| Starts | Adelaide, Australia |
|---|---|
| Ends | Alice Springs, Australia |
| Region | Australia |
| Duration | 7 days |
| Tour Operator | Intrepid Travel |
Itinerary
Day 1 - Starting: Adelaide/Flinders Ranges & Finishing: Adelaide/Flinders Ranges
Welcome to South Australia, where your adventure begins. You’ll be picked up from the Adelaide Central YHA at 6.30 am, so please arrive at least ten minutes before. Leave South Australia’s capital behind and head for the hillside vineyards of the Clare Valley, passing through a string of classic country towns on the way. After lunch enjoy expansive views of the Flinders Ranges as you drive towards Wilpena Pound, a natural amphitheatre of rocky mountains. Enjoy an easy group hike to explore the area. Spend the night camping in the Flinders Ranges, within the comfort of a swag (Australian bedroll). Total driving time takes around five hours.
Day 2 - Starting: Oodnadatta Track/William Creek & Finishing: Oodnadatta Track/William Creek
Today, head north out of the Flinders Ranges and pass through the mining town of Leigh Creek. Visit Lyndhurst for the outdoor gallery of eccentric outback sculptor, Talc Alf. You’re now following the historic route of the old Ghan railway and the overland telegraph line. Before you veer off the beaten track, stop in Marree for lunch beside the old Ghan rail station. Steer onto the renowned Oodnadatta Track and pass by Lake Eyre, Australia’s largest salt lake. Your last stop for the day is at William Creek, which has a population of about ten people. Temporarily increase this number as you bunk down in your swag for the night. Total driving time today is approximately 5 hours
Day 3 - Starting: Coober Pedy & Finishing: Coober Pedy
Today drive through red dunes, salt pans and gibber plains on the way to Anna Creek Station, the world’s largest cattle station. Continue onto Coober Pedy, the ‘Opal capital of the world’. Due to extremely hot temperatures in the area most of the town is constructed underground, with residents living in homes carved into the hillsides. Upon arrival take a guided tour of the town, an underground house and the opal mine (with opal cutting demonstration). The rest of the afternoon is free to explore. You may even like to try your hand at 'noodling' (fossicking) for opals. End the day with some rescued joeys at Josephine’s Gallery and Kangaroo Orphanage. Tonight stay in a multi-share underground bunkhouse in Coober Pedy. Total driving time today is approximately 6.5 hours
Day 4 - Starting: Coober Pedy / Yulara & Finishing: Coober Pedy / Yulara
This morning, head out on a long day of driving (approximately 8-9 hours). Leave Coober Pedy and journey across the Moon Plains. Pass the Dingo Fence (the longest fence in the world) and take in views of the Breakaways Reserve, which was made famous by the film of Mad Max III. Late in the afternoon, arrive into Yulara in time for the sunset and enjoy some relaxation time at your campsite. Tonight sleep in a permanent tent or curl up in a swag. Today driving time will be about 8.5 hours.
Day 5 - Starting: Yulara/Uluru & Finishing: Yulara/Uluru
Rise early this morning and be rewarded with a glorious Uluru sunrise. While the day is still fresh, enjoy a walk around the base of 'the rock', which is of great spiritual significance to the Anangu people. Deepen your understanding of the land and the local Mala culture on an interpretive walk with an Aboriginal guide. Afterwards, you might like to purchase Indigenous arts and crafts at the Cultural Centre. Head back to camp for lunch. In the afternoon, see the landscape from a different angle, perhaps from a helicopter flight over Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. This is optional and come at an additional cost. There isn't much driving today, about an hour in total between destinations. You will walk approximately 5km.
Day 6 - Starting: Uluru/Kings Canyon & Finishing: Uluru/Kings Canyon
Today, explore one of the Red Centre's greatest treasures: Kata Tjuta. The Olgas, as they're also known, are a group of domed red rocks rising spectacularly out of the desert. Like Uluru, they’re sacred to the Anangu people and are believed to be 500 million years old. Return to camp for lunch before travelling to Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon). Spend the night in an exclusive campsite inside the park. Driving time is about six hours today, and you will walk approximately 2km.
Day 7 - Starting: Kings Canyon/Alice Springs & Finishing: Kings Canyon/Alice Springs
Put your hiking shoes on this morning and head out to explore the impressive formations and rock faces of Kings Canyon. Trek for 6 km along the Rim Walk, which takes you through a natural amphitheatre, past the striped sandstone domes of the ‘lost city’ and into the green oasis of the Garden of Eden. Enjoy a last lunch before making your way to the outback hub of Alice Springs (approximately five hours), where your adventure comes to an end. There are no more activities planned for today and you’re free to depart. Driving time today is approximately 5 hours back to Alice Springs, and the Rim Walk is approximately 6km.
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