Itinerary

Day 1-2 — Eyre Peninsula
Coffin Bay

Upon arrival into the Port Lincoln Airport, you will be met by your private guide for the next 5 days, before taking the short drive into the seafood capital of Australia, Port Lincoln. In Port Lincoln, board the vessel Calypso Star which takes you on a short steam to a farmed tuna cage. Located in the glistening Boston Bay (3 times the size of Sydney Harbour), this is one of the worlds largest protected harbours. A world first and exclusive activity to Port Lincoln, enjoy the opportunity to swim with, feed and photograph Southern Blue fin Tuna - a magnificent beginning to your coastal encounter! Back on land and after enjoying a freshly prepared lunch, travel to the Glen Forest Park which offers a hands on experience with a variety of native Australian animals. Feed the kangaroos, koalas, parrots and other bird species and find yourself up close and personal with other native species, such as the dingo, wombat, emus, echidnas and more. From here, continue onto one of the most stunning estuaries in Australia and home to some of the nation’s finest oysters - Coffin Bay where you stay for the next 2 nights. Settle into your private waterfront apartment as an array of the freshest and most succulent seafood is prepared personally for you, and sip on award winning local wines whilst watching the sun set behind the pristine waters of the bay.

Following breakfast, the day is yours in and around this unique location. From white, footprint free sandy beaches to windswept cliffs, Coffin Bay National Park offers a diverse range of experiences. Sand boarding on some of the towering sand dunes, swimming and snorkeling exploring the ocean beds of these calm and safe waters are options for the active minded. A 4WD tour through the Park is a must to view the spectacular landscapes with massive limestone cliffs, an important breeding ground for sea birds, including ospreys and white bellied sea eagles. Western grey kangaroos and emus are of abundance throughout the Park as well as many other species of native animals. There are also bushwalking trails taking you to rarely visited locations. If water activities are more your pastime, kayak around these stunning waterways and see the friendly dolphins bobbing up in front of you or "wet a line" and catch King George Whiting, Tommy Ruff, Salmon Trout amongst other local species.

To create an appetite, take the Oyster Trail walk and spend time exploring the Cray fishing boats on the wharf or challenge yourself to the fun filled "Coff n Putt" miniature golf course. For the more creative and artistic, visit the Bay’s  Art  &  Craft  Gallery,  which  displays  beautiful  hand  made  products  and showcases  original  paintings, sculptures, photographs and artworks by local artists. This evening another feast awaits and on the boardwalk gaze away into the star filled sky above.

Day 3-4 — South Streaky Bay, Eyre Peninsula
Baird Bay
Today we leave Coffin Bay and make our way along the Flinders Highway of Eyre Peninsula to Baird Bay. The 250km drive is broken up with access to uninterrupted views of the spectacular and rugged cliff tops of the Great Australian Bight, more beaches of white sands and crystal blue waters with spectacular dunes as backdrops. Stop for lunch at Cummings Monument and see the family of osprey which nests on a craggy pinnacle, adjacent to the lookout. On either side of the highway enjoy the scenery and farm country of wheat, barley and canola fields and the famous Merino sheep, until we come across another sea side fishing town of Elliston and home to Blackfellows Point, one of the best surf breaks in Australia. A scenic 12km coastal scenic drive between Anxious & Waterloo Bay gives you the chance to enjoy more breathtaking scenic views before we enter one of the worlds best kept secrets in Baird Bay. Set right on the beach, you have ocean views to die for as you are accommodated in architecturally designed lodges of rammed earth construction to blend with the beach side and natural bushland environment. Wine and dine in style again as the sun sets over Point Labatt Conversation Park, the pelicans and seagulls roam the beach and the local wallabies graze on the lawns in front of you.

