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Wine, Wilderness & Wildlife
11 days/ 10 nights
Beings / Ends Adelaide
A combination of self drive touring and regional flights

     
  JOURNEY DESCRIPTION
     

Day 1 & 2  -  Kangaroo Island, Stranraer Homestead, 2 nights

From Adelaide it is a 30-minute flight to Kangaroo Island - buffeted by the waves and winds of the Southern Ocean, the island boasts wildlife untainted by many of the introduced species of European settlement. Graham & Lyn Wheaton, your hosts on Kangaroo Island, will meet you on arrival and transfer you to their home, Stranraer.

Graham’s grandfather settled on the island and established their 3,000-acre farm which Graham and Lynn continue to manage in addition to welcoming a small number of guests into their home.

The afternoon is yours to relax or wander on the property. After dinner at the Homestead, Graham will take you on an evening drive to look for kangaroos, wallabies, and other nocturnal animals as well as a colony of Australian Fairy Penguins.

On day 2 your private guide will collect you for a day spent exploring the island. Unusual geological formations, wind-swept beaches, fur seals, koalas – just a few of the amazing things you might see on Kangaroo Island.

Day 3 & 4  -  Murray River Plains, Portee Station, 2 nights

Morning return to Adelaide by flight to collect your rental car for the drive to Portee Station through the Barossa Valley before entering the drier plains that surround the River Murray.

Porte's history is a long one, having been settled in 1852, by Edward John Eyre, one of Australia’s greatest explorers. The current homestead was built 130 years ago and is one of the most picturesque properties on the Murray. One of Australia’s largest rivers, with water birds and beautiful river red gums lining its banks, it is a quintessential Australian scene.

As you spend time with Ian Clark on his sheep station he will explain the workings of Australia’s wool industry and ensure you see another of Australia’s unique wildlife species the wombat. Enjoy a trip with Ian on the Moorundie Creek and see the prolific bird life – pelicans, cormorants, ibis, spoonbills and egrets are frequent visitors. While at Portee, meals are taken with the Clark family.

 



Day 5 & 6  -  Clare Valley wine country, Thorn Park, 2 nights

Leaving the station, drive to the Clare Valley through quintessential Australian countryside – farms, wineries, historic villages and old mining towns. The Clare Valley is one of Australia’s longest settled regions and one of its most highly regarded wine producing districts.

David Hay and Michael Speers have beautifully restored Thorn Park, one of the valley’s older homesteads. With David’s skill in the kitchen and Michael as chief raconteur, good food and a very entertaining evening are guaranteed.

Enjoy a full day exploring the rustic charm of the Clare Valley. The old stone cottages of Mintaro, the village church in Seven hill and Martindale Hall are visual reminders of the region’s early settlers and their various backgrounds.

Day 7 to 9  -  Flinders Ranges, The Prairie Hotel, 3 nights

Drive north to the Prairie Hotel for a taste of outback Australia. The vistas over the plains give you a sense of the space and emptiness of outback Australia, and of awe that people manage to live there.

Jane & Ross Farther are just such people, their families having lived in the area for generations. Stay at their hotel, the Prairie, a remote outback hotel on the western edge of the Flinders ranges. Enjoy a drink in the evening, and share stories with fellow travelers and passers by, who appear seemingly from nowhere.

Your options here include touring with a local guide, by 4WD out on Nil Pena Station, the Farther family’s cattle property. Take a picnic lunch, and head for the dunes on the edge of a vast saltpan - experience the space and endlessness of outback Australia. You may prefer to self-drive into the Flinders Ranges National Park and take in the rugged mountain scenery and peaceful timbered gorges - all with plenty of wildlife, vegetation and history. The park is ideal for bushwalking and photography. Scenic flights, quad bike hire or a beer at the pub with the locals are all lots of fun.

Day 10  -  Clare Valley’s North, North Bundaleer, 1 night

On the road back to Adelaide, spend a night at North Bundaleer. Malcolm and Marianne Booth have restored this 1901 mansion to its former glory, with an attention for detail and history that has earned them great acclaim. Each room – from the magnificent ballroom to the Chinese Sitting Room – has been faithfully restored. Join Malcolm and Marianne for a drink in the Drawing Room before dinner, which they host in the formal dining room.

Day 11  -  Your journey ends in Adelaide

After a country-style breakfast, relax on the shady verandah with a book from the Booth’s library or take a walk around the property looking for kangaroos and perhaps climb a nearby hill to take in the magnificent views. Depart in the late morning for Adelaide.

 
OPTIONS & EXTRAS
  • Privately escorted (rather than self drive) touring can be arranged at additional cost. Contact us for details.
     
  • We will be pleased to arrange accommodation in Adelaide before or after your journey – ask for suggestions and prices when booking.
     
  • In the Flinders Ranges stay at Arkaba Station instead of Prairie Hotel, the twin share cost will increase, again ask us for details.
More About
Stranraer
More About
Thornpark
More About
Portee Homestead
More About
Prairie Hotel
More About
North Bundaleer
Family Ideas
Conservation
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PACKAGE DETAILS

Dates & Price

Per person twin share :
from AU$ 3630

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The price is inclusive of
  • Adelaide / Kangaroo Island / Adelaide flights with taxes
  • 2 nights at Stranraer – return airport transfers, evening wildlife tour,
    breakfast & dinner daily
  • Full day PRIVATE guided tour of the island with gourmet barbecue picnic lunch
  • Eight days hire car (mid size car, fully inclusive)
  • 2 nights Portee Station Homestead with all meals and on farm activities
  • 2 nights Thorn Park with breakfasts included
  • 3 nights Prairie Hotel with breakfast
  • 1 night North Bundaleer with dinner & breakfast included
Not included
  • Touring in the Flinders area, and en route through Clare Valley, Barossa
  • Meals other than those specified
  • Alcoholic beverages & soft drinks
  • Australian visas, comprehensive travel insurance
  • Flights to / from Adelaide

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