The Shell V-Power Motorsport Park is well-known for its on-track action, but did you know it also offers amazing family fun? It’s a one-stop shop for all-ages activities, delicious food, and even an awesome caravan park!

If you’re coming from Victoria, pull into Shell V-Power Motorsport Park straight from the highway. You’ll head straight until you arrive at a Big 4 The Bend Holiday Park welcome building.

Cruise your caravan into the holiday park and pull into a drive through (and grassy) powered site – that’s right, no reversing needed. Located conveniently next to toilets, showers, and the kids playground, your kids will live their best life (in full view of your supervision).

They’ll spend their time swimming in the pool, swinging about on the playground, playing on the jumping pillow, and having a hit of mini golf. Plus, there’s kids BMX Pump Track, a basketball court, bush walking trails, air hockey, foosball, table tennis, and arcade games in the (airconditioned) rec room.

Once everyone is tuckered out from setting up camp and playing on the playground – head up to the Apex Restaurant for dinner overlooking the track. The kids’ menu stars plenty of crowd faves, including spaghetti and squid.

Get a taste of Langhorne Creek Wine Region’s award-winning tastes and try the Bleasdale 2018 Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec, 2021 Kimbolton Wines Shiraz, or Lake Breeze 2020 Shiraz Cabernet. As you sip away, hot laps will zip past the restaurant.

Head back here for breakfast the next morning, where you’ll enjoy a buffet of fruit, cereal, bacon and eggs, bagels, juice – and coffee of course. You never know who you might run into in the restaurant, there’s usually racing teams and car enthusiasts from around the world staying at the on-site Rydges Pit Lane Hotel too!

Head downstairs to Motorsport Reception and book yourself for a Hot Lap, where you’ll soar through the world-class track like the pros. Their drivers will take you for a spin in either a V8 Mustang, Holden Race Car, Formula 3 open wheel race car, or Porsche GT3 Cup car. Even though the kids can’t join in on this one, they’ll have just as much fun on the FREE racing simulator – and enjoy the spectacle of Mum or Dad going faster than ever before.

For some friendly rivalry, take the family over to the Kartdrome for a race. Kids under 14 will sit as a passenger in your tandem cart, so they’ll get to kit up in helmets and feel the adrenaline rush (reaching speeds of 70km/h). For the older kids, they can race on their own – so make sure you bring the whole crew along.

The new Dragway hosts blood-pumping events, so if you’re visiting in the first week of April – make sure to schedule the Riverbend Nationals featuring Australian Top Fuel in your itinerary. You can experience the thunder of world-class dragsters from the Reserved Grandstand, Top Eliminator Club, or Top View Premium Suite.

While you’re planning your visit, you can’t pass up the Monarto Safari Park family experience – only a 20-minute drive from Tailem Bend.

Begin your journey at the magnificent new Visitor Centre, complete with a baby change room, and parents’ rooms. One of our favourite features of the redevelopment, is that you can now visit the playground, café, gallery and gift shop whenever you want without needing an admission ticket.

If you’re keen to add an animal encounter to your visit, there’s a range of unique interactive experiences for everyone – and they offer family bundles.

Here are a couple of our top picks:

• The newest all-ages experience – a Madagascan expedition. Get up close and personal with one of Australia’s largest lemur troops in the Land of the Lemurs.
• Hand-feed carrots to the males of the largest giraffe herd in Australia on the Giraffe Safari.

Heading South towards Meningie, you can’t go wrong with a feed from Freshies Café. Right on Lake Alexandrina, they offer a delicious Fisherman’s Basket with local seafood – including the famous Coorong Mullet.

You can keep going along the Princes Highway (stopping at Pelican Point Lookout for some scenery), into the Coorong, and set up camp at 42 Mile Crossing. You’ll be a short 4×4 sand dune drive away from the Salt Creek beachfront.

If you’d like to live like a local, rent a river shack. River Shack Rentals span from Morgan to Wellington, and are ideal for families! Their properties often come with fences and bunk beds to ensure the little ones stay safe around the water.

Karoonda and Mannum also make for excellent stops on a caravanning trip. Spend an arvo in the Mallee to let the kids loose on their space themed playground, and catch the national award-winning Karoonda Silo Art, where you can experience day and night – Paint By Day and Permanent Projection by night! Or, cruise through the Mid Murray and experience the Mannum Dock Discovery Centre, and Mannum Waterfalls.

What are you waiting for? Come for a visit.