Holiday houses in Middleton

A compact beach town on the south coast of South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, Middleton is best known for its great surfing. The town is sandwiched between a sandy beach and the highway that traces a long loop from Adelaide down the peninsula. The town’s beach is part of a continuous stretch of sand that leads from Middleton Point, a headland near the centre of Middleton, beyond the neighbouring town of Goolwa to the mouth of the Murray River. (The beach is so long that it takes around three hours to walk to the river mouth.) The name Middleton is said to refer to the town’s location midway between Goolwa and nearby Port Elliot, with the rows of sea-facing houses bookended by two coastal nature reserves. Basham Beach Conservation Park, with its pretty beach, marks the end of town to the southwest, and to the east the last of the town’s homes lead into the dunes of Tokuremoar Reserve.

Come to Middleton in the dry, warm summer to make the most of the beaches and the coastal pathways. The southern coastline of the Fleurieu Peninsula is exposed to the wild Southern Ocean, which extends to the Antarctic, so expect to experience chilly sea breezes even on a sunny day. In April, nearby Goolwa hosts the boating festival Aquafest, which features old-school sailboats as well as speedboat racing. The South Australian Wooden Boat Festival is also held in Goolwa in April every other year, with vintage yachts racing on the Murray River. Surfing conditions are best in autumn, with the two-day Southern Surf Festival held in Middleton Point in May. Middleton Point is also a popular spot for whale watching; southern right and humpback whales pass close by the headland from May to October.

Go surfing

Middleton Point offers a consistent point break for experienced surfers, while Middleton Beach is known for its long, low waves, making it ideal for surf lessons with one of the local surf schools. You can also hire boards and wetsuits in town and tackle the swells on your own.

The wineries

Two of Australia’s up-and-coming wine regions are within a 40-minute drive of Middleton. You can explore more than 80 vineyards in the famous McLaren Vale, on the road north back to Adelaide. The much smaller Langhorne Creek wine region, to the northeast of Middleton, is home to some of the world’s oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines.

Goolwa heritage precinct

The Murray River opens to the ocean just down the coast from Middleton. Head to Goolwa, a historic port on the last bend in the river, to explore the heritage-listed precinct around Goolwa Wharf. The preserved timber wharf still hosts working paddle steamers, and houses a winery cellar door, brewery, and whisky distillery.