12 minute read
South Australia
From mighty rivers and jaw-dropping coastlines to prehistoric geological landmarks and internationally acclaimed cellar doors, South Australia is positively packed with diverse travel experiences. Beyond lovely Adelaide and nearby highlights like the Barossa Valley and Kangaroo Island, your Club has a chance to discover the ancient intrigue of Mount Gambier, the impressive Flinders Ranges, and plenty more throughout this amazing state.
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ADELAIDE
Known for its fine food and festivals, South Australia’s capital, Adelaide, is also a gateway to the premium wine regions, scenic foothills, exquisite coastlines and countless attractions within driving distance of this beautiful city.
Tour the City of Churches
Adelaide is a pleasantly accessible capital – any point in the city can be reached within 30 minutes – so it’s ideal to explore at a relaxed pace while indulging in worldclass food and wine. Wandering the charming streets, you’ll soon discover why Adelaide became known as the ‘City of Churches’. There seems to be a splendid church or cathedral around just about every corner, most of them impressively designed historical buildings dating back to the 19th century.
Climb the Adelaide Oval
Sports enthusiasts among the group might be keen on the unique RoofClimb experience, offering 360-degree views of the city and beyond from the rooftop of the iconic Adelaide Oval’s Western Stand and the world’s first rooftop stadium seats (roofclimb.com.au). Daytime and twilight climbs are both available.
Wine & dine in the Barossa
No trip to Adelaide is complete without experiencing the wonders of the acclaimed Barossa Valley, a wineproducing region with strong German heritage and an international reputation. Situated an hour north-east of the capital, the Barossa has a selection of high-profile wineries offering guided tours and cellar-door tastings set amidst picturesque landscapes. Shiraz grapes are the local speciality, but there’s a cool-climate blend for every palate. Elsewhere, members might visit a number of galleries, museums, farmers’ markets and stores selling gourmet fresh produce, including the always popular Maggie Beer Farm Shop (maggiebeer.com.au). Your Club can enjoy the best of the beautiful Barossa on SeaLink’s 3-day Adelaide and Barossa Short Break (sealink.com.au/ sealink-south-australia-tours).
1. St Peter’s Cathedral is arguably the most famous church in the City of Churches
2. Probians touring Kangaroo Island stop for a photo at Cape du Couedic Lighthouse
THE FLEURIEU PENINSULA & KANGAROO ISLAND
Heading south from Adelaide towards Cape Jervis, where ferries depart for must-see Kangaroo Island, the Fleurieu Peninsula is a rugged coastline and wetlands area featuring numerous conservation parks.
Visit McLaren Vale
Situated just 45 minutes from Adelaide, between the rolling Mount Lofty Ranges and Gulf St Vincent beaches, McLaren Vale is another important stop on your wine-tasting and culinary experiences tour of South Australia. McLaren Vale is home to some of the world’s oldest grape vines and boasts more than 80 cellar doors and vineyards. Combine awardwinning wine with modern art at d’Arenberg Winery, home to d’Arenberg Cube (darenberg.com.au/darenberg-cube), an avant-garde structure inspired by the shape of an unfinished Rubik’s Cube. The Cube features the fascinating Alternate Realities Museum (darenberg.com.au/alternate-realitiesmuseum) as well as a top-floor tasting room.
Explore Kangaroo Island
A short ferry ride from Cape Jervis takes you to rugged Kangaroo Island, South Australia’s premier naturebased destination. Explore its beaches, bushland and
nature reserves, making sure to admire the abundant wildlife in Flinders Chase National Park. Visit Seal Bay Conservation Park to see the amazing Australian sea lion colony on a guided walk with a Park Ranger, or check out Raptor Domain for an ‘in-flight’ display of birds of prey like eagles and falcons (kangarooislandbirdsofprey. com.au). Other places of interest include Clifford’s Honey Farm (cliffordshoney.com.au), Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery (emuridge.com.au), the Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch, and the lighthouse cottages at Cape Borda and Cape Du Couedic.
To get the most out of your Kangaroo Island experience, join SeaLink’s Kangaroo Island Experience and let friendly local guides show your group what this incredibly special island has to offer (sealink.com.au/kangarooisland-tours).
Traverse the peninsula aboard a heritage train
If your Club is keen for a day trip that allows you to see multiple Fleurieu Peninsula highlights in a single journey, why not take a train? With routes departing from Mount Barker, Goolwa and Victor Harbor, the SteamRanger Heritage Railway operates a number of different heritage steam and diesel hauled tourist trains taking in destinations including Victor Harbor, Goolwa, Port Elliot, Strathalbyn and more (steamrangerheritagerailway.com.au).
