I’ve stayed at the Discovery Parks Barossa Valley twice over the last few months in completely different styles of accommodation, Here’s what I thought of each and the caravan park overall. Will this be your next Barossa Valley accommodation?
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TL;DR? Here's the outline
About Discovery Parks Barossa Valley
Located on the main road on the outskirts of Tanunda, this holiday park is possibly the largest holiday park – I can hardly call this a caravan park – I’ve ever stayed in.
With around 70 cabins, 12 luxury safari tents, 4 houses, dozens of powered and unpowered sites, there is a space here for everyone. The park is filled with lots of tress and green space, and you will wake up to birds not traffic.
The park has some great facilities. The camp kitchen is one of the best I have seen with plenty of space inside for cooking and eating.
Being entirely enclosed, this is a good location to warm up or cool down if the weather is being extreme. There is a tv here and also some video games for the kids.
Right next to the camp kitchen is the first BBQ space. This is a great location for larger groups to enjoy a BBQ, while still watching as the kids play nearby. There is a great pizza oven here too.
There are at least six BBQ areas throughout the park, so even when busy there are enough facilities to go around. The other BBQs are great for smaller groups or they could just be more convenient to your site.
They have clean up facilities available too, so no need to look for somewhere else to clean your plates.
For kids there are plenty of things to do. The pool is great, but the water park will be an even bigger drawcard. There’s a playground, a small stage, a huge grassed area and a holiday favourite – the bouncing pillow.
There are two large amenities blocks to accommodate all the guests. One has a wheelchair accessible bathroom available to allow access for all.
The laundry is large, clean and modern with four washing machines and two dryers. It costs $4 for a wash or dry cycle.
The reception building also includes a small kiosk with selection of basic supplies and visitors can hire bikes and go-karts. The staff will also book tours and help out with how to get around.
Wifi is included for all guests. For the cyclists there’s a bike repair station, and there are pedal cars available for hire.
Located just to the south of Tanunda, getting here is a breeze as it’s less than one hour driving from the Adelaide city centre. I recommend you travel to the Barossa Valley by car as it will facilitate getting around while you are here.
If you are a visitor to Adelaide and need a hire car, I use RentalCars.com to compare multiple car hire companies all in the one search!
CLICK HERE TO SEARCH FOR YOUR RENTAL CAR
If you are here without a car or would prefer to spend a day wine tasting without driving, see the staff in the office or call the number on the signs outside to arrange a wine tour for the day.
There are also local taxis available to get around.
It is possible to get from Adelaide to the Barossa Valley by public transport.
Catch the train from Adelaide train station to Gawler Central, then take a bus from there. For all the details on routes, timetables and fares, see the LinkSA website here.
Staying in a Cabin
Discovery Parks Barossa Valley has a wide range of cabins to suit most families and budgets. The basic economy cabins are perfect for those on a budget, with room to sleep and cook a meal at a cheaper price.
The larger, two bedroom cabins can sleep up to six people with a full size kitchen to keep everyone fed. Some of the cabins are dog friendly, and there are accessible cabins available too.
While not technically cabins, Discovery Park Barossa Valley has four full size houses as part of their accommodation offerings. Designated as villas, they are up to three bedrooms and can sleep six.
This option is great for those looking for a little more room and that “holiday home” feeling. They also have deluxe safari tents – but more about them later.
We stayed in a standard two bedroom cabin. Having stayed in similar cabins before, there were no surprises here. A clean and comfortable cabin with all a guest could want for a great stay.
The main bedroom had a queen size bed and a small wardrobe. While the space was quite small, it was adequate for a room just used for sleeping.
The second bedroom had a bunk bed, a double on the bottom with a single above, so this cabin was set up to accommodate five people.
The living area included a full kitchen, a small lounge area with television and a dining area. This area is spacious enough to suit that family of five without tripping over each other the whole time.
There was also a small balcony at the front with chairs and tables, perfect for relaxing with an evening glass of wine or morning coffee.
The bathroom was compact but again clean and neat with everything needed. A small selection of toiletries were supplied, as were towels.
The water was hot and water pressure was reasonable, especially in an area often affected by drought.
Staying in a Luxury Safari Tent
During our first stay, we saw the luxury safari tents Discovery Park Barossa Valley has, and hoped to stay there. Coincidentally, we saw a great deal pop up not too long after, so we jumped at the chance to book a stay.
The twelve safari tents are set up in their own area right at the back of the park. They are separated from the rest of the park by a small creek, and back onto the vineyards, so the feel in this area is even more rural.
It’s a great location to sit on the deck and enjoy the sounds of the birds. The area itself is off-limits to other guests and it’s an adults-only area, with no children under 18 allowed to stay here.
Each tent has a maximum of two guests.
Our tent itself was much more spacious than I was expecting. The main sleeping area includes a king size bed, small lounge, a coffee table and small side table.
There are windows all around the tent, which in nice weather could be unzipped to give that “camping in the bush” feel.
But for colder weather like we experienced, there is also a reverse cycle air conditioner to keep the tent nice and warm.
The bathroom was what really surprised me here. I was expecting a small lean to with basic facilities, but instead the bathroom is large and just as nice as many hotel rooms.
I definitely rate it as better than the bathroom in the cabin we stayed in above. The shower is huge, and everything that you would expect is supplied, from toiletries to a hairdryer.
Even earplugs were available in case they were needed for either noisy neighbours or rain on the canvas – I’m not sure which. We did experience both though, and did just fine without the earplugs.
The safari tent also includes a kitchenette. It contains a full size fridge/freezer (which came in very handy after our visit to the Barossa Valley Farmers Market) a microwave and a coffee machine with pods included.
There is no cooktop or oven, but with BBQs and the camp kitchen available, this is only a minor inconvenience. There is a toaster, kettle, and every utensil, plate, and cooking necessity that is needed.
In the corner is a cupboard with some hanging space for clothes and storage for cleaning items such as a broom.
The private safari park area includes everything needed for a great stay without venturing into the rest of the park if guests don’t want to. There is a heated pool with spa, which felt temptingly warm even on the coldest days.
While I did not take a dip, we did see others doing so. There is a covered outdoor eating and socialising area, with chairs and a BBQ.
During our stay, a group of friends used this as a communal space to celebrate a birthday, which I thought was a great idea.
There is also a fire pit with seating, to help keep everyone warm on the coldest nights.
The Verdict
I enjoyed both my stays at Discovery Parks Barossa Valley. They were completely different so hard to compare, but I would happily recommend the basic cabins for a budget family stay and the luxury safari tents for something a bit special.
The location is great, with a short walk into the centre of Tanunda to restaurants, supermarkets and wineries.
I think this would be a great holiday park if you wanted to organise an extended family get together.
There are so many different types of accommodation available, from an unpowered site to the safari tents and villas, that there would be something to suit everyone.
There is plenty of space for kids to run around and so that guests don’t have to feel like they are right on top of their neighbours.
Book now to secure your stay – remember you can always cancel later if your plans change.
CLICK HERE FOR AVAILABILITY & PRICES FOR YOUR STAY
While you are in the Barossa Valley, these posts may help you
Things to do in the Barossa Valley that Aren’t Wine Tasting
Eating Vegan in the Barossa Valley
Barossa Hot Air Ballooning
Visiting more great South Australian locations? These posts might help
Adelaide 3 Day Itinerary
Best Places for South Australia Whale Watching
Glamping South Australia – The Ultimate Guide to Camping in Style
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