Sometimes the best gift for dads is doing an activity with the people he loves most, his family!
We took a look around our hometown to find a few places that offer some different activities that can get all the fathers’ ‘inner child at heart’ out and excited. We found things ranging from water to trees and land activities – for everyone to enjoy!
Calling all adventurers!! It’s time to get up high in the trees with Tree Trails. Situated at Sugar Rush Park are these incredible high ropes obstacle course up in the treetops that offers a fun challenge for “almost” all ages! It’s an excellent way for families and friends to spend time together outdoors. A definite must-do for dads this coming Father’s Day. The Tree Trails course is not just for the youngsters. It’s for the young at heart. The best part is dad can rekindle his inner child and have fun with the kids while feeling a bit like one himself! Tree Trails is a great venue for parties of all types and ages, including team building, a bachelor or bachelorette – yes, that’s right, family groups, school groups, fitness folks and more.
If an elevated obstacle course is a bit too much for you, but you still want to enjoy being up high, then Adventure Valley is your place. As their name suggests, they are full of adventure. Located 15km inland from Ballito, it’s a place for family fun, and the main activity on offer is the 1.5km Zipline Tour 
with the first-in-the-world “Parazip”. This guided adventure from a bird’s eye view is designed for ages 5 to 85. Enjoy the feeling of freedom whilst safely sliding along cables across the valley. The highlight of the Zipline Tour is when you proceed to slide on a 400m cable with a parachute attached to you, enjoying views of the lush surroundings. The “Parazip” enables you to get a feeling of parachuting down the mountain whilst being safely attached to a zipline cable. Adventure Valley also has activities for family fun, teambuilding, corporate events, school excursions and kids’ parties. Bookings are essential.
Now, why not try an activity in water? Ballito Surf School offers a unique surf experience in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal. They offer group and private lessons from complete beginner to intermediate and operate daily from Willard’s main beach. Each lesson includes a trained surf instructor, and all the necessary equipment is provided for the duration of your one-hour session. They aim to create a welcoming, friendly environment that gives you the confidence to experience the joys of the ocean one wave at a time. So why not do a group surf lesson with your dad for Father’s Day? Ballito Surf School can’t wait to welcome you to an unforgettable surf experience.
Next up is the dam at Ballito Ski Park, away from the ocean, still water, though. They are only 7km outside of Ballito on Esenembi Road. It is family-friendly, with an outdoor entertainment park that caters to all ages and keeps you busy the entire day! They have water and land-based activities and a lovely restaurant on-site, so you only need to bring your swimming attire and a body full of adrenaline! Keep an eye on their social media pages for special events and fun bonfire evenings. They also host birthday parties, bachelors and bachelorettes, weddings, team building and corporate events. Trading times – in season: 9 am – 5 pm every day. Out of season: Wednesday to Sunday, 9 am – 5 pm.
Our pristine beaches in Ballito have so many places to enjoy a beach day with the family and, even better, places to snorkel and admire the water life. The Salt Rock Tidal Pool is a great option to snorkel. It is a stunning large tidal pool with plenty of marine life to look at while snorkelling. It is drained once a year to clean up any debris accumulated during the year, ensuring a safe and clean tidal pool. Salt Rock tidal pool was originally built for the residence of Salt Rock caravan park and hotel but is open to the public to enjoy. Grab your snorkel and flippers for a fun beach day.
If it’s a windy day, don’t stress, there is an activity you can still do: kitesurfing! Just down the road, La Mercy Lagoon is a hot spot for kitesurfing, where you can learn to kite with Fruitloops Kitesurfing & Foiling School. At Fruitloops, they aim to share their love and knowledge of kitesurfing with the community. They are a mobile kite school located along the coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Where there is wind and waves, there is Fruitloops. With friendly instructors and a great community involved, you will get motivated to get flying. Booking is essential.
Maybe you want to do something that gives you a bird’s eye view of our beautiful coast? Then the “ComeFly!” Microlight Flights are for you. Only eight minutes north of Ballito, experience an incredible flight over the North Coast. A short hop over sugar cane fields gets you to the coast. You have chances of seeing dolphins, giant manta rays and other types of rays, turtles, whale sharks, and our migrating humpback whales at certain times of the year! Come and experience one of life’s greatest sensations. Open Monday to Sunday from 7 am – 5 pm.
- Words by: Kai Coates