AT A GLANCE
Adelaide Oval Roofclimb
08 8331 5222 roofclimb.com.au
Maggie Beer Farm Shop
1300 459 450 maggiebeer.com.au
SeaLink 3-day Adelaide and Barossa Short Break
13 13 01 sealink.com.au/sealinksouth-australia-tours
d’Arenberg Cube and Alternate Realities Museum
08 8329 4888 darenberg.com.au
Raptor Domain
08 8559 5108 kangarooislandbirdsof prey.com.au
Clifford’s Honey Farm
08 8553 8295 cliffordshoney.com.au
Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery
08 8553 8228 emuridge.com.au
SeaLink Kangaroo Island Experience
13 13 01 sealink.com.au/ kangaroo-island-tours
SteamRanger
1300 655 991 steamrangerheritage railway.org
Every Station is a Destination
Cockle Train
Goolwa - Middleton - Port Elliot - Victor Harbor (return) Southern Encounter
StrathLink
Victor Harbor - Goolwa - Finniss - Strathalbyn (return) Hills Encounter
Murray River Connector
Mount Barker - Strathalbyn - Goolwa (return) Connects with the Paddle Steamer Oscar W
Website
For more information on these and other SteamRanger journeys, dates and times or to make a booking, visit our website steamranger.org.au or speak to our booking officers on 1300 655 991 (Mon-Fri 9am to 4pm)
Groups of 10 or more are eligible for group discounts.
Speak to our booking office for more details on 1300 655 991 (Mon-Fri 9am to 4pm)
LIMESTONE COAST, RIVERLAND & MURRAYLANDS
The far east and south-east of South Australia – which comprises the magnificent Limestone Coast, Riverland and Murraylands regions – makes for a superb getaway from Adelaide or the continuation of a longer trip through regional Victoria. In addition to the plethora of beaches, rivers, lakes and mountains, you’ve come to the right place for prehistoric caves and volcanoes.
Discover Naracoorte Caves
At Naracoorte Caves National Park, South Australia’s only World Heritage listed destination, Club members will discover a globally important fossil site. For over 500,000 years giant marsupials roamed the Limestone Coast, with many of their fascinating fossils now on display among remarkable caves open to the public on guided tours.
Be amazed by Mount Gambier
Uniquely located on the slopes of Mount Gambier – a volcano which last erupted 5,000 years ago – the eponymous city and surrounding area is a captivating geological wonderland filled with prehistoric attractions. In the middle of town, visit Umpherston Sinkhole – once an underground limestone cave which, following the collapse of the chamber’s roof many years ago, evolved into a lush sunken garden within the newly formed giant crater. Another landmark not to be missed is the mysterious Blue Lake, which early each November morphs from a deep blue into an intense turquoise colour almost overnight.
1. The PS Murray Princess paddlewheeler cruises the Murray River
2. Guests share a game, a drink and a laugh aboard the Murray Princess
3. The Coffin Bay Oyster Farm is a popular attraction on the Eyre Peninsula
4. At Naracoorte, fossilised remains are remarkably well preserved
5. Streaky Bay’s Powerhouse Museum has over 400 engines on display
Cruise the Murray River
For an unforgettable experience, take your Club members cruising on the mighty Murray River – the thirdlongest navigable river in the world after the Amazon and the Nile – aboard the majestic PS Murray Princess (murrayprincess.com.au), the Southern Hemisphere’s largest inland paddlewheeler. Along the way you’ll see historic riverports and woolsheds, while the magical sunsets are a sight to behold. SeaLink provides superb 8-13 day packages touring SA including the Murray River (sealink.com.au/sealink-south-australia-tours).
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YORKE & EYRE PENINSULAS
Hop between lakes and lookouts on a tour of the surprising Yorke Peninsula, close to Adelaide, then loop around the coast further west to the triangular and diverse Eyre Peninsula. Surrounded by Spencer Gulf on the east, the Great Australian Bight on the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north, the Eyre Peninsula is renowned for its ecotourism and rich marine life.
Make your way from Whyalla to Port Lincoln
There’s plenty to see and do on the three-hour drive from Whyalla, the gateway to the Eyre Peninsula, to the picturesque seaside town of Port Lincoln. Make sure you stop to gaze up at the outstanding silo art murals in Cowell and Tumby Bay (australiansiloarttrail.com). At the pointy tip of the peninsula, Port Lincoln is a seafood lovers’ paradise. Club members can catch and cook their own fish or indulge in a seafood feast prepared by quality local chefs. You can even learn all about the local fishing sectors with a behind-the-scenes factory tour at the award-winning seafood centre, the Fresh Fish Place (freshfishplace.com.au), or wade to the working Coffin Bay Oyster Farm to taste oysters fresh from the sea (oysterfarmtours.com.au). Port Lincoln National Park and nearby Coffin Bay National Park both offer expansive views of unspoilt coastal beauty including the dramatic sand dunes and limestone cliffs that loom high over the southern seas.
