Let the locals take you on a South Australian safari for the soul…
Something about South Australia invigorates the mind, body and soul. Of course it’s got those heart-thrumming Aussie staples: delicious wine, compelling culture and mesmerising topography. But, for us, it’s the people that make this lesser-explored state unforgettable. You can expect a warm welcome everywhere you go, whether you’re taking a bushtucker tour with a First Nations Elder, soaking up festival customs with the locals, or searching for wildlife you won’t find anywhere else on earth – think cute koalas and rare yellow-footed rock wallabies. Indeed, if you’ve already seen the Big Five in Africa, then Adelaide and South Australia offer the perfect alternative safari destination. So if you’re ready to get under the skin of the Land Down Under, your adventure starts here…
Explore by location
Adelaide
Nature & wildlife
Wine & gastronomy
Outback safaris
Journeys and road trips
Adelaide and beyond
Known as the 20-minute city, you’ll find abundant national parks, world-class wineries and even beaches, all within a convenient 20 minutes of Adelaide’s city limits. Couple that with the friendly, hospitable locals – not to mention the delectable food and wine they’re touting (whether it’s festival season or not!) – and you’ve got yourself the perfect intro to Australia. City vibes not your thing? Adelaide is still the perfect jumping-off point for your South Australia safari experience.
Festivals
There’s a reason South Australia is called ‘The Festival State’. Designated a UNESCO Creative City, Adelaide alone hosts 11 major arts, sports and culture festivals, including the big hitters: Adelaide Festival, WOMADelaide, and Adelaide Fringe – the latter of which is the largest outside of Edinburgh. And there’s seemingly an event for every interest: Feast Festival showcases LGBTQIA+ arts and culture; DreamBIG is designed with kids in mind; and festivals dedicated to beer and barbecue, gin, and wine will keep foodies well nourished.
National Park City
Laid-back Adelaide certainly deserves its moniker as Australia’s first National Park City. Indeed, this green, leafy metropolis is peppered with 29 parks, six city squares and three botanic gardens. Among its most famous is the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, which transports you into an Eden-like land with its creek wetland, fragrant rose gardens and Ficus Avenue of 150-year-old Moreton Bay Fig Trees. Its spectacular indoor attractions include its conservatory of gigantic temperature rainforest trees and the restored all-glass Victorian Palm House, where welcoming staff know all there is to know about its science and history.
Photography (South Australian Tourism Commission)
City beaches
Adelaide redefines urban nature for innumerable reasons, but perhaps some of the best can be found on its 20+ beaches. They’re about more than sunbathing and sugar-soft silica – although you’ll find that in spades… this is Australia after all. Our top activities include swimming alongside wild dolphins off Glenelg, stuffing our faces with fresh fish and chips at West Beach, or embracing your inner big kid at Semaphore’s sideshows. And let’s not forget Port Noarlunga: this is where water babies flock for a kaleidoscopic, underwater snorkelling safari.
Photography (South Australian Tourism Commission)
Nature and wildlife safari
Rare Australian sea lions, spiny echidnas and large carnivorous reptiles join the long list of creatures you can glimpse in Adelaide and South Australia’s brimming wildlife habitats. And with open-range safari parks and the chance to spot native Aussie critters in the outback here, South Australia is the ultimate place to embark on a unique wildlife and nature safari.
See Kangaroo Island with local tour guide Craig Wickham
Just a 45-minute ferry ride from Cape Jervis – 1.5 hours’ drive south of Adelaide – is where you’ll find this iconic isle. And no one showcases its extraordinary treasures better than Craig Wickham, the man behind tour operator Exceptional Kangaroo Island. Craig has been sharing his first-hand knowledge of this wildlife-packed land for 30 years and, having worked for the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, his expertise of the local flora and fauna is among the best. His personable, expertly-crafted tours span everything from conservation-led encounters with endangered echidnas, to trips uncovering the island’s rare Australian sea lions.
Photography (South Australian Tourism Commission)
Join Cathy and Rick Edmonds on a wildlife cruise of the Murray River
After many years living on a citrus and grape farm, Cathy and Rick Edmonds set up The Frames, an award-winning luxury holiday lodge that acquaints curious travellers with a region they’re most passionate about: South Australia’s Riverland – just three hours from Adelaide by car. Guests will love the touring experiences on offer here too. The Sunset Gondola Cruise and Wetlands & Wildlife Cruise discover the tranquil waters of the Murray River, Australia’s longest navigable waterway, where you can glimpse pelicans, emus and an abundance of wetland waterfowl, plus perhaps, native marsupials and reptiles along its reed-filled banks.
