Best Weekend Breaks in SA | Australian Traveller

From ruggedly beautiful coastline to the intrigue of the outback, you don’t need to travel far here to find blissful isolation. Here, the best weekends away in SA for your hit list.

Kangaroo Island

Australia’s third largest island is SA’s natural playground, accessible via a 30-minute flight from Adelaide or 45-minute SeaLink ferry ride from Cape Jervis.

It’s all about indulging in both locally produced food, wine and craft spirits, and unfiltered nature: from sea lions basking in the sun surveying the wild Southern Ocean and a rugged coastline studded with beautiful beaches to the wilderness of Flinders Chase National Park coming back to life after the 2019/20 bushfires.

Plan a long weekend at least to get a taste of what the island has to offer.

Vivionne Bay, Kangaroo Island. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Adelaide Hills

Just beyond city limits and offering a countryside idyll studded with heritage architecture and contemporary interventions, the pull of the Adelaide Hills for weekending Adelaidians is strong.

A choose-your-own adventure kinda place, it offers up everything from the traditional streetscape of Hahndorf, its German heritage evident in everything from its bakeries to cuckoo clocks (also don’t miss the excellent Hahndorf Academy arts hub ), to hip spots like community-minded cellar door The Summertown Aristologist and eclectically renovated pub Crafers Hotel.

Fresh fare from the Summertown Aristologist in Adelaide Hills. (Image: Josie Withers)

And from an off-grid stay in a tiny house to the luxury of botanic garden-adjacent Mount Lofty House or its new Sequoia Lodge.

Coober Pedy

A two-hour flight with Rex from Adelaide, Coober Pedy is where to head when you’re craving something completely different. Australia’s opal capital is an intriguing proposition.

Explore its warren of underground shops, churches and art galleries and stay at subterranean hotels and motels including Desert Cave Hotel, the world’s first four-star property of its type. And up above, the landscape is totally out of this world, too.

Coober Pedy's bewitching landscape — Coober Pedy’s bewitching landscape. (Image: Jolyon Bird)

The nearby Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park is an outback lunar landscape of flat-topped mesas that glow all shades of copper and red come sundown.

Penola

Penola in the heart of the Coonawarra wine region could just be the perfect country town.

Explore its interesting history via a stroll down Petticoat Lane, with its 19thcentury timber and stone cottages, and a visit to Mary MacKillop Penola Centre, which honours the life of Australia’s first saint.

Then set about sampling the region’s superlative local produce, fresh seafood and some of the best red wines in Australia; the Coonawarra harnesses the Limestone Coast’s red ‘terra rossa’ soils to produce beautiful cabernet sauvignons.

Pretty Penola in Coonawarra. (Image: Tyrone Ormsby)

Barossa Valley

With some of the oldest vines in the world, the Barossa Valley is known around the world for its big, bold shiraz and embodies all of SA’s epicurean promise.

Some 80 cellar doors here span everything from the boutique, like David Franz Wines, to internationally renowned wines like Seppeltsfield.

Base yourself in Tanunda for ready access to some of the best wineries; Angaston, home to the Barossa Farmers Market; Bethany, the oldest village in the Barossa; or the village of Marananga, home to luxe digs The Louise and its double whammy of destination diner Appellation and relaxed little sister three75 bar + kitchen.

Dine at Apellation at The Louise. (Image: The Louise)

Clare Valley

Full of country charm and rolling vineyards, the Clare Valley is all about cycling carefree through the vineyards and stopping for a crisp glass of Riesling along the way: one of the first rail trails to be developed in South Australia, the Riesling Bike Trail follows 35 kilometres from cellar door to cellar door through the countryside.

Glamp or stay in a rustic tiny house at Bukirk Glamping while you’re here or bed down in cosy bed and breakfast Trestrail Cottage.

Bukirk Glamping, Clare Valley. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

And don’t miss a visit to Lake Bumbunga in Lochiel, which shimmers different colours throughout the year, from pink to white to blue, depending on the salinity of the water.

Burra

One of SA’s best-kept secrets, Burra occupies a sweet spot between the bucolic countryside and vines of the Clare Valley and the desert plains of the outback.

