South Australian Outback Adventure

Adelaide may fly under the radar, but locals seem perfectly happy keeping its buzzing dining precincts, glorious gardens and doorstep wine regions to themselves. The secret is yours to uncover this afternoon as you settle in and join a city tour that reveals the many sides of South Australia’s capital. From Adelaide Oval to the Botanic Garden, the Art Gallery of South Australia and Adelaide Central Market, there’s something here for every interest. Later, the evening is yours. Perhaps make your way to North Terrace, where plenty of restaurants invite you to linger over dinner.

It doesn’t take long for Adelaide’s city streets to give way to vines. Just north of the capital, the Clare Valley sets the scene with a tasting at Knappstein Enterprise Winery, whose story stretches back to 1878. After lunch in the valley’s atmospheric central town, continue into the wide-open, otherworldly landscapes of the Flinders Ranges. It’s a short journey by coach, though it feels like you’ve landed somewhere altogether more ancient and remote. Your stay tonight is at Wilpena Pound Resort, owned and operated by the Adnyamathanha people, where a warm welcome awaits as part of a 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. Later, you’ll settle into Farina, where the remains of an ambitious 19th-century settlement stand as a stark reminder of life in the outback, before arriving in Marree for the night.

The South Australian outback unfolds in grand fashion as you follow the Oodnadatta Track, a route shaped by the old Ghan Railway and layered with history. Along the way, catch a glimpse of Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, Australia’s largest inland lake, usually a vast shimmering saltpan that seems to disappear into the horizon. Then take to the skies on a scenic flight over this remarkable landscape and the Anna Creek Painted Hills, where vivid colours rise unexpectedly from the flat desert floor. After touching down to explore this extraordinary terrain, continue to Coober Pedy, the opal-mining town famed for its underground homes, eccentric character and unmistakable outback spirit.

n Coober Pedy, some of the town’s most fascinating sights lie beneath the surface. Explore this subterranean community and discover how locals have adapted to the outback heat by building homes, churches and businesses underground. Later, head to Aboriginal-owned Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, where a moonscape of fossilised shells, cracked clay and layered rock formations stretches towards the horizon. You’ll also travel beside a section of the Dog Fence, an astonishing barrier spanning thousands of kilometres. This afternoon brings another outback surprise at the Coober Pedy Opal Fields Golf Club, where dirt fairways and an oil-soaked green make for one of Australia’s most unusual sporting experiences. Round out the day at Big Winch 360°, where an immersive cinematic journey along South Australia’s Explorer’s Way celebrates the scale, stories and spirit of the region.

It may seem impossible for the landscapes to become even more dramatic, but Lake Hart rises to the occasion. This immense saltpan is all silence, scale and stark beauty, with little left of the community that once took shape here in the 1930s. The sense of isolation continues towards Woomera, a little-known but significant chapter in Australia’s modern history. Established by the British in 1947, this remote site became one of the world’s largest military land bases, used for testing rockets, missiles and more. By evening, the outback gives way to the natural harbour of Port Augusta, your resting place for the night.

Your final day takes you into the Barossa, one of Australia’s oldest wine regions and a fitting finale to your South Australian journey. At Lambert Estate, sample regional wines while taking in sweeping views across the vines, a relaxed and flavourful send-off after days of red earth, vast skies and remarkable encounters. From here, return to Adelaide, arriving with plenty of time for onward travel and a head full of stories from the natural and human wonders of the outback.