South Australia
3
Day Itinerary •
Australia
Three days in South Australia take you from Adelaide's extraordinary food and wine scene to the remarkable wildlife of Kangaroo Island and the world-famous Barossa Valley. Adelaide's remarkable Central Market, the extraordinary Adelaide Hills wine region and the fine Hahndorf German village give Australia's most sophisticated small capital city experience, while Kangaroo Island gives the finest accessible wildlife sanctuary in Australia. This route covers the essential South Australia. Adelaide Central Market and the extraordinary Rundle Street food and arts scene, Kangaroo Island with its remarkable sea lion colony, koalas, kangaroos and the extraordinary Remarkable Rocks, and the Barossa Valley with Australia's oldest Shiraz vines and the finest Grenache in the country.
Best Time To Visit
Year-round. Sep to Nov and Mar to May best. Dec to Feb hot but beach season.
Getting There
Adelaide Airport. Direct international from Singapore, Malaysia and domestic.
Getting Around
Car essential. Kangaroo Island ferry from Cape Jervis approx A$100 return.
Budget Per Day
Approx A$200 to A$420 per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, driving and short walks
DAY 1
ADELAIDE CITY
MORNING
ADELAIDE CENTRAL MARKET AND CITY
Adelaide Central Market is the most extraordinary fresh produce market in Australia, its remarkable 250 traders selling the finest South Australian cheese, smallgoods, seafood, fruit and vegetables giving the finest single market experience in the country. The extraordinary diversity of produce from the Barossa, McLaren Vale, Eyre Peninsula and the Adelaide Hills gives the finest regional food showcase in Australia. The remarkable market has operated since 1869. Entry free. Travel: 15 min walk
MIDDAY
RUNDLE STREET AND THE ADELAIDE ARTS PRECINCT
Rundle Street in Adelaide is the most extraordinary arts and cafe street in South Australia, its remarkable collection of independent restaurants, galleries, boutiques and the fine Exeter Hotel giving the finest urban street experience in Adelaide. The extraordinary Art Gallery of South Australia beside North Terrace with its remarkable collection of Australian and international art and the fine South Australian Museum with its extraordinary natural history collection are both free. Travel: 30 min drive
AFTERNOON
ADELAIDE HILLS AND HAHNDORF
Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills is the most extraordinary historic village in South Australia, Australia's oldest surviving German settlement founded in 1839 giving a remarkable heritage main street of German-inspired buildings, the fine smoked meats and the extraordinary Beerenberg strawberry farm. The remarkable Cleland Wildlife Park nearby gives the finest accessible koala and kangaroo encounter near Adelaide. Hahndorf free. Cleland approx A$25.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Adelaide Oval riverbank precinct on the Torrens is the most extraordinary free stadium precinct in Australia, the remarkable heritage oval with extraordinary red-gum trees and the fine River Torrens linear park giving the finest outdoor walking in central Adelaide. Entirely free. The finest hidden free experience in central Adelaide.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Adelaide Central Market Outstanding SA market breakfast. Local produce, coffee and pastries. | Lunch: Peel Street, Adelaide Outstanding Adelaide restaurant strip. Local SA seafood and produce. | Dinner: Africola or Orana, Adelaide Outstanding Adelaide fine dining. Local SA lamb and McLaren Vale wine.