Formerly a copper mining hub, today its rich 1840s heritage is easily explored. Buying a Burra Heritage Passport from the Burra and Goyder Visitor Information Centre will give you access to 11 sites, including the underground Unicorn Brewery Cellars and dugouts.

The Unicorn Brewery Cellars in Burra. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

And don’t miss the great regional gallery tucked within the old Burra Telegraph and Post Office building.

The underground dugouts in Burra. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Stay in cute cottage accommodation and be sure to check out the abandoned farmhouse three kilometres north of town known as the Midnight Oil House, which appeared on the band’s Diesel and Dust album cover.

McLaren Vale

On the sparkling Fleurieu Peninsula 40 minutes south of Adelaide, McLaren Vale is a hub of sustainable winegrowing, boutique distilleries, foodie experiences and beautiful beaches.

Based out of Moana, local tour operator Luke Harris fuses his passion for the region’s ocean, outdoors and wine with his Gone AWOL tours that span one to two days and combine everything from wine and brewery tours to SUPing and e-biking from coast to vines.

Or savour sustainable seafood and local wine at Pearl on Aldinga Beach.

Pearl on the Fleurieu Peninsula, SA. (Image: Andy Nowell)

Yorke Peninsula

The Yorke Peninsula is a two-hour drive from Adelaide, but feels a world away. A wild coastal escape (with 700 kilometres of jagged shorelines and beaches) where you might spend the day exploring the coastal wilderness of Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park before an evening cosying up by the fire in your cottage accommodation.

Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park's Cape Spencer — Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park’s Cape Spencer. (Image: Chalkie and the Chippy)

Or take the 15-minute boat ride off the coast from Edithburgh to the unique sand island and bird refuge of Troubridge Island, where groups of up to 12 people can stay in the lighthouse keepers’ cottage in blissful isolation for the weekend with just the migratory birds and Sammy the Seal for company.

The wildlife of the Yorke Peninsula, SA. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Port Lincoln

Australia’s seafood capital, this city on the Eyre Peninsula is perennially popular.

Join a tour with Australian Coastal Safaris to dive straight in. Its two-day Hunt and Gather experience will see you hunting and gathering your own abalone and cockles, learning to shuck oysters and taking in the sand dunes at Lincoln National Park.

Tanonga Luxury Eco Lodges near Port Lincoln. (Image: Tanonga).

Or simply tuck into freshly shucked oysters on Boston Bay, which overlooks 960-hectare Boston Island: set to open up to visitors for signature experiences and adventures soon.

Traipse Jurassic cliffs and wander secluded beaches on Australia’s most enchanting walks.

Australia’s landscapes are made for hiking. Take the Red Centre, dusted in shifting sands and dotted with miraculous geological formations. Or our rainforests, left behind as the sole souvenir from continents that no longer exist. Down south, mottled night skies hang above crashing seas and unwavering cliffs. It makes sense, then, that hiking holidays are rising in popularity. No wi fi, no traffic. Just you and the path less travelled on the Great Walks of Australia in remote and iconic destinations.

What are the Great Walks of Australia?

If nature is your happy place, you’ve likely heard of the Great Walks of Australia, part of Tourism Australia’s Signature Experiences program since 2013 – a curated collection of 15 all-inclusive, eco-luxury journeys showcasing the country’s most spectacular landscapes with expert guides and incredible meals. GWOA launching in 2013 as

From exploring the peaks of a World Heritage listed island, to journeying through the heart of Australia, and the gentle pull of the majestic Murray – there’s a walking holiday to suit walkers of all experience levels (and interests).

Joining a Great Walks of Australia hike means the pressure is off with all meals, guides and eco-luxury accommodation included.

Where can you hike?

1. Scenic Rim Trail, Queensland

great walks of australia tour group on Scenic Rim Trail, Queensland — Enjoy incredible food along the way.

Around 23 million years ago, volcanoes spewed magma across Queensland’s Scenic Rim . Now, what’s left of the fiery landscape takes the form of the UNESCO-listed Gondwana rainforest.

