South Australia Outback Adventure


Spend 10 days exploring the best of South Australia’s Outback on a culturally rich and deliciously different small group adventure. From Adelaide, visit the opal capital of Australia, see silo art and watch stars sparkling above you in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. Hear traditional stories of the Adnyamathanha people and immerse yourself in the beauty of Arkaroola – a 610 sq m wildlife sanctuary. Taste fine wines in the Clare Valley and take optional hikes through sweeping landscapes. With First Nations experiences, comfortable accommodation, a knowledgeable leader and free time to take on hikes, scenic flights or 4WD adventures – this trip to the Outback is the whole package.

10 days, from

$3,090

per person

GROUP SIZE

12 people max

ACTIVITY LEVEL

3
Trip code: PZSA
Style: Original
Theme: Explorer

Details

Countries Visited:  Australia
Accommodation: Hotel (1 night), Cabin (4 nights), Underground hotel (2 nights), Resort (2 nights)
Transportation: Private Vehicle
Included Meals:

  • 7 breakfasts
  • 1 lunches

Group size: Minimum 1, Max 12
Minimum Age: 15

  • Watch the night sky come alive as you enjoy a campfire dinner and learn about the stories and traditions of the First Nations Adnyamathanha people who are the traditional custodians of the Flinders Ranges.

  • Enjoy a subterranean stay in Coober Pedy, the opal capital of Australia, in underground accommodation which is cool, comfortable and unique to this part of the South Australian outback.

  • Soak up the scenic beauty of the Clare Valley, one of Australia’s most famous wine regions, and sample Rieslings and other fine wines.

  • Drive into the remote South Australian Outback and bounce along the famous Oodnadatta Track to William Creek where you can enjoy a cold beer and check out the unique "museum" of memorabilia across the street.

Itinerary

Show Full Itinerary

Day 1: Adelaide / Port Pirie / Port Augusta

Your adventure begins in Adelaide (Tandanya in the language of The Kaurna people, who are the traditional owners of the land on which Adelaide is now located). Your tour starts at 8:00 am with a group meeting at our start point hotel. Then head out of town towards Port Augusta. Stop at pretty pink Lake Bumbunga on the way to Snowtown. After a look around Fourth St and Railway Terrace, continue your journey to Port Pirie for a tour and lunch, hopefully at Solomontown Beach if the weather is good. On arrival at Port Augusta, you may like to enjoy an optional visit to the Wadlata Outback Centre or the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens. This evening, enjoy a relaxing night in Port Augusta.

Day 2: Woomera / Coober Pedy

Enjoy breakfast at a café in town before the drive to Woomera, a town that was purpose-built for testing rockets in the 1940s. Learn about nuclear and non-nuclear rocket testing and more at the Woomera Heritage Museum & Visitor Information Centre. There is 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, you could stroll around town, search out some street art, find a bar or buy jewellery as a souvenir. You are in the opal capital of Australia, after all. Tonight, you may choose to join your tour group for dinner at a local bar that offers up incredible views of the Breakaways and Coober Pedy.

Day 3: Coober Pedy

Spend your day exploring in and around Coober Pedy including 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 also doubles as a kangaroo orphanage. Here you can meet kangaroos and other native wildlife such as wombats and birds which are looked after by wildlife carers.

Day 4: Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park / William Creek

Head to Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park which is a registered Aboriginal heritage site and see the dog fence, also know as the dingo fence, before travelling back to Coober Pedy for optional lunch at a local café. Drive into the remote South Australian Outback proper, 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 tour group for dinner at the local pub.

Day 5: Oodnadatta Track / Marree

Perhaps enjoy an early morning scenic flight to see the Outback from a different angle, or sleep in before breakfast. Your leader will be able to help you book a flight if you are keen. Continue your drive deeper into the remote desert landscape to Lake Eyre via the legendary and famous Oodnadatta Track, with a stop at Wabma Kadarbu Mound Spring Conservation Park along the way. Stop at Lake Eyre for a picnic lunch before getting back on the road. If the group fancies it, you can stop off at Coward Springs, home to a charming museum and a natural spa – a welcome reprieve among the desert landscape. Continue to Marree, where on arrival you’ll stroll around town to see historical sites such as the old Afghan Mosque and remnants of the Historical Ghan Railway. Your leader will give you the background on local history.

Day 6: Farina / Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park / Iga Warta

After breakfast, drive to Farina Town. A once booming oasis on the edge of the desert, Farina Town boasted a population of around 600 towards the end of the 19th century, but things look a little different today – the town 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 Iga Warta where you will spend the day and evening learning about Adnyamathanha culture and gaining a deeper appreciation of Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park. Lunch is followed by a tour to an ancient painting site with a Traditional Owner and a cultural cookout dinner where you will enjoy a traditional meal along with music and Adnyamathanha Yura Muda (cultural stories and language).

Day 7: Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park / Iga Warta

After breakfast at Iga Warta, join your leader for a bush walk. Stop for a picnic lunch along the way and take in the scenery before driving back to Iga Warta. After dinner, sit around the campfire for a night of storytelling, singing and a damper supper served with quandong jam and billy tea.

Day 8: Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park / Wilpena Pound

After breakfast at Iga Warta, continue driving to the famous Wilpena Pound (Ikara), the centre piece of the Flinders Ranges and home to the Adnyamathanha people for thousands of years. After lunch, join your leader for a walk around Old Wilpena Station. Operating between 1851 and 1985, this former pastoral settlement provides a special glimpse into what rural life once looked like within the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. Tonight, enjoy a relaxing evening at the resort.

Day 9: Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park / Wilpena Pound

After breakfast, join your leader for another bushwalk in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. 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.

Day 10: Clare Valley / Adelaide

After breakfast, depart for the Clare Valley wine region. Stop for a wine tasting at and grab lunch from a local eatery. See the Silo Art at Farrell Flat and Owen before continuing to Adelaide where your journey will come to an end.