Kevin's South Australia

Adelaide

Adelaide is gem of a city, often playing second fiddle to the likes of Sydney and Melbourne, but it certainly packs its own understated punch. Eminently walkable, the Central Market is a good starting point from which to explore further, including its bohemian east end with old style Aussie bars, along with hip café’s and eclectic restaurants. Whilst the walkways along the River Torrens allow you to connect with nature in the city, the beaches of Glenelg are also just a short tram ride away.

Flinders Ranges 

The Flinders Ranges are around 4 to 5 hours North of Adelaide, it’s a pleasant easy drive with long straight stretches of road, that would certainly get the nod from any Roman civil engineer. Signs enroute give an insight into South Australia’s history, heading north from Adelaide I see turn offs for Edinburgh, Sailsbury, Windsor, Dublin and Truro. The gateway town to the Flinders Ranges is Hawker, once a railroad town on the famous Ghan route, it still caters for travellers passing through the region. A pit stop at the Hawker General Store serves up a great slice of Australina. Within the same open plan galvanized building there is a post office, a grocery and hardware store, a bottle shop and a café, serving delicious coffee. As I sip on my brew pretty much every patron is greeted on a first name basis, even down to the canine visitors.

Rawnsley Park Station

Rawnsley Park Station is my base in the hills, snuggled between the famous Wilpena Pound and the Elder Ranges the resort offers holiday units, RV sites and stand-alone Ecco villas. The Ecco villas are well worth the upgrade, self-contained units with an open plan kitchen and living area, leading onto a spacious balcony, which was the perfect spot to look up at the dark sky and illuminated Milky Way.

A 4x4 sundowner tour was a great way to get a feel for the rugged country, we traversed creeks and ridges, spotting Kangaroos and Emus, before arriving  at our sun set vantage point, in a homage to a South African safari, beers and bubbles were quickly on hand along with some delicious local cheese and biscuits to say farewell to the sun as it sank below the Elders, whilst illuminating Mount Havelock with a delicate pinkish hue.

Tales were swapped later in the onsite woolshed restaurant over lamb produced on the resort, sitings of Yellow Footed Rock Wallabies, Wedge Tailed Eagles and visits to Fossil Fields were exchanged along with suggestions for the best day hikes, I took a relatively short hike along the Arkaroo route, affording wonderful views of Rawnsley along with an indigenous touch point to see the rock art of the Adnyamathanha people, thought to be well over 6000 years old.

Barossa Valley

Between the Flinders Ranges and Adelaide lies the Barossa Valley, a name synonymous with the Australian wine industry, the dusty outback transforms into lush vineyards and small bucolic towns. The Barossa rewards the unhurried traveller with pretty villages such as Lyndoch and Tanunda. Across the region there are a plethora of cellar doors offering tastings and beyond the vines the region is dotted with artisan cheesemakers, bakers and olive oil providers, complimented by countless coffee chops, cafes and restaurants.