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Roam the wild landscapes of South Australia and revel in the freedom to live life untamed. Escape to the vast, wide-open spaces of the Eyre Peninsula and Flinders Ranges. The perfect paradox of outback and ocean to awaken your senses and fire your curiosity. Unearth ancient land and lose yourself among 540-million-year-old mountain ranges, sweeping gorges, bushland brimming with wildlife and rich Aboriginal history on one of the best Flinders Ranges tours.
Venture to the Eyre Peninsula, winding from the red dirt to white sandy beaches as you pull up in Port Lincoln. Here, learn to surf, discover the pristine coastline, see koalas in the wild and add a deeper meaning to your trip by participating in voluntary conservation work. Fall asleep each night under a sea of stars and connect with like-minded travellers. If you love aquatic adventures, you can choose the optional extra of swimming with wild sea lions and coming face-to-tooth with a Great White Shark.
Day 1: Adelaide to Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park
Your nature roaming journey begins as we head north, stopping at Clare for a quick coffee before continuing to Mount Remarkable National Park to hike Alligator Gorge. A must for any Flinders Ranges tour, make a steep descent, then follow a trench of towering bright ochre-coloured quartzite cliffs. After a picnic lunch, travel further north, arriving at Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. So unique are the fossils found in this landscape geologists had to revise the geologic timeline of Earth’s history to encompass a new era called the Ediacaran period.
Arrive at our Wilpena Pound campsite for a Welcome to Country in the Adnyamathanha people’s language. Enjoy Aboriginal stories and local information as you are welcomed to the Flinders Ranges. Then, enjoy dinner by the campfire and roll out your swag for your first night under the billions of stars of the Milky Way.
Today we drive approximately 450km, with stops along the way and swag camp in the camping area at the Wilpena Pound Resort, which has toilet and shower facilities.
Day 2: Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park
Wake to the sounds of birdsong, and after breakfast, set out on the Hills Homestead Walk. Wander through the tranquil Pound Gap into Wilpena Pound and follow Wilpena Creek through tall river red gums and pines. Head up Wangara Lookout for panoramic views of the Pound, and keep your eyes peeled for echidnas in the underleaf. Breathe deep and take in the magic all around you.
Return to camp for lunch and a dip in the resort swimming pool to cool off. This afternoon we will set out on the Arkaroo Rock Trail, with impressive views over the Chace Range. Arkaroo Rock is a significant cultural site for the Adnyamathanha people and has an incredible example of Adnyamathanha rock art depicting the Yura Muda (Dreaming or creation story) of Ikara.
Today travel around 80km. Back at the resort, relax and soak up the serenity of this ancient landscape and fall asleep with shooting stars overhead.
Day 3: Flinders Ranges to Port Lincoln
Say farewell to the Flinders Ranges and visit the Jeff Morgan Gallery in the tiny town of Hawker to see an incredible 360-degree immersive panorama of the region. Travel to Port Augusta for lunch and see some impressive silo art at Cowell. Come late afternoon, arrive in the Seafood Capital of Australia, Port Lincoln.
Take a look around the town to get your bearings and stretch your legs before heading to our campsite.
Travel around 500km today and set up camp for three nights at Bayview Park, which has shower and toilet facilities.
Day 4: Port Lincoln and surrounds
Surfing is a way of life in Australia, so today, pull on a wetsuit for a two-hour learn-to-surf lesson. The turquoise and calm water of Fisheries Bay is the perfect place for beginners to perfect their skills. Those not wanting to surf will be able to relax on the beach or swim. After a bite to eat, take a 14-kilometre scenic coastal drive along Whalers Way and admire the breathtaking coastline and cliffs shaped by the force of the Southern Ocean for millions of years.
Mikkira Station Koala Sanctuary is home to the Eyre Peninsula’s only wild koala population, and with lots of kangaroos and emus also calling Mikkira home, this is a great place to have lunch and hopefully snap some cute koala pictures.
This afternoon, back at camp, you have the opportunity to participate in a meaningful conservation volunteering experience. They offset their carbon footprint by collecting and propagating native seeds and revegetating the land. What we do this morning depends on the time of year, but you might find yourself collecting seeds or planting trees.
Travel 100km today. Enjoy some free time before dinner back at camp.
Day 5: Coffin Bay (or aquatic adventures)
After breakfast, spend the day unearthing Port Lincoln and Coffin Bay. Then, after a coastal hike along part of the Parnkalla Trail, head to Coffin Bay National Park. Famed for its white sandy beaches and wildlife, spend some time exploring, swimming and relaxing.
A visit to Coffin Bay isn’t complete without tasting the region’s famous oysters, so you can choose the optional extra of pulling on some waders and joining the Coffin Bay Oyster Farm Tour. Wade out to a semi-submerged tour deck in a working commercial oyster farm and learn about these delicious molluscs from the farmer himself. Get a hands-on shucking lesson and taste oysters plucked straight from the ocean.
Back in Port Lincoln, enjoy a spot of wine tasting at Boston Bay Wines before we head back to camp at Mikkira Station for our last night together.
Alternative Itinerary
Those coming to Port Lincoln to get up close and personal with the aquatic wildlife can opt to have a Great White Shark experience or swim with the ever-playful Australian Sea Lions. These outsourced activities are not included in the itinerary and must be booked directly with Calypso Star Charters. Please see Optional Extras for more information.
Drive time today is about 1.5 hours unless you are doing the shark experience, in which case it is only 1 hour.
Day 6: Port Lincoln to Adelaide
After breakfast, pack up camp and set off on one of many great coastal walks in the region. On the way out of town, take a final look at Port Lincoln from Winters Hill Lookout and then stop for a barbecue lunch at Arno Bay as we make our way to Lucky Bay. Our ferry will set sail across the Spencer Gulf towards Wallaroo on the Yorke Peninsula at 2.30 pm. Grab a coffee at the onboard café, relax, and enjoy the two-and-a-half-hour cruise across the gulf.
On disembarking in Wallaroo, jump back on the bus for our last stint into Adelaide, where you will arrive around 8 pm.
GENERAL
ACCOMMODATION & CAMPING
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
135 Waymouth Street, Adelaide
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