Outback Australia Air Tour Holiday Destinations to South Australia

South Australia Borders

South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland states and the Northern Territory. It is bordered to the west by Western Australia, to the north by the Northern Territory, to the north-east by Queensland, to the east by New South Wales, to the south-east by Victoria, and to the south by the Great Australian Bight and the Indian Ocean.With over 1.6 million people, the state comprises less than 8% of the Australian population and ranks fifth in population among the states and territories. The majority of its people reside in the state capital, Adelaide, with most of the remainder settled in fertile areas along the south-eastern coast and River Murray.  South Australia‘s origins are unique in Australia as a freely settled, planned British province, rather than as a convict settlement. Official settlement began on 28 December 1836, when the colony was proclaimed at The Old Gum Tree by Governor John Hindmarsh.

Visit our First Settlement in South Australia

The first settlement to be established was Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, on 26 July 1836, five months before Adelaide was founded. The aim was to establish the province as a centre of civilisation for free immigrants, promising civil liberties and religious tolerance.  Today, the South Australia is known as a state of festivals and of fine wine. The state’s economy centres on the agricultural, manufacturing and mining industries.

More than half of Australia’s wines are produced in the South Australian wine regions which principally include: Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, the Riverland and the Adelaide Hills. See South Australian wine - and you will enjoy experiencing fine food and wine on our air tours in South Australia.

Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island off the bottom coastline of South Australia is seven times the size of Singapore, literally crawling with wildlife… seals and  kangaroos in particular. The koalas aren’t being cuddled – they’re relaxing at home in native trees. Beautiful views from seaside cottages and cliff-top cabins; delicate handcrafted glassware; a day at the races in Kingscote. And, of course, there’s the wine and food. Take a drive and collect wine, cheeses, oysters and lobsters and indulge on a secluded beach. You can select any quality of accommodation on this island.

Andamooka

Situated 600km north of Adelaide and reached by bitumen via the townships of Woomera and Roxby Downs, this unique town of miner’s homes and semi-dugouts nestles on a honeycomb of underground diggings in a field famous for the quality of its gemstones. One of Australia’s quaintest outback opal towns.

Coober Pedy

Opal was first found in Coober Pedy on the 1st of February 1915 and since then has been supplying the world with the majority of gem quality opal. Coober Pedy today relies as much on tourism as the opal mining industry to provide the community with employment and sustainability. Many of the accommodation hotels/motels of this South Australia town are uniquely underground.
Coober Pedy has evolved in to one of the most unique places in Australia and perhaps the world. It is a cosmopolitan town with a population of 3,500 and over 45 different nationalities. The relaxed and friendly lifestyle of the town has made it a breeding ground for cultural tolerance, diversity and acceptance.

William Creek

Population 10, William Creek is one of the smallest towns in Australia and situated on the world’s largest working cattle station – 24,000 square kilometre Anna Creek Station, part of the S Kidman & Co empire.
The timber and corrugated iron pub, dating from 1887, is like a giant visitors’ book. Over the years it has been adorned with business cards, hand scrawled notes, bras, jocks and anything else not nailed down. This is one of the closest places to the edge of Lake Eyre

Lake Eyre

Lake Eyre is an extensive ‘salt sink’ which derives its mineralisation from the evaporation of floodwaters over countless years. During the past forty years or so the lake has seen many floods of varying sizes. The lake has only filled to capacity three times in the past 150 years. It can harbour water nine times as salty as the sea.
When Lake Eyre does fill, it becomes the biggest lake in Australia. The massive Lake Eyre system covers an area of 9,690 square kilometres, or roughly the size of Holland. Nearly one-sixth of Australia’s landmass drains into Lake Eyre, but it has filled to capacity only three times in the past 150 years.
When water flows in to part-fill the lake via great inland rivers including the Diamantina, Cooper Creek and the Warburton, the spectacle is breathtaking.

Gawler Ranges & the Eyre Peninsula

Stunning scenery formed by volcanic activity more than 1500 million years ago is around every corner in Gawler Ranges National Park. Access the Organ Pipes by four wheel drive and discover a series of dramatic, ochre-red, hexagonal volcanic columns. See vibrant wildflowers in spring or camp beneath a starry night sky in the great outdoors. See Lake Gairdner, Australia’s fourth largest salt lake and the site of numerous land-speed record attempts when the lake is dry. Land at Wudina airstrip, drive to Baird Bay which is teeming with marine life and offers you the opportunity to swim with sea-lions and dolphins on organised tours.Drive by 4WD up the Eyre Peninsula and stay at Kangaluna bush safari camp. Drive out to the magnificent salt lake of Lake Gairdner.