Tasmania & South Australian Outback
Duration: 10 days/ 9 nights with Tasmanian Odyssey
Regions: Hobart, Maria Island, Flinders Ranges
Price: From £3,599*
To book today, please contact:
email: susie@tasmanianodyssey.com
phone: + 44 (0) 1534 735449
Explore Australia’s enchanting contrasts, with a visit to Tasmania’s stunning east coast including a four day exploration of World Heritage Listed Maria Island, combined with a stay at Arkaba, one of the most picturesque outback stations in Australia. Highlights include an Art & Fine Wine Day Tour in Hobart including MONA, four day guided walk across magnificent Maria Island, one of the best places in Australia to observe Common Wombats, all of Tasmania’s endemic birds, and the beautiful Swift Parrot, three day safari of Arkaba nestled in the Flinders Ranges, home to nearly 300 species of birds, rustically chic accommodation, outstanding food and wind along with a new private bird hide.
Day 1: Hobart
After arriving in the morning to Hobart, you will take a private transfer to Salamanca Place.
In the afternoon, enjoy a Guided Historic Walk with Premier Travel Tasmania.
Accommodation - Four Star Hotel, Salamanca Place (room only)
Day 2: Hobart & Surrounds
Enjoy the riches of Tasmania with a full day private guided tour with Premier Travel Tasmania including lunch and refreshments. This can be tailored according to interests including wine, art, history, wildlife or birding.
Example: Tasmania's Art and Fine Wine MONA & Coal River Valley
Explore the Museum of Old & New Art, the largest private art collection in Australia with its fascinating blend of ancient and modern exhibits. Enjoy lunch at The Source restaurant before travelling to the Coal River Valley Wine region. Sample some of the region’s award-winning wines and discover the charming historic village of Richmond with its well preserved colonial architecture.
Accommodation - Four Star Hotel, Salamanca Place (room only)
Day 3-6: The Maria Island Walk
This four day gentle guided walk across magnificent Maria Island, combines intimate wildlife encounters, fascinating history, pristine white sand beaches, and locally sourced gourmet food. Small groups of maximum 10 guests and 2 guides, will explore the World Heritage Listed island with easy-paced walks by day and enjoy elegant private accommodation and candle lit gourmet dining each night.
As a vital location for numerous threatened and endangered species, Maria is now an island sanctuary and one of the best places in Australia to observe Common Wombats, Tasmanian Devils, Cape Barren Geese, Forester Kangaroos, Bennett’s Wallabies and 125 species of birds; including all of Tasmania’s endemics, the beautiful Swift Parrot and the endangered 40 Spotted Pardalote. See day by day description here.
Day 7: Hobart to Adelaide
In the morning, you will take an airport transfer with Premier Travel Tasmania from Salamanca Place to Hobart Airport and fly to Adelaide (flight at own arrangement).
Overnight Adelaide (city central, room only)
Day 8: Arkaba, Flinders Ranges
Guests will pick up a rental car in the morning (option of private transfer if required) to make the drive to Arkaba via charming rural scenery.
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 décor 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.
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.
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 self drive or take an optional private transfer from Arkaba to Adelaide.
To book today, please contact:
email: susie@tasmanianodyssey.com
phone: + 44 (0) 1534 735449
*Rates are per person, twin share based on 2 people travelling. Costs valid to 31 March 2019 – and subject to availability at time of booking and currency fluctuations. No airfares included. Tasmanian Odyssey is fully bonded and offers full financial protection for customers.