The Best of South Australia
Yorke Peninsula, Clare Valley and the Ancient Flinders Ranges
Duration
12 days, 11 nights
Group Size
6 (max)
Start Location
Adelaide
Status
Sold Out
Tour Overview
This South Australian journey begins with secluded coastal accommodation on the Yorke Peninsula and a day among the cliffs, beaches and heritage sites of Innes National Park. It then turns inland to the Clare Valley, combining historic Bungaree Station and Martindale Hall with celebrated wineries, regional food and the stone village of Mintaro.
The landscape becomes increasingly dramatic as the tour enters the Flinders Ranges. From Gum Creek Station, explore Wilpena Pound, Brachina and Bunyeroo gorges and the old copper town of Blinman before travelling north to Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary for a ridge-top four-wheel-drive experience, optional scenic flight and exceptional night skies. The return journey passes through historic Burra before concluding in Adelaide.
Itinerary
Day 1 | Adelaide to Yorke Peninsula
Arrive in Adelaide in the early afternoon and meet the group for the drive to the Yorke Peninsula, one of Australia’s leading barley-growing regions. Continue to the southern coast and settle into the award-winning Yondah and Seafire beach houses at Foul Bay. These secluded properties provide the first taste of the peninsula’s open landscapes and coastal atmosphere. Dinner is prepared and enjoyed at the beach house, allowing everyone to relax after the journey and become acquainted with the accommodation and surroundings. Included: dinner; lunch is taken before arrival.
Day 2 | Innes National Park
Take a leisurely start before travelling to Innes National Park at the southern end of the Yorke Peninsula. Spend the day exploring rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, lighthouses, ruins and traces of the area’s shipwreck history, with several short walks providing different perspectives on the coastline. A picnic lunch is enjoyed at one of the park’s recreation areas. On the return journey, stop at Marion Bay Tavern before heading back to Yondah and Seafire for dinner and another peaceful evening by the coast. Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner and activities.
Day 3 | Foul Bay Rest Day
Remain at Yondah and Seafire for a relaxed day that makes the most of the beach houses and their coastal setting. Sleep in, enjoy unhurried meals, walk along the cliffs or beaches, read, play a board game or simply take in the views. The flexible schedule gives everyone time to recharge before the inland stages of the tour begin. All meals are shared at the beach houses, creating an easy, sociable day without the need to pack or travel. Included: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 4 | Yorke Peninsula to Clare Valley
Leave the coast for the Clare Valley, a high-elevation wine region celebrated for riesling, rolling hills and more than 150 years of winemaking. En route, visit historic Bungaree Station, once the headquarters of a vast pastoral enterprise with its own church, store, blacksmith and council chambers. If time permits, stop at Paulett Wines or Pikes Wines for a tasting before continuing to Mintaro. Settle into William Hunt’s Retreat, a converted stone barn, and dine at the village’s Magpie and Stump Hotel. Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner and activities.
Day 5 | Clare Valley and Mintaro
Visit Martindale Hall, the grand Georgian-Italianate mansion associated with the film Picnic at Hanging Rock. Continue through the Clare Valley to Sevenhill Cellars, established by Jesuits in 1851, for a self-guided walk through its historic winery, church, crypt, gardens and old-vine plantings. The day’s highlight is an immersive visit to Penobscot Farm at Watervale, followed by a six-senses degustation dinner at the Watervale Hotel. Return to the accommodation in Mintaro after a day combining architecture, wine, food and regional history. Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner and activities.
Day 6 | Clare Valley to Gum Creek Station
Travel north into the Flinders Ranges on a scenic route through Laura, Wirrabara, Melrose, Wilmington and Quorn, stopping for lunch in one of the southern ranges towns. Pause at the atmospheric Kanyaka Station ruins and Hawker before arriving at Gum Creek Station. The lodge sits high on a ridge overlooking red gums, native pines and mountain country, with exclusive access to a vast working property adjoining the national park. Settle in and share a home-cooked dinner while enjoying the expansive view. Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner and activities.
Day 7 | Wilpena Pound and Gorge Country
Explore Wilpena Pound, the enormous natural amphitheatre at the heart of the Flinders Ranges. Follow a national park trail into the Pound and climb to a lookout for a broad view across its tree-covered floor and surrounding ramparts. Continue through the striking landscapes of Brachina and Bunyeroo gorges, stopping for a picnic lunch and points of interest along the way. The day also includes Blinman and its historic copper mine before dinner at the town’s pub and the return to Gum Creek Station. Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner and activities.
Day 8 | Blinman and the Gorges
Return to Blinman for a guided underground tour that explains the town’s brief but important nineteenth-century copper-mining history and its place in South Australia’s early development. Afterwards, travel through more of the Flinders Ranges’ scenic gorge country, where folded rock formations and changing vegetation reveal the region’s ancient geology. Visit an Aboriginal art site along the route and stop for lunch at either the Blinman Hotel or Prairie Hotel in Parachilna. Return to Gum Creek Station for dinner and a final evening at the lodge. Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner and activities.
Day 9 | Gum Creek Station to Arkaroola
Depart early for Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary in the northern Flinders Ranges. After lunch at the resort, choose between an optional scenic flight and time exploring on foot. The flight crosses the ancient seabed layers of southern Arkaroola, the granite and quartz formations of Mount Gee, the Mawson Plateau, Freeling Heights and Lake Frome, with geological commentary from the pilot. Travellers not flying can enjoy local walking trails or a quieter afternoon at the lodge. Dinner is served at the Wilderness Sanctuary Lodge. Included: breakfast, lunch and dinner; scenic flight is optional.
Day 10 | Arkaroola Ridge Top Tour
Join Arkaroola’s celebrated Ridge Top four-wheel-drive tour through rugged mountains, granite peaks, gorges and secluded waterholes. The route includes several lookout stops and morning or afternoon tea at Sillers Lookout, with opportunities to learn about the sanctuary’s geology and watch for wildlife such as the yellow-footed rock-wallaby. After lunch at the lodge, spend the afternoon hiking or relaxing. As darkness falls, take part in an optional astronomy experience beneath exceptionally clear, low-light skies before dinner at the Wilderness Sanctuary Lodge. Included: breakfast, lunch, dinner, four-wheel-drive tour and astronomy experience.
Day 11 | Arkaroola to Burra
Begin the long return journey south from Arkaroola to Burra, travelling out of the northern Flinders Ranges and pausing at the Cradock Hotel for lunch. The changing landscapes mark the transition from rugged ranges to settled agricultural country. Arrive in heritage-listed Burra, where much of the town’s nineteenth-century copper-mining character remains visible in its stone buildings and historic streets. Settle in for the final night and gather for an easy dinner at a local hotel to celebrate the journey through the Yorke Peninsula, Clare Valley and Flinders Ranges. Included: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 12 | Burra to Adelaide
After breakfast, leave Burra early for the drive back to Adelaide. The route covers approximately 165 kilometres and is timed to reach Adelaide Airport in the late morning for onward flights. This final transfer completes a varied South Australian journey that has linked Yorke Peninsula beaches, Clare Valley vineyards, historic pastoral and mining settlements, Wilpena Pound, remote station country and the wilderness of Arkaroola. Say farewell to the group at the airport before continuing independently. Included: breakfast and airport transfer; onward flights are arranged separately by travellers.
Travel Information
Start Location
Adelaide
End Location
Adelaide
Group Size
6 (max)
Enquire About This Tour
Tour enquiries can also be sent to info@outbackbedstours.com.au .
