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If you’re in Adelaide and looking to explore a bit, one of South Australia’s great road trip routes runs from the capital south along the coast to Mount Gambier, just shy of the border with Victoria. An easy and interesting drive, if you have some time up your sleeve this is a great road trip — and one that is perfect in a hire car.
Beginning in Adelaide, on this road trip you’ll get to experience the beautiful coastline, see (if you’re lucky!) some of the wildlife South Australia is famous for, visit historic centres, go wine-tasting at fabulous wineries, explore World Heritage caves and even visit what is probably the biggest lobster you’ve ever seen. Read on for all the details.
With your first stop under an hour away from the state capital of Adelaide, there’s no reason to hit the road early. In fact, if you haven’t already visited, consider starting your day with a visit to the superb South Australian Museum which includes within its vast archives, the largest collection of Australian Aboriginal cultural material in the country.
Suitably cultured, jump in your hire car and drive south towards McLaren Vale, pulling up at the d'Arenberg Cube. Inspired by the complexities and puzzles of winemaking, its many levels are — much like the cube itself — somewhat revelatory, and with the tasting room open from mid-morning, there’s plenty of opportunity to mull over both what you’ve learned and the views of the surrounding vineyards.
This is but one of the many wine estates that dot this area, and if you spent perhaps a little too long in the mulling over phase, once you’ve found your accommodation for the night, why not leave your hire car for a bit and try the Shiraz Trail? It’s an eight kilometre walking and/or cycling trail that links McLaren Vale to Willunga in the south and there’s plenty of great wine tasting and grazing along the way.
It is about an hour and a half drive from McLaren Vale to Cape Jervis, but rather than driving it in one hit, break up the trip with a morning stop at the HMAS Hobart Memorial Lookout, followed by a lunch stop or lazy afternoon at Second Valley, before pressing on to Cape Jervis for sunset.
While the lookout is named after one vessel, it actually honours two wartime vessels of the same name and the crews that served in them. All that you can see today is the anchor, but the rest of the latter, nicknamed the “Green Ghost,” was scuttled offshore and is today a popular dive site.
Push on to Second Valley for lunch — set midway along the Fleurieu Peninsula, the beautiful rural setting is ideal for long cliff walks or taking a stroll along the spectacular Rapid Bay Jetty. As the shadows begin to lengthen, keep your eyes peeled for dolphins offshore, before continuing on to Cape Jervis, sunset, and a well-earned meal.
Leave the mainland behind and catch the morning ferry to Kangaroo Island, where you’ll spend the next two days exploring its natural wonders. Note that if you’re just wanting to visit Kangaroo Island from Adelaide, there are flights direct to Kangaroo Island Airport.
Famous for its remarkable stone formations including the aptly named Admirals Arch, for many, Flinders Chase National Park is a highlight of Kangaroo Island and you could easily spend a day here and barely scratch the surface of what it has to offer. There’s multi-day hikes and some glorious beaches, but with only a day you might want to visit one of the lighthouses and cross your fingers for spotting some fur seals.
On your second day, if you’re keen to see some wildlife, Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is known for its koalas — and yes kangaroos, while if you’re after something grander, creatures don’t get much grander than the Australian sea lions at Seal Bay Conservation Park. Round out your day with a visit to Vivonne Bay — often named one of Australia’s best beaches. Swimming in the crystal-clear water here is possible, but with Antarctica pretty much the next stop south, the waters may be a bit frostier than you’re used to!
Grab a morning ferry back to the mainland and make your way back along the Fleurieu Peninsula to holiday-makers’ favourite Victor Harbour. With beaches in both directions — and plenty of chances to see whales — Victor Harbour is also known for its horse-drawn tram. Yes, you read that right, a tram drawn by magnificent Clydesdale horses takes passengers out to Granite Island. Once a whaling station and then for a spell home to thousands of penguins, today the island is best known for this unusual means of reaching it.
Use Victor Harbour as a base to explore nearby Port Elliot and its very pretty Horseshoe Bay, or, if you’re feeling more energetic, continue on to Goolwa South and then onwards to the Murray Mouth Lookout where you can see Australia’s longest river, the 2,508 kilometre long Murray River, empty out to sea. With its source in the Australian Alps, the river forms much of the border between New South Wales and Victoria, and if you’d like to wave it a final goodbye, this is the spot.
If you’re wanting to spend a full day exploring Coorong National Park, be sure to get going early. A typical north to south itinerary would have you start with the ferry across “the Narrows” between Lake Alexandria and Lake Albert. From there you can visit lighthouses, pelican sanctuaries, historic attractions including a mill, well, and oil rig, and, near Salt Creek there is the Nruggie Ngoppun Trail that takes just over an hour to complete. Exploring the area at length will take a full day, but it is possible to also just sample some of it before pushing on.
Set at the southern end of Coorong, and not wanting to be outdone by Victor Harbour and its horse tram, Kingston is all about its big lobster. At 17 metres high, the 1979-era malacostracan is certainly large enough to drag a tram around, but this one isn’t going anywhere, and while you could stop by for a bite ... lobster is optional ... Pink Beach and Cape Jaffa are also solid — and delicious — options and not too far away by hire car.
Founded as a shipping port — it was once South Australia’s second busiest international port — today Robe is a laid-back and sleepy town better known for its historic buildings, surrounding beaches, and lobster ... yes, more lobster ... than anything to do with its historic shipping movements. With plenty of boutiques and galleries, this is a popular getaway for Adelaide-ian weekenders and once you settle into the pace of life here, it’s easy to see why.
Resist the urge though to slow down too much, and allow time for a jaunt to Naracoorte to visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves. One of the ten best fossil sites on the planet, a guided tour is the best way to see the ancient fossils, and the stalactites and stalagmites that earned the site its listing. For something extra-special, join the evening bat tour.
Spend your final day weaving through more wine country before finishing up in Mount Gambier. Penola’s Mary MacKillop Penola Centre will help you learn all about Australia’s first saint Mary MacKillop, and with over twenty cellar doors in the area, there’s no shortage of options for toasting some Saintly praises.
From Penola push on to the Coonawarra wine region and be sure to sample a range of the fabulous premium reds. Even if wine is not your thing, the grazing fare on hand at many of the wineries is simply spectacular.
Continue to Mount Gambier to wrap up your trip with a visit to the Blue Lake/Warwar, a striking crater lake — and popular Instagram spot — that turns a vivid blue in summer.
