At once cultured yet cool, Adelaide attracts foodies, historians, and art aficionados in equal measure. Explore it on a city tour, before meeting a local gourmand at the legendary Central Market. Then join your Travel Director for dinner.
Crowne Plaza Adelaide
Property Location
A stay at Pullman Adelaide places you in the heart of Adelaide, walking distance from Rundle Mall and South Australian Museum. This 4.5-star hotel is within close proximity of Rymill Park and Adelaide Oval.
Sitting pretty in the Clare Valley, Knappstein Enterprise Winery produces sweet-scented rieslings and mineral-rich reds. The only thing that distracts from your glass is the setting: all rolling fields of vines and wide blue skies. Hawker lies just to the north, the town inspiring artist Jeff Morgan to paint enormous panoramas capturing the outback. Drop in to see his works, plus the memorabilia he has collected over the years. The best is yet to come, as you arrive at Wilpena Pound Resort in the shadows of a vast natural amphitheatre.
Wilpena Pound Resort
Wilpena Pound Resort is the only accommodation located within the Ikara Flinders Ranges National Park, 430km north of Adelaide. This extraordinary landscape is 800 million years old and has been home to Adnyamathanha people for tens of thousands of years. Enjoy a haven of outback hospitality with 60 hotel rooms, 15 glamping safari tents, a picturesque campground, National Park Visitor Information Centre, restaurant, bar/bistro, swimming pool and general store.
The river red gums that envelop Hills Homestead will leave you lost for words. You get here on a leisurely walk along Wilpena Creek and continue to Wangarra Hill Lookout for views over the pound’s peaks and curves. The drama is echoed as you travel to Pichi Richi Pass and the historic town of Quorn, where with a Local Guide, you'll hear the importance of this town in the ANZAC's Gallipoli Campaign, before easing into Port Augusta.
Majestic Oasis Apartments
Opened 2003, the Majestic Oasis Apartments are located 3 hours north of Adelaide in Port Augusta, South Australia, gateway to the Flinders Ranges and Outback. This 4 star property features 75 modern studio, one and two bedroom self-contained apartments overlooking the stunning foreshore development and waters of the Upper Spencer Gulf.
Secrets are revealed at former rocket-testing site Woomera, today home to a park where you can glimpse Australia’s aerospace innovations. Speaking of space, you may will think you’ve landed on the moon as you travel through sunbaked country to isolated Coober Pedy, aka ‘the opal capital of the world’. Things get deep as you travel underground with a local to see how these gleaming gems are mined, and visit the town’s head scratching subterranean facilities.
Desert Cave Hotel
The Desert Cave Hotel is the world's only underground international hotel. We're located at Coober Pedy, which since 1915 has lured those who seek the elusive opal, found in this vast outback semi-desert area. Available Government and Corporate Rates with meal deals available.
Once you emerge from your Coober Pedy cave, first stop in the Northern Territory is, fittingly, Australia’s spiritual heart: World Heritage-listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta. Come sunset, you’ll want a full camera SD card – with every “click”, the countryside around the world’s mightiest monolith changes colour. Toast the day with a glass of bubbles and nibble while you mingle with your fellow adventurers.
Desert Gardens Hotel
A magnificent sanctuary of towering ghost gums and flowering native shrubs among the red dunes, Voyages Desert Gardens is a welcoming hotel. Diverse accommodation options include shaded poolside rooms or deluxe rooms with stunning views of Uluru.
Pre-dawn wake-up calls are worth it when you get to enjoy a Red Centre sunrise. On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience you’ll encounter iconic Uluru, or ‘The Rock,’ half a billion years old, standing 348 metres high and taller than the Eiffel Tower. Marvel at the majesty of Uluru at its base on a guided walk to the Mutitjulu Waterhole. This landscape takes you back to the beginning of time, a sacred place among the Anangu. More soul-salving landscapes await at Kata Tjuta, cool relief provided as you walk amid its domes to Walpa Gorge. To complement the already spectacular view, enjoy sparkling wine as you watch the sunset.
Desert Gardens Hotel
A magnificent sanctuary of towering ghost gums and flowering native shrubs among the red dunes, Voyages Desert Gardens is a welcoming hotel. Diverse accommodation options include shaded poolside rooms or deluxe rooms with stunning views of Uluru.