Continue to Streaky Bay
Your Eyre Peninsula journey continues north-west to Streaky Bay. Here you’ll find more than you bargained for at the coastal town’s two fine museums. The Powerhouse Museum (streakybay.com.au/business/streaky-baypowerhouse-museum) is a treasure trove of over 400 restored engines in working condition. The Streaky Bay National Trust Museum (nationaltrust.org.au/places/ streaky-bay-museum) houses blacksmith tools, antique
AT A GLANCE
PS Murray Princess
1300 729 938 murrayprincess.com.au
SeaLink Murray River Packages
13 13 01 sealink.com.au/sealinksouth-australia-tours/
Silo Art Trail
australiansiloarttrail.com
Fresh Fish Place
08 8682 2166 freshfishplace.com.au
Coffin Bay Oyster Farm
0412 268 648 oysterfarmtours.com.au
Powerhouse Museum
0458 503 954 streakybay.com.au/ business/streaky-baypowerhouse-museum
Streaky Bay National Trust Musem
0458 137 905 nationaltrust.org.au/ places/streaky-baymuseum
printing equipment, furniture and clothing used by early settlers, old agricultural machinery, and the Straight Eight Nash car driven by the legendary Sylvia Birdseye, the first woman to hold a commercial bus driving licence in South Australia. She introduced overland mail and passenger bus services between Adelaide and Eyre Peninsula in 1928.
FAR NORTH
Some of South Australia’s best attractions await your group in the state’s largest region, the Far North, which shares its border with four different states. The highlight of this vast region is undoubtedly the must-see Ikara-Flinders Ranges, but your outback adventure doesn’t have to end there.
Flee to the Flinders Ranges
Head north from Adelaide to discover the incredible Flinders Ranges, the largest mountain range in South Australia. The Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park has viewpoints looking out over spectacular gorges and canyons containing Aboriginal art. The area is also rich in railway and mining history. Visit a handful of fascinating rural towns like Arkaroola, Parachilna, Leigh Creek and Quorn, where you can board the historic and charming Pichi Richi Railway (pichirichirailway.org.au) for a journey through the rocky outcrops and gum-lined creeks. For a change of pace and altitude, take a scenic flight over Lake Eyre and see Wilpena Pound, also known by its Adnyamathanha name of Ikara, meaning ‘Meeting Place’.
Go underground at Coober Pedy
Situated 846km north of Adelaide on the Stuart Highway, the town of Coober Pedy is renowned as the opal capital of the world. Enormous quantities of precious opals are mined in this unique desert destination. Step into the historic Old Timers Mine – hand-dug in 1916 – and the Umoona Opal Mine & Museum (umoonaopalmine.com.au), which holds an underground house, panoramic theatre and Aboriginal interpretive centre. AAT Kings’ 8-day, 7-night South Australian Outback Adventure tour starts in Adelaide and takes you through Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park before spending two fascinating days in Coober Pedy.
Play the Nullarbor Links
Fancy a round (or part of a round) on the world’s longest golf course? The unique Nullarbor Links (nullarborlinks.com) features 18 rugged-terrain holes spanning a total 1,365 kilometres, with one hole in each participating town or roadhouse along the Eyre Highway between Ceduna, SA, and Kalgoorlie, WA. Pick up your scorecards at the Ceduna Visitor Information Centre and play at least the first two holes – Oyster Beds and Denial Bay. There are four more holes to play before you reach the state border, located in Penong, Nundroo, Nullarbor and Border Village. ■
AT A GLANCE
1. See how opal is formed and mined at Coober Pedy’s Umoona Opal Mine & Museum
2. Wilpena Pound is a remarkable natural amphitheatre in the Flinders Ranges
Pichi Richi Railway
1800 777 245 pichirichirailway.org.au
Umoona Opal Mine & Museum
08 8672 5288 umoonaopalmine.com.au
AAT Kings 8-day, 7-night South Australian Outback Adventure tour
1300 300 911 aatkings.com/tours
Nullarbor Links
0407 990 049 nullarborlinks.com
Tours, Groups & Charters
Call 1300 769 762 or visit adelaidesightseeing.com.au
No matter whether you’re travelling on your own, as a couple, or part of a group of 50, or 400, Adelaide Sightseeing can look after all your coach touring needs in and around Adelaide and South Australia.
Adelaide Sightseeing is one of the State’s longest serving day tour operators with over 30 years of touring experience.
Adelaide Sightseeing offers regular scheduled coach tours such as the popular half day Adelaide City Highlights, Adelaide Hills and Hahndorf Tour, and full day tours to the fabulous regions of The Barossa, McLaren Vale, Victor Harbor, Kangaroo Island, and the Murray River.
If it is group travel you are after, Adelaide Sightseeing have a range of vehicles, of various sizes to cope with your group, starting with the Mercedes Sprinter for 8 people, to 50-seater coaches.
All vehicles are state-of-the art, and our experienced and knowledgeable Tour Drivers are second to none and will go that extra mile to ensure your time with us is special and memorable.
Let us help you with your travel requirements in Adelaide, just call our friendly Sales Consultants on 1300 769 762, email bookings@adelaidesightseeing.com.au or for group bookings and enquiries email groups@adelaidesightseeing.com.au Visit adelaidesightseeing.com.au for further information.
