So what are Australia’s best activities?  A simple state by state word association test will more than likely give you results like these:

Northern Territory = Uluru.

Queensland = Barrier Reef.

New South Wales = Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Tasmania = Cradle Mountain.

Victoria = The Great Ocean Road.

Western Australia = Wildflowers.

Australian Capital Territory = Parliament House! And all those wonderful politicians …

But South Australia = ? Well … WHAT??

OK, so you think South Australia doesn’t have a main attraction?  Well, I say who needs just one, when South Australia is chock-a-block with things to do! Whether you’re looking for a fun family holiday, a swag of adventure activities, some cool country towns to visit, fabulous natural attractions, or just a romantic weekend away South Australia is the place to be!

So just check out this list of the best activities to do in South Australia you can choose from with confidence because they’re hand-picked by a local – me – and they’re some of my faves!

You’re welcome!

1 Ridge Top Tour, Arkaroola

Getting to Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, Australia’s premier eco-tourism destination, by car is half the fun – and a tour of some of the most spectacular South Australian Outback scenery to boot. The Sanctuary Village is set amidst a stunning landscape of fantastic rock formations, low ranges, multi-coloured minerals and a massive sky. So how do you top that? Take the Sanctuary’s signature Ridge-top Tour – a rugged 4 hour return 4WD adventure through the (almost) trackless wilderness to Sillers Lookout.

I’m calling it the best lookout AND one of the best adventures in OZ!  But don’t take my word for it – here’s where you’ll find even MORE About Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary!!

2 Lions at Naracoorte Caves

It’s just as well that Thylacoleo carnifex is extinct. It’s scary enough seeing a ghostly skeleton silhouette deep underground in the Naracoorte Cave system when you know it’s long dead. But imagine meeting a real live one face to face above the ground? These days, the scariest wildlife (not counting snakes) above the ground along the Limestone coast are the bats – and the wombats!

The Naracoorte Caves complex (South Australia’s only World Heritage listed site) is an awesome blend of fascinating Pleistocene megafauna fossils, stunning limestone formations and intriguing pre-history.  And the Bat Cave.  Don’t forget the Bat Cave!

MORE About Naracoorte Caves National Park

3 Whale Watching at Head of Bight

I’m not sure if the LOOOOONG drive across the Nullarbor Plain just above the LOOOOONG curve of the Great Australian Bight stretching for thousands of kilometres along the southern coastline and the LOOOOONGest unbroken line of sea cliffs in the world means the Head of Bight whale-watching experience qualifies as EXTREME whale-watching!

In season, from May to October, Head of Bight becomes a whale nursery with 40 or more whales and calves cavorting below the cliffs.

But you won’t come across it by chance – it’s over 800 km west of Adelaide so it’s best experienced as part of a Nullarbor crossing en route to Perth (or Adelaide if you’re heading east).

And that’s a pretty cool road-trip adventure in itself!

MORE About Whale Watching at Head of Bight

4 Wilpena Pound and the Flinders Ranges

Unless you’re planning a lengthy stay in the magnificent Flinders Ranges, it’s way too big to see it all in just one visit. So get started by exploring its iconic centrepiece, the spectacular Wilpena Pound, a massive 8 x 17 km natural rock amphitheatre once used by early pastoralists as a grazing ground!

If Wangara Lookout near the old Homestead doesn’t give good enough view; or a sighting from atop St Mary’s Peak is too challenging; or a flight over the Pound too expensive, take the up close and personal (and fewer people) option and walk across it! The Bridle Gap trail (also part of the Heysen trail – see below) crosses Wilpena Pound and climbs its southwestern edge for spectacular views back across the Pound and out across the layers of ranges beyond.

Once you’ve seen the Pound for yourself, why not stay a while longer and check out Sacred Canyon, Mt Ohlssen Bagge, St Mary’s Peak, the Cazneaux Tree and lots of other hot spots.

Not sure where to start?  There’s a LOT more in my beginners guide to exploring the Flinders Ranges HERE!

5 Troubridge Island

Troubridge Island is about 2000 km too far south to make it into the tropics. But if you were washed ashore on a fine day, you’d think you really WERE on a deserted tropical island. Luckily, a Troubridge Island escape means you can stay on this tiny island, deserted but for the Little Penguins and Cormorants for whom this is a breeding ground AND whoever else you brought with you to share the solitude!! But snorkelling the clear waters surrounding the island, hauling in a fish or two for the BBQ, wandering the beaches and staying in a renovated lighthouse-keeper’s cottage about 6 km offshore from Edithburgh on the Yorke Peninsula is a mighty fine deserted-tropical-island substitute.

