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Peregrine Travel Centre

Adelaide to Darwin Overland

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Adelaide to Darwin Overland

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Description

See the Red Centre and the Top End on an Outback adventure through Australia’s heart, spending 15 days travelling from Adelaide to Darwin. From the orange-rock spires of Warren Gorge, the underground mining town of Coober Pedy, the towering domes of Kata Tjuta, the traditional rock art in Ubirr, the swimming holes of World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park to the towering rock walls of Katherine Gorge, you’ll get an insightful top-to-tail Australian adventure. Along the way, learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legends and customs during the Top Didj cultural experience and discover the history of the First Peoples of Australia at Anbangbang. This trip will leave you with a profound appreciation of Australia’s First Nations significance and rugged natural beauty.

Trip Name
Adelaide to Darwin Overland
Last Updated
2020-06-23
Days
14
Capacity
24
Highlights
  • See the best of Australia’s iconic Red Centre on guided walks around Uluru, Kings Canyon and the ancient red domes of Kata Tjuta.
  • Journey into the heart of the stunning Flinders Ranges and take an easy hike around Wilpena Pound, a natural amphitheatre of rocky mountains.
  • 'Noodle' for opals, hang out with some rescued joeys and spend the night in a subterranean bunker in the Outback town of Coober Pedy.
  • Discover the wonders of Kakadu National Park. See ancient traditional rock art and consider taking an optional flight over the astounding landscapes.
  • The Mary River Wetlands feature myriad wildlife, including the highest concentration of saltwater crocodiles in the southern hemisphere. Get up close to the snappy beasts on a river cruise.

Itinerary

ITINERARY CHANGES: Our itineraries are updated regularly throughout the year based on customer feedback and to reflect the current situation in each destination. The information included in this Essential Trip Information may therefore differ from when you first booked your trip. It is important that you print and review a final copy prior to travel so that you have the latest updates. Due to weather, local conditions, transport schedules, public holidays or other factors, further changes may be necessary to your itinerary once in country. The order and timing of included activities in each location may also vary seasonally to ensure our travellers have the best experience. Your tour leader will keep you up to date with any changes once on tour. ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER CULTURAL EXPERIENCES & COMMUNITIES: Please note due to cultural sensitivities, entry to particular parts of local First Nations communities may be unavailable. Where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander guides are unavailable in the Red Centre an Intrepid guide will lead the interpretive cultural walk. Top End cultural experiences are only available during the dry season (May-Oct) as site is subject to flooding (contact our customer service team for availability). Participants may be absent due to cultural commitments with minimal prior notification and Intrepid reserves the right to amend the itinerary in these circumstances with no obligation to refund. OODNADATTA TRACK: The Oodnadatta Track is an unsealed dirt road, and conditions of the track depend heavily on weather. In the case that the road is deemed unsafe to drive on, or there is a possibility that sections of the track will close after we have commenced driving on the track, our Operations team reserves the right to alter the itinerary and take a different route. If, for safety reasons, the decision is made not to travel on the track, days 2 and 3 will be a variation of the below: Day 2 – Parachina Gorge | Hawker | Flinders Ranges Hike | overnight Quorn multishare (BLD) Day 3 – Port Augusta | Coober Pedy via Stuart Highway | Josephine’s Gallery | Coober Pedy town and underground tour, noodling for opals, opal cutting demonstration | overnight underground bunkhouse multishare (BLD) WET SEASON ITINERARY A tropical summer itinerary applies in Kakadu April/May and September/October Itineraries may vary and/or attractions be substituted for any cause including seasonal conditions (including the opening and closing of Jim Jim Falls and other natural attractions), weather extremes, traditional owner and national park requirements. Itineraries may vary and/or attractions be substituted for any cause including seasonal conditions, weather extremes, and traditional owner/national park requirements. Note that the opening dates of waterfalls (including Jim Jim Falls) and attractions vary each year and can change on a daily basis in the wet and shoulder seasons. Visit this website to see live updates on which areas of the park will be open: http://kakaduroadreport.wordpress.com/ or contact our Reservations team. Due to National Park rules and road laws, we cannot guarantee the opening of Jim Jim Falls and other attractions at any time. Alternative activities will be substituted at the tour guides’ discretion, dependent on local conditions. The relationship between ATA and Intrepid Australia For over 25 years, Intrepid Travel and Adventure Tours Australia have been leading brands in the adventure travel business. With Intrepid’s global product range and Adventure Tours’ local knowledge, the two brands joined force in 2011 to provide the ultimate range of Australian product with Intrepid running all of it’s local trips under the Adventure Tours Australia name. Today we’re proud to bring Aussie-made trips to the world, both here with Adventure Tours and overseas through the Intrepid brand, so no matter which brand you have booked through, you’re travelling with the best. Day four is a long driving day, and in some cases, your Guide may make the decision to spend night four at Erldunda rather than driving through to our campsite at Yulara. If this occurs, you will depart for Yulara (Uluru) the very next morning and continue with scheduled activities.

