SA Eco Tours 7-Day Adelaide to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre 4WD Eco Safari

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A 7 day small group 4WD eco safari from Adelaide to Coober Pedy, Lake Eyre and the Flinders Ranges, by way of Woomera, the Breakaways, William Creek, the Oodnadatta Track and Arkaroola. This booking is for a Standard motel unit, double or twin share room.

Days

7 days, 6 nights

Group size

Small group, max 12

Start / finish

Adelaide / Adelaide

Return

See itinerary for details

Accommodation

6 nights in motels, outback hotels and lodges
Standard motel unit, double or twin share room

Transport

Modern 4WD with guide

Meals

6 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners

Route

Map of SA Eco Tours Coober Pedy, Lake Eyre, Flinders Ranges 4WD Eco Safari - Standard Motel Unit, Double/Twin Share

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Included experiences

Coober Pedy — underground churches and a guided town tour
Kanku-Breakaways — desert sunset
William Creek — outback pub
Oodnadatta Track — Lake Eyre South and thermal springs
Marree — Afghan mosque
Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary
Brachina Gorge — Ediacaran fossils and wildlife
Woomera — old rocket range

SA Eco Tours Coober Pedy, Lake Eyre, Flinders Ranges 4WD Eco Safari - Standard Motel Unit, Double/Twin Share

Pictures / Videos

Itinerary

Map

DAY 1: ADELAIDE TO PORT AUGUSTA

Hotel pick-ups in central Adelaide start at about 8am, and you head north up the shore of Gulf St Vincent with stories of the early explorers. Past the pink salt of Lake Bumbunga, coloured by algae, you reach Port Germein, whose 1.5 km jetty was built in 1881 to load wheat ships. Walk a stretch of it if you like. Your guide tells the long story of Aboriginal and settler life in South Australia as the Southern Flinders rise alongside. Port Augusta, at the head of Spencer Gulf, is where the highways to Perth and Darwin split. You spend the afternoon at the Wadlata Outback Centre, then watch the sun set over the ranges from Flinders Lookout in the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden, which grows only plants of the dry country.

Overnight: Port Augusta (Augusta Westside Motel)

DAY 2: WOOMERA TO COOBER PEDY

The Stuart Highway runs north into the desert. At Woomera, set up in 1947 for a joint British and Australian rocket range, you wander the museum and the rockets in the open-air park. Further north you stop at lookouts over salt lakes that run white to the horizon. Coober Pedy appears as a field of mullock heaps. Opal was found here in 1915 by a 14-year-old boy, Willie Hutchison, and the town's name is usually said to come from kupa piti, "white man in a hole", because so many people live underground to escape the heat. At sunset you are at the mesas of Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park, before following the Dog Fence back to town.

Overnight: Coober Pedy (Coober Pedy Experience Motel)

DAY 3: COOBER PEDY TO WILLIAM CREEK

The morning is for Coober Pedy itself: underground churches, opal shops and displays, and a go at noodling, sifting the mullock for opal chips the miners missed. A guided tour shows how people live and make a living here. After lunch you cross the Dog Fence, about 5,600 km of wire built to keep dingoes out of the sheep country to the south. Then it is red sandhill tracks through Anna Creek Station, the world's largest cattle station at about 24,000 square kilometres. William Creek, home to a handful of people, sits halfway between Adelaide and Alice Springs. Its pub walls are layered with notes and caps left by travellers, and the first cold beer goes down easily.

Overnight: William Creek (William Creek Hotel)

DAY 4: THE OODNADATTA TRACK TO MARREE

The Oodnadatta Track follows the old Ghan railway and the route of the Afghan cameleers, past ruined sidings and mound springs. At Coward Springs, an old railway siding, water from the Great Artesian Basin fills a bathing pool. Lunch is a picnic at the edge of Lake Eyre South, where Donald Campbell drove Bluebird to a land speed record of 648 km/h in 1964. At Alberrie Creek, old planes stand on end in the desert as sculptures. Prefer to see the lake from the air? For an extra cost, a one to three-hour scenic flight goes out over it. In Marree you see the replica of the cameleers' mosque and the Blitz truck that mailman Tom Kruse drove up the Birdsville Track.

