South Australia Self Drive Holidays

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Visitor Information

Major Driving Routes

One of the best ways to explore all South Australia has to offer is self driving. Four of Australia's greatest drives are:

Adelaide to Darwin via The Explorer Highway - This long distance tourist drive along the Stuart Highway spans the length of Australia. It runs from Adelaide to tropical Darwin in the far north Australia, and traverses the vast South Australian Outback and the red heart of the nation.

Melbourne to Adelaide via the Great Ocean Road -This magnificent journey takes visitors from Melbourne to Adelaide via the spectacular Great Ocean Road, Limestone Coast and Fleurieu Peninsula.

Sydney to Adelaide - This journey takes visitors from Sydney in New South Wales to Adelaide, through South Australia's scenic Murray River region and two of South Australia's most renowned wine regions, the Barossa and Clare Valley.

Perth to Adelaide - This trip takes visitors on an awe-inspiring journey from Perth in Western Australia, to Adelaide, South Australia, and passes through Western Australia's spectacular south coast, and South Australia's Nullarbor Plain, Eyre Peninsula, and the Clare Valley wine region.

South Australia Driving Experiences

Wine & Food

South Australia has some of the world's most famous wine regions including the Barossa, Clare Valley and Coonawarra. We're home to Australia's most prestigious red wine – Penfold's Grange. We're passionate about our food and there's a restaurant to suit every taste and budget. Come for our farmers' markets, gourmet retreats, food and wine trails, and the fascinating Adelaide Central Market, with a mind-boggling array of fresh produce and gourmet specialities introduced by the waves of immigrants and their families who call Adelaide home. South Australia Wine And Food

Nature & Scenic

Kangaroo Island, one of the most unspoilt natural wonders of the world; the glorious Flinders Ranges including Wilpena Pound; the tranquil Murray River; the Coorong – a tapestry of lagoons, wetlands and sand dunes fronting the thunderous waves of the Southern Ocean; the heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves; and the awe-inspiring South Australian Outback including legendary Birdsville Track. South Australia Nature

Art & Culture

South Australia is renowned for the Adelaide Festival, innovative Fringe Festival and multicultural music festival WOMADelaide. Stroll along Adelaide's main boulevard, North Terrace, for the SA Art Gallery, museum, State Library (housing the Bradman collection, a tribute to cricketer Sir Donald Bradman) and Migration Museum. You'll also find Tandanya here – the National Aboriginal Cultural Institute.South Australia Arts Culture and Lifestyle

Beach & Coastal Encounters

You're sure to find your perfect beach somewhere along South Australia's 3700km coast. When Sydney University evaluated 10,000 beaches across Australia, Vivonne Bay on Kangaroo island was among the winners. The Eyre Peninsula features many superb beaches, famous blue water sailing, diving, fishing and whale-watching spots. Yorke Peninsula's coast is dotted with jetties - perfect for fishing and strolling - as well as shipwrecks that make for great diving. South Australia Coastal

Wildlife Experiences

Swim with dolphins at Baird Bay; go on safari through Monarto Zoological Park to see giraffes, lions, cheetahs, rhinos and more; watch whales carvort at Head of Bight; cuddle koalas at Cleland Conservation Park; get up close to sea lions on Kangaroo Island. There's no taming South Australia! South Australia Unspoilt Wildlife

Quick Facts

Population

1,542,033

Climate

Around the coast, South Australians enjoy a temperate climate that encourages outdoor living and a relaxed atmosphere. But in the north, temperatures can get hot, particularly in the summer months. Adelaide’s summer average is 28.3 Celsius, with a winter average of 15.9 Celsius.

Cultural Mix

South Australia’s population is characterised by a great diversity of cultures. Approximately one in five South Australians was born overseas, with about half of this group born in English-speaking countries, and the other half in countries where English is not the dominant language. Famous For:

Famous For

South Australia is famous for: Kangaroo Island for its unspoilt nature; Coober Pedy for its underground homes; enthralling events like international cycling race the Tour Down Under; the Clipsal 500 V8 championship; the Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive; and Australia’s largest arts festival - the Adelaide Fringe. We’re known for our world-class Barossa wine region and for being the home of the remarkable Penfold’s Grange (the 1990 vintage was dubbed ‘the best red wine in the world’ by Wine Spectator magazine).

Transport

By air, you can reach South Australia on international airlines including Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Garuda Airlines; there are also several national airline operators servicing the state. By rail, the Ghan runs between Adelaide and Darwin via Alice Springs, while the Indian Pacific spans the continent between Sydney and Perth via Adelaide. The Overland runs between Melbourne and Adelaide – all are owned by Great Southern Rail. Adelaide’s interstate rail terminal is located at Keswick, a few kilometres from the city centre. A number of coach companies have connections to and within South Australia. Its central position makes SA a great destination for a short(ish) drive from the eastern states, or part of a longer tour across the nation.

The people

Artists - film director Scott Hicks (Shine, Snow Falling on Cedars), film director Rolf de Heer (Ten Canoes), painter David Bromley, photo-based artist Deborah Paauwe, sculptor Greg Johns, glass artist Nick Mount, artist Fiona Hall Sir Hans Heysen made his home in the Adelaide Hills – his studio is still open to visitors.

Musicians - South Australia is home to successful hip-hop band The Hilltop Hoods, Musos who grew up here include Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian and Aussie rocker Jimmy Barnes, US singer-songwriter Ben Folds also married a local and made Adelaide his part-time home.

Actors - Anthony Lapaglia, Gary Sweet, Katie Fischer, Shaun Micallef, Sir Robert Helpmann

Writers - Nobel prize winner Joseph Coetzee, children’s author Mem Fox, novelist Monica McInerney, sc-fi writer Sean Williams.

Chefs - Jean-Claude de Tolouse, Andrew Fielke, Le Tu Thai, Simon Bryant, Maggie Beer, Cheong Liew

South Australia has also produced astronaut Andy Thomas and Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt.

Did you know... The hit TV show McLeod’s Daughters is filmed in South Australia.

We recommend

Britz Aussie Overlander Encounter Itinerary - Australia in all its magnificence on a journey from the fertile soils of Adelaide and the Clare Valley to the underground world of Coober Pedy, world-famous Uluru and Alice Springs.