South Australia Ocean to Outback Luxury
Duration: 11 days/10 nights with Australia-Naturally Travel
Regions: Kangaroo Island, Eyre Peninsula, Flinders Ranges
Price: From £680 per day*
To book today, please contact:
email: info@australianaturallytravel.com.au
Connect with South Australia’s spectacular range of landscapes and biodiversity in supreme comfort via private touring; from white sandy beaches, rugged cliffs, magnificent eucalypt groves and majestic outback ranges. Highlights include a three day tour of world- renowned Kangaroo Island, also a prime spot to observe kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas and endangered Australian Sea-lions, a visit to the spectacular Lincoln and Coffin Bay National Parks including the chance to spot the endangered Southern Emu-wren and a stay at Arkaba, one of the most picturesque outback stations in Australia.
Day 1: Adelaide
On arrival into Adelaide airport, enjoy a private transfer to your hotel (pre-register room for immediate occupancy). The remainder of the day is at leisure with the opportunity to walk around this charming city.
Accommodation: Majestic Roof Garden Hotel - Suite
Day 2: Kangaroo Island
An early transfer to Adelaide airport will proceed a short 25 minute fligtht to Kingscote Airport. Kangaroo Island is a birdwatcher's paradise, with the opportunity to spot over 260 birds, almost one-third of Australia's bird count. Over 90% of the Island is mallee and woodland, with beautiful Eucalyptus groves, shrublands, fernlands and forests. The island is blessed with amazing protected coves and beaches through to rugged cliffs, providing abudant opportunities to spot seabirds, waterbirds and waders.
Upon flying into Kangaroo Island, guests will be greeted by an Island guide. The first stop is Duck Lagoon – a freshwater billabong where typical encounters include: White-eared, White-naped and Brown-headed Honeyeaters; Crimson Rosellas; Superb Fairy-wrens; Black Swans; Grey and Chestnut Teals; Yellow-billed Spoonbills; Pacific Black Ducks; Australasian and Hoary-headed Grebes; Chestnut-breasted Shelducks; Little Pied Cormorants; and (seasonally) Freckled Ducks. After enjoying a delicious morning tea, guests will venture to Roper’s Gums – a tall Eucalyptus forest where guests will learn about the the endemic Glossy Black Cockatoo recovery plan.
After viewing the beautiful headwaters of Cygnet River, guests will arrive at a private lunch site and a seafood barbeque lunch. This area is home to Koalas; Crescent & New Holland Honeyeaters; Eastern Spinebills; Grey Fantails; Rainbow and Purple-crowned Lorikeets; Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos and a selection of smaller bush birds. After lunch, travellers will explore Lathami Conservation Park, which protects the habitat of the Glossy Black Cockatoo. In this area, it is common to encounter Kangaroo Island Kangaroos; Tammar Wallabies; Scarlet Robins; Brown Thornbills; Grey Shrike Thrush; Short-beaked Echidnas; Golden Whistlers; and Beautiful Firetails. Ending the day at the gorgeous Stokes Bay, guests will enjoy the opportunity to spot Australian Pelicans; Eastern Reef Herons, Hooded Plovers and White-bellied Sea-eagles, before arriving to American River.
Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge (dinner/bed/breakfast)
Day 3: Kangaroo Island
Guests will have the option of an early morning birding excursion in the bush adjacent to the hotel or along the American River shoreline. Glossy Black Cockatoos are frequent encounters, as are Grey Currawongs, Little Corellas, Galahs and Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes. Along the shorelines, there are often Pied Oystercatchers, Royal Spoonbills, Black Swans, Grey Teals, Australian White Ibis and Australian Pelicans. Rufous Night Herons often roost in the large pines opposite the fire station. Guests will arrive back to the hotel for breakfast before departing at 8:30am.
