Category: South Australia

Port Augusta is known as the Crossroads of Australia, where roads from Adelaide, the Flinders Ranges, Alice Springs, Perth and Whyalla all intersect. This friendly city sits at the head of Spencer Gulf and is an excellent holiday destination with a number of world class attractions, a wide range of water activities, a relaxing foreshore including playground and barbecue areas, and extensive shopping facilities. The Wadlata Outback Centre and the Australian Arid Lands Outback Garden are here, and provide a fascinating insight into outback South Australia. Port Augusta is a great base for easy access to the attractions of the Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula and Outback.

Karoonda is an aboriginal word meaning winter camp. Although only established in 1911, the area is well served by such facilities as health care, schooling, banking, farming and related industries. Pioneer Park offers a look at the history of the district. Karoonda is only 150 kilometres from Adelaide and 110 kilometres from Loxton, which is why Karoonda is referred to as the Heart of the Mallee. Other features are the Bakara Plains, with unusual limestone caves, and near Mercunda an Aboriginal Rock Pool is a must for persons interested in carvings. The rise and fall of the continental land mass and sea levels plus extreme climatic changes have all contributed to the present land forms. Below our feet at about sea level is one ancient sea bed holding the sub artesian water basin which is tapped with bores. This water gravitated from the Grampians in Victoria over thousands of years.

Quench your thirst at Overland Corner in one of South Australia’s most quirky historic hotels. Built in 1859, the Overland Corner Hotel was originally an isolated frontier pub, frequented only by cattlemen. Today it’s owned by the National Trust and includes a museum, nearby mines and a cemetery. Overland Corner sits in the Riverland, where the Murray River weaves its way through some of Australia’s more impressive river scenery. See graceful river red gums, limestone cliffs, and the region’s lush vineyards, orchards and citrus groves. Overland Corner became famous from 1838 as a river crossing and stopover for overlanders moving from the eastern states to South Australia. You are welcome to use it as your stopover, too!

Initially named Blumberg by the German settlers who farmed the area in the late 1840s, Birdwood is the major town in the eastern Adelaide Hills. Its most popular attraction is the National Motor Museum, which tells the history of motoring in Australia and has an excellent collection of vintage cars. The town also has a traditional Australian pub and gallery that displays work by local artists, and there are some good bushwalking and cycling trails in the area, including the Mawson Trail.

With wide, leafy streets perfect for strolling, Angaston and its surrounds are home to some of the Barossa’s most fascinating heritage buildings and magnificent stately homes, a number of which now offer traditional bed and breakfast in true manor style. Stroll through the town to take in wineries, galleries, the Barossa Quilt and Craft Cottage, restaurants and more. Venture beyond the town boundaries and you’ll find several of the Barossa’ oldest and best-known wineries, including Yalumba and Saltram. English entrepreneur George Fife Angas was one of the founding fathers of the Barossa, sponsoring the migration of both Prussian religious refugees and English free settlers in a bid to open up the land. The town of Angaston bears not only his name, but his enterprising spirit. Today it features many of the regions’ best restaurants and cafes, alongside specialty shops and artisans’ studios.

Surrounded by vineyards to the north and south, Sevenhill is very much at the heart of the wine lands of the Clare Valley. Sevenhill Cellars is the oldest vineyard of the valley. The Jesuits (Society of Jesus) migrated to Australia form Austria in 1848 seeking a life free from religious and political persecution. They established Sevenhill Cellars, which is the oldest existing winery in the Clare Valley. There have been seven Jesuit Brother winemakers since its beginning that has set a standard and tradition of dedication and commitment to quality. The cellars are nestled among the vineyards close to Saint Aloysius Church and feature a well tended grassed picnic area with tables, seats and shade trees. Visitors are welcome to share our history, our grounds and to wander at leisure through the old cellars, church and crypt.

Cape Jervis is the jumping off point for daily car and passenger ferry services to Kangaroo Island. It’s a 45 minute journey that reveals the spectacular coastline of this part of the Fleurieu Peninsula. This is a popular base for fishermen, with good boat, jetty and beach fishing. Climb aboard a fishing charter or take a cruise along the coast. Bushwalkers can stretch their legs through nearby Deep Creek Conservation Park or start out on the four day Heysen Trail walk to Victor Harbor. Cape Jervis is on Tourist Route 52 and part of the Fleurieu Way Tourist Drive.

Centrally located close to Yankalilla and Normanville.

Port Germein is where the Ranges truly meet the sea. Located 27 kilometres north of Port Pirie on National Highway One, Port Germein is a tranquil and safe holiday haven, especially for families with young children. Originally settled as a deep sea trading port in the late 1800s Port Germein is now a peaceful seaside town of 200 residents, serving the local farming community and catering for ecologically sound tourism. The tidal beach provides endless hours of activity for every member of the family. The shallow tides ensure fun and safe swimming for small children. Search for sand crabs among the tidal pools. At low tide the eastern side of the beach gives vehicle access to the deeper water. Land yachting is also a popular low tide past time. To allow you to continue your beachside experience, amenities include a children’s playgrounds, a number of coin operated electric barbecues and gazebo. When Port Germein was a major seaport for wheat shipping it had the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Those days are gone, but the structure of the 1881 jetty remains jutting out into the sea for local fishing. Port Germein is a popular resort town as evidenced by the many holiday shacks located here. The beach is safe for swimming. Crabbing is popular when the tide is right. Enjoy a scenic drive through Port Germein Gorge with its deep ravines and magnificent gum trees to Melrose and Mount Remarkable. There’s good walking with spectacular views of Spencer Gulf nearby at Telowie Gorge Conservation Park. On the western side of the Mt Remarkable National Park is the settlement of Mambray Creek and headquarters of the National Parks and Wildlife Service. The area is the starting point for several walking trails through the park.