'I'm calling it. This is hands-down Australia's best destination for parents with little kids.'

The thing about having a child who's not quite a baby but not yet a toddler — a boddler? A taby? — is that travelling with them is kind of a nightmare. I mean that in the nicest way possible, of course! No shade to tabies, who are some of my closest friends (and also my 13-month-old son).

The problem is, tabies are not quite young enough that they sleep the whole trip, leaving you free to lie on a beach or wander the shops to your heart's content, but not so big that they're easily distracted by a tablet and an episode of Bluey. They're on the move, but they often can't walk safely or independently. They're interested in everything, but only for about five seconds at a time.

What all of that means is that planning a holiday around one can be… fairly tricky. And I know from personal experience that it can be tempting to stay in your comfort zone instead. There's a lot to be said for routine when it comes to that age group, but I put it to you that there's also a lot to be said for going on an absolutely delightful holiday.

Watch: Going on a trip with your little kids? Here are no-screen activities to try. Post continues after video.

And that, my friends, is where my new favourite destination, Adelaide, comes in. 

In the interests of full disclosure, I didn't choose Adelaide as a travel destination. My husband and I were invited to a wedding, and I have a small human who is still breastfeeding and can still ride on planes for free, so suddenly it was a family affair!

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but what I found was a genuinely easy and enjoyable city of a size that felt doable with a young child. 

And because I never like to gatekeep, I'm here to help: if you're looking for a holiday with young kids that doesn't feel completely overwhelming, may I introduce you to everything I loved about Adelaide?

Why Adelaide is the best Australian destination for parents with little kids.

The food.

Everything we ate in Adelaide was fantastic. We were lucky enough to have the gentle but firm guidance of some knowledgeable locals, and they didn't steer us wrong once.

Everywhere we ate was child-friendly and delicious, and of course most served great local wine (more on wineries below).

We also had an incredible meal at Bandit Pizza and Wine, but Adelaide is a foodie heaven so you really can't go wrong.

The playgrounds.

Did you know (because I did not) that Adelaide has a dedicated green belt all the way around the city, which is… just parklands and playgrounds? As we traipsed around the (very flat, entirely walkable) CBD, we could drop into a playground whenever we felt like it. When you are 13 months old, this is the equivalent of heaven. When you are the parent of a 13-month-old, this is what they call "a lifesaver".

The wineries.

Look, I'm a Sydney girl. We've got the Hunter Valley, and that is… fine. But within a stone's throw of Adelaide — I'm talking half an hour's drive — are a very large number of wineries making a very large number of absolutely delicious wines.

Visiting a winery is a surprisingly enjoyable activity with a young toddler — most of them have lawns perfect for toddling on, and most of them serve cheese boards, which come complete with every toddler's most important food group: many handfuls of crackers.

Two wineries we especially loved were Ashton Hills and Longview. We also went (a fair bit) further afield to Forktree Brewery which has an insane outlook over the water and the bush.

The accessibility.

There's a lot to be said for a beach holiday, and a lot to be said for visiting a major city. In addition to all the positive things to be said, I would like to add one major downside: it's quite literally impossible to wrangle a pram onto a beach or into a packed tourist destination. If you're lucky enough to have a child who'll sleep in the pram while you're on the go, then Adelaide's flat, accessible parks, shopping strips (Rundle Mall, I love you) and gorgeous fancy suburbs lined with trees, boutique stores and cafès will be your very best friend.

As an added bonus, South Australia's laws allow a child to be unrestrained in a taxi so long as they're with an adult, so if you happen to stray too far from home, it's extremely easy to jump in a cab.

The vibes.

Maybe it's because we visited at a particularly festive time of year, but everyone we met was friendly, interested in my son, and up for a lengthy chat. It felt like a small town, despite being a city. We explored to our hearts' content and never once felt like we'd overstretched ourselves. It was… relaxing. I know! I know! With a 13-month-old! Such is the magic of my new favourite city, Adelaide.

Want more tips and hacks for when you're travelling with kids? Read these stories next:

• 'The 7 packing hacks I swear by when taking kids on holiday.'

• 'I travel on the reg with little kids. Here are 12 things I always pack to make life easier.'

• 'I just travelled solo with 3 kids under 5 years old. Here are my top travel hacks.'

Feature image: Supplied.