During the drive to Seal Bay, the first main destination for the day, guests should look out for Raptors. Possibilities include Wedge-tailed Eagles, Swamp Harriers, Australian Kestrels, Black-shouldered Kites and Brown Falcons. At Seal Bay, guests will enjoy a private guided Australian sea-lion experience. The sea-lions share the beach with Caspian and Crested Tern, Sooty Oystercatchers and Hooded Plovers. Overhead, it is common to see White-bellied Sea Eagles and Ospreys. The headland to the west is a prime habitat for Great and Pied Cormorants.
Next is Point Ellen where seasonal encounters include Rock Parrots, Fairy Terns and Little Penguins can sometimes be found in burrows near the beacon. During morning tea, guests will keep an ear out for Southern Emu-wrens, Purple-gaped Honeyeaters and Western Whipbirds in the heath and mallee. The massive wilderness expanses of Flinders Chase National Park is the focus for the rest of the day, starting with the Rocky River precinct. Encounters here can include Cape Barren Geese, Crescent Honeyeaters, Little and Red Wattlebirds, Striated and Spotted Pardalotes, Australian Ravens, Koalas, Kangaroo Island Kangaroos, Short-beaked Echidnas, Rosenberg’s Goanna (seasonal) and Tammar Wallabies.
Next is the iconic Remarkable Rocks, a spectacular natural sculpture on the clifftops. Here the group can have a picnic lunch – looking out for Australian Kestrels, Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters, and another chance to try for Southern Emu-wren and the elusive Western Whipbird. Nearby on the cape is Admiral’s Arch – a sea cave which often turns up Australian Ravens, Sooty Oystercatchers, Crested Terns (which have had Antarctic terns amongst them in 2006 and 2007), Pacific Gulls.
If a south-westerly wind is blowing, there is a chance to see some pelagic species. If time permits, guests will have the option to visit “Grassdale” in Kelly Hill Conservation Park, providing abundant opportunities to see kangaroos in the wild, plus a range of bird habitats.
Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge (dinner/bed/breakfast)
Day 4: Kangaroo Island
There is an option to take another early morning birding walk as per the previous day, with a 8:15am departure from American River. This morning, guests will go out on the ocean on a boat to get a close look at the Busby Islet. The group will observe numerous birds from the sea, as this is a prohibited area to protect breeding Australian Pelicans, Royal Spoonbills, Black-faced and Pied cormorants, Australian White Ibis and potentially many other species including international migratory species seasonally (Nov – Mar). White-bellied Sea Eagles constantly harass the nesting birds, providing an excellent chance to see Black Swans and chance encounters with Bottle-nosed Dolphins.
Guests will have lunch at Reeves Point, providing a chance to learn about the settlement history of the island and often turns up quite a few birds – depending on the season. After lunch, a visit the Kingscote Oxidation Pond provides the opportunity to spot a good cross-section of waterfowl on the ponds and the adjacent Cygnet River Estuary is always worth a look. The afternoon includes a visit to D’Estrees Bay (Hooded Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones (seasonally), Ospreys, Rock Parrots (seasonally) and a quick look at one of the MacGillivray Wetlands on the way back to the airport if time permits. Guests will take a flight to Adelaide.
Accommodation – Majestic Roof Garden Hotel - Suite
Day 5: Eyre Peninsula
Guests will take a morning flight to Port Lincoln airport where a three day birding adventure on the Eyre Peninsula will begin. Home to 270 species of birds and 1900 native plant species, this tour across the Southern Eyre Peninsula traverses coastal dune shrublands, mallee woodlands, sandflats, saltmarsh, subcoastal and clifftops.
Guests will be collected from their accommodation to travel to Mikkara Station for a late afternoon Koala and Bird Walk. Mikkira is a privately owned working farm, Koala and Wildlife Sanctuary. In the cool of the evening Koala's start to wake from their afternoon sleep and move around to feed. Western Grey Kangaroos come out onto the flat to graze and an abundance of birdlife can be seen.
