Road trips are the ultimate symbol of unfettered freedom, and there are few places better than South Australia to explore with your own set of wheels. Rumble along red dirt roads, zigzag along scenic coastline, stop and stay a while in a world class wine region, or let the road unfurl on a whim.
From remote wilderness to foodie-friendly adventures to a journey that’ll have every family member smiling, here’s how to plan a road trip around South Australia. Plus, three itinerary ideas to get your travel planning wheel spinning.
Tips for a South Australia road trip
South Australia has so much to offer, you could travel for months without experiencing it all. Before you hit the road, take note of these road trip tips.
- Pack the essentials: Every great road trips starts with snacks and a playlist. You’ll also want to bring along a first aid kit, water, an offline map and spare tyre.
- Get the right set up: Will you be road tripping from hotel to hotel, or are you planning to camp at one of the many scenic campsites and caravan parks? If you’re camping, consider renting a campervan for comfort or a 4WD to access some of the more regional sites.
- Purchase a Multiple Entry Parks Pass: If you’ll be making the most of Mother Nature’s offerings on your road trip, consider a Parks Pass. A two-month vehicle multiple entry pass costs $50, which includes access to 10 parks (excluding Kangaroo Island).
1. The Southern Ocean Drive
- Distance: 940km
- Suggested time: Nine days
- Best for: Families, camping, fishing, surfing, beach lovers
- Route: Port MacDonnell – Mount Gambier – Naracoorte – Robe – Coorong National Park – Langhorne Creek – Cape Jervis – Kangaroo Island – McLaren Vale – Adelaide
Get ready for blues of every hue, fresh seafood galore, quaint campsites and long wisps of white beaches on this road trip along the Southern Ocean Drive. Stretching along South Australia’s southern coastline and lapping Kangaroo Island, this journey is rich in natural beauty. It ends in one of the state’s best wine regions, reveals a glimpse of the outback, and ends in the capital, making it a great trip if you want an overall view of South Australia’s best experiences.
Jump straight into nature and start your journey at the Kilsby Sinkhole, a haven for snorkellers and scuba divers. During your surface interval, sip gin made from limestone-filtered water. Nearby, there’s also Mount Gambier, home to the verdant Umpherston Sinkhole and the aptly-named Blue Lake. Archeological wonders await at Tantanoola Caves and Naracoorte Caves National Park.
Over on the coast, sugar sand beaches await in Robe. This stretch of the trip is a crowd pleaser. Kids will love snagging a picture with Larry the 17-metre-tall lobster in Kingston. Coorong National Park is home to untouched beaches, sand dunes and large colonies of Australian Pelicans.
The road trip ventures into Langhorne Creek and McLaren Vale, some of the country’s best wine regions. With tens of cellar doors to choose from, it pays to linger here a few nights and take things at a laid-back pace. Around Victor Harbor, stop to go fishing, sailing, snorkelling or whale watching.
If you have the time, stretch your legs and go on a multi-day trek along the Southern Ocean Walk. Then, hop over to Kangaroo Island for wildlife, scenic drives and stellar beaches. Some can’t miss spots? Admire the 500-million-year-old boulders of Remarkables Rocks, watch sea lions splash and play in Vivonne Bay, and go on an e-bike tour to cellar doors around Kingscote.
If this ocean themed adventure isn’t enough, link this road trip to The Coastal Way, a 460-kilometre journey around the Yorke Peninsula that involves ample opportunities to surf, fish, snorkel, hike and sightsee. Scrumptious food and cold drinks are never far away.
Image credits: Jaxon Foale (left), Adam Stern (right)
2. The Epicurean Way
- Distance: 223km
- Suggested time: Five days
- Best for: Wining, dining, and scenic splendour
- Route: McLaren Vale – Adelaide Hills – Barossa – Clare Valley
Travel to one of the Wine Capitals of the World and discover firsthand why South Australia has a star studded culinary reputation. This South Australia road trip seamlessly combines luxury and adventure for a foodie-friendly escape.
Start your journey south of Adelaide in McLaren Vale at the Hither & Yon, a cellar door tucked inside a building that’s been around since the 1860s. There’s also Chalk Hill, which offers drinks and pizzas with a prime view of the McLaren Vale region. Step inside the cube-shaped structure of d’Arenberg to blend your own wine, admire art and dine on seasonal degustation menus.
Over in Adelaide Hills, stop in Hahndorf for German-style architecture and foodie delights. Lot.100 is where you’ll find a mix of craft drinks to go along with well-matched bites. For options that’ll make even the most experienced wine aficionados clink their glass, head to the National Wine Centre of Australia to take your pick of over 100 varieties of wine.
Further north, Barossa has become synonymous with great vino. Taste some of the best at Hentley Farm, which hosts its restaurant in a remodelled stable from a bygone era. Once you’re in Clare Valley, swap from four wheels to two and cycle along the Riesling Trail.
3. The Explorer’s Way
- Distance: 1,142km
- Suggested time: Ten days
- Best for: Families, outback, trekking, stargazing, wildlife
- Route: Clare Valley – Jamestown – Melrose – Quorn – Wilpena Pound and Flinders Park – Coober Pedy – William Creek – Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park – Witjira Roadhouse Springs
Get ready for wide open spaces, lunar landscapes, dark skies and adventures like you’ve never had before along the Explorer’s Way. This road trip brings you into the heart of the outback. It all begins in the Clare Valley, one of the best wine regions of South Australia and a paradise for foodies. From there, you’ll venture north towards Burra, where true explorers can embark on a scavenger hunt to historic sites.
Along the way, stop at the Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre to learn about the state’s locomotive legacy, Wadlata Outback Centre for guided walks and arid botanic gardens, and Quorn for prime views.
The route veers into the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, where you can add an extra four days on foot to complete the Arkaba Walk, one of the Great Walks of Australia. Or, spend your time sleeping under the stars in a safari tent, admiring Wilpena Pound from the trail, or roaming dirt roads on a 4WD tour.
When it’s time for glamour, head to Coober Pedy, a town known for its opals hidden within its Martian landscape. Continue north to William Creek to spend a night on the world’s largest cattle station.
For colours and textures that defy reality, head to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park, home to the country’s largest salt lake. This is true remote wilderness, where rosy pink lakes and stretches of endless red dirt create a scene not found anywhere else.
Soak it all in at Witjira-Dalhousie Springs, a desert oasis with 60 springs on the fringes of a parched desert.
Image credit: Michael Waterhouse Photography
Image credits: Jade Collins (left), @saltytravellers (right)
Discover more things to see and do in South Australia at SouthAustralia.com
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