Flinders Ranges & Explorers Way

Accommodation: Park Hotel Clarke Quay

Travel Designers recommendation: Take a wander through the Gardens by the Bay – an eco-park with free entry that has a daily light and sound show.

The capital of South Australia, Adelaide, sits in the middle of a ring of lush, green parkland with Victoria Square at the centre. From your base in the city there’s a host of attractions on offer, with the Clare Valley wine region, Kangaroo Island and the Fleurieu Peninsula all accessible on an optional day tour. Closer to Adelaide, enjoy a beach day at Glenelg or hike to the top of Mount Lofty in the Adelaide Hills, and enjoy exploring the city’s highlights on an included half day city tour.

Included day tours:

• Adelaide City Tour

Optional add-ons / upgrades:

• Fleurieu Explorer: Off Piste Tour

• Kangaroo Island Coast to Coast

Travel Designers recommendation: Want to learn a bit more about what you’re drinking? Visit the National Wine Centre of Australia and take a free guided tour.

Accommodation: Hilton Adelaide

One of the most famous wine regions in Australia, the Barossa is located just an hour’s drive from the city. A scenic drive will take you through some pretty villages and past cellar doors. If you fancy something more active, the Barossa Bike Trail extends for almost 40km and can be explored at your own pace, with picture-perfect stops along the way.

Your home in the Barossa is The Louise, with fabulous wine, gourmet food and luxury accommodation. Add on some unique experiences during your stay, from wine-tasting paired with indulgent food to a scenic balloon flight over the rolling vineyards.

Included day tours:

• Breakfast with the Kangaroos

Optional add-ons / upgrades:

• Two Hands Wines Vineyard Experience

• Hot air balloon flight

Travel Designers recommendation: If you’re staying in the Barossa on a weekend, make sure you pop to the Farmers Markets in the Vintners Shed, Angaston on a Saturday, with fabulous gourmet food to sample.

Head north from the Barossa and you’ll travel through the Clare Valley, with time to stock up on more wine to enjoy at your next retreat. Here, you can either take the coastal road or travel inland through the small towns of Peterborough and Orroroo. Heading off the main highway, you’ll reach the outer edge of the Flinders Ranges National Park.

Step back in time to the rugged and pre-historic landscapes of the ranges, with vast ochre mountain ranges, rare native animals and towering gorges to discover. Rawnsley Park Station offers hiking, 4WD tours, scenic flights and mountain biking to explore the area. Come nightfall, spend the night in your luxury eco-villa, with over-bed skylights giving you amazing views of the southern sky.

Optional add-ons / upgrades:

• Wilpena Pound Scenic Flight

Travel Designers recommendation:  Get out on foot and tackle the Daybreak Summit Walk, an 8km hike from which you can see down into Wilpena Pound! 

The seaport of Port Augusta on the east of the Spencer Gulf is a great stopping off point on road to the outback. Explore the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden with a wide collection of desert plants, climb to the top of the Water Tower Lookout built in 1882, and make sure you sample some of the fresh local seafood – Austravel recommend Gottabe Fish & Pizza for some Smoky Bay oysters.

Travel Designers recommendation: Walk into the mouth of a giant lizard at the Wadlata Outback Centre, and learn about the early Outback pioneers of South Australia.

Accommodation: Majestic Oasis Apartments

Travel up the Stuart Highway with the Flinders Ranges appearing briefly over to the east in the distance. There’s places to stop along the way to view the enormous salt lakes; Lake Hart can be found after the town of Pimba right next to the highway, while Lake Gairdner, opposite Lake Hart, is the third largest in the country.

The friendly outback town of Coober Pedy is extremely unique; around three quarters of the population live underground in order to survive the temperatures that soar to the mid-40s throughout summer. With underground houses, cafes, churches and hotels, opal mining is what keeps the town going. Spot unusual sculptures, visit a working Opal Mine, or take a trip out to the Breakaways, which are rocky red hills seen best at dusk or dawn.

Travel Designers recommendation: Discover the underground tunnels at the Old Timers Mine on a self-guided tour.

Accommodation: Desert Cave Hotel

On the road north of Coober Pedy you can see the Dingo Fence – the longest in the world at 5600km, built in the late 19th century to protect South Australian sheep flocks. The terrain begins to flatten out and the earth turns red, as you cross the state border into the Northern Territory. Alice Springs is sat within the MacDonnell Ranges, once you spot these you know you’re close!

Optional add-ons / upgrades:

• Outback Ballooning

Travel Designers recommendation: Pop into the Kangaroo Sanctuary, best visited late afternoon when the roo’s wake from their daytime sleep.

The heart of the Red Centre is just aching to be explored on a road trip; spend the morning in Alice, visiting the Overland Telegraph Station where the town was born, wander around the Desert Park home to native animals and birds of prey, or climb the steps to the top of Anzac Hill for a view out over the town.

Head west on the main highway, travel the northern route via Glen Helen Gorge, or pass close to Finke Gorge National Park on the southern road, before arriving into King Canyon. If you'd prefer to take a more scenic route, then opt for 4WD hire and travel on the stunning Mereenie Loop, departing Alice Springs first thing in the morning. 

Wake early the next day to undertake the Kings Canyon walk before the sun begins to shine, and then head to the giant monolith of Uluru in time to watch the sun set over the wonderful light installation, the ‘Field of Light’.

Included day tours:

• Field of Light - Star Pass

Optional add-ons / upgrades:

• Uluru (Ayers Rock) Helicopter Flight

• Desert Awakenings

Travel Designers recommendation: For those not wanting to tackle the strenuous hill at the beginning of the Kings Canyon rim walk, the Kings Creek hike is a gentler trail through the canyon walls to a spectacular lookout point.

Accommodation: Explore the Red Centre self-drive

After a short flight via Alice Springs, touch down into the tropical hub of Darwin with time to explore the city this afternoon. Alternatively, head to the Wave Lagoon near Darwin waterfront for a dip in the cooling waters. As the sun begins to set, head out to Stokes Hill Wharf which is home to a number of enticing restaurants.

Optional add-ons / upgrades: Alternatively, pick up your car hire from Alice Springs and continue your self-drive to Darwin. Visit the Explorers Way Self-drive Adventure itinerary for more inspiration. 

• Darwin Sunset Cruise

Travel Designers recommendation: Try out Crustaceans restaurant for delicious steak and seafood.

Travel south from Darwin into the heart of the biodiverse, untouched wilderness of Kakadu National Park. Spend your days discovering the Yellow Water Billabong, Nourlangie rock art and, with special permission, travel into sacred Arnhem Land. On your last day travel to Litchfield National Park, highlights of which will be a swim in the crystal clear waters of Wangi Falls, and admiring the magnetic termite mounds.

Optional add-ons / upgrades: Add on a scenic 50 minute flight over Kakadu (available June to November).

Travel Designers recommendation: The walk at Ubirr is quite steep in places, but definitely worth it for the views from the lookout at the top.

Accommodation: Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks tour

Enjoy your last day of this epic adventure; spend the day on Mindil Beach, pop in to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, or hire a bike and cycle in the sunshine along the foreshore. Speak to our expert Travel Designers about your onward journey from Darwin – with so much to see in this vast country.

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