South Australia Travel REAL Adventures
If you’ve seen enough temples, eaten your fair share of streetside food, witnessed a whole family of 5 and their 2 resident chickens pile on to a motorbike… then yes, this is the sign you’ve been waiting for. Time to cast the nets wider and make the plunge for a longer flight; travelholics – we bring you 10 adventures that you could never have in Asia.
Adventure & WIldlife
Shark-cage Diving
If you thought you had to fly more than 12 to go shark-cage diving, well, the hours are now down to 7. The Neptune Islands is where shark cage diving as a tourist activity was birthed. The Foxes have been running their operations for more than forty years, after (believe it or not) Rodney Fox was attacked by a Great White in 1963.
At the heart of his two to three night expeditions out to the seas, is basically awareness and protection. On weekend long trips, you will get to spend time with experts who have spent nearly 50 years running the expedition, and of course get to see the Great Whites in the deep from the safety of a cage. Given their lifetime commitment to the great whites, when they say “see”, they actually mean for you to spend a few hours in the deep blue observing these 2.5m beasts glide past you. Thrill seekers put your hands up.
Dune-boarding
Technically you can do this in Mui Ne, Vietnam, but Little Sahara on Kangaroo Island has got the real kit to complete the experience. Little Sahara is a system of naturally occurring coastal blowout dunes that was heritage listed in the 1970s to ensure its preservation. The property is privately owned, and it’s through the generosity of the owner that tourists are permitted to skid down the slopes. Hire a red Sandgroper sandboard and grab a piece of Ligurian beeswax (native bees of Kangaroo Island) to apply to the base of the boards to maximize sliding performance. An experienced team will give you tips for keeping you safe and getting the most out of your day on the dunes.
Fossicking for Opals & Staying in an Underground Cave Hotel
You’ve probably never heard of Coober Pedy, but this quiet little town is the opal mining capital of the world, and that’s exactly what you’ll get to try your hands at during your stay here. Because of its proximity to Australia’s Red Hot Centre, residents have buried underground. During your stay you’ll also get to visit an underground church, an underground home, and to try the experience itself – stay in an underground cave hotel. Rest assured it’s not a rabbit hole – each room has full ensuite facilities and high ceilings to minimize any feelings of claustrophobia. Some say it is the quietest and most peaceful sleep they’ve ever had!
Glamping in the Gawler Ranges
The Gawler Ranges’s geology dates back more than 1,500 million years ago and was the site of a massive meteor impact hundreds of millions of years back. The Ranges are home to a profusion of wildlife, in numbers rarely seen elsewhere in Australia. With gorges, weathered rocky outcrops and seasonal waterfalls, the area has an extraordinary range of wildly beautiful outback country. The contrasting colours of the red sands, clear blue skies and the glistening white of Lake Gairdner’s massive salt pan is one of the great, but rarely visited, sights of the Australian Outback. It is also one of the few places in the country where you can expect to see the three largest macropods (Red kangaroo, Grey kangaroo, and Euro or Common Wallaroo) in one area, and you may well see them in their hundreds. Glamp with your private guide and host, Geoff Scholz, who was born and brought up in the area and has an intimate knowledge of the local bush. Three large en suite safari tents have been designed in tune with the local environment and with comfort in mind.
Food
The Ultimate Seafood Trail
Think Great Ocean Road but with pretty delicious seafood along the way. This self-drive trip takes you along the Eyre Peninsula, passing through Port Lincoln – widely regarded as Australia’s Seafood Capital and home to the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest fishing port, almost four times the size of Sydney Harbour. The Eyre Peninsula Seafood Trail will lead you on a journey from Whyalla to Streaky Bay, with chances to see, taste, and purchase seafood direct from the suppliers. The Trail provides a taste for the exception aquaculture of the region like rock lobster and oysters, complemented with award-winning wines.
Blend Your Own Wine
Don a lab-coat and enter the Penfolds Wine Blending Laboratory in the Barossa Valley to take on the challenge of being a winemaker for a day. This is a must-do experience that teaches you about wine making so much more than a winery tour. At the end of the session, take home a bottled and specially labelled wine with your name on it as Assistant Winemaker – neat! For the ultimate food-pairing experience, take your bottle back to The Louise, which is THE place to stay in the Barossa Valley, where acclaimed Chef McNamara of the Appellation restaurant will craft a degustation dinner to suit your unique blend.
Breakfast with the Kangaroos in Kaiser Stuhl Conservation Park
Another special experience the Barossa Valley offers is a packed picnic breakfast that you can enjoy in the crisp morning air of the Kaiser Stuhl Conservation Park. Spread out on a picnic blanket or arranged on a massive tree stump, tuck into a delicious breakfast including rice pudding, fresh baked scones, a bowl of fresh seasonal berries, juices ,and a lightly sparkling Moscato (items vary with seasonal availability). The conservation park is home to hundreds of kangaroo who are accustomed to humans in their midst. The kangaroo are not hostile and will simply hop off if directly approached. This is not a petting tour and is not for children; we recommend it for adults.
Private Dinner with Wine-Makers
Fifth generation Barossans Wayne Ahrens and Suzie Hilder welcome you to their home for a tour of their biodynamic vineyard followed by a home-cooked dinner and tasting special editions of their handcrafted wines in their tasting room. As you dine, you’ll learn about their vision and passions, which focuses on minimal adjustment and allowing the ingredients to speak for themselves. In Wayne’s words, “If I can’t offer you something I’m excited about we might as well all pack up, go home and leave it to Jacobs Creek.”
Epic Stays
Arkaba Station
Located on the southern edge of the remarkable bastions of Wilpena Pound, in the Flinders Ranges National Park, Arkaba Station’s craggy sandstone bluffs and dry creek beds lined with River Red Gums are a quintessential Australian scene. The Station is a five-bedroom luxury homestead which sits on a 60,000 acre working sheep station that dates back to 1856. During a stay at Arkaba Station you can partake in a number of included activities such as: four wheel drives in open top safari vehicles, wildlife viewing at dawn and dusk when they are most active and the light is best for photographs, sheep station activities, mountain bike riding, and exposure to the indigenous culture.
Lightfoot special: From AUD 790 per person per night, inclusive of all meals, selected beverages, round trip road transfers from Hawker Airstrip and scheduled daily activities. STAY 5 PAY 4 offer from now till Apr 2014.
Southern Ocean Lodge
This iconic luxury lodge on Kangaroo Island is perched atop a cliff on a rugged stretch of coast, where all 21 suites are perfectly positioned to offer breath-taking views of the wild Southern Ocean and the pristine wilderness surroundings. The personalised experiences at Kangaroo Island range from guided island excursions to visits to the vast Wilderness of Flinders Chase National Park, time to allow you to discover epicurean delights, visits to local artists, and the opportunity to step off the beaten track to encounter wildlife in Australia’s own Galapagos.
This article is a collaboration between Lightfoot Travel and South Australia Tourism Commission of Singapore This article was brought to you by Lightfoot Travel, a Singapore-based luxury tour operator offering expert travel advice & inspiration, tailor-made itineraries & full booking services.