Today you are in for a world class treat and an unforgettable ocean experience with Alan & Trish Payne’s Baird Bay Ocean Eco Experiences. Today’s headline act is swimming with the Sea lions off Jones Island, just a very short steam aboard the 12m boat, The Investigator. Experience sea lions in their natural environment; fast, agile and playful and they also thrive on the interaction of humans. There are only 2 places on earth where you can swim with wild sea lions; Galapagos Islands and Baird Bay which is rated in the top 10 things to do in Australia along with swimming with tuna off Port Lincoln and diving with the Great White Sharks, also off Port Lincoln. The sea lion experience is full of wonder and charm. Alan and Trish have never fed the mammals, but it’s their close and constant interaction with the sea lions which have made these water creatures so friendly that they may even let you pat and cuddle them as other sea lion pups and family members swim and play with one another all around you in these sheltered pools. Following the sea lion encounter, The Investigator pulls out into deeper waters where you now have the chance to swim with the resident dolphins. Powerful and lightening fast, these animals often come so close that you can hear the high pitch chatter. If that’s not enough activity for one day, you again have the option of a leisurely paddle in a kayak provided, lounge around on the beach, take another swim or snorkel or try and catch one of the many species of fish in the bay including King George Whiting, Snook, Tommy Ruff & Flathead. This evening simply sit back and relax and enjoy another dinner gazing out over the Bay, you also have the option of a tour of the Venus Bay Conservation Park to see 2 small Australian native species, bettongs and bilbies. These animals are nocturnal and an abundance of both species, along with over 100 bird, 12 mammal & 25 reptile species inhabit the Park.

Day 5 — Melrose, Flinders Ranges Today we leave the picturesque beauty of Baird Bay and make our way back to Port Lincoln. A short distance from Baird Bay is the Murphy’s Haystacks. These huge rocks are ancient wind worn granite inselbergs, purported to be over 1500 million years old and the unique outcrop of pink granite boulders is a delight for the photographer. The Talia Caves are another attraction en route. Nature’s natural elements of the sea & the wind have etched patterns through time on its limestone roof, whilst the surf washes the rocks edging the caves which offer another spectacular scene of colour and the wonderful force of the Southern Ocean. From here we can visit another beautiful coastal fishing village of Venus Bay, before continuing on to Port Lincoln Airport where you board your return flight to Adelaide. From here you will collect your rental car and start you journey to Northstar Hotel.

Just 3 hours drive north of Adelaide, South Australia, in the township of Melrose, sits a stellar hotel known as the North Star. Nestled against an amazing backdrop of Mt Remarkable in the Southern Flinders Ranges, the North Star Hotel is the new southern sibling to the world renowned Prairie Hotel at Parachilna in the Flinders Ranges. Following on the wonderful tradition of country service with city style that’s synonymous with the Prairie, the North Star Hotel is a charming mix of old and new. As the oldest licenced hotel in the Flinders Ranges, it proudly shows off its wonderful façade and interior that exude country charm with cleverly integrated mod cons. Strip backed walls reveal original stonework and rustic bar furniture created from farmyard machinery creates a quirky, country feel. Another new addition is the vast outdoor deck that allows diners to enjoy the fare while savouring the wonderful weather that South Australia enjoys year-round. And just like its sister hotel the Prairie, the North Star Hotel also offers one of the best coffees you’ll find in the Flinders Ranges. Another unique feature of the North Star Hotel is its cellar door facilities for the Bundaleer Wines range. This winery is another shining star emerging from the Southern Flinders Ranges. Bundaleer Wines vineyard is on the edge of the Bundaleer Forest just a stone’s throw from the Hotel. With its robust reds and a Riesling, it’s the perfect opportunity to take away a piece of the Southern Flinders Ranges in a bottle! For the walking and cycling enthusiasts, Melrose also is the meeting point of the Heysen Walking Trail and Mawson bike riding trails making the Hotel a great base for activities. The North Star Hotel offers everything you could want in a country pub… and more. It’s a truly comfortable hotel with great food, wines, coffee and accommodation without losing any of its traditional integrity. A star is born, again.

