Season Exclusive | Australia’s Ultimate Camping Adventure: Wildlife & Road Trip - 10-Days (Perth to Adelaide)

Highlights

• Marvel at the ancient Wave Rock.
• Unearth Esperance and Cape Le Grand National Park with its friendly kangaroos.
• Connect to the Country during the authentic Dabungool Cultural Experience.
• Traverse the vast expanses of the Nullarbor Plain.
• Plunge into the ocean environment on a surfing lesson.
• Witness abundant native wildlife from the land, sea, and sky.
• Taste the world-famous seafood of the Eyre Peninsula.
• Swim with wild sea lions and dolphins or come face-to-tooth with a white shark (Optional Extra).
• Roam the towering landscapes of the Flinders Ranges.
• Participate in meaningful conservation work.

Itinerary

Day 1: Perth to Fitzgerald River National Park

Your Perth to Adelaide camping tour begins by travelling east from the city over the Darling Ranges, stopping for coffee at Western Australia’s oldest inland town, York. After more driving, you’ll be eating lunch in the shadow of Wave Rock, a magnificent natural granite formation. By late afternoon, you'll be setting up camp in Fitzgerald River National Park. This is one of Australia’s largest and most botanically significant national parks, renowned for its rugged hinterland, stunning coastal scenery, and more than 1,800 beautiful and rare plant species. Today, you'll travel approximately 600km.

• Accommodation: Swag camping at Fitzgerald River National Park (toilet and shower facilities available).
• Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2: Fitzgerald River to Cape Le Grand National Park

Begin the morning with a brisk hike up East Mt. Baron for breathtaking views, then take the coastal route into Esperance, an iconic oceanic wonderland. This part of Western Australia boasts no less than nine national parks where you’ll find some of the best beaches in the world. You’ll then connect to the Country during a 90-minute Dabungool Cultural Experience. Join local Wudjari Nyungar mother and daughter as they guide you on a coastal walk to learn about the six seasons, bushfood, and medicine plants that have sustained the Wudjari people for many thousands of years.

Next, drive along one of the most magical stretches of oceanside road you’ll ever see. Stop for a swim at Twilight Beach before travelling a little further east to Cape Le Grand National Park. Set up camp where the bush meets the beach at Lucky Bay, which will be your base for two nights. Spend the afternoon hiking, swimming in turquoise waters, or simply just soaking up the serenity. You'll travel about 250km today.

• Accommodation: Swag camping at Lucky Bay in Cape Le Grand National Park (toilet and shower facilities available).
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3: Cape Le Grand National Park Exploration

Sunrise is a sacred time here, and it’s also when the friendly western grey kangaroos are most active. Wander onto the beach to say hello before strapping on your hiking boots to embark on one of the best hikes of the tour, climbing Frenchman Peak for sweeping views across Cape Le Grand and the Recherche Archipelago. Spend the remainder of the day unearthing this incredible park. Traverse through lush bushland, swim at fantastic bays and coves, and learn about its abundant flora and fauna. We drive only 10 minutes today, and walks will vary from 2-4 hours. You'll stay a second night in Cape Le Grand.

• Accommodation: Swag camping for a second night at Lucky Bay.
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: The Nullarbor Crossing

Rise with the sun and hit the road. By nightfall, you’ll be falling asleep under the star-filled outback skies of the Nullarbor. En route, stop at the quintessential outback town of Norseman before traversing the Eyre Highway eastbound, taking in Australia’s longest straight road, the famous 90 Mile Straight. Watch the ever-changing landscapes from your window as your guide regales the history and stories that make this land unique. Tonight, gaze up at distant galaxies on a genuine bush camping experience on the Nullarbor. There is no escaping a long drive today with 790km of outback to cover, but there will be plenty of stops along the way.

• Accommodation: Swag camping on the Nullarbor (no facilities).
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Nullarbor & Great Australian Bight Coastal Cliffs

Today, you'll continue crossing the outback of the mighty Nullarbor. Make a stop at Eucla, an old telegraph township now mostly buried beneath dunes. Classic Australian sights stretch out before you on the road today. Keep your cameras ready for iconic photo opportunities at the famous camel, kangaroo, and wombat crossing road signs, and the edge of Australia, where the outback drops dramatically into the Southern Ocean. Stretching approximately 200 kilometres along the Great Australian Bight, the Bunda Cliffs are the world’s longest continuous line of sea cliffs, offering truly spectacular vistas.

Further on, unearth a piece of Australian history as you cross the Dingo Fence. At 5,614 kilometres, it is the world’s longest fence and marks the entry point to the Yalata Aboriginal lands. Finally, in the afternoon, arrive at Fowlers Bay. Today, you'll travel around 560km.

