South Australian Outback Adventure - Small Group

The South Australian capital often flies under the radar - locals like it that way, happy keeping their buzzing dining precincts, glorious gardens, and on-your-doorstep wineries to themselves. But the secret is well and truly out, and over the course of the afternoon you'll discover just how diverse Adelaide really is. After your welcome drink, you'll embark on an Adelaide tour, covering every interest base: sports (Adelaide Oval), horticulture (the Botanic Garden), culture (the Art Gallery of South Australia), and food (Adelaide Central Market). Tonight, why not wander up to the foodie hub of the West End or Peel St? The city offers plenty of eateries in which to while away your evening.

You don’t have to travel far from Adelaide to be surrounded by vines. In fact, just 1.5 hours north lies the Clare Valley, and therein one of Australia’s most awarded wineries. Knappstein Enterprise Winery’s roots reach back to 1878, which yields extremely tasty drops, as you’ll discover at the cellar door in the Clare Valley’s atmospheric central town. It’s the best way to ease into the wide-open, otherworldly spaces of the Flinders Ranges – your commute is a short journey by coach, but it transports you to seemingly Martian landscapes, some 800 million years in the making. Your base for the night is Wilpena Pound Resort, owned by the Adnyamathanha people and their community. Your stay directly supports local employment, training and economic development as part of this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience.

The Flinders Ranges glows in the morning light, and there’s no better introduction than the sweeping outlook from Wangara Lookout over the natural amphitheatre of Wilpena Pound. From here, your journey continues north through dramatic gorges and red-rock country, where endangered yellow-footed rock wallabies still make their home. By the time you reach Arkaroola, with its ancient granite peaks and spinifex-covered hills, it’s easy to see the appeal of this untamed corner of South Australia. Tonight, lift your eyes skyward on an astronomy experience that brings the outback night into sharp focus, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience.

Arkaroola’s ancient landscapes tell a story almost beyond comprehension, and your Local Specialist helps bring it to life as you tackle the steep slopes and hair-raising ascents of the Ridgetop Track. Plants found nowhere else on Earth cling to this rugged terrain, while vast gorges carve deep into the land. Continue north-west to the Ochre Pits near Lyndhurst, where rich bands of fiery colour stretch across the landscape and reveal a place of deep cultural significance. You can see why this part of Australia was attractive to the 1800s settlers of nearby Farina – but you’ll also learn why they departed, leaving an eerie ghost town on the outskirts of Marree, where you’ll lay your head for the night.