If you’re an early bird (or even if you’re not), we highly recommend an optional pre-dawn call to glimpse the Uluru Field of Light – a blanket of 50,000 glowing bulbs (own expense). What a way to start the day. There are so many record-breaking rock attractions in this part of the country that you may not have heard of Attila (Mt. Conner) before – but once you’ve glimpsed the table-like formation, you certainly won’t forget it. Stretch your legs again at Kings Creek Station, the largest exporter of wild camels in Australia. Guess what meat stars in the burgers for lunch? All your senses will be activated on the Kings Canyon rim walk, 440-million years in the making and forged through layers of sandstone and hard shale creating soaring domes and plateaus that plummet to an oasis of natural rock pools.
Kings Canyon Resort
440 million years in the creating, Kings Canyon rises 270 metres above sea level and is at the heart of Australia's Red Centre. It is here that an unforgettable outback adventure will unfold in an extraordinary place of ancient beauty.
Things are bigger in the NT outback, from the cattle stations to the MacDonnell Ranges, which stretch like a caterpillar toward the town of Alice Springs. Alice Springs makes Australian history for her 1872 Telegraph Station, one of 11 along the Overland Telegraph Line that traverses a whopping 3,200 kilometres between Adelaide and Darwin. Glimpse it up close, then from afar as you ascend Anzac Hill for panoramic views that inspired many of those paintings in Alice Springs' galleries.
DoubleTree by Hilton Alice Springs
Experience eco-friendly luxury and enjoy stunning views of the majestic MacDonnell Mountain Ranges when you stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Alice Springs. Conveniently located just off of Stuart Highway, the hotel is only 15 minutes’ drive from Alice Springs Airport and within walking distance of downtown. Enjoy easy access to many businesses, government offices and attractions such as Simpsons Gap, Desert Park and Anzac Hill. Ideal for both corporate and leisure guests, this Alice Springs hotel offers fantastic business and recreational facilities and friendly service from our dedicated staff. We will even welcome you with a signature, warm DoubleTree chocolate chip cookie when you check in.
Aboriginal culture is strong in Alice, as you’ll fast find on a tour of the Alice Springs Desert Park. It’s home to a vast range of plants and wildlife native to the area. You can really experience the beauty and diversity of this incredible landscape. The Arrernte people, traditional owners of the park, are also on hand to share their local wisdom and knowledge. The other thing that’s mighty is community spirit – it’s essential when there are so few people scattered over such a vast area of land. Enter the Royal Flying Doctor Service, its base a museum that goes behind the scenes of the life-saving health services delivered to people in remote realms. One of the benefits of being this far-flung is the lack of light pollution. And at Earth Sanctuary World Nature Centre, this equates to epic stargazing. Your Be My Guest BBQ dinner here with the Falzon family is enlightening and uplifting - think stories of self-sufficient living, astronomy and even a tune or two on the didgeridoo.
DoubleTree by Hilton Alice Springs
Experience eco-friendly luxury and enjoy stunning views of the majestic MacDonnell Mountain Ranges when you stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Alice Springs. Conveniently located just off of Stuart Highway, the hotel is only 15 minutes’ drive from Alice Springs Airport and within walking distance of downtown. Enjoy easy access to many businesses, government offices and attractions such as Simpsons Gap, Desert Park and Anzac Hill. Ideal for both corporate and leisure guests, this Alice Springs hotel offers fantastic business and recreational facilities and friendly service from our dedicated staff. We will even welcome you with a signature, warm DoubleTree chocolate chip cookie when you check in.
1.3 million square kilometres – that’s the eye-watering distance the School of Air’s lessons are broadcast across daily. If touring during the school term, you may be lucky enough to observe live educational sessions featuring children who otherwise may not have access to public education. Approximately an hour south of Tennant Creek is Karlu Karlu, the Devils Marbles, a collection of hundreds of boulders that vary in size, with some 6 metres high. These boulders have formed over millions of years and continue to crack and change over time. The most prized rock found in this part of the world is, however, gold, which is why your base for the night, Tennant Creek, exists.
