The best road trips in SA

Australian TravellerBy Australian Traveller
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Explore sinkholes, glowing pink and blue lakes, iconic wine regions and more as you journey through South Australia along the state’s best road trip routes.

The Great Southern Journey, SA

If you love to mix wine and adventure (not necessarily at the same time), then a trip down the Southern Ocean Drive Road could be just the ticket.

 

Starting at Mount Gambier, drive 30 minutes, passing the Blue Lake and Umpherston Sinkhole to arrive at Coonawarra. Be sure to stop in at a couple of the cellar doors while you’re there. From there, head to Robe, where Long Beach is situated – the main street is great for shopping.

 

Head almost five hours to Victor Harbor, and en route you can visit Jack Point Pelican Observatory, Meningie Cheese Factory Museum and once you’ve arrived, even take a horse drawn tram to Granite Island. From there it’s a short trip to Kangaroo Island, where you can explore Flinders Chase National Park before heading back to Adelaide.

Revisit Kangaroo Island
Take a short trip to Kangaroo Island.

Epicurean Way road trip, SA

This road trip links together the four iconic wine regions of South Australia; McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, Barossa and Clare Valley. If you’re a lover of great food and wine, this is definitely one for you.

 

First stop McLaren Vale is just 40 minutes from Adelaide, and has many incredible destinations worth pulling over for. None more so that the incredible d’Arenberg Cube, which resembles Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory inside, housed in what looks like a giant Rubik’s cube – and you blend your own wine.

 

From there, head on to Adelaide Hills, where you can try Hahndorf Hill’s ChocoVino, a delicious combination of chocolate and wine. You should also stop in for cheese tastings at Udder Delights. From there, the Barossa is on the menu, where you can stop in Jacob’s Creek vineyard and Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop, where you can pick up some amazing goodies to take home.

 

Next, it’s the Clare Valley. Stop at Skillogalee for a tasting or two. You can also follow the 35km Riesling Trail (by bike is your best bet!), past scenic landscapes and spectacular places to eat. From there, extending on to the Southern Flinders Ranges; a young wine region with around 20 growers, known for its Riesling.

Coriole Wines
Coriole is one of the many wineries to visit while in McLaren Vale.

Road-tripping to South Australia’s bright pink lakes

You may not know it, but scattered across the beautiful state of South Australia, are spectacular pink lakes, varying in florescent hues.

 

Travelling from Adelaide, the lakes (Lake MacDonnell, Lake Eyre, Lake Bumbunga, Lake Hart and Lake Albert) are located varying hours away. From a mere hour-and-40-minutes’ drive to Lake Bumbunga, to a short plane ride and 45 minutes by car to stunning Lake Eyre.

 

The bright pink hue is achieved thanks to a salt-loving algae, attracted to the high salinity levels found in the lakes – and voila, we’re pretty in pink!

Lake Bumbunga
Lake Bumbunga is one of South Australia’s most impressive pink lakes.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about SA’s pink lakes

Stuart Highway, SA to NT

Caution, this has been labelled ‘the mother of all road trips’ – and we’re sure it’s not for the faint hearted. First set by John McDouall Stuart over 150 years ago, his journey took nine months north and another five months back to Adelaide – but yours won’t take nearly that long.

 

With a recommended driving time of 16 hours, and at least one recommended overnight stop, the trip down Stuart Highway is probably best enjoyed leisurely over two or three days. Why? With quirky outback towns, vast horizons and blue skies to take in, it’s not the kind of trip you want to rush. Major highlights include a dip at the Berry Springs National Park – and a drink at the Daly Waters Pub, which has been pouring lager since 1893.

 

With vast landscapes and limited reception, it’s the ultimate drive for self-reflection – just make sure to fill up your tank!

Stuart Hwy SA to NT
The famous Stuart Highway passing through the MacDonell Ranges in the Northern Territories.

Adelaide to The Prairie Hotel, SA

Food is undoubtedly the big reason many Australians make roads 470 kilometres north of Adelaide to South Australia’s Prairie Hotel. The menu changes seasonally, but obscurely, for 15 years passers-by have always been able to get the ‘Feral Mixed Grill.’

