Cap day 2 underground with a guided visit to Alexandra Cave in the World Heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves National Park. Follow illuminated chambers lined with stalactites and stalagmites, their forms mirrored in still pools and glimmering calcite drapery.

While Alexandra is prized for its ornate speleothems, your guide also explains the park’s wider significance as part of the Australian Fossil Mammal Sites, where nearby deposits reveal ice-age megafauna. Cool air, echoing chambers and the slow artistry of water and stone make this a quietly spellbinding close to the day.

Day 4 is devoted to wild coastlines in Flinders Chase National Park. Walk the boardwalks to the wind-sculpted Remarkable Rocks, giant granite boulders perched above a surge of Southern Ocean, then continue to the sea-carved Admirals Arch, where long-nosed fur seals haul out on wave-washed ledges.

Guided paths trace cliff tops and heath, revealing how fire and wind shape this resilient landscape. Between blasts of briny air, you’ll pause for photos and reflection, the park’s raw geology and ceaseless swell telling stories older than any lighthouse.

On day 3, travel to Cape Jervis to board the ferry for the short sea crossing of Backstairs Passage to Kangaroo Island. Watch for dolphins and shearwaters as the mainland slips away and the island’s low cliffs and mallee scrub come into view.

You’ll make the return ferry crossing on day 5, retracing the historic route that long linked islanders with the Fleurieu Peninsula. Salt on the breeze, gulls wheeling overhead and a widening horizon deliver a simple, satisfying rhythm to the journey between worlds.

Also on day 4, join a ranger-led tour to walk among Australian sea lions at Seal Bay Conservation Park. From the dunes you’ll step onto the beach—at a respectful distance—to observe mothers nursing pups, bulls defending space and juveniles learning the surf along one of the nation’s most important breeding colonies.

This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience supports research and habitat protection for a species with only around 12,000 individuals worldwide, about 800 of which live here. It’s a rare chance to witness wild behaviour and understand the challenges facing a charismatic, yet vulnerable, marine mammal.

Midday on day 4, settle in for lunch by Vivonne Bay, complemented by a South Australian wine. The afternoon continues with a guided tour at Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery, where the clean, minty aroma of narrow-leaf mallee fills the air and you learn how traditional methods are used to craft 100% pure oil.

Round out the day at Kangaroo Island Brewery to sample craft beers—perhaps a crisp pale ale—while hearing how small producers are reshaping the island’s palate. From paddock to pint, today celebrates resourcefulness, flavour and the stories behind local labels.

On day 5, trace fleece to fabric during a guided visit to one of Australia’s only vertical woollen mills on Kangaroo Island. See how raw wool becomes woven goods under one roof—carding, spinning, weaving—then step inside the 360-degree igloo dome for a cinematic immersion in life inside a working shearing shed.

Stories of resilient growers, fine merino and hands-on craftsmanship bring the island’s pastoral heritage into focus. The tactile rhythm of machinery and the lanolin-scented air connect you with a tradition that still underpins rural livelihoods today.

Before departing the island on day 5, travel to the rugged eastern tip to visit South Australia’s oldest operating lighthouse at the Cape Willoughby Lightstation. Set high above Backstairs Passage, it offers panoramic views over the strait and the undulating Fleurieu coast beyond.

First lit in 1852 to guard treacherous waters, the lightstation speaks to the perils of early navigation and the lifeline it provided for mariners. Stand by the weathered stone, hear the wind in the guy wires, and pause for photos and reflection before your return to the mainland.

On day 6, join a guided panoramic tour of Adelaide, gliding along the cultural spine of North Terrace past the Art Gallery of South Australia, South Australian Museum and the elegant arches of Adelaide Oval. Trace the curves of the River Torrens and the city’s green belt of parklands, the legacy of Colonel Light’s visionary plan.

As trams hum and jacarandas shade side streets, your guide sketches Adelaide’s festivals, food scene and design heritage. You’ll then have time to enjoy a free afternoon to explore galleries, laneways or the city’s leafy squares at your own pace.