Day 1 - Flinders Ranges
Welcome to South Australia, where your adventure begins. You’ll be picked up from the YHA Adelaide at 8.30 am and head to the culinary epicentre of the State’s capital, the Adelaide Central Market. We’ll meander through the markets to collect some local produce to enjoy a little later in the day. Next, visit Australia’s Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Tandanya. The First Nation precinct provides a wonderful opportunity to experience both traditional and contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. Leave South Australia’s capital behind and head north to the Clare Valley, home to some of the country’s best wines. Perhaps purchase a bottle (or two!) and pair it with your delicious lunch. After lunch enjoy expansive views of the Flinders Ranges as you drive towards Wilpena Pound, a natural amphitheatre of rocky mountains. Experience the sunset at Wilpena Pound before settling into your accommodation for the night.
Day 2 - Quorn
It’s an early (but worthwhile) start this morning as you enjoy a short and leisurely walk along one of the many tracks in Flinders National Park. Spanning a massive 450 km, you won’t be able to cover it all, but your guide will choose the best trail for your group, depending on the time of year. Travel to the site of the Yourambulla Caves where you’ll have the opportunity to view some Aboriginal rock art before stopping for lunch at Quorn. Spend the afternoon enjoying a couple of walks.  Warren Gorge provides stunning ochre rock faces that complement the blue skies. Keep your eyes peeled for the very well camouflaged local rock wallabies. Tonight, you’ll stay in the quintessential South Australian town of Quorn.
Day 3 - Coober Pedy
Leave Quorn in the rearview mirror and head to Coober Pedy, the ‘opal capital of the world’. Due to extremely hot temperatures in the area most of the town is constructed underground, with residents living in homes carved into the hillsides. Upon arrival take a guided tour of the town, an underground house and the opal mine (with n opal-cutting demonstration). The rest of the afternoon is free to explore. You may even like to try your hand at 'noodling' (fossicking) for opals. End the day with some rescued joeys at Josephine’s Gallery and Kangaroo Orphanage. Tonight, stay in a multi-share underground bunkhouse in Coober Pedy.
Day 4 - Coober Pedy / Yulara
We’ll be honest, there’s a fair bit of driving today. From Coober Pedy travel past the Dingo Fence and Breakaways Reserve, and into the Northern Territory. Be prepared to ‘hold on’ as your guide hits the indicator on the vehicle for the first time, leaving the Stuart Highway and turning left onto the Lasseter Highway towards Uluru. Make sure you have your phone fully charged and your neck cushion handy!
Day 5 - Yulara/Uluru
Rise early this morning and be rewarded with a glorious Uluru sunrise. While the day is still fresh, enjoy a walk around the base of this incredible sandstone formation, which is of great spiritual significance to the Anangu people. Walk to the cave paintings near Mutitjulu Waterhole at the base of Uluru where you will be in the hands of an Anangu guide who will share the stories of this unique landscape. This exclusive experience will give you an insight to the meaning behind Anangu art and traditional culture. The onsite Cultural Centre also houses an extensive collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and crafts for you to browse. Head back to camp for lunch.
Day 6 - Uluru/Kings Canyon
Today, explore one of the Red Centre's greatest treasures, Kata Tjuta, a group of domed red rocks rising spectacularly out of the desert. Like Uluru, they’re sacred to the Anangu people and are believed to be 600 million years old. Return to camp for lunch before travelling to Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon). Spend the night in an exclusive campsite inside the park.
Day 7 - Kings Canyon/ Alice Springs
With its 300-metre high sandstone walls, hidden waterholes, fern forests, chasms, canyons and caverns, Watarrka National Park is central Australia’s answer to an oasis. The highlight attractions here are the Garden of Eden, the Amphitheatre and the Lost City – all sites you’ll get to visit on the Rim Walk. Following lunch, it’s back on the road for the onward drive to Alice Springs, where you'll stay the night before heading to Darwin tomorrow.
