South Australia Outback Adventure

Welcome to Adelaide (or Tarntanya, in the language of the Kaurna people, who are the Traditional Owners of the land on which Adelaide is now located)! Your adventure begins straight away at 8 am this morning with a welcome meeting at the hotel. Then, you’ll head out of town towards Port Augusta, stopping at the pink Lake Bumbunga on the way. Have a look around Fourth St and Railway Terrace in Snowtown, then stop at Port Pirie for a tour of the town and some lunch. When you arrive in Port Augusta, maybe visit the Wadlata Outback Centre or the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens. This evening, you’re free to relax and recharge.

It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. Please don’t be late, and your trip will kick off straight away. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place. It’s heavily recommended you stay at the joining point hotel or nearby. Consider spending a few extra nights in Adelaide to see all the city has to offer. Your travel time today will be approximately 4.5 hours.

Staying in:

• Motel (1 night)

Have breakfast at a café in town before driving to Woomera – a town that was purpose-built for testing rockets in the 1940s. Learn about nuclear and non-nuclear rocket testing at the Woomera Heritage Museum & Visitor Information Centre. There will be time for lunch before the short drive to Lake Hart Rest Area for views of one of the region’s salt lakes. When you arrive in Coober Pedy, perhaps stroll around town, search out some street art or find a local bar. You are in the opal capital of Australia, so maybe go jewellery hunting for the perfect souvenir. Tonight, maybe join your group for dinner at a local bar that offers up incredible views of the Breakaways and Coober Pedy.

Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours. Temperatures in this part of Australia can reach extreme highs between November and March. Please bring appropriate clothing, use sun protection and drink plenty of water.

Activities:

• Woomera - Lake Hart Rest Area
• Woomera - Heritage Museum & Visitor Centre

Staying in:

• Underground Hotel (1 night)

Spend your day exploring Coober Pedy – head out on a tour of an underground home, an underground church and a historic opal mine. In the late afternoon, visit Josephine’s Gallery, which specialises in Aboriginal art and doubles as a kangaroo orphanage! Here, you can meet kangaroos and other native wildlife such as wombats and birds that are looked after by wildlife carers.

Activities:

• Coober Pedy - Josephine's Gallery & Kangaroo Orphanage
• Coober Pedy - Underground Home, Church & Historic Mine Visit

Staying in:

• Underground Hotel (1 night)

This morning, head out to Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park – a registered Aboriginal heritage site – and see the dog fence (also known as the dingo fence), before travelling back to Coober Pedy for an optional lunch at a local café. Then, drive into the remote South Australian Outback along a rough dirt road to William Creek, where you can enjoy a cold beer and check out the ‘museum’ of memorabilia across the street. Tonight, you may choose to join your group for dinner at the local pub.

Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours. Today's drive is on an unsurfaced gravel road with corrugated sections, so it may be a bumpy ride.

Activities:

• Coober Pedy - Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park & Dingo Fence

Staying in:

• Cabin (1 night)

This morning, consider rising early for an optional flight over Lake Eyre. Then, continue your drive deeper into the remote desert landscape to Lake Eyre via the legendary Oodnadatta Track. Stop at Wabma Kadarbu Mound Spring Conservation Park along the way, then have a picnic at Lake Eyre for lunch before getting back on the road. You may also stop at Coward Springs – home to a museum and a natural spa, a welcome reprieve among the desert landscape. Continue to Marree, where you’ll stroll around town to see historic sites like the old Afghan Mosque and remnants of the Historical Ghan Railway.

Your travel time today will be approximately 2.5 hours. If you’re interested in booking an optional scenic flight over Lake Eyre this morning, we recommend you book this ahead of time to be sure of a spot. Please contact Wrightsair for bookings.

Activities:

• Marree - Leader-led Local History Walk
• Stuarts Creek - Wabma Kadarbu Mound Spring Conservation Park
• Lake Eyre - Picnic Lunch

Staying in:

• Cabin (1 night)

After breakfast, drive to Farina Town – a once booming oasis on the edge of the desert, this town now has a year-round population of just two people! Despite its ghost town status, Farina is home to a popular underground bakery, which is opened once a year by the Farina Restoration Project Group to raise funds to rebuild the town. If your visit lines up with its opening, stop by this unique bakery and take a wander around the town where stone ruins remain. Then, head to Copley, where you can have some lunch before continuing to Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary – a wildlife sanctuary in the Flinders Rangers. When you arrive, you’ll have free time to head out on a walk or hike through some of the geological monuments, mountains, granite peaks, gorges and waterholes here. Look out for the local birds, reptiles and mammals that live here, including the endangered yellow-footed rock wallaby.

Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.

Activities:

• Farina - Restoration Project

Staying in:

• Hotel (1 night)

After breakfast, your day is free to take up some of the optional activities on offer here. Maybe take a 4WD tour of the ridge top, driving through some spectacularly rugged country. You can also take an optional scenic flight or head to the observatory. This afternoon, you can head out on a leader-led hike to soak up the landscape – your leader will choose a route based on the group’s desires and abilities. Maybe take the Acacia Ridge hike, the Giselda Hill Walk or the Mawson-Spriggina Connecting Trail.

Staying in:

• Hotel (1 night)

Continue driving to the famous Ikara-Wilpena Pound – the centrepiece of the Flinders Ranges and home to the Adnyamathanha people for thousands of years. Your first stop today is Blinman – the highest town in South Australia. When you arrive, visit Wadna – an authentic Aboriginal arts and crafts gallery in the heart of the Flinders Ranges. Wander around, maybe grab some lunch and if you like, take a tour of the local mine. Then, continue to Stokes Hill Lookout for sweeping views of the rolling landscape. This afternoon, you’ll stay at a resort in Ikara (Wilpena Pound) and soak up a free afternoon and evening.

Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.

Activities:

• Wilpena Pound - Welcome to Country by Adnyamathanha Local
• Wilpena Pound - Bushwalk

Staying in:

• Resort (1 night)

After breakfast, join your leader for a bushwalk in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. In the afternoon, take a private tour of Sacred Canyon, where you’ll immerse yourself in Aboriginal culture as you listen to the stories and insights from your Adnyamathanha guide. Learn about the cultural significance of the site, the ancient rock engravings found in the smooth sandstone walls and discover bush medicines and bush tucker from the perspective of the local people. The rest of the day is free for you to choose your own adventure. You may decide to hike to the Wangara Lookout, take a shorter walk to Hills Homestead or spend the day swimming in the pool or enjoying other activities around the resort.

Please note that today's Welcome to Country at the Resort depends on the availability of a local Adnyamathanha person to perform the ceremony and can therefore not be guaranteed.

Activities:

• Wilpena Pound - Bushwalk
• Wilpena Pound - Sacred Canyon Yura Mulka Cultural Walk

Staying in:

• Resort (1 night)

After breakfast, depart for the Clare Valley wine region. Stop for lunch along the way and check out the silo art at Farrell Flat before arriving at a vineyard for an included wine tasting at a prominent local wine maker. In the afternoon, continue to Adelaide where your journey will come to an end. If you’d like to extend your stay and need help organising additional accommodation, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.

Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours. You’ll get back into Adelaide this afternoon at around 5 pm. Please take this into consideration when planning your onward travels.

Activities:

• Clare Valley - Wine Tasting