Secrets of Eyre Peninsula
This is a 6 day tour in the beautiful Eyre Peninsula region full of wildlife encounters. Cage diving with Great White Sharks, swim with Sea lions and Dolphins and sleep under the stars surrounded by Koalas in nearly every tree. You even get the change to see endangered Yellow Footed Rock Wallaby in Warren Gorge.
What's Included:-Travel in air-conditioned mini coach with a max 18 passengers -All meals -All accommodation (If the weather is inclement the guide may suggest to the group to stop in an accommodated premises– NOTE: this will be an additional cost) -All camping equipment (Sleeping Bag Hire $20) -All national park entry fees -Overnight camping fees -Activities (unless stated as Optional Experience in the itinerary)
Highlights on this tour:-Nocturnal wildlife tour -Learn to Surf on a pristine Eyre Peninsula beach -Hand Feed and swim with Bluefin Tuna -Glen Forest Wildlife Park -Wadlata Cultural Centre -Alligator Gorge, Southern Flinders Ranges -Warren Gorge, Flinders Ranges -Swim with sea lions and dolphins (OE) -Sandboarding -Cage dive with Great White Sharks (OE)
MEALS:we offer plenty of variety and do our best to provide fresh produce - PLEASE let us know of any special dietary requirements. We also recommend to our passengers who may have a difficult diet to cater for to top on some of their own preferred food for the journey
CAMPING:Our tours are camping adventures and participation and involvement is required from our passengers. All camping equipment necessary for your tour will be provided by Nullarbor Traveller, sleeping bags hired for $20.
WHAT TO BRING: Personal belongings, Warm Jacket and waterproof jacket, sleeping bag, torch, walking shoes, swimmers, water bottle, insect repellent, hat, and sunscreen. Bags are restricted to 15 kg in 1 backpack/soft travel bag per person, plus one small piece of hand luggage.
Day 1 Flinders Ranges
Journey into the rusty, rugged gorges, abandoned homesteads and Red Gums of the Southern Flinders Ranges. We head north to one of the oldest mountain ranges on earth, the Flinders Ranges, where we venture to the bottom of Alligator Gorge and walk through the narrows and onto the terraces formed from an ancient seabed. Look for and feel the ripples of the sand still there in the rock today.
After lunch we make our way along the eastern edge of the range towards Warren Gorge, stopping for a break in Quorn. Quorn is home to the Pichi Richi Railway, which played an important role in linking the different gauges of railway line crossing the continent. It wasn’t until 1970 that the Indian-Pacific (Transcontinental) made its first unbroken run from Sydney to Perth, by 1980 the Pichi Richi line was obsolete.
As the sun is setting and wile your evening meal is being prepared, it gives you the opportunity to explore this beautiful gorge in the Flinders Ranges. It is here that you will get the opportunity to see a Yellow-Footed rock wallaby, almost driven to extinction by introduced“Feral” animals, at Warren Gorge they are beginning to“Bounce Back!”
Tonight we bush camp for the first time at Warren Gorge. There are only Basic toilet facilities.(LD)
Day 2 Eyre Peninsula
The Eyre Peninsula is one of those great secrets many people have not yet discovered. Teeming with some of Australia's most amazing and outstanding real wildlife experiences, the lack of a major airport and too far to drive for most domestic travellers, this piece of paradise is one that only those who have been, can give that knowing smile of discovery of a very special place indeed.
Our first stop is at Dutchman’s Stern Conservation Park where we take the time to walk to the top of the range. Named by Mathew Flinders in 1802 for it’s resemblance of a Dutch sailing ship, this spectacular walk is a great way to start the day and gives us our first real look to the West. Back on the road we pass through Pt Augusta, Iron Knob and onto Kimba (Halfway Across Australia.) for lunch, then to Venus Bay for a beautiful walk along the stunning coastline where we can see dolphins surfing in the waves. After Venus Bay we visit the magnificent Talia Caves and the Lake Newland Sand dunes– these are the biggest sand dunes you will ever ride!