Also on day 6, wind into the cool-climate Adelaide Hills to stroll Hahndorf’s main street, shaded by elms and lined with artisan shops. Settled by Lutheran migrants in 1839, Australia’s oldest surviving German village still shows its timbered facades, stone cottages and gemutlich verandas.

As you browse, your guide highlights stories of perseverance, Prussian craft traditions and the orchards and dairies that shaped the district. Take time to soak in the village atmosphere—perhaps peeking into a bakery or boutique—before returning to the city.

Bring day 6 to a celebratory close as you raise a glass at Koomo, Adelaide’s highest restaurant. Perched above the skyline, you’ll savour Japanese-and-Asian-influenced dishes while the city’s grid and parks glow below.

This final meal is a chance to share stories of the journey from the Shipwreck Coast to Kangaroo Island’s rugged cliffs, toasting new friends and the diverse flavours of South Australia. The lights of Adelaide make a fitting backdrop to your last evening together.

Later on day 2, venture into the famed Coonawarra wine region for a guided tasting at selected cellar doors. Learn why its narrow strip of terra rossa soil over limestone produces elegant, age-worthy reds as you sample regional wines, notably Cabernet Sauvignon and vibrant cool-climate blends.

Your host decants the terroir’s story—maritime breezes, ancient seabeds and meticulous viticulture—all present in the glass. Expect notes of blackcurrant, mint and fine tannins, and the easy warmth of country hospitality between rows of low-slung vines.

Continuing on day 2, stop to view the Blue Lake, a volcanic crater whose waters famously shift from steel grey to an intense cobalt hue as temperatures rise in late spring and summer. Trails and lookouts ring the rim, offering sweeping views across Mount Gambier’s volcanic district.

Formed in an ancient maar, the lake’s colour change is a quirk of chemistry and sunlight. Breathe in the crisp air as you pause for photos and reflection, taking in the interplay of limestone, sky and water that defines South Australia’s Limestone Coast.

As dusk settles on day 1, gather at your hotel in Warrnambool to meet your Travel Director and travelling companions for a convivial welcome dinner. Share first impressions of the Shipwreck Coast over seasonal dishes that showcase the region’s produce and cool-climate wines.

Your host sets the tone for the days ahead, outlining tomorrow’s route and the stories behind the landscapes you’ll encounter. In a town once known as the whaling capital, conversation turns to the maritime heritage that shaped this rugged coast, and the quieter rhythm you’ll soon find on Kangaroo Island.

On day 2, join a Local Specialist to walk the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape at Tae Rak (Lake Condah). Among lava flows and wetlands, discover one of the world’s oldest aquaculture systems, where the Gunditjmara engineered stone channels and weirs to trap and cultivate kooyang (short-finned eel) for millennia.

Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2019, Budj Bim reveals a living culture tied to country and ingenuity shaped by the Budj Bim volcano. As you trace the water’s edge, your guide shares how seasonal harvests, stone dwellings and deep-time knowledge sustained the community long before European settlement.

• 4 Dinner (D)
• 6 Breakfast (B)
• 1 Lunch (L)

On day 1, trace the sweep of the Surf Coast on the Scenic Drive Along the Great Ocean Road, skirting wind-carved coves and the cool, ferny gullies of the Great Otway National Park. Pause in Apollo Bay to watch fishing boats bob in the harbour, then continue to the wave-battered lookouts above the The Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and the dramatic London Bridge arch formations. Sea spray hangs in the air as you pause for photos and reflection along this storied coast.

Built by returned servicemen between 1919 and 1932, the Great Ocean Road is the world’s largest war memorial. Hear tales of the Loch Ard shipwreck of 1878 and how a natural arch at London Bridge famously collapsed in 1990, reshaping the coastline. Roll into Warrnambool with the Southern Ocean still in your ears.

AAT Kings