 

If you can kill it, they’ll grill it: kangaroo fillet, camel sausage and emu fillet mignon are piled high on a mound of gravy and mashed potato. Yep. Sir David Attenborough, Kate Winslet and Rachel Ward have all come by for a taste. However, for those who are about the scenery, the lookout to the Flinders Ranges is a sight to be seen.

 

Winter is said to be the best time to make the drive, due to the crisp, crystal clean air and perfect driving conditions. Make sure you stop for a tasting or two in the Clare Valley wine region on your travels – you can also walk or cycle along the Riesling Trail.

South Australia's iconic Prairie Hotel
Make your way to South Australia’s iconic Prairie Hotel.
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How a $1 deal saved Bendigo’s historic tramways

    Megan ArkinstallBy Megan Arkinstall
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    The passionate community that saved Bendigo Tramways has kept the story of this city alive for generations.

    It was an absolute steal: a fleet of 23 trams for just $1. But such a fortunate purchase didn’t happen easily. It was 1972 when the Bendigo Trust handed over a single buck for the city’s historic collection of battery, steam and electric trams, which had transported locals since 1890.

    inside the historic Bendigo Tram
    Bendigo Tramways is a historic transport line turned tourist service. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    The city’s tram network had been declared defunct since 1970 due to post-war shortages in materials to upkeep the trams and declining passenger numbers as motor vehicles were increasing. However, determined locals would not hear of their beloved trams being sold off around the world.

    The Bendigo Trust was enlisted to preserve this heritage, by converting the trams into a tourist service. The Victorian government approved a trial, however news spread that the Australian Electric Tramways Museum in Adelaide had acquired one of the streetcars for its collection.

    a tram heading to Quarry Hill in 1957
    A tram on its way to Quarry Hill in 1957. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    An impassioned group rallied together to make this physically impossible. Breaking into the tram sheds, they welded iron pipes to the rails, removed carbon brushes from the motors, and formed a blockade at the depot. The community response was extraordinary, and a $1 deal was sealed.

    A new chapter for the city’s fleet

    the old Tramways Depot and Workshop
    The old Tramways Depot and Workshop is one of the stops on the hop-on, hop-off service. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Today, Bendigo Tramways welcomes some 40,000 passengers annually, operating as a hop-on, hop-off touring service aboard the restored trams. Fifteen of the now 45-strong fleet are dubbed ‘Talking Trams’ because of the taped commentary that is played along the route. The trams loop between Central Deborah Gold Mine and the Bendigo Joss House Temple, which has been a place of Chinese worship since 1871, via other sites including the old Tramways Depot and Workshop.

    a Gold Mine Bendigo Tram
    The fleet comprises 45 trams that have been restored. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

    Keeping things interesting, throughout the year visitors can step aboard different themed trams. Tram No. 302 becomes the Yarn Bomb Tram, decorated both inside and out with colourful crochet by an anonymous group of locals.

    During the festive season, Tram No. 15 operates as a tinsel-festooned Santa Tram, and the big man himself hides out somewhere along the route for excited children to find. And on selected dates, the adults-only Groove Tram runs nighttime tours of the city, accompanied by local musicians playing live tunes and a pop-up bar.

    the historic post office turned visitor centre in Bendigo
    Visitors can hop on and off to see the city’s sites such as the historic post office turned visitor centre. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    As well as preserving the city’s history, however, the continuation of the tram service has kept the skills of tram building and craftsmanship alive in a practical sense. Bendigo’s Heritage Rail Workshop is world-renowned for restoring heritage trams and repurposing vehicles in creative ways.

    Locally, for example, Tram No. 918 was transformed into the Dja Dja Wurrung Tram with original Aboriginal artworks by emerging artist Natasha Carter, with special commentary and music that shares the stories and traditions of Bendigo’s first people. You can’t put a price on preserving history. Nonetheless, it was a dollar very well spent.