OVERVIEW

Experience moments in nature that will stay with you for a lifetime on this eight-day bucket list adventure from Adelaide to Uluru through Australia's outback. Rich in Indigenous culture, this camping trip encompasses a great diversity of wilderness and untamed landscapes. Hike the ancient gorges of the Flinders Ranges and be amazed by the stark terrain of the Oodnadatta Track. Descend beneath the ground to discover an underground labyrinth in Coober Pedy. Experience the Red Centre. A colourful, otherworldly landscape of desert plains, weathered mountain ranges, rocky gorges and some of Aboriginal Australia's most sacred sites. Reflect on each day over magical outback sunsets and campfire stories with friends new and old.

TOUR ITINERARY

Day 1: Day 1: Adelaide to Flinders Ranges (Thur)

Your eight-day outback adventure begins in Adelaide at 6 am, where your Storyteller Guide will greet you. After a caffeine stop at the coastal town of Port Wakefield, arrive in the Southern Flinders Ranges for a morning hike at Alligator Gorge. Located in Mount Remarkable National Park, this is the perfect way to start the tour. After lunch, have a quick stroll around Quorn, famous for the Pichi Richi Railway. Arrive at Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park and embark on a hike at Arkaroo Rock, a significant cultural site for the local Adnyamathanha people. See rock paintings featuring ochre and charcoal images that depict the Yura Muda (Dreaming or creation story) of Ikara (Wilpena Pound).

This afternoon, experience a Welcome to Country in the Adnyamathanha people's language at Wilpena Pound Resort. Feeling connected to Country and nature, arrive at Skytrek Willow Springs Station. This 70,000-acre working sheep station features secluded bush camping and is our base while we unearth the Flinders Ranges. After a tasty dinner prepared by your Guide, kick back and enjoy front-row seats to one of the most spectacular light shows on Earth. The Flinders Ranges is famed as having some of the Southern Hemisphere's clearest skies. Roll out your swag under a blanket of stars twinkling over the ancient landscape.

The driving distance today is approximately 510km.

Accommodation

Swag camping at Skytrek Willow Springs Station

Meals Included

L | D

Day 2: Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park (Fri)

The fossils discovered in the Flinders Ranges are so old that geologists had to revise the geologic timeline of Earth's history, identifying a new era called the Ediacaran period. After breakfast, we will unearth more of this amazing park as we pull on our hiking boots for a morning hike through tall river red gums and past waterholes, culminating with breathtaking views over the surrounding wilderness.

Regeneration is in our DNA, so today, we will meet with a Park Ranger to learn about conservation efforts within Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. We can also give back by participating in some meaningful conservation work. After lunch, we'll take a magical scenic drive at Brachina Gorge.

Quench your thirst with a well-deserved drink at an iconic country pub before returning to camp to relax and have dinner. Driving time today is approximately 3 hours.

Accommodation

Swag camping at Skytrek Willow Springs Station

Meals Included

B | L | D

Day 3: Flinders Ranges to William Creek via the Oodnadatta Track* (Sat)

Today we are getting off the beaten path and travelling along a section of one of Australia's most iconic unsealed roads, the iconic Oodnadatta Track. Drive through eerie and moonlike desert scenery as the landscape uncovers highlights like Lake Eyre (Australia's largest salt lake) and the Mutonia Sculpture Park. Travel through Anna Creek Station, the world's largest working cattle station. Covering an area of six million acres, it is equivalent to the size of Belgium!

Come late afternoon, arrive in the tiny outback settlement of William Creek. In the middle of nowhere, on the way to somewhere, this quirky town with a population of ten is an icon of the South Australian Outback. After dinner, you might like to enjoy a cold drink in the heritage-listed William Creek Hotel, which opened in 1887. Then curl up in your swag under the stars in the campground.

The total driving today is approximately 500km.

Accommodation

Swag camping at William Creek

Meals Included

B | - | D

*See the disclaimer in Know Before You Go information regarding road/weather conditions.

Day 4: William Creek to Coober Pedy (Sun)

After breakfast, journey to the famous underground town of Coober Pedy. The opal capital of Australia features a sun-baked lunar landscape, fascinating history and a unique way of life. Have some free time to explore the town. Afterwards, visit Josephine's Gallery & Kangaroo Orphanage. Established in 2008 to take in orphaned kangaroos from the far north of South Australia, it is about the size of Germany! The gallery here is a world-class Aboriginal Art Gallery with an extensive range of Aboriginal artefacts and significant works by many of Australia's best-known Indigenous artists.

After lunch, visit the town's main attraction, Umoona Opal Mine & Museum. Go 'noodling' or fossicking and learn about these precious stones during an opal-cutting demonstration. Visit the Aboriginal Heritage site, The Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park, for mesmerising scenery of the Moon Plains. Stay in a unique underground bunkhouse tonight and have some free time to explore and grab dinner at one of the many underground eateries.