Day 8 - Alice Springs Free day
Today you will have time to to explore Alice Springs at your own leisure.
Day 9 - Flight to Darwin
This morning, transfer to the airport for your Qantas flight bound for Darwin (flight time approximately 2 hours), skipping the 1500 km and almost 24 hours if you went by road! Once arrived, catch the Darwin Airport shuttle service to your hotel where you’ll spend the afternoon and evening, before setting off on your Top End adventure early tomorrow morning. The rest of the evening is free for you to do as you please in Australia’s northernmost state capital.
Day 10 - Darwin Free day
After breakfast this morning, head to onto the water on a wildlife cruise in the Mary River Wetlands, a network of waterways home to crocodiles and native bird species. Kakadu National Park and discover ancient Aboriginal rock art in Ubirr. Your guide will lead an interpretive cultural walk through the numerous rock galleries, before you climb to the top of a lookout for views over the Nardab floodplain. Tonight, relax by the pool at the Kakadu campground and enjoy a group dinner.
Day 11 - Darwin – Mary River via Litchfield National Park
Welcome to the Northern Territory! Your adventure begins in the tropical city of Darwin. Set off from Darwin and head south to Lichfield National Park, a huge sandstone plateau with dozens of waterfalls. Explore Florence Falls, Wangi Falls and the Buley Rockholes. After a picnic lunch, stroll through steamy rainforests and cool off with a dip in one of Litchfield's picturesque swimming holes. We then hit the road to Wulna Country, where your Limilngan-Wulna hosts – the land’s Traditional Owners – will greet you with a Cul Cul or ‘Welcome to Country’. Learn about their culture during bush tucker talks and didgeridoo and basket weaving demonstrations. Enjoy a camp dinner before climbing into bed at private campsite in the Mary River region.
Day 12 - Kakadu National Park: Ubirr & Barramundi Gorge
After breakfast this morning, head to onto the water on a wildlife cruise in the Mary River Wetlands, a network of waterways home to crocodiles and native bird species. Kakadu National Park and discover ancient Aboriginal rock art in Ubirr. Your guide will lead an interpretive cultural walk through the numerous rock galleries, before you climb to the top of a lookout for views over the Nardab floodplain. Tonight, relax by the pool at the Kakadu campground and enjoy a group dinner.
Day 13 - Kakadu – Katherine
This morning you have the option to take a scenic flight over Kakadu (at your own expense). The flight takes in views over the Arnhem Land escarpment, vast flood plains and billabongs. Later spend time exploring Kakadu’s other major Aboriginal rock art site – Nourlangie (Burrunggui), while your guide provides a glimpse into how the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live. After lunch head south and stop to visit the historic gold-mining centre of Pine Creek. Stop for a quick dip at Maguk or Gunlom Falls, before continuing on to Katherine, where you'll settle in for the night at a private campsite near Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge).
Day 14 - Katherine Gorge – Darwin
Depending on the season, head out on a morning cruise along the inky waters of Katherine Gorge, or canoe between red rock walls that are up to 70 metres high (both of these activities are optional and at your own expense). This 23 million-year-old landscape was formed by the Katherine River, which flows from Arnhem Land out to the Timor Sea. After lunch we head to the beautiful Edith falls for one last refreshing swim in the huge plunge pool before we hit the road back to Darwin, where your adventure comes to an end on arrival.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
09-09-202022-09-2020AUD $ 3,425-
07-10-202020-10-2020AUD $ 3,425-
14-10-202027-10-2020AUD $ 3,425-
21-10-202003-11-2020AUD $ 3,082-

Accommodation

Hotel (5 nights),Underground shared bunkhouse (1 night),Permanent furnished tented camp (7 nights)

Transport

All Terrain vehicle

Map

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