Daily Itinerary

Days 1 to 2
Arrive in Adelaide and collect your rental car. Take a quick 45 minute drive to your luxury cottage accommodation in the McLaren Vale area.
Your cottage is walking distance to some of the area’s best cellar doors and restaurants. For your full day tomorrow, we can give you a walking trail map that will lead you to five cellar doors or we can arrange a private tour for you if you prefer not to walk or drive! Either way, you will be enjoying McLaren Vale’s finest wine, culinary delights and scenery.

Day 3
Leave McLaren Vale behind and head to the stunning coastline of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Stop en route at Yankalilla for a visit of The Yankalilla Historical museum. This is a must-visit attraction in the Fleurieu. You will love seeing all the odd household items and other antiques that are a reminder of our colonial past.  Exhibitions include a real church relocated from Inman Valley, an early settlers’ cottage, blacksmiths shop, nursery, multiple sheds of farm machinery and much more. There are farming, mining, and maritime displays as well as area memorabilia and photographs depicting early life in the district. Perhaps pop into the Yankalilla Bakery for a refuel before you head on to your luxury Beach Hut accommodation.

Middleton is a prime location for whale watching. Basham Beach and Middleton Point are terrific spots for seeing adult southern right whales with their calves. The area boasts a purpose-built viewing area at Basham Beach with tiered platforms, information, and binoculars. If the Whales are around you can also often see them from the beach. Steam Train enthusiasts might like the fun of riding on The Cockle Train which is based at Goolwa and does a return trip to Victor Harbor, stopping at Middleton, three times a day. You will enjoy fabulous views, the iconic sounds of a steam train and waving crowds at the crossings. The return journey is just an hour.

Day 4
Victor Harbor is only a 10-minute drive and a lovely day excursion. You might like to stop in at the famous Port Elliot Bakery for coffee and breakfast.
The Tuna Swim the Sea Aquarium at Victor Harbor is considered one of the best wildlife experiences in South Australia. Bluefin tuna up to 80kilos rocket past you and snatch a pilchard gently from your hand! The sea aquarium is off Granite Island which you can walk to along a 650-metre causeway, or you can ride on the horse-drawn tram!  Either way, you will arrive at the Oceanic Victor office and then there is a short Catamaran ride to the Aquarium. There are often Bottlenose Dolphins swimming along for the ride. There are about 40 other species in the Sea Aquarium so settle in and enjoy the spectacle of Australia’s marine life – all in the safety of a purpose-built enclosure in the lee of uninhabited Granite Island. You can even get to have a cuddle with the sweetest sharks in the ocean… the gorgeous Port Jackson Sharks who are like puppy dogs of the sea. South Australia enjoys some of the cleanest and most pristine oceans in the world, hosting a greater diversity of marine life than the Great Barrier Reef. South Australia’s ocean waters are home to seven and a half thousand different species of plants and animals – and over 80 per cent of them are found nowhere else in the world.

When you return to Granite Island, head off and do the sculptures walk or Kaiki Walk. It is an easy trail of about 2 kilometres and there are plenty of sculptures along the route. You can time the Sea Aquarium and Kaiki Walk so that you are halfway back across the causeway just before dusk. You can then do the Granite Island Penguin Tour. The island is home to little Penguins. Numbers have dropped significantly, there are about 40 little Penguins that call the island home.If you make an early start, you can watch the whales for a while then head to Port Elliot for lunch at the famous Port Elliot Bakery.

Day 5
Leave the fabulous Fleurieu Peninsula and drive to Meningie, stopping along the way at Strathalbyn, the second oldest town in South Australia.  This little town exudes history and charm and is a great stop to stretch the legs with a wander through the historic main street. The fellas might like to stop in at Gilbert’s Motor Museum which is home to quite a few vintage cars and motorbikes. It is about 95 kilometres from Strathalbyn to Meningie and your accommodation will be ready for check-in from 2 pm.

Day 6
Your waterfront retreat holiday home has landscaped native gardens and a herb garden to supplement kitchen creations. The Coorong is a great place to relax and unwind.  Spend your days Fishing, Kayaking, Swimming and Eating! Life’s simple pleasures move up a notch when you are in an area of renown and unique natural beauty. This is a real opportunity to re-connect with both nature and each other. Pack a picnic and explore the walking trails of the Coorong National Park. Use the free kayaks provided and head across the water (2kms) to the sand dunes where you can trek (1km) through the wilderness to the ocean beach. Take a stroll along Meningie's Pelican Path and learn about Aboriginal culture, history, and the environment in the region.

Day 7
Pack some sandwiches and drinks and check out of the Coorong home before 10 am.  Consider leaving early and stopping at Murray Bridge for a visit to Camp Coorong.  Established in 1985, the Ngarrindjeri’s believed a place where people can come to learn about their heritage and culture would lead to a better understanding of traditions and relationships to the land, waters, trees, plants and animals. They tell their traditions and way of life before the European invasion and teach the ways the ancestors lived. You can view a midden site and talk about burial grounds, learn the art of basket weaving or about the environment, animals, medicine, and food plants of the Coorong by going on a nature walk with Ngarrindjeri elders.

The drive to Murray Bridge is under one hour and then 3 hours on to Renmark. Just after Sunset make sure you are opposite the Renmark Hotel for the evening Possum Parade. We’ll leave it as a lovely surprise for you to discover.

Days 8 to 10
Today you will begin your incredible 4 day Murray River guided walking and cruising experience. Meet your small group of maximum 10 at 7:30 am. Over the next few days you’ll discover the magic of Australia’s greatest river, the Murray River, walking between 12 and 14 km each day.

Each day you will return to your modern houseboat accommodation which conveniently cruises upstream while you are walking. This will be a captivating few day, encounter diverse wildlife and water birds as you spot kangaroos and emus along the creeks and old oxbow lagoons that meander through ancient red gum forests.

Days 11 to 12
After breakfast, guests enjoy a morning of boat cruising and exploring the Mighty Murray River. Returning to Renmark by 2pm. Head to the fabulous Frames for your last two nights in the river communities.

Paringa and Renmark are connected by a historic bridge that opened in 1927. There is still a section of the bridge that raises twice a day to allow houseboats under.  The towns are picturesque and vibrant communities. Take a wander around the galleries and gift shops. The late Frank Harding built two stunning galleries in Renmark. Gallery 1 has a 3,000 square metre ceiling mural of bushrangers and their exploits: many paintings showing the diversity of Frank's ability and a large collection of Australian memorabilia. Gallery 2 houses the unique "They Flew for the King" collection of aircraft paintings. Each painting depicts an actual event and has been authenticated and signed by Pilots.
If you have time and interest you should be able to fit in a quick visit to Ruston's Rose Garden, which is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

Day 13
Today is your last day in South Australia. Leave Paringa at 7.30 am after an early breakfast and head to Mannum, 200 kilometres toward Adelaide. Mannum is home to The PW Mayflower, the oldest paddle wheeler in South Australia. The Mayflower cruises bi-weekly from the Mannum Dock Museum. Today, she will depart at 10.30 am for a 90-minute heritage river cruise. The Mayflower is listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels.  What a perfect way to end a visit to the Riverland and South Australia.  When you jump off the Mayflower and continue onto Adelaide Airport, your “Ultimate South Australian Soiree” Quest comes to an end. “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Dr Seuss.