Day 6 — Parachilna
Prairie Hotel

The Prairie Hotel was first licensed in 1876, the front of the hotel was completed in 1906 and took six years to build. Jane and Ross Fargher took sole ownership of the Prairie Hotel in 1994 and have embraced the old with the new and brought a stunning new dimension to outback hospitality. In the sleepy town of Parachilna - population seven - the Prairie Hotel has created a quiet revolution in country cuisine. The Fargher's are one of the original pastoral families to the Southern Outback area, and also own neighbouring Nilpena Station. Guests will enjoy private access to the most scenic of ranges, magnificent sand dunes, the vast Lake Torrens, world renowned fossil reserves and the opportunity to observe and participate in life on a working sheep/cattle station. While traversing the countryside trace the footsteps of the pioneers in the Southern Outback, visit the local ruins and gain an insight into the lives of the local Aboriginals. Meet the local characters that make the outback their home. Try the legendary feral foods and native cuisine that has made the Prairie hotel unique; or taste some of the local bush tucker collected within this area. Take a trip out to Nilpena Station and learn about the local fascinating flora and fauna. See how the animals of the outback live. Experience the sheer vastness of the properties and perhaps check the stock and the watering points on the way home. Combined with great food and wine, Jane and Ross of the Prairie Hotel give guests the opportunity to experience genuine outback hospitality in an utterly Australian atmosphere.

Day 7-8 — Flinders Ranges
Angorichina Station

Located halfway between Parachilna and Blinmanin the Southern Outback, Angorichina Station is a pastoral lease covering 554 square km and has been in the Fargher family for four generations. Angorichina Station is one of the earliest pastoral properties and is owned and run by Ian and Di Fargher. Set amid beautiful scenery of the Southern Outback’s Flinders Ranges, undulating and wooded land, it's an area to commune with nature - spectacular, primeval, awe-inspiring. It's where the pure, clear light captured the imagination of many painters and poets and the changing hues of purples and golds are a constant delight. Wildlife in the Southern Outback’s Flinders Ranges includes the Western Grey and Red Kangaroos, Euros, Emus and Yellow-footed Rock Wallabies. The wallabies are distinguished by their ability to almost glide across rocks instead of hopping and by their ornate brown, white and black lined faces and shoulders, their mustard-coloured feet and long, striped tails. Their decorated bodies allow them to hide amongst the tall shadows and bright steaks of twilight from predators such as the wedgetailed eagles.

Day 9 — Clare Valley
North Bundaleer
Completed in 1901, North Bundaleer is a grand pastoral homestead, registered on the National Estate and situated on 400 acres of native bushland and farmland adjacent to the Bundaleer Forest, the birthplace of Australian forestry in 1876. The nationally significant sandstone homestead is rich in the architectural heritage of its formal rooms, hand-painted original wallpapers, lead-light windows and fireplaces. Marianne and Malcolm Booth, the owners and your hosts, invite you to come and treat yourself to a unique experience of luxury and relaxation at North Bundaleer. The homestead has been meticulously restored from the brink of extinction, having not been occupied for 25 years, to its former glory by Marianne and Malcolm over a period of three years. The interior decoration is elegant but eclectic with many antiques and works of art. Situated on what was described by the early pioneers as some of the best agricultural country in Australia, the property is two hours drive north of Adelaide, on the way to the Flinders Ranges and the Southern Outback. It is accessible by car, air (Jamestown airstrip is 10 minutes away), and the Indian Pacific Railway, and is 40 minutes drive from the Clare Valley Wine Country, Burra National Trust mining town and Port Pirie fishing port on the Spencer Gulf. North Bundaleer offers a secluded and indulgent hosted accommodation experience in a gracious homestead and is limited to four couples.

Day 10-12 — Sydney
Sebel Pier One
The trip ends in Sydney - a cosmopolitan city surrounded by iconic beaches, World Heritage areas and lush hinterland. You'll stay in the chic Sydney Sebel Hotel ideally located in The Rocks, Sydney's vibrant and historic dining and entertainment district. The hotel is built on and over the water on the edge of Sydney Harbour, offering breathtaking views. You'll have time to explore this exciting city and take the kids to the Sydney Taronga Zoo and climb the 1,439 steps - you can do it - to the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge. Sydney's dramatic and world-renowned Opera House is virtually at the hotel's front door.

Day 13 — Sydney
Sebel Pier One

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