The Scenic Rim Trail is a four-day guided hike that takes you through the ancient rainforest. You’ll venture out into breathtaking viewpoints across the Main Range National Park. Enjoy a packed lunch, listen out for the duplicitous calls of the lyrebird and enjoy the silence.

You’ll spend your nights in boutique eco-cabins and incredible hospitality.

2. Murray River Walk, South Australia

great walks of australia tour group on — Walk through vibrant wildflower fields.

Murray River Walk pairs easy hiking with blissful evenings cruising the Murray River. Over four days and nights, you’ll follow kangaroo trails through red dirt dusted with vivid patches of wildflowers.

Each day ends on a solar-powered, custom-built houseboat. Watch towering, red sandstone cliffs float by from the top deck spa. Then, it’s three-course meals sourced from local produce and served alongside the region’s best wines.

The entire region you’ll be traversing is within the Riverland Ramsar site. Watch as spoonbills forage for food in the tranquil wetlands, emus parade through the wildflowers, and regent parrots flit above.

3. Maria Island Walk, Tasmania

wombat along the Maria Island Walk tasmania — Spot adorable locals.

Your Maria Island walk begins with a private boat transfer to an untouched, white sand beach. Barefoot in the sand, you’ll quickly realise – aside from your guide and group – you’re completely alone. Spot countless wombats and hear the distant calls of Tasmanian Devils as you spend four days leisurely traversing the island.

Nights are split between private, comfortable wilderness camps and queen-size beds in a historic cottage from the island’s convict history. Meals are built around fresh-caught seafood and served with East Coast Tasmanian wine.

4. Seven Peaks Walk, New South Wales

hiker on Seven Peaks Walks on Lord Howe Island — Explore the incredible Lord Howe Island. (Image: Luke Hanson)

Lord Howe Island feels like another world. With its patchwork blue coral lagoons and magma-honed peaks, it’s easy to forget you’re in New South Wales.

This walk has the highest level of elevation in the Great Walks of Australia’s collection. It’s because of this that you’ll witness nature like never before. UNESCO-listed volcanic peaks and coral reefs that grew out of solidified lava will become your daily norm.

Along the way, step onto beaches that lie undisturbed for weeks at a time. Then, snorkel the southernmost reef in the Pacific Ocean.

5. Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa Signature Walk, Northern Territory

This five-day, fully guided, premium hiking experience inside Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park was developed in partnership with Aṉangu Traditional Owners. Begin your walk dwarfed by the shade of Kata Tjuṯa’s towering dome formations. Following remote desert trails through the red sands, crest dunes and traverse mulga woodlands as you draw closer to the monolithic walls of Uluṟu.

Each night, dine under the lamp light of the Milky Way in the warm desert air and sleep in new flagship, environmentally sensitive private camps and lodge. This is the first time that travellers have ever been allowed to spend the night inside the national park.

6. The Twelve Apostles Signature Walk, Victoria

great walks of australia tour group on The Twelve Apostles Signature Walk, Victoria — See the Twelve Apostles in a new way. (Image: Ken Luke)

The Great Ocean Road’s rugged splendour is best experienced on this signature four-day, 44-kilometre guided walk . You’ll follow the rugged limestone stacks of the shipwreck coastline: wild, crashing waves, curious wildlife, and two national parks.

Finish each day at your luxurious lodge, where you’ll sit with your feet soaking and a glass of wine in hand. You’ll have a single lodge to call home on this walk, meaning you’ll only need to set out with a day pack.

7. Three Capes Signature Walk, Tasmania

On Tasmania’s Three Capes Signature Walk , you’ll feel like you’re walking along the edge of the world. From your boat landing on a remote beach, climb slowly upward for spectacular views and wildlife encounters with pods of dolphins, fur seals and echidnas. Spend days walking Jurassic dolerite cliffs with the wild Southern Ocean as your only constant.

Stay in architecturally designed eco-lodges nestled at the very edge of the world. Think floor-to-ceiling windows, a plunge pool and even an on-site spa to tend to ailments from the hike.

Discover more Great Walks of Australia and start planning your next adventure at greatwalksofaustralia.com.au.

Ultimate weekends away in SA