Photography (South Australian Tourism Commission)
Explore the Eyre Peninsula with David ‘Lunch’ Doudle of Australian Coastal Safaris
The Eyre Peninsula – a 40-minute flight from Adelaide – is a wild and rugged aquatic playground, where areas like the sea lion-inhabited Baird Bay become ever-more fascinating when explored with farmer-turned-tour-guide David Doudle. Known to his friends as ‘Lunch’, this entertaining wildlife enthusiast runs Australia Coastal Safaris and leads 4×4 drives through spectacular sand dunes, where osprey and sea eagles fly above. He might help you track a darting Rosenberg’s Goanna – a large carnivorous reptile – or, perhaps, the shy koalas that inhabit the Eucalypti-dotted scrub.
Photography (South Australian Tourism Commission)
Wine and gastronomy
Traditionally speaking, safaris are all about searching for local wildlife. But, on occasion, we prefer to hunt for something even more elusive: the perfect glass of vino, and the very best local fare. Enter the food and wine safari. And with 200 cellar doors located within an hour’s drive of its urban centre – as well as being home to ‘Australia’s Best Restaurant’ and a plethora of world-renowned chefs – Adelaide and South Australia is the perfect spot for such a ‘safari’. Here’s how to explore this Great Wine Capital of the World and all its culinary prowess:
Join Flamboyance Tours on a stroll round The Adelaide Central Market
One of the most rewarding ways to understand Adelaide’s history is through its food – more specifically, the 150-year-old Adelaide Central Market. As the largest undercover market in the Southern Hemisphere, you’ll need a guide to really make the most of your time here. That’s where Flamboyance Tours – led by life-long Adelaideans Katina Vangopolous or Andrea Averis – comes in. On their one-hour tour, you’ll explore the 70+ stalls and shops, meeting a fourth-generation bean-to-bar chocolatier and hearing stories from gregarious stallholders selling charcuterie, cheeses, patisserie-style delicacies and more.
Cycle through the vines of Adelaide Hills with Bike About
Dan Young at Bike About really knows his onions. And, more importantly, his grapes. Born and bred in the Adelaide Hills – just 40 minutes from the city centre – Dan is a passionate outdoorsman, committed to showcasing the best of the region, in particular its local wine and produce. Bike About’s five-hour ‘Taste of Hahndorf’ e-bike tour will really get you under the skin of South Australia’s gourmet food and wine scene – picking fresh strawberries, tasting delicious cheese, bread, and quince paste and, of course, sipping premium wines at Shaw + Smith and The Lane Vineyard.
Photography (South Australian Tourism Commission)
Embark on a seafood safari in the Eyre Peninsula
It only seemed natural for Chris and Linda Hank to start their own tours around the Eyre Peninsula’s glorious Coffin Bay. They’d been oyster farming in the area’s azure waters since 1996 and wanted to share the magic that goes into cultivating these sought-after shellfish. Today, via their boat and wading tours, you can hear about Coffin Bay’s history, learn to shuck – and taste – your own oysters like a pro, and soak up the scenery with a crisp glass of wine.
Outback safaris
Your experience of the great outdoors in Adelaide and South Australia is truly enhanced when you’re joined by passionate locals who can’t wait to show you their backyard. Whether you’re taking to the wilderness on one of the Great Walks of Australia, marvelling at natural wonders along the Limestone Coast, or joining a 4X4 adventure in the outback, these outdoor safari adventures are sure to astound.
Walking safaris
The four-day Murray River Walk is an exceptional experience when you’re joined by guide Tony Sharley, a lifetime Murray River advocate who grew up along this mighty waterway. His award-winning Murray River Trails tours fascinate with stories of its Aboriginal custodians and pioneering past, while also combining wildlife, local avifauna, and sunset, sunrise and stargazing experiences. And, when embarking on multi-day tours, you’ll even get to bed down in a custom-designed, luxury eco-houseboat.