MORE About Troubridge Island

6 Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island

The odd-shaped wind and sand-blasted granite Rocks aren’t the only remarkable thing about the third largest of Australia’s 8222 islands! Vivonne Bay regularly makes the lists of the top 10 eco-friendly beaches in Australia, if not the world. Because of its relative isolation it’s got the purest strain of Ligurian bees in the world – just one of the reasons that foodies flock here. And if you like the smell of fish, get up close to the permanent seal colony! BUT … head back to Flinders Chase National Park to see why these rocks ROCK!

MORE About Kangaroo Island

7 Going Underground at Coober Pedy

Just between us, you don’t actually have to go underground to find your very own piece of Australia’s national gem, the Opal! I found a piece in Coober Pedy’s main street without too much effort at all – although it WAS in a shop attached to a rather attractive ring with a price tag of just $600

Mostly underground, tiny outback opal mining town Coober Pedy is classic South Australian Outback with a harsh climate, distinctive mining town moonscape, the only underground campground in the world, the BIG Winch and just up the road, the longest man-made structure on earth – the Dog Fence!

It’s not short of natural attractions either, with the stunning natural landscape of the Breakaways a few kilometres down the road.

MORE About Coober Pedy and Opal Mining

8 The Cockle Train

It’s not just South Australia’s first railway line AND first public line laid with iron rails in Australia; this coastal railway line running from Goolwa to Victor Harbor is also unbelievably scenic.

Break your journey and explore the stunning coastline at Middleton and Port Elliot; then take a stopover in Victor Harbor and take the horse-drawn carriage to Granite Island.

Back in Goolwa, there’s the Murray Mouth and Coorong – end of Australia’s longest river system (see top photo), and the chance to explore the wonderful coastline visible from the train.

MORE about Goolwa and the Cockle Train

9 Farina Bakery

7 hours north of Adelaide, the driest part of the driest state of the driest continent on earth isn’t the most logical place to set up a town to service a fledgling wheat-growing industry. Maybe that’s why Farina is now a ghost town – except for a few weeks in May, June and July when the Farina Restoration Group move on-site. But historic site restoration isn’t the only attraction on offer at Farina – one of the first buildings to be restored was the smokin’ HOT Farina Bakery! All the better for being so unexpected, the Bakery’s volunteer bakers turn out an extraordinary amount of perfectly baked goods in the middle of the Outback!

In 2020, the Farina Bakery is open from 23rd May to 19th July!  Don’t miss it!!

MORE about Farina Bakery

10 The Heysen Trail

One of Australia’s Great Walks, the 1200 km Heysen Trail is a great way to see the best of South Australia. And if you haven’t got a spare 60 days to do the whole walk, then use the route map as a guide, choose a few sections in areas like the Barossa Valley, Mount Lofty Ranges, the Mid North and Flinders Ranges and see the highlights on foot. There’s something for everyone on this trek!  Starting in Parachilna Gorge and ending at Fleurieu Peninsula coastal town Jervis Bay, the walk is named for legendary artist Sir Hans Heysen, whose works showcase the beauty and diversity of South Australia.

MORE about the Heysen Trail

Of course there are plenty more RED HOT South Australian experiences to be had, but you’ve got to start somewhere, right?  And if you’re ready for a South Australian adventure, take a look at the best flights and get started!

Have YOU been to South Australia? Do share YOUR favourite things to do in South Australia in the comments below!!

PSSST!  MORE South Australia Photos on Flickr!

The post Red’s BEST Activities in South Australia! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

South Australia’s Southern Yorke Peninsula (SYP) can get pretty tedious – day after ho-hum day of blue skies, mile after punishing mile of spectacular coastal scenery, more and yet more (almost) deserted beaches. Seal and dolphin watching, fishing, museums, shipwrecks, snorkelling, surfing, wildflowers, markets and country shows. A well preserved, documented – AND fascinating history. And it all comes with arguably the highest concentrations of bakeries AND scenic public toilets (SPTs) in the country!

Yep, there’s only so much of that you can take.

So I’ve limited this to 7 days. 7 arduous days – NOT for the faint hearted! These pleasures can be exhausting – so unless your stamina is unusually robust, it must be fortified often with the region’s gastronomic pleasures …

SO … where to stay? While you can’t toss a salmon without hitting an SYP caravan park, for my money (and to mix my metaphors), the Coobowie Caravan Park is an unsung gem – and central to most activities. Besides, it’s a surreal pleasure to be assailed by County AND Western hits* when visiting the amenities in the otherwise quiet dead of night! My favourite? The chorus – ‘He drank tequila, and she talked dirty in Spanish’ – stays with me still!!!