Overnight: Marree (The Marree Hotel)

DAY 5: MARREE TO ARKAROOLA

Heading east, you pass through Farina, a ghost town whose underground bakery volunteers fire up again each winter, and Copley, known for its quandong pies. At Nepabunna, an Adnyamathanha community, the country changes from desert to the ancient mountains of the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges, and creek beds wind away towards Lake Frome. You reach Arkaroola around lunchtime. This 610 square kilometre wilderness sanctuary was set up in 1968 by geologist Reg Sprigg and his wife Griselda, and its rocks date back 1.6 billion years. Relax for the afternoon, or for an extra cost take the 4WD Ridgetop Tour up to Sillers Lookout, or a night at the observatory.

Overnight: Arkaroola (Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary)

DAY 6: LAKE FROME, BLINMAN AND BRACHINA GORGE

South along the top of Lake Frome, a salt lake that seldom holds water, you see it in the distance from points where the early explorers stood. The red sandhill country here holds thousands of years of sacred belief for the Adnyamathanha people. Lunch is in Blinman, at about 610 metres the highest town in South Australia, built on copper a shepherd found in 1859. A local guide then drives you through Brachina Gorge, the "Corridors Through Time", to the Ediacaran fossil site, where some of the oldest complex life on Earth left its marks. Painter Hans Heysen worked in this country from the 1920s. Watch for kangaroos and wedge-tailed eagles as you reach Wilpena Pound.

Overnight: Wilpena Pound (Wilpena Pound Resort)

DAY 7: WILPENA POUND TO ADELAIDE

At about 8am you can take off, for an extra cost, on a 30-minute light plane flight over Ikara (Wilpena Pound), a ring of mountains about 17 km long that is best understood from the air. Then south along the eastern side of the ranges, under river red gums, you cross Goyder's Line, drawn by surveyor George Goyder in 1865 to mark where rainfall was reliable enough for crops. Lunch is at a country café, past the painted silos at Wirrabara. In the Clare Valley you stop at Sevenhill Cellars, built by Jesuits in 1851 as the valley's first winery, for a flight of five wines. You are back in Adelaide between about 4:30 and 6pm.

Map

Good to know

Departure time: Departs Adelaide on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, or on demand. Hotel pick-ups in central Adelaide from about 7:50am, or meet at the Adelaide Central Bus Station on Franklin Street by 8:30am.
Accommodation note: Augusta Westside Motel (Port Augusta), Coober Pedy Experience Motel, William Creek Hotel, The Marree Hotel, Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary and Wilpena Pound Resort. Venues can change with availability.
Please note: Optional extras can only be booked while on tour, with payment made to the provider directly. Itineraries and vehicles may change due to circumstances beyond the operator's control.

What is included

Small group 4WD tour with guide from Adelaide
6 nights' accommodation — Standard motel unit, double or twin share
6 continental breakfasts
2 picnic lunches (days 1 and 4)
3 dinners (days 3, 4 and 5)
Guided town tour in Coober Pedy

Not included

Other lunches and dinners — at roadhouses, cafes, pubs and restaurants on the way
Lake Eyre and Painted Desert scenic flights (optional)
Arkaroola 4WD ridge top tour, scenic flights and night sky observatory (optional)

FAQ

Preparing for the trip

What immunisations do I need?

For the latest information on immunisations, we strongly recommend you or contact the Travellers Medical and Vaccination Centre (www.traveldoctor.com.au) to discuss health requirements for your trip. They will advise you about appropriate inoculations.

Do I need to take any medical supplies?

It is not necessary to bring any medical supplies other than any personal items you may require. Each tour carries a first aid box, and the tour guides are all certified in First Aid.

Do I need travel insurance?

Insurance is important in protecting visitors from loss or damange of goods, medical problems, cancelation by passengers or other casualties. Its highly recommended. Some tours on this website require you to have travel insurance. If you are Australian then it is not necessary.

Where can I get more information about this trip?

If you find that this tour page doesn't answer all your questions, then please get in contact with us! Our passionate team are always available to answer any queries you may have.

Will I be able to use my mobile whilst on tour?

You can use your mobile while touring in Australia or New Zealand, but coverage may be limited in remote areas. For best connectivity, consider purchasing a local SIM card or an international roaming plan.

How fit do I need to be?

These tours are designed to be fun, informative and active, and can be enjoyed by anyone with a moderate degree of fitness and agility. Travellers should be comfortable with hiking or walking up to 5km each day.

What should I pack?

Depending on where in Australia or New Zealand you decide to visit, your luggage will vary. For exact information please visit the "What to bring" section of each tour page.

Private tours and families

Is it possible to travel in a private group?

