prepared by the Department of Environment and Water and republished with permission.