• Accommodation: Swag camping at Fowlers Bay Caravan Park (toilets and showers provided).
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6: Eyre Peninsula’s West Coast Wonders

This morning, unearth some pristine coastal sights, including a legendary surf break at Cactus Beach, before stopping at the Penong Windmill Museum to meet ‘Bruce’, the biggest windmill in Australia. After stocking up on supplies in Streaky Bay, test your sandboarding skills in some massive dunes. Come late afternoon, arrive at Coodlie Park Farm Retreat to enjoy a delicious barbecue feast and roll out your swag in a unique outdoor hut. Today's travel is approximately 400km.

• Accommodation: Swag camping at Coodlie Park Farm Retreat (toilets and showers provided).
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7: Baird Bay Wildlife Encounter & Port Lincoln

Today, get ready for a truly magical wildlife encounter. You have an Optional Extra: a Swim with Sea Lions and Dolphins at Baird Bay (Extra: $220 per person). Head out on a small boat into the calm waters of Baird Bay to Jones Island, home of a wild colony of Australian Sea Lions. Once moored, pop on a snorkel and swim in the rock pools. Before long, some curious and playful sea lions will likely come to take a closer look, twisting, twirling, and splashing around you. When you think this day couldn’t get any better, you will likely also have the chance to swim with wild, bottlenose dolphins as well. It’s important to note these creatures are wild and are not fed or coerced in any way. This optional three-hour cruise is an outsourced adventure operated by Baird Bay Eco Tours and needs to be booked in advance. This experience includes a three-hour cruise with all equipment and morning tea provided.

Those who choose to stay on land will travel to Point Labatt Conservation Park, the only place on the mainland where you can see Australian seal pups playing and resting on the beach. After lunch, continue down the coast, stopping at Elliston for a short coastal drive, then onwards to set up camp for two nights at Bayview Park. You'll travel around 400km today.

• Accommodation: Swag camping at Bayview Park (shower and toilet facilities available).
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8: Port Lincoln & Coffin Bay Exploration

This morning, you can give back during a conservation volunteering experience. You have various conservation partners across these regions, including Bayview Park, where you'll camp for two nights. They offset their carbon footprint by collecting and propagating native seeds and revegetating the land. What you do this morning depends on the time of year, but you might find yourself collecting seeds or planting trees.

Feeling inspired, it’s time to unearth some of the natural highlights of Port Lincoln and its surroundings. First, visit the rugged and spectacular Whalers Way before heading to Mikkira Station Koala Sanctuary. This private property is home to the Eyre Peninsula’s only wild koala population, and with lots of kangaroos and emus also calling Mikkira home, this is a great place to spot wildlife and have lunch.

This afternoon, hit the white sandy beaches of Coffin Bay National Park before heading to Port Lincoln, where you will have some free time to explore and grab dinner before returning to camp.

Alternative Itinerary:

Those coming to Port Lincoln to get up close and personal with the aquatic wildlife can opt to have a Great White Shark experience (Optional Extra). This outsourced activity is not included in the itinerary and must be booked directly with Calypso Star Charters (prices from $561 per person, or a combo Shark Cage Diving and swimming with Sea Lion tour from $726 per person). Calypso Star Charters are the only South Australian one-day Shark Cage Diving tour operator permitted to use natural fish berley (chum) to attract the sharks. The full day’s charter boards at 6:30 am, and it takes about 2.5 hours to get out to the Neptune Islands. No diver experience is required. All food and equipment are supplied, and MV Calypso Star 2 is the only Shark Cage Diving vessel fitted with a Gyroscopic Stabiliser, increasing guests’ comfort throughout the day. Bookings for this experience need to be made directly with the operator. Drive time today is about 2.5 hours unless you are doing the shark experience, in which case it is only 1 hour.

• Accommodation: Swag camping for a second night at Bayview Park.
• Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 9: Port Lincoln to Flinders Ranges – Surf & Stars

Surfing is a way of life in Australia, so today, pull on a wetsuit for a two-hour learn-to-surf lesson. The turquoise and calm water of Fisheries Bay is the perfect place for beginners to perfect their skills. Those not wanting to surf can relax on the beach or swim. Stop to see unique silo art in Cowell before some free time in Port Augusta.

Then, onwards to Spear Creek Holiday Park, which is set adjacent to the Western slopes of the Flinders Ranges in the middle of a 21,000-acre working sheep station. After a tasty dinner prepared by your Guide, kick back and enjoy front-row seats to one of Earth’s most spectacular light shows. The Flinders Ranges is famed as having some of the Southern Hemisphere’s clearest skies. Roll out your swag under a blanket of twinkling stars and reflect on your adventure. Today's travel is approximately 400km.

• Accommodation: Swag camping at Spear Creek Holiday Park (toilet and shower facilities available).
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10: Flinders Ranges Hike & Clare Valley Wine Tasting

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, you will unearth more of this amazing park as you pull on your hiking boots for a morning hike. After lunch, you'll begin the final leg of your tour back to Adelaide. South Australia is well known for its world-class wine, and the last stop of the tour takes full advantage of this. Pull up in the Clare Valley wine region for a wine tasting, and cheers to your adventure before finally arriving in Adelaide around 5:00 pm. Today, you'll travel approximately 330km.

• Meals Included: Breakfast