Another bucket-list hike to consider is The Arkaba Walk, a three-day journey through the terracotta-hued tracks of the 540-million-year-old Flinders Ranges. Or, how about the waterfall-dotted Southern Ocean Walk which intersects part of the renowned Heysen Trail? Whichever one you choose, you’ll be rewarded with new-found friendships and profoundly beautiful landscapes.
Photography (South Australian Tourism Commission)
Heli-camping experience at Rawnsley Park Station
For an unforgettable adventure beneath star-filled outback skies, take a heli-camping trip from Rawnsley Park Station, the gateway to the Flinders Ranges – five hours north of Adelaide. This former sheep-shearing farm is now a world-class tourism venue where welcoming owners Tony and Julie Smith arrange unique helicopter flights to the Chace Range wilderness for an overnight camp stay and sunset meal.
Photography (South Australian Tourism Commission)
Ridgetop tour at Arkaroola, an International Dark Sky Reserve
Boasting 1,600 million years of impressive geological history, a 4×4 tour through Arkaroola – eight hours north of Adelaide – is an otherworldly experience. Combine that with a sleepout under the stars, perched on the remote Streitberg Ridge, and you’ve got an experience that will remain etched in your memory long after your travels. Enjoy sunset canapes, local wines and campfire tales, before gazing skywards – spotting southern constellations through telescopes and bedding down on one of four elevated swag decks.
Photography (South Australian Tourism Commission)
Road trips and journeys
Adelaide and South Australia is made for a slower pace of life. Whether you’re hopping behind the wheel and meandering coastal tarmacs under your own steam, or chugging and choo choo-ing through epic landscapes, you’ll find an abundance of local guides, just itching to share authentic stories about the state’s fascinating people, places and topography.
Embark on a great rail adventure onboard The Ghan or Indian Pacific
It doesn’t get more iconic than Journey Beyond’s two flagship locomotives: The Ghan and the Indian Pacific. While one (The Ghan) runs north-south between Adelaide and Darwin, the other (Indian Pacific) slices east to west, taking in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. Though the landscapes differ – from russet-hued deserts to turquoise coastlines – one thing’s for sure: whichever journey you take, you’re guaranteed a legendary adventure, iconic locales, and the chance to explore the country’s hidden gems, in comfort and style. And, as both trains stop in Adelaide, why not do both?
Southern Ocean Drive
940km, 18 attractions and nine(ish) days. The Southern Ocean Drive can be taken at whatever speed you fancy, but we recommend taking it easy to make the most its natural wonders. Cruise along the Limestone Coast, effortlessly ambling between ponds, cellar doors, wineries, breweries and farms, before heading onto the wildlife-rich Kangaroo Island. This route finishes up in the Fleurieu Peninsula – just 45 minutes south of Adelaide and beloved for its leisurely way of life, rugged coastline and beautiful people and produce.
Epicurean Way Road Trip
Wine connoisseur or simply a fan of all things grape? This one’s for you. Passing through Adelaide and South Australia’s most iconic wine regions – McLaren Valley, Adelaide Hills and the Barossa and Clare Valleys – we recommend taking around five days to drive the Epicurean Way and its 70+ cellar doors. That way, you’ll have plenty of time gorge on hand-crafted cheeses, sip bold Shiraz and crisp Riesling, and even try some degustation dining at spots like d’Arry’s Verandah Restaurant.
Photography (South Australian Tourism Commission)
The adventure starts with the journey!
Qatar Airways offers regular, year-round flights from the UK to South Australia from £982 return. It services four UK departure airports – London Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh – and its spacious cabins offer an unparalleled travel experience with world-class hospitality, destination-inspired cuisine and the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky. Five-star lounges are offered during a stopover at Doha’s Hamad International Airport and Privilege Club members enjoy up to 10% off flights to Adelaide with a complimentary dinner voucher for their stopover included.
The adventure starts with the journey! Getting there with Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways offers regular, year-round flights from the UK to South Australia from £982pp return. It serves five UK departure airports – London Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh – and its spacious cabins offer an unparalleled travel experience with world-class hospitality, destination-inspired cuisine and STARLINK, the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky. Five-star lounges are offered during a stopover at Doha’s Hamad International Airport. Enjoy an exclusive 10% discount for all Wanderlust readers when you fly to Adelaide with Qatar Airways by using the code: WANDERLUST10.
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