The area is home to a range of bush birds including Port Lincoln Parrots, Golden Whistlers and an occasional Scarlet Robin, Blue-Breasted Wrens, Western Yellow Robins, White-Browed Babblers, honeyeaters, Black-faced Cuckoo Shrikes and Emus. Guests will then return to Port Lincoln.
Accommodation – Port Lincoln Hotel - Suite
Day 6: Eyre Peninsula
After a hearty breakfast, the first stop is Billy Lights Point, where a small fringe of coastal mallee and sheltered bays provide habitat for both waterbirds and bush birds. Pied, Little Pied and Black Cormorants, Grey Teal and Chestnut Teal Ducks, Osprey, White-Bellied Sea-Eagle, Sooty Oyster Catchers, Pied Oyster Catchers, Striated Pardalotes, Western Yellow Robins, Superb Blue Wrens, Blue-Breasted Wrens, White-Browed Babblers, New Holland Honeyeaters, Brown-Headed Honey Eaters and Rock Parrots can all be found on this walk.
The next stop is at Big Swamp where a bird hide is available for viewing Black Swans, Grey Teal Ducks, Chestnut Teal Ducks, Pink Eared Ducks, Musk Ducks, Black Winged Stilts, Banded Plovers, Cape Barren Geese and migratory Common Greenshanks in summer. The tour then moves to the Coffin Bay National Park where there are active Osprey Nests and where White-Bellied Sea-eagles can be seen fishing along the cliffs and sandy white beaches.
The area is also home to Caspian Terns, Hooded Plovers, Red Capped Plovers, Red Necked Stints, Golden Whistlers, Masked Lapwings, Emu, Wedge Tailed Eagle. The guide will stop along the way at a known location for Southern Emu-Wrens and look for a small remnant flock of Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo.
Accommodation – Port Lincoln Hotel - Suite
Day 7: Eyre Peninsula
Morning viewing is at the small coastal hamlet of Tulka where waders, Black Swans and numerous Seabirds can be seen from the bird hide. This is another known location for Southern Emu-Wrens near a well first dug by Captain Matthew Flinders when he explored the area in 1802.
Traversing through to the Lincoln National Park, the tour follows Matthew Flinders journey through the Wilderness area of Memory Cove. Rugged cliffs provide an opportunity to view Osprey and White Bellied Sea-Eagles and to keep a look out for Whistling Kites and Swamp Harriers. In beautiful Memory Cove birds encountered include Purple-Gaped Honeyeaters, Striated Pardalotes, Spiney-Cheeked Honeyeaters, Dusky Woodswallows, Australian Pipits, Western Yellow Robins, Blue Breasted Wrens, and White-Browed Scrub Wren.
After a magical three days of birdwatching across the Southern Eyre Peninsula, the tour returns to Port Lincoln in time for a late airport departure.
Accommodation – Majestic Roof Garden Hotel - Suite
Day 8: Arkaba, Flinders Ranges
Guests will take a private transfer to Arkaba via beautiful rural scenery (optional charter flight at extra cost if desired).
Arkaba’s beautifully restored 1850s homestead, welcoming just ten guests at a time, is surrounded by 60,000 acres of privately-owned and carefully protected outback. Nestled within South Australia’s Ikara-Flinders Ranges, a five-hour drive or 1 hour flight from Adelaide, the unusual blend of semi-arid and temperate habitats supports 1,200 plant species and nearly 300 species of birds. Against the dramatic backdrop of the Elder Range and Wilpena Pound, ancient sea beds and salt lakes have given way to spectacular rock formations, cypress pines and river red gums; this is an incredibly old landscape supporting a varied population of spectacular birds.
Upon arrival, your afternoon safari will have you heading out on a short walk following the Arkaba Creek through River Red Gum habitat where recovering understory supports healthy populations of galahs, honeyeater species, parrots and Emus. Arkaba’s new viewing hide has been carefully carved out close to the confluence of Arkaba and Woolshed creeks and provides an ideal vantage point for all kinds of wildlife coming to drink. Not only a place to see, but to watch all the fascinating interactions that occur between species.