Today, the driving distance is approximately 170km.

Accommodation

Umoona Opal Mine - underground bunk, multi-share

Meals Included

B | - | -

Day 5: Coober Pedy to Watarrka/Kings Canyon (Mon)

From Coober Pedy, travel north, past the Dingo Fence and Breakaways Reserve. Then, crossing into the Northern Territory, travel onwards to Watarrka National Park, the site of Kings Canyon.

After lunch, learn about the world's oldest living culture on the Karrke Aboriginal Cultural Experience. During this one-hour tour, take a short walk before soaking up your host's cultural knowledge on bush tucker, bush medicine, dot painting symbols, local crafts, and bush paintings.

Come late afternoon, arrive at our campsite at the Kings Creek Station. Relax, soak up the serenity and, on warmer days, enjoy a swim in the pool. Have your camera ready for a stunning desert sunset from the sunset viewing platform before dinner at the Station restaurant eatery and settling in for the night.

Today, we drive approximately 770km.

Accommodation

Swag camping at Kings Creek Station

Meals Included

B | - | -

Day 6: Watarrka/Kings Canyon to Uluru (Tues)

It's an early start this morning for the spellbinding Kings Canyon Rim Walk, which is guaranteed to be one of the most magical experiences of your life. With its 300-metre-high sandstone walls, hidden waterholes, fern forests, chasms, canyons and caverns, Watarrka National Park is central Australia's answer to an oasis. Take in the 360-degree views and journey through Priscilla's Crack, made famous by the classic Australian movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert. From there, see the sandstone domes known as the Lost City and the lush greenery and watering hole of the aptly named Garden of Eden.

After lunch, rest your legs on the drive to our final destination, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Late this afternoon, watch an unforgettable sunset over Uluru before retreating to camp for dinner. Then, roll out your swag upon the red Earth and under billions of stars after dinner at camp.

Driving today is approximately 350km.

Accommodation

Swag camping at Ayers Rock Resort Campground

Meals Included

B | L | D

Day 7: Uluru (Wed)

Rising early, breathe deep and soak up the serenity of a sunrise over Uluru. As the sunlight plays with the landscape, the rock formations change colour before your eyes. Next, it's time to get close to this natural wonder. At 348 metres high and some 550 million years old, feel a powerful presence the moment you set eyes on it. A guided 10km Uluru base walk is your best opportunity to connect with the rock and learn its stories. Relax beside tranquil waterholes, take a break under a magnificent Sheoak tree and peer into hidden caves.

Afterwards, stop for lunch and visit the Cultural Centre to deepen your understanding of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. You can learn about Anangu culture and the park's natural environment through exhibits and free presentations with Anangu and park rangers.

This afternoon, return to camp for some free time. Relax by the pool or enjoy some of the activities at Ayers Rock Resort, such as a didgeridoo performance, a guided garden walk or discovering artifacts at the museum. Enjoy a tasty dinner at camp tonight.

Today we only drive around 60km. You may walk up to 10km today if you do the full Uluru base-walk. However, shorter Uluru walks are available.

Accommodation

Swag camping at Ayers Rock Resort Campground

Meals Included

B | L | D

Day 8: Kata Tjuta to Yulara (Thur)

On the final day of the tour, an early start is rewarded with a spellbinding Kata Tjuta sunrise. Translating to the Pitjantjatjara word for 'Many Heads', the 36 domes of Kata Tjuta are a defining feature of the Red Centre landscape both topographically and spiritually. Rising 546 metres above the surrounding plain, its tip is the highest point for miles, while the site's ridges and ravines are closely connected with numerous Indigenous creation-time stories. Many of these stories are kept secret from outsiders, but you'll learn a little about the local Anangu culture and appreciate the beauty of their land on the Valley of the Winds guided walk. This three-hour circuit has unparalleled views of the otherworldly landscape surrounding Kata Tjutu.

Your outback adventure ends in the late morning on our return to Yulara. For those departing from Uluru Airport, complimentary transfers are available from the resort. There are also bus transfers from Yulara to Alice Springs. See the Know Before You Go information below.

The driving distance today is approximately 120km.

Meals Included

B | - | -

• Unearth the ancient Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park
• Head off-road and see surreal lunar landscapes on the iconic Oodnadatta Track
• Fall asleep in a dugout tucked beneath the Earth's surface in Coober Pedy
• Connect with nature on inspiring and rewarding hikes
• Be mesmerised by spiritual sites like Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon
• Connect with Country during authentic Indigenous cultural experiences
• Watch a magical sunset over Uluru
• Stargaze from your swag under the billions of stars of the Milky Way
• Participate in some meaningful conservation work