Day 1 – Edithburgh (and maybe Yorketown) – Bakery AND SPT alert!

Walk from Coobowie to Edithburgh if you’re up for a 5km magnificent-coastal-scenery hit – or take the car for a Bakery hit at nearby Yorketown, with vanilla slices so huge the staff give ‘how-to-eat’ instructions. These are wasted on Pilchard – his talent for turning one into something resembling a plate of fresh roadkill remains unparalleled. And me? I’m sure the fresh cream honey stick will figure prominently in my last meal … But I digress!!

If you walk, the path – part of the ‘Walk the Yorke’ hiking trail – winds through the clifftop golf course, past the tidal swimming pool (SPT alert #1) and jetty (SPT alert #2) before reaching Edithburgh itself where a range of refreshment options await.

Eat at the excellent Location Cafe, either of the two pubs, the Garage Diner or the General Store; Spot the teddy bears in the trees while strolling through the Native Flora park, bigger in area than the Adelaide Botanic Gardens; visit the terrific historical museum and Bakehouse craft shop; wander the streets for the op shop and craft/gift store; swim or snorkel at the pool, fish from the jetty or play a round of golf.

Don’t want to leave Coobowie?  No problem!  There’s another pub and Blooms and Bakes for refreshments!

For the masochistic, or those who haven’t yet tired of the magnificent coastal scenery, follow the path from Edithburgh another 3km to Sultana Point (SPT alert #3) – the heel on the foot of the leg!!  But be warned … you’ll then have to walk all the way back!

Day 2 – Coastal Drive to Port Moorowie (SPT Alert)

If not for the dirt roads, courtesy of the current State Government’s focus on urban votes at the expense of rural SA, I’d claim the coastal drive from Edithburgh to Port Moorowie as one of Australia’s best.

For my money, the dirt roads actually add to the charm – as the world-class magnificent coastal scenery and deserted beaches are all the more unexpected from the many lookout points.

Past the Wattle Point Wind Farm, the goat track road hugs the coast so closely that the sea spray will wet you in rough weather! When they’re not breeding across the strait at Kangaroo Island – seals frolic below the Troubridge Hill Lighthouse, constructed of purpose-made clay bricks. And on a clear day? The view is stupendous!

From the access stairway to Swimmers Beach – hard to believe it was once covered in stones – look for the telltale schools of salmon masquerading as giant clumps of seaweed. Looks good enough for a swim, doesn’t it? That’s what I thought until the day we spotted a shark cruising quite close to shore heading towards the salmon …

And the day Pilchard and I weathered a storm that nearly blew the car off the cliff? Well, let’s just say flat tyres come at the most inopportune moments!

If you’re there when the mullet run is on, you probably won’t get any further. And the beach certainly won’t be deserted! If you’ve got the bait the mullet are after that day, you’ll leave the other fisher-people in your wake!

Once you tire of the views, the beaches, the clear blue sea and sky, retreat to the Ballywire Farm Licensed Café – the menu specialises in home grown ingredients.

And after lunch? WELL … dare I suggest the Port Moorowie clifftop walk? It’s a 3km (one way) corker, stretching from west of the town at Point Gilbert, along the clifftop and through to McEacherns beach. Whoops, yes, more magnificent coastal scenery, another mostly deserted beach! Just return the way you came if you can’t cope …

If you CAN cope, the nearby Mozzie Flat campground has yet more of what you’d expect. Knock yourself out! But be warned – ‘mozzie’ is an Australian euphemism for ‘mosquito’!

Day 3 – Minlaton & the Other Side (Bakery Alert)

At its narrowest point, the SYP is a mere 33km across, so while a trip to the other side necessarily leaves the coast, the absence of magnificent coastal scenery/deserted beach combo is momentary.

Unless, of course, you break your journey at Minlaton, where you can experience TWO world class attractions!

First, there’s the ‘Red Devil’ – believed to be the only Bristol M.1C Military Monoplane from a World War 1 limited edition of 1918 left in the world, flown by ace pilot and local hero Captain Harry Butler.

Then, just up the road in the main street, there’s the Minlaton Chocolaterie.  I dare you to go in and NOT buy anything!  I just don’t think that’s possible …

It’s also home to a fine bakery and the excellent ‘Harvest Corner’ Visitor Information Centre, with the Brentwood cemetery just down the road.

But … given the total magnificent coastal scenery overload of the last 2 days, those experiencing withdrawal symptoms should continue to Port Rickaby for a fix. And while you’re there, enhance those views from the top of the sand dune – if my (then) 81 year old mother-in-law can climb it, then so can you!!

