What to Do in Tanunda in Winter?

Around 70 kilometres north-east of Adelaide, Tanunda is a small town within the Barossa Valley.

The name Tanunda is an aboriginal word meaning ‘watering hole.’ It is an ever-growing place, with cafes, restaurants, cellar doors, and shops all bursting with country charm.

The History

Tanunda became a single town in 1942 after combining a collection of small settlements to form a single community. Settled by Prussian immigrants, who accompanied Pastor Gotthard Fritzsche. There were many villages established before Tanunda, including the village Langmeil in 1843. Despite its late arrival, the fast growth of Tanunda made it the most prominent village in the area. Resulting in expanding Tanunda to merge with all the surrounding settlements. Creating the larger town of Tanunda we know today.

The Best Things to Do in Tanunda in Winter

• Goat Square (Der Ziegenmarkt)

  Charles Plaxmen, who was granted the land in 1842, established Goat square to be the centre of town. It was a major meeting point for early pioneers and an area to barter for goods. However, these days it is merely a tiny square with beautiful cottages and structures decorating the area. Try to spot the three olden day cottages, which are the only original structures remaining in the square. They have a distinctive German styling to them to give you a clue!

• Shops and Lunch Stops

  Make Tanunda you lunch stop for the day and try out the countless restaurants, cafes, and bakeries within the town. Fill up with the home-made pastries or tuck into a delicious country meal. Sip on a freshly brewed coffee as you people watch at the main strip of artisan shops.

• Barossa museum

  To learn even more about this Australian town, visit the Barossa Museum, set within an 1856 post office building. Browse through the historic artefacts including the butter making machinery, re-created rooms of the colonial era, as well as photographs of past events. Concentrating on the historic German heritage of the area, this beautiful old building holds secrets of the town within.

• Whispering wall

  The retaining wall of the Barossa reservoir is more than it appears. It was completed in 1903 and became a ground-breaking construction at the time. However, the reason tourists flock to see this otherwise simple concrete wall is not the wall itself but it’s acoustic effects. The huge curve of the concrete wall has created an interesting effect: whispering at one end of the wall can be clearly heard by someone standing 150 kilometres away. Although it is a bit out of Tanunda, it is well worth the stopover.

• Mengler’s Hill Lookout

  For a spectacular view of the area, trek up to Mengler’s Hill Lookout. See the surrounding rural country area, covered in Australian wildlife as well as countless rock sculptures within the Barossa Sculpture Park.

• Wineries

  No trip to the Barossa Valley is complete without a sip of local wine. Whether you are a red or white drinker (or both!) Barossa Valley has an endless amount of wines to choose from.

Related article: What Towns are worth seeing in the Barossa Valley?

Cameron Ward

Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia

Cameron Ward turned his travel passion into a thriving Australian tourism business. Before he co-founded his own business, Sightseeing Tours Australia, he was enjoying being a Melbourne tour guide. Even now, Cameron delights in helping visitors from all around the world get the most out of their incredible Australian trip. You’ll see Cameron leading tours or writing about his favourite Australian places where he shares his local insights.