A Curious Place

Day 1

Adelaide-McLaren Vale-Victor Harbor

d'Arenberg Cube an award-winning architectural puzzle; the building is a giant Rubik's Cube with the optical illusion of floating in a vineyard. Attracting tourists and wine lovers to lose themselves in an ever-growing list of art installations, wine experiences, sensory exploration, and immersive tours. The top floor tasting room offers breathtaking views over McLaren Vale.

Post-wine, it’s time to hit the beach. Bundle into the car and in 22 minutes, you’ll be at beautiful Sellicks Beach. Sellicks is one of the few beaches in South Australia where you can drive right onto the sand. Bring your bathers in summer for a dip in crystal-clear Fleurieu waters or take a stroll below moody, rolling green hills in winter.

Enjoy lunch at the Victory Hotel - located in a restored restaurant/pub dating from 1858, which offers guests extensive restaurant and front bar “pub” menu of locally sourced fresh produce from the nearby coastal and country areas that surround the pub.

The Big Duck Boat Tour is the Fleurieu Peninsula's spectacular ocean adventure experience. Explore inaccessible areas of coastline, islands, and beaches in a expedition-style rigid inflatable boat. Spot seals, dolphins, seabirds and whales (in season) in their natural environment.

Overnight: Fleurieu Peninsula
Adelaide to McLaren Vale: 45-minute drive
McLaren Vale to Victor Harbor: 45-minute drive

Day 2

Victor Harbor-Naracoorte

Experience authentic Aussie farm life with a private tour of Softfoot Alpacca Farm.  Explore the stunning 500-acre property nestled in picturesque Hindmarsh Valley and enjoy the opportunity to get up close and personal with our herd of world class alpacas.  Learn about these beautiful creatures, hand feed them and enjoy getting close to nature.

The Naracoorte Caves are part of the 800,000 year old Naracoorte East Range. They are World Heritage listed, and one of the world’s most important fossil sites. For half a million years the caves acted as pitfall traps and predator dens. Animals would fall in through a hole in the ground and not be able to escape. Bones collected – layer upon layer, year after year – creating a rich fossil record of the ancient animals that roamed the area. The fossil record covers several ice ages and the arrival of humans in the area.

Overnight: Limestone Coast
Victor Harbor to Naracoorte: 4 hour drive

Day 3

Naracoorte-Mount Gambier

Mount Gambier’s Umpherston Sinkhole is a beautiful sunken garden, right in the middle of town. Once an underground limestone cave, a giant crater was formed when the chamber’s roof collapsed many years ago. Over time, the sinkhole was transformed into a picturesque garden. It is now blanketed with flowers, plants and lush green grass.

The Tasting Room is a boutique facility located on farm at Mayura Station. This unique restaurant offers the ultimate ‘paddock to plate’ experience in the Limestone Coast. The most prime cuts of export grade Wagyu beef are cooked to perfection at The Tasting Room. Constantly striving to perfect cooking techniques and flavour combinations to ensure that our visitors have the best possible experience.

Serenely located beneath a rural farming property near Mount Gambier, Kilsby Sinkhole is world-renowned as one of the best sinkhole dive sites due to its crystal-clear water and breathtaking visibility. Kilsby Sinkhole welcomes snorkellers, free-divers and Open Water certified scuba divers under the supervision of a licensed and industry qualified guide. Access via licensed guides only.

At 75 metres deep the Blue Lake is a large water-filled volcanic crater that is now extinct. It mysteriously changes colour from blue in the warmer months to grey at other times. There is a sealed road around the perimeter and also a 3.6-kilometre walking trail with viewing platforms. Guided tours are available.

Overnight: Limestone Coast
Naracoorte to Mount Gambier: 1-hour drive.

Take a trip down Ghost Mushroom Lane.  A luminous mushroom can be found growing in Southeast pine forest during the colder months.  The aptly named “Ghost Mushroom” emits a soft green glow after dark as a result of a chemical reaction between fungal enzymes and oxygen. This glow can be bright enough to read words on a page!

Day 4

Pink Lakes (optional extra)

South Australia is home to some of the world’s most vibrant pink lakes, stunning travellers with their dreamlike hues, set against the greens, blues and reds of regional South Australia.

Of course, there’s a logical explanation behind nature’s strawberry milkshakes. It’s the lakes’ high salinity levels, combined with the presence of salt-loving algae and pink bacteria known as halobacteria that turn them bright pink. The less water in the lake, the more concentrated the salt and the brighter the colour.

But enough with the details. It’s time to hit the road and start exploring our lakes for yourself, here are our top South Australian pink lakes.