Introducing South Australia
South Australia (SA) entices visitors with an annual smorgasbord of festivals and events, from the Robe village fair to the world-renowned Womadelaide. Once here, this enigmatic state uses wide beaches, emerald green waters, superlative wineries, native wildlife and the majesty of its outback landscapes to seduce visitors into extending their stays. Just try exploring the stunning Eyre Peninsula & West Coast and sticking to your schedule, or visiting Kangaroo Island without dreaming of a sea-change!
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Perfectly positioned Adelaide, perched between white sandy beaches and forested hills, is home to some of the country’s best cultural offerings, not to mention gourmet wining and dining. Speaking of wine, the Barossa Valley is just 60km from the capital, bursting with vineyards and tipples tasty enough to tempt a monk. Further away, but equally as enjoyable (and possibly even better for your health), is Naracoorte Caves National Park, where fossils and underground wonders have combined to make it SA's only World Heritage-listed site.
Your SA adventure continues in the ochre-coloured Flinders Ranges where rugged ridges and dramatic bluffs sit under expanses of sky. The coastline is a waterbaby’s dream; or, explore the state under your own steam and hike the Heysen Trail or pedal the Mawson Trail.
To bond with rural SA, head for the lifeblood of the regional towns: the historic pubs. Grab yourself a finely poured Coopers beer and chat to the locals in the front bars.
Last updated: Mar 2, 2009
Tips & articles
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Lonely Planet’s guide to the Very Big Things of Australia
18 January 2012
Big is Australia’s middle name. It’s the world’s largest island, home to the world’s biggest monolith (maybe) and where you can...
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Planning a trip to Australia: what you need to know
23 November 2011
Book your flights: 2012 is shaping up as a bumper year to visit Australia. A slew of music festivals...
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Australia on a shoestring: your bumper guide
14 October 2011
The kangaroos haven’t lose their bounce, the tropical fruit is ripening nicely, Sydney Harbour remains sparkling and Melbourne’s cool cats...
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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RE: Campervan drive from Perth to Adelaide?
by PNG2 31 August 2011
Driving the most direct route from Perth to Adelaide does not take you anywhere near the coast. A large portion of that trip is done inland…
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RE: Piccaninnie fresh water dive
by Peter_n_Margaret 26 August 2011
My information is not current, but you should enquire with National Parks in South Australia. They control it. Diving is not permitted…
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Re: Australia in warp spped!
by travel__davo 25 August 2011
New South Wales also connects with the border of South Australia. Guess that puts NSW in the same category as Victoria.
South Australia
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South Australia Overview
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Make it happen
Our Top Picks For South Australia
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1 Flinders Ranges
Trek in the ancient and grandiose landscape of the Flinders Ranges
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2 Port Lincoln
Jump into a shark cage and come face to face with a white pointer shark at Port Lincoln
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3 McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Coonawarra
Swirl, sniff and swallow the luscious big reds of SA’s winery regions: McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Coonawarra
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4 Adelaide’s nightlife
Discover sassy Glenelg wine bars, stylish North Adelaide pubs or the grungy city bars of Adelaide’s nightlife
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5 Coober Pedy
Check out the troglodytic moonscape and subterranean life at Coober Pedy
Our favourite South Australia Blogs (beta)
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Aboard the Santa Train 2: Watson to Perth
Blog: Aerohaveno: A Travel Blog - 10 January 2012
Last week I shared the first half of my recent trip across the continent aboard the Indian Pacific train. Here are some pics from the second half of the journey...1. Watson (08:00, 9 Dec 2011)We pulled into this non-location, an arbitrary stopping place named after Australia's third prime minister, to find dozens of people waiting for us.
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Aboard the Santa Train 1: Sydney to Adelaide
Blog: Aerohaveno: A Travel Blog - 3 January 2012
Happy New Year!Those of you with decent memories may remember me taking the Indian Pacific train from Sydney to Perth two years (and about 100 blog posts) ago.
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Photo Junket: The Nullarbor Plain, Australia
Blog: The Travel Project - 11 July 2011
The Nullarbor Plain appears at first to be an open wasteland, a shrine to a dead sea that once inhabited this part of the world. A place of isolation where thoughts of solitude dances with the notions of going walk-about. For this week’s photo junket I thought I’d take you on a road-trip across the Nullarbor, and for me, a trip down memory lane.