If you are looking for a private tour based on one of these trips, please contact us directly and we may be able to help. Over the years we have worked with families, groups of friends, schools, clubs and charities to put together the perfect trip.

Booking the trip

Does the tour price include flights?

No. Tour prices do not include any travel arrangements other than for the duration of the tour itself. If you need assistance with booking flights or buses our travel team and certainly help - Just ask!

How far in advance do I need to book my tour?

As a rule of thumb, try to book at least 2 weeks prior to departure, this will usually get you a seat on the date you want. That being said, we cannot guarantee that spaces will be available at the time of your booking so, if you can, book as soon as possible. Bookings can still be made right up until the departure date of the tour if seats are available. If you know when you'd like to travel, please contact us and we will let you know if you need to book soon or if you have time.

Do I have to book this tour online?

Definitely not. Our website is designed to make is easy and convenient for you to schedule your tour. However we understand sometimes its nice to talk to someone directly. So by all means give us a call and we can organise your trip over the phone.

If I book more than one tour can I get a discount?

Absolutely! If you are booking multiple tours then we may be able to offer you a discount. Send us an email at info@lostinaustralia.org and let us know what you thinking of doing and we can put together a price for you.Also, be sure to look out for monthly specials on tours. We often have some great bargains.

How do I know when a tour is available?

You can check the departure dates of tours by using our calendar on the top right hand corner of the tour page. This will tell you what days the tour departs. For availability of seats please contact us directly at info@lostinaustralia.org or call us.

If I make a deposit only, when will I need to pay the balance?

Balance on tours need to be paid at least 30 days prior to departure. Failure to do so could result is the cancellation of your seat with a fee charged. If you need more time to clear your balance then let us know ASAP and arrangements can be made.

Who travels with us

Is it ok to travel alone on one of these tours?

Plenty of travellers book these tours on their own. Solo travellers are very much welcomed and encouraged. During your outback adventure you'll meet new and interesting people and forge relationships that last a lifetime.Solo travellers will usually share a room with a travelling companion of the same sex, but even if you do get your own room you won't be charged extra. On camping tours there are generally enough tents available that you can have your own if you choose to.For more information please contact us directly.

Cost and Fees

Do I need to tip the guide?

If you had an amazing time on tour and wish to tip your guide, that is completely up to you. Tipping is not customary in Australia and is not at all expected.

Will I need additional money?

Travellers are advised to bring some cash, as ATMs and banks can be few and far between in the remote parts of the trip. It is handy to have some extra cash, as the tour does stop by local shops and cafes.

Are there any hidden fees I need to know about?

Our tour prices are completely transparent. There are no additional fees involved that are not included in the overall tour price shown. If you wish to do optional activities such as helicopter rides or wildlife safaris, then an extra cost may be needed. However, this will always be made clear at the time of your booking.

What does Paid Locally mean?

Some tours require you to pay national park fees directly, in cash, to the tour guide on the morning of departure. Rest assured this will be subtracted from the tour price when reserving your tour.

Whilst on tour

Can I book extra accommodation for the start and end of the tour?

We know our country inside and out and would be happy to give you good recommodations. Please contact us for recommendations.

Where do I meet the tour?

For pick-up times and locations, please check the "Start/Finish" section directly under the itinerary, which lists every pick-up point and its time.There is a lot of information there to help you plan your flights and arrival.Please review it carefully, as pick-ups can vary from tour to tour.

Reviews

5.0

Based on 1 review

Verified from

Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.

How we collect and publish reviews

Where they come from. Our reviews are gathered from independent review sites and from guests who share feedback with us directly after their trip. They come from people who have actually travelled on the tour. Some longer trips are made up of shorter tours we also sell, run back to back — where a review was written about one of those legs, the review says so.

Why some are edited. Many of our guests travel in their second or third language. Where a review is hard to read, we lightly edit spelling, grammar and punctuation, or paraphrase a sentence for clarity. We never change the rating, the meaning or the sentiment, and we never write a review on a guest's behalf.

Reading the originals. Reviews sourced from public review sites appear there in their original form, and can be read in full at their original source at any time.

(5/5)

“Good value for money tour”

Steve made our trip memorable with his humour, kindness and flexibility, and he knew so much about the places we went. Breathtaking scenery and a lot to see in a short time; an extra day for Oodnadatta, or more shopping time in Coober Pedy, might be worth it.

randlhicks Verified· Travelled 1st May 2023

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