Big Rocking Horse — Attraction in Gumeracha

Big Rocking Horse

Upon the enthusiastic recommendation of dear friend, we embarked on a delightful journey to the Big Rocking Horse in Gumeracha, South Australia. Having heard about the recent struggles and near-closure of this iconic site, I felt a mix of nostalgia and concern before our visit. However, the overwhelming resilience and unity demonstrated by the owners and the local community to keep this business alive and thriving restored my faith in the power of collective effort.

As we drove up to the site, the first sight that greeted us was the colossal wooden rocking horse, standing proudly against the blue South Australian sky. The sheer magnitude of the structure took my breath away, instantly invoking memories of my own childhood dreams. We could not resist the opportunity to climb to the top of the Big Rocking Horse, a thrilling experience that my children found absolutely exhilarating. The view from the top not only provides an expansive perspective of the surroundings but also a unique, fond look back into our own past.

Following our ascent, we spent a leisurely afternoon exploring the small wildlife park. The park is meticulously maintained, offering a serene environment to observe native animals up close. The children were particularly enchanted by the kangaroos and wallabies, and the educational opportunities provided by the park's knowledgeable staff made it a truly memorable experience.

The café, which is a pivotal part of the Big Rocking Horse complex, deserves a special mention. The menu is equally appealing for both adults and children, offering a wide range of freshly prepared meals and snacks. We enjoyed a hearty lunch that was both satisfying and reasonably priced. Not to mention, their selection of local and handmade confections in the gift shop provided us with delightful souvenirs to take back home.

For those who prefer a more low-key experience, there are ample picnic areas available, complete with all the necessary amenities for a perfect day outdoors.

We left with hearts full of joy and gratitude for the opportunity to witness a beloved landmark being preserved for future...

•Big Rocking Horse For only 2 AUD you can get to climb the Big Rocking Horse, but small kids are free. Is climbing it worth it? Yup! Because you’re just going to pay 2aud. However, don’t expect too much, because the climb gonna be challenging. You have to climb a rusty ladder like 3 times up, and 3 times down. The space is quite tight, so if you are claustrophobic, I don’t recommend it. Generally, in order for the kids to experience it, it’s worth the adventure.

•Animal Park This where we totally had fun! The small kids were free, the adults only pays 4Aud (really cheap compared to zoos!!). You also need to buy food for the animals for only 2 Aud per pack (it was enough for us) if you want to feed them, coz you will not be allowed to bring any food. In the park, the animals are just roaming around not inside the cage (except for the emu). The visitors can just freely go near the animals and feed them. The kids really enjoyed feeding the goat, alpaca, emu, and the sheep. They also got so happy when they saw a kangaroo near them. It is very safe for the kids, however you still need to closely monitor them.

•Wooden Toys Shop There were a lot of selection for toys, quite expensive for us but still it really looked nice and sturdy. That’s where I bought my Adelaide Ref magnets.

•Cafe We don’t really enjoyed the food, but the kids loved the chips. They also enjoyed the playground inside the cafe.

•Outside of the Cafe Playground The playground outside is quite old, and some of the toys are dirty or broken.

•Playground They have nice playground, and benches where you can eat and watch the kids play.

All in all, I would still recommend to go here especially for the kids so that they can experience feeding the animals...

I will not be coming back here and definitely won't recommend it.

My family and I came in a while ago, and we were all very excited to see the animals and have a nice lunch at the café. Unfortunately, we left disappointed and unhappy with our experience.

The first thing that disappointed us was the food and coffee. It was overpriced for what we received, and the service at the café was quite rude and cold—not as welcoming as it should have been. The pastries had no flavor, and the coffee wasn't pleasant I actually threw it out after a couple of sips because of how unpleasant it was.

As we walked into the souvenir shop, we were warmly welcomed, which was nice after our experience at the café.

However, as we were walking around the park, I personally noticed that the birds' aviaries didn't have many toys or branches in them, which upset me since I have two pet birds at home.

I also saw that the alpaca's hooves were overgrown, which I find repulsive. Every single animal that lives there should be provided with proper care, and I didn't see many animals that looked healthy or happy.

Lastly, as we were leaving the park, a lovely Indian couple came in, and an older man who looked like he worked there was giving them very dirty looks and mumbling something under his breath. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make out what the older man was saying, but I assume it was something unpleasant.

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