Bluestone Motor Inn
Bluestone Motor Inn is a family owned motel restaurant that has become a well-known and recognized land mark throughout the Northern Territory. With the help of reliable and skilled staff, they have continued the motel's successful operation and Bluestone Motor Inn has become the choice of accommodation to stay in at Tennant Creek, particularly for those who are travelling between Darwin and Alice Springs. Bluestone Motor Inn aims to provide a comfortable and relaxed away from home experience through friendly and efficient service.
Since the 1930s, the time-tested Daly Waters Historic Pub has been dishing up schnitzels, barramundi burgers and hearty steaks. The walls here are lined with treasures that passers-by leave behind, from bras to boots. What can you contribute over lunch? ‘Land of the Never Never’ awaits at Mataranka. Yes, you can visit a replica of the Elsey Homestead, used in the filming of 1982 Aussie drama We of the Never Never, an autobiographical flick about life in the outback. Or wander palm-lined walkways to take a dip in the region’s steamy thermal springs – the ultimate antidote to weary limbs before arriving in Katherine.
The Jawoyn have called Nitmiluk Gorge home for millennia. Find out about the ancient story of the cicada, embodying the spiritual connection between the Jawoyn people and their land. Traversing across the land in into Kakadu National Park. The Yellow Water billabong cruise is a mesmerising journey through pristine wetlands, teeming with diverse wildlife and breathtaking scenery, offering a truly unforgettable experience of Australia's natural beauty. Witness the majestic crocodiles, colorful birdlife, and lush vegetation while immersing yourself in the tranquility of this ancient landscape, guided by knowledgeable locals. We challenge you to spot the sea eagles, brolgas and kingfishers that colour this part of the Top End.
Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel
Their indigenous owned deluxe accommodation is uniquely shaped to represent Kakadu's most famous inhabitant, the saltwater crocodile. Relax in the recently refurbished rooms, unwind in your private courtyard, by the shaded outdoor pool or take in the landscaped interior garden view from the balcony.
The best way to appreciate the immensity of Kakadu is from the air. A morning flight swoops low over these beauties, giving you a feel for its Indigenous significance (own expense). On the ground, meanwhile, Aboriginal art awaits at Ubirr. Scamper to the top of the rocky outcrop for seemingly endless views over floodplains backdropped by sheer escarpments. If your backdrop looks familiar, that’s because it features in Crocodile Dundee. The night is yours in steamy Darwin, where the characters are as large as the shadows cast at sunset. First stop: the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, where there is a melting-pot of multi-cultural cuisines (own expense).
Hilton Darwin
Overlooking Darwin Harbour, Hilton Darwin offers fabulous Esplanade views and an ideal location in the heart of the city. This stylish Darwin hotel is moments from Bicentennial Park, downtown and the Darwin Convention Centre. Access to the hotel is easy - Darwin International Airport is a 15 minute drive away and the hotel is also near the Stuart Highway.
It’s fitting that your final full day in the Northern Territory is sultry – the steamy climate demands it. Today, go your own way. That might mean sleeping in, then heading out for a delicious tropical breakfast. Or signing up for optional experiences, like explorations into Litchfield National Park. This pocket of the NT is a staggering union of magnetic termite mounds and waterfalls, not to mention the waterholes where you can cool off with a refreshing dip (swimming is seasonal). Alternatively, head north to the Tiwi Islands, where you take a deep dive into Indigenous history and art with First Nations guides (both own expense). Whichever route you go, we’ll see you at dinner.
Hilton Darwin
Overlooking Darwin Harbour, Hilton Darwin offers fabulous Esplanade views and an ideal location in the heart of the city. This stylish Darwin hotel is moments from Bicentennial Park, downtown and the Darwin Convention Centre. Access to the hotel is easy - Darwin International Airport is a 15 minute drive away and the hotel is also near the Stuart Highway.
Time to bid adieu and head home to sort through all those photos. Perhaps even better – and longer lasting – are the memories; two weeks of wild outback adventures.
Flights to and from the start/end of your trip are not included in the trip price.Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 12.30pm into Adelaide AirportDay 15 – flights to depart anytime from Darwin AirportReturn airport to hotel transfers are included in the holiday price