DAY 2
KANGAROO ISLAND
MORNING
SEAL BAY CONSERVATION PARK
Seal Bay Conservation Park on Kangaroo Island's south coast is the most extraordinary accessible sea lion encounter in Australia, the remarkable guided walk among the resting Australian sea lions on the beach giving the finest single wildlife encounter in South Australia. The extraordinary sea lions, which are a distinct subspecies found only in southern Australian waters, rest, nurse pups and interact within metres of visitors on the guided tour. Entry approx A$40. Travel: 45 min drive
MIDDAY
FLINDERS CHASE NATIONAL PARK AND REMARKABLE ROCKS
The Remarkable Rocks in Flinders Chase National Park are the most extraordinary granite formation in South Australia, the remarkable orange, grey and black lichen-covered boulders balanced above the extraordinary Southern Ocean giving the finest coastal rock formation in Australia. The extraordinary Admiral's Arch nearby, a remarkable natural arch housing a colony of New Zealand fur seals beneath its massive rock overhang, is outstanding. Park entry approx A$15. Travel: 30 min drive
AFTERNOON
KELLY HILL CAVES AND KANGAROO ISLAND WILDLIFE
Kelly Hill Caves on the south coast of Kangaroo Island are the most extraordinary accessible limestone caves in South Australia, the remarkable cave tour through extraordinary stalactites and stalagmites giving the finest cave experience on the island. The remarkable Kangaroo Island kangaroos, a distinct lighter subspecies found only on the island, and the extraordinary rosellas and glossy black cockatoos in the roadside vegetation are outstanding. Cave tour approx A$22.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
Little Sahara sand dunes on Kangaroo Island is the most extraordinary hidden natural feature on the island, a remarkable 5km inland sand dune system in an extraordinary coastal heath setting with sandboarding available. Free to visit. Almost entirely unknown to visitors who stop only at Seal Bay and the Remarkable Rocks. The finest hidden discovery on Kangaroo Island.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast on Kangaroo Island Before the Seal Bay guided tour. | Lunch: Cafe at Flinders Chase or Vivonne Bay Outstanding local KI seafood. Local marron and KI oysters. | Dinner: Restaurant in Kingscote or Penneshaw Outstanding Kangaroo Island seafood dinner. Local KI honey and lamb.
DAY 3
BAROSSA VALLEY
MORNING
BAROSSA VALLEY WINE TRAIL
The Barossa Valley is the most extraordinary wine region in Australia, its remarkable old vine Shiraz plantings from the 1840s and 1850s giving the finest single-vineyard wines in the country. The extraordinary Penfolds Grange and the remarkable Henschke Hill of Grace, made from a single vineyard of century-old Shiraz, are the most celebrated Australian wines produced here. The fine Yalumba, the oldest family winery in the Barossa, and the remarkable Seppeltsfield estate are outstanding. Travel: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
SEPPELTSFIELD AND THE CENTENNIAL CELLAR
Seppeltsfield is the most extraordinary winery estate in Australia, its remarkable collection of heritage stone buildings from 1851 and the extraordinary Para Vintage Tawny, produced every year without exception since 1878 and the longest unbroken continuous release of any wine on earth, giving the finest single winery experience in the Barossa. The remarkable tasting of the year of your birth vintage is the finest wine experience in Australia. Entry approx A$25. Travel: 45 min drive back to Adelaide
AFTERNOON
MCLAREN VALE OR RETURN TO ADELAIDE
McLaren Vale south of Adelaide is the most extraordinary alternative wine region to the Barossa, its remarkable Grenache, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon from producers including d'Arenberg, Wirra Wirra and Yangarra give the finest coastal wine country experience in South Australia. The extraordinary d'Arenberg Cube building above the vines gives the finest architectural winery experience in Australia. The return to Adelaide takes approximately 45 minutes.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Whispering Wall reservoir at Williamstown in the Barossa foothills is the most extraordinary acoustic curiosity in South Australia, a remarkable curved dam wall where a whispered conversation at one end is clearly audible 140 metres away at the other. Entirely free. The finest hidden curiosity in the Barossa Valley.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Tanunda or Nuriootpa Coffee before the Barossa cellar door trail. | Lunch: Fino, Seppeltsfield Outstanding Barossa winery restaurant. Local SA lamb and Barossa produce. | Dinner: Restaurant in Adelaide Outstanding farewell SA dinner. Local seafood, Barossa Shiraz and SA produce.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Adelaide, Night 1 Mayfair Hotel or Hotel Indigo. City centre. Approx A$180 to A$400. Kangaroo Island, Night 2 Kangaroo Island Wilderness Retreat or Mercure. Approx A$150 to A$380.
Top Tips
1. Adelaide Central Market is closed Sunday and Monday. Best on Saturday morning for the full atmosphere.
2. Book the Kangaroo Island ferry well ahead in school holidays. SeaLink vehicle spots fill quickly.
3. Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island requires a guided tour to walk among the sea lions. Book at the entrance.
4. The Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island are most extraordinary in the golden hour before sunset.
5. Barossa cellar doors are mostly free to visit but some charge for tastings. Penfolds charges approx A$25.
6. Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills is Australia's oldest surviving German settlement. 30 minutes from Adelaide.
Total Budget
Approx A$200 to A$420 per person per day