In the afternoon we arrive at our farm stay, Coodlie Park. This working farm has traditional cropping, organic food growing and a project of tree planting on their own land to offset their own carbon emissions. This evening we head out in search of some wildlife. Our hosts Hassie and Jo take us on a unique nocturnal spotlight tour looking for Australia’s National Emblems– Kangaroos, Wombats and Emus.
Tonight you are in a bed in dorm style accommodation with shared toilet and shower facilities.(BLD)
Day 3 Coodlie Park and Baird Bay
Our first stop today is Bairds Bay, which is a sublime stretch of coastline where we can spend time on the beach and heaving a swim. It’s an opportunity to experience one of Australia's most unique wildlife experiences of swimming with dolphins and sea lions. This incredible optional wildlife experience involves a 4-hour boat cruise. We find the friendly populations and can swim and snorkel amongst them. There is nothing that can parallel the feeling of communing with wild creatures such as these. (OE $140)
After this amazing experience a short drive brings us to Murphy’s Haystacks, incredible granite rock formations sculptured into wondrous and weird shapes over millions of years. Then we drive back to our over night’s spot– Coodlie Park.
Tonight you are in a bed in dorm style accommodation with shared toilet and shower facilities.(BLD)
Day 4 Coodlie Park to Mikkira
This morning we head out and learn to surf with Spike. So we go to a beautiful deserted beach and spend the next two hours mastering the surf breaks. After learning to surf at Sceales Bay, we go to the Colton Bakery - a unique wood fired bakery on the side of the highway with an honesty pay system. We meet Mark the owner of Colton Bakery and walk through this interesting bakery. We travel to Locks Well and admire the view and the man made 291 steps down“Staircase to Heaven” to the Locks Well beach. We then travel on to the city of Port Lincoln where after lunch we go to Mikkira Station where we camp on a private campground with Koalas in nearly every tree. We have time to go for a walk around the property to see some Giant Yakkas and see if you can find some koalas in the Manna Gums around Mikkira station.
Tonight we camp on Mikkira Station. There are limited toilet and shower facilities.(BLD)
Day 5 Mikkira to Point Gibbon.
Today is an extreme day of fun! Those that dare come face to face with the Great White Shark on a day tour [optional experience $495] which includes a video highlights of your experience.
For those not wishing to be quite so extreme head out to Whalers Way Conservation Park for some spectacular and stunning coastlines. If we are lucky we will see some kangaroos and emus in this privately owned Flora and Fauna Reserve. This drive is followed by a visit to Glen Forest Wildlife Park to have a relaxed lunch and visit the wildlife you saw on the Nullarbor up close. You even get to hand feed some of the animals. In the afternoon we will go to the Port Lincoln marina and go out on a boat to swim with and hand feed tuna - it is like swimming with lightening as these unique fish go into a frenzy while being fed as you snorkel your way around the ring.
Tonight we camp. There are limited toilet and shower facilities.(BLD)
Day 6 Point Gibbon to Adelaide
We head through Whyalla and into Port Augusta and the Wadlata Cultural Centre that helps provide answers to the many questions about the formation of the Nullarbor, Flinder Rangers, and the formation of Australia as a continent. It also takes you on an interpretative walk through the life of the new frontier pioneers. From Port Augusta we follow the Southern Flinders Ranges to Mt Remarkable National Park to have lunch and do our last bushwalk. After lunch we hit the road again and head for South Australia’s capital city Adelaide.
There is no accommodation this night.(BL)
Departs: Unless prior arrangements are made at the time of booking, the pick up point is 7.00am: Adelaide Bus Terminal, 101 Franklin Street.
Passengers are advised to arrive 15 minutes before departure.
Returns:7.00pm Monday Adelaide Bus Station
Dates of departure 2011/2012/2013
Dec 14th, 21st& 28th 2011
Jan 4th, 11th, 18th& 25th 2012
Feb 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd& 29th 2012
Mar 7th, 14th, 21st& 28th 2012
Apr 11th& 25th 2012
May 9th& 23rd 2012
Oct 24th 2012
Nov 7th& 21st 2012
Dec 5th, 12th, 19th& 26th 2012
Jan 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd& 30th 2013
Feb 6th, 13th, 20th& 27th 2013
Mar 6th, 13th, 20th& 27th 2013
