Dogging in Adelaide and South Australia

Adelaide does things its own way, and its outdoor scene is no exception. Where other cities spread their regulars across dozens of car parks, Adelaide’s has a famous favourite – a lookout in the southern hills that’s so well known it has its own online group. Add a lively swingers’ party scene in the Hills, and the country’s very first official nude beach just down the coast, and South Australia punches well above its size.

Adelaide: one lookout, and a lot of organising

Adelaide’s scene is small but focused. On a busy night, couples post that they’re heading to the city’s best-known hills lookout, others report how many cars are already there, and everyone knows roughly when to turn up.

Couples who go set their own rules and say so up front – watch but don’t touch, or no photos – and the regulars respect them. Away from that one spot, locals are honest that there isn’t a lot going on unless you organise it in advance and keep it quiet. That’s exactly what the city’s swingers do well: there’s a venue in the southern Adelaide Hills with private play rooms that hosts parties most weeks, and themed nights there regularly sell out to people who’ve been invited.

Where people go around Adelaide

Beyond its famous lookout, Adelaide’s outdoor scene uses the same kinds of places as everywhere else.

• Lookouts in the hills above the southern and eastern suburbs, with the city lights below.
• Wetland and bird-hide roads in the north, out towards Salisbury and Dry Creek.
• Car parks in the Adelaide Hills, for couples who live up there.
• Reserves on the southern edge of the city, around the Onkaparinga.

We don’t name exact spots, even the famous one – it doesn’t need the extra attention. The groups share the details, and the places stay usable as long as nobody draws a crowd that doesn’t belong there.

How people signal in Adelaide

Adelaide’s signals are much the same as everywhere: a door left open and the interior light on while you play says spectators are welcome, and a few taps of the brake lights is a clear invitation to come and watch. One local swears by a dim red light on the dashboard. Whatever the signal, nobody touches without a clear yes, and when a couple close the door, the show’s over.

One thing Adelaide regulars complain about more than most is fake accounts. The people who run the city’s online dogging groups say they block dozens of bots a day, and genuine posters get lost among them – which is a big part of why meeting real people on a proper site, before you go, makes such a difference.

Maslin Beach and the coast

South Australia gave Australia its first official nude beach: the southern end of Maslin Beach, declared in February 1975. The state’s law still says plainly that being naked in an area set aside for nude bathing isn’t an offence – though anything sexual is.

Maslin’s regulars also look after their beach. In December 2014, a group of nudists chased down and surrounded a man they believed was secretly filming couples with a camera hidden in an esky, and held him until police arrived. It’s a good reminder that filming anyone without their consent is never acceptable, nude beach or not. Further down the Fleurieu, around Victor Harbor, locals say there are a few quiet car parks but not much of a scene.

The Barossa, the Hills and beyond

Outside Adelaide, couples from the Barossa and the Hills tend to drive into the city’s scene rather than find one at home, and South Australia’s regional towns are too spread out for regular meets. If you’re in the country, the most reliable approach is to find people online first and agree a time and place together.

Things to know before you go in South Australia

• Heatwaves are real. Adelaide summers can be brutal, and a hot northerly makes even the coast uncomfortable. Mild nights in spring and autumn are best.
• Popular spots draw other people too. Lookouts attract sightseers and the odd group of teenagers. If the mood changes, pack up and go.
• No photos without permission. Couples here say it often, and filming people without consent is a crime in its own right.
• Trust your instincts. If something feels off, leave.

Staying on the right side of the law in South Australia

South Australia’s Summary Offences Act covers indecent behaviour and gross indecency in, or visible from, a public place – and a lookout car park counts. Nudity on a designated nude beach is the one exception, and sex isn’t part of it.

Driving up to a lookout at night or arranging a meet online breaks no law. What gets people into trouble is being seen by someone who never chose to watch. Keep to late hours and quiet corners, stay out of view, and move on as soon as anyone else shows up. Our guide Is dogging legal? explains more (general information, not legal advice).

Meeting other doggers in South Australia

With so many fake profiles in the free groups, meeting real people first is half the battle.

WhosDogging has been running since 2006, and signing up is free. Find members around Adelaide, the Hills and the rest of the state, start chatting, and agree on everything before the night – rules, timings and who’s coming. The people here are genuine members looking for the same thing. For the rest of the country, see Dogging in Australia.