Day 4 – Innes National Park (Scenic Public Toilet alert)

Sound familiar? Regular readers will recall the amazing wonders of this OZ Top Spot that I’ve written about several times – but click HERE if you’ve missed them!

Day 5 – Corny Point and Western Beaches (Scenic Public Toilet alert)

Yeah, continue up the western side of the ‘leg’ for more of the same old, same old. Another day, another series of wild, windswept beaches with magnificent coastal scenery, great surfing and fishing. What can I say? Yes, it’s exhausting documenting such tedium… but I’m willing to sacrifice myself so others don’t have to suffer!!

Besides, you don’t see emus on the beach and galahs nesting in the cliffs too many other places, do you?!

Don’t miss western hot spot Point Turton, with its jetty, coastal walk and pub with the best lunch view!  Then a little further up, do yourself a favour and stop at Hardwicke Bay – the colour of the water is AMAZING!

Day 6 – Stansbury (Scenic Public Toilet alert)

Sadly, the Stansbury Seaside Markets are – well, naturally – right on the beach. So even though you’re shopping, you just can’t escape the magnificent coastal scenery/deserted beach combo. Sorry.

Once you’ve experienced the markets, take a walk!  The Stansbury Visitor Information Centre will let you know where to go!

Day 7 – Troubridge Island

Readers may also recall the fabulous Troubridge Island, 6km offshore from Edithburgh, from a previous post! There’s a minimum 2 night stay so sneak in another day, especially if you have unfulfilled fantasies involving lighthouses AND being serenaded by thousands of penguins …

Epilogue:

As you head back to the real world after this little taste of paradise, treat yourself to another of life’s great pleasures and drop in to the Ardrossan Bakery. You won’t regret it!!

Then, there’s Port Clinton – worth a stay if you want to experience the upper York Peninsula.

I’ve given up trying to write a definitive post on the SYP – there’s just too much to see and do!!  SO … be prepared for even more posts in the future, because I’ll definitely be back!

Epilogue #2:

Since these photos and this post, I’ve visited the Yorke Peninsula many more times!  For more information and updated posts, try these:

• Tour the Yorke Peninsula via its BEST Scenic Loos!
• The Jewel in the Toe, Innes National Park
• 7 Wonderful Walks in Innes National Park
• Why Port Clinton is a TOP Aussie Town!
• MORE Photos of the Yorke Peninsula on FLICKR
• AND … more pix of the Yorke Peninsula’s Scenic Public Loos HERE!

*Don’t be disappointed if this no longer happens – it’s a few years since we’ve stayed at the Coobowie Caravan Park.

The post 7 Days … on the Southern Yorke Peninsula, South Australia appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

You’d think Troubridge Island and lighthouse would already be several years into a conservation program to preserve this unique South Australian heritage icon, but the SA State Government has different priorities.  The costly shrines to its self indulgence are in urban areas where the votes are, meaning this unique spot is at risk of being lost forever.

Think I’m being a little melodramatic?

The fine historical museum at Edithburgh, closest mainland town to the island, shows the lighthouse surrounded by land.  As you can see from this photo at low tide in 2009, it’s now right on the edge with sandbagging to prevent further erosion from tidal action and winter storms.

SO … my tip for the day is do yourself a favour and book a visit to Troubridge Island while you still can!  Yes, accomodation for up to 10 people is available in one of the lighthouse keepers cottages.  You’ll have the whole island to yourselves – apart from the resident little penguins, black faced cormorants and crested terns.  The island is actually a conservation park so boats (apart from your transport) are not allowed to land.

With water as clear as the tropics, and transport to the island via tractor and trailer, you immediately enter a parallel universe.  No corner stores here – everything required for your stay must be brought with you.

So what do you do on a deserted island?

Snorkelling, fishing, beach footy, BBQs, walks around the island, penguin spotting, birdwatching, table tennis and general relaxation for starters.  And the fence thoughtfully built around the lighthouse lower deck is designed to stop those who’ve had a few from accidentally falling into the sea, which, judging from the comments (some with elaborate illustrations) in the visitors books from years past is a real threat!  If you play your cards right and ask nicely, you may be lucky enough to get an escorted tour to the top of the lighthouse!

All too soon, it was back on the boat and back to the reality of the mainland for us, with vows to return before this fabulous experience is no longer available.

Many before us have had multiple repeat visits (as is evidenced in the visitors books – what they all did there makes VERY interesting reading), such is the spell of this magical place.

But don’t take my word for it – check it out for yourself!

Want MORE?

• Troubridge Island
• Edithburgh, South Australia
• Yorke Peninsula

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