South Australia
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South Australia has the WOW factor - Wildlife, Outback & Wine
South Australia (SA) is renowned for its prolific native wildlife with Kangaroo Island, Australia's own Galapagos, the jewel in the crown.
Its easy access to the Australian Outback where the rich red ochre colours of this ancient landscape change by the hour; and last but not least, for its vineyards which produce over 70 per cent of all Australia's exported wine.
South Australia is a state of great diversity with its ranges, deserts, and islands.
It has rolling hills and valleys, pastures, extensive vineyards, lakes and the mighty Murray River system and of course so many beaches – the coastline runs 4,800km (3,000 miles).
It is also home to the iconic regions of Kangaroo Island, Barossa and Flinders Ranges.
The histories are both ancient and dramatic. The Aboriginal people of this land practiced their skills and cultures within landscapes that ranged from the most bountiful to the most forbidding. Some of them still do.
See the best tours and attractions in South Australia
South Australia destinations - click to expand
Adelaide is a charming and sophisticated state capital that relishes good living. It’s about fine food, beautiful surroundings, excellent sporting events and festivals that challenge and delight. It offers fresh perspectives on city life thanks to the gorgeous hills on one side and dazzling seas on the other. Adelaide is a cosmopolitan city with plenty of restaurants fine art, world-renowned cultural attractions and excellent shopping all within strolling distance of the city’s heart.
Adelaide is known as the 20-minute city because its shape and lack of congestion mean you can get to the beaches and hills in a 20 minute drive. Adelaide is so easy to discover by foot as you do not have to walk more than 20 minutes walk between most attractions.
The Barossa, located just over a one-hour drive north of Adelaide, is known as the wine capital of Australia.
The Barossa wines are world famous and with more than 60 cellar doors in this compact region, there are plenty of opportunities for visitors to taste and learn about the region’s most prized product.
Regional cuisine strongly reflects a blend of old and new and is a feature of the many good local cafés and restaurants.
Just over one hour’s drive north-east of Adelaide, this picturesque wine region charms visitors with its pretty countryside, rolling hills and heritage towns and villages. It is one of Australia’s most important heritage areas, with the traditions, buildings and churches of its early German-speaking settlers lovingly preserved and still used.
A comfortable five-hour drive north of Adelaide, this is one of the oldest landscapes on earth, and it's here that the very essence of the Outback begins.
The Flinders Ranges is dominated by sharply rising ridges and peaks, tree-lined gorges, creeks and red soil and Aboriginal legend says these landscapes were shaped by the ancient serpents and giants of the Dreamtime.
The focal point of this extraordinary national park (and certainly South Australia's best-known natural landmark) is Wilpena Pound, an amphitheatre of mammoth proportions.
Well-signed bushwalking tracks inside Wilpena Pound and around the ridges of its massive rim make exploration easier.
And there are thrilling scenic flights over the Pound and surrounding ranges, as well as fully escorted four wheel drive safaris into hidden gorges adorned with rare and sacred Aboriginal rock art and lined with stunning River Red Gums.
Beautiful Kangaroo Island is a microcosm of different landscapes and environments - stunning beaches and coastal scenery, forests, desert dunes and farmland.
Kangaroo Island is the country’s premier destination for wildlife – Australia’s answer to the Galapagos.
Visitors can either take a 30 minute flight from Adelaide to Kingscote or the Kangaroo Island SeaLink vehicle and passenger ferry departs daily from Cape Jervis at the southern tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula (a 90 minute drive from Adelaide).
The ferry trip to Penneshaw on the island is about 50 minutes and transfers to the ferry terminal are available from Adelaide and Victor Harbor.
Kangaroo Island is the perfect place to see kangaroos hopping out of the bush, wander among sea lions basking on the beach, look up at koalas sleeping in gum trees, and watch Little Penguins hurry home each night.
With more than one third of the Island protected as parks, this is a place where you can gaze out over vast tracts of wilderness that look just as they have for thousands of years.
The island also offers a wealth of delicious food and wine experiences, and is home to one of the best luxury eco-retreats in the world Southern Ocean Lodge.
The Murray River is Australia's great river, stretching from the Snowy Mountains near the Eastern Coast, through South Australia and into the Southern Ocean.
Hire a slow-moving houseboat from Mannum or Renmark. Or take in the sandstone cliffs, giant red gums and weeping willows on a luxury cruiser or historic paddlesteamer. Stop for a picnic at Sturt Reserve at Murray Bridge or a pub meal in Tailem Bend or Swan Reach. Go water-skiing, jet-skiing, canoeing and sailing at Lake Bonney, near Barmera. In Murray River National Park, you can stay in Berri or Lyrup and canoe through the bird-filled backwaters of Loch Luna, Chowilla/Ral and Katarapko Creek.
Cycle along the scenic East Front Road and follow the Rail and River Walk from Murray Bridge. Four wheel drive and spot endangered malee fowl in Ngarkat Conservation Park. Visit the Loxton Historical Village, peek into the past at Morgan Wharf or see the birthplace of the Black Duck Dreaming with a Nganguraku Aboriginal guide.
Stretching along the Southern Ocean from the Coorong National Park, where a full quarter of Australia’s wading birds settle during summer, to the majestic Glenelg River on the Victorian border.
The Limestone Coast also reaches inland through lush farming country, famous wine districts, unique wetlands, volcanic landscapes and underground wonders.
This diverse region offers a brilliant blend of adventure and variety and is very popular amongst visitors travelling from Melbourne to Adelaide on a self drive itinerary.
The Limestone Coast has a lot to offer - go on a caving expedition at the World Heritage-listed fossil site of Naracoorte Caves National Park, dive among shipwrecks and sample glorious, fresh seafood at a pretty seaside resort.
Marvel at a lake in Mount Gambier that turns from a steel grey colour in winter to a brilliant turquoise blue in summer.
Sample some of Australia’s most acclaimed wines at Coonawarra cellar doors. It’s all on the Limestone Coast.
Eyre Peninsula’s waters offer the sort of encounters that most people dream about.
Baird Bay and Port Lincoln are one of the few places in the world where you can swim with wild Australian Sea Lions and dolphins.
And how about taking a boat from Port Lincoln to an outer island to cage-dive with Great White Sharks?Or entering giant off-shore nets to swim with large, fast (and very valuable) tuna?
Or for a truly bizarre experience, try snorkelling with Giant Cuttlefish (May to September) - a chance to wonder at these 'strobelights in the shallows'.
In addition to these amazing opportunities to get closer to creatures of the deep, Eyre Peninsula offers some of the best, freshest and most mouth-watering seafood in the world.