Rare and special highlights here include the Apostlebirds, Yellow-throated Miner and the stunning Elegant Parrot. Enjoy a hosted three-course dinner with matching South Australian wine on the terrace overlooking the ranges and overnight at Arkaba Homestead.
Each room has a character of its own and has been named after early settlers, explorers or property owners. The deĢcor has been hand-fashioned by wildlife artist, Rosie Woodford-Ganf. Bedheads are made from recycled fence posts and fleeces, curtains tied back by gumnut tassels, lights are perched on explorers' tripod theodolites.
A comfortable library provides some seclusion for enjoying a quiet drink and a good book, while dinner is often hosted on the terrace overlooking the ranges. A self-service bar with a comprehensive selection of beverages is available and the resident chef loves serving you thoughtful bush inspired cuisine after your days out admiring the incredible birds of this place. Arkaba’s wine list is entirely South Australian and wines will be matched with each of your evening meals.
Accommodation – Arkaba Homestead
Arkaba | Australian Natives at The Hide from Wild Bush Luxury on Vimeo.
Day 9: Arkaba, Flinders Ranges
On safari today we’ll explore a variety of habitats. Recovering riparian vegetation throughout the numerous creek-beds that carve their way through the Arkaba Conservancy provide a wonderful leafy canopy which is alive with a multitude of parrots, corellas, pardalotes, honeyeaters and the ever melodious Grey Shrike- thrush.
Open spinifex grasslands allow for a totally different birding experience - grasswrens, pipits and Hovering Black-shouldered Kites are often sighted here. Huge areas of pioneer Acacia species provide both food and habitat for incredible numbers of thornbills , babblers, Red-Capped Robins and little explosions of colour in the busy fairy-wren species too. Although the Chestnut- crowned Babbler is seldom seen, this boisterous co-operative breeder has a distinctive alarm call.
Standout encounters today are endless and include Rufous Whistler, Grey-fronted Honeyeater, Spotted Harrier, Red-backed Kingfisher and the Inland Thornbill amongst many others. Your afternoon is capped off with sundowner drinks on top of the ranges with the scale and grandeur of outback Australia laid out for miles around. Dinner is hosted by one of Arkaba’s field guides providing an atmosphere more akin to staying with friends in the country, or a private safari lodge rather than a typical luxury hotel.
Accommodation – Arkaba Homestead
Day 10: Arkaba, Flinders Ranges
Early safari drive to Stokes Hill on the lookout for the elusive and endemic Short- tailed Grasswren and not forgetting smaller colourful species such as the White- winged Fairy-wrens before we venture into the spectacular Brachina Gorge in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park.
Home to fossils of the unique Ediacaran fauna and once used as a pass through which bullock teams pulled their loads, the scree slope on the western side of the gorge provides the perfect opportunity to see the beautifully decorated near-threatened Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby endemic to the region.
We will look for rocky desert species such as Australian Pipits and Yellow Chats and the Wood Duck Dam on return is home to Grebe and other water species. Exceptional opportunities include Black-fronted Dotterel, Short-tailed Grasswren, Orange and Crimson Chat.
Guests will then take a private transfer from Arkaba to Adelaide via the scenic route including a visit to the world famous Clare Valley wine region.
Accommodation – Majestic Roof Garden Hotel - Suite
Day 11:
Depart Hotel to transfer to Adelaide airport for departure flight.
To book today, please contact:
email: info@australianaturallytravel.com.au
*Rates are per person, twin share based on 2 people travelling. Tour available from mid-September to late June. Costs valid to 31 March 2019 – and subject to availability at time of booking and currency fluctuations. All tours and transfers are private. No airfares included, except ADL/KGC & KGC/ADL.