Adelaide to Darwin Tour

Central Australia

Experience an underground town when we visit Coober Pedy. Temperatures can get so hot here, the townspeople decided it was more comfortable to move underground! We’ll take a town tour and stay in an underground bunkhouse. Try your luck here ‘noodling’ for opals, a truly unique souvenir if you can find one!

Feel connected to the land during your visit to Uluru. The Anangu have a deeply spiritual connection here and you can get an appreciation for this at the Culture Centre and on the Anangu guided Mala Walk at the base. Be swept away by the beauty of the rock on the base walk and the sunset viewing, where you can literally see the colours changing over the rock as the sun fades. Explore the Kata Tjuta domes. They may be lesser known than Uluru, but they are no less impressive. We’ll take a hike through the Valley of the Winds, winding through among the formations with views over the landscape.

Be surprised by Kings Canyon. The first part may be challenging, but once you have reached the top you’ll be rewarded with the most impressive canyon and landscape views. Peer into the Canyon itself, look out over the surrounding landscape, discover the Lost City and Garden of Eden and look out for bush foods.

Northern Territory

Enjoy Darwin at your own pace with a free day to explore. If you feel adventurous, head over to Crocosaurus Cove and come face to face with a 5m salty in their Cage of Death experience. Learn about the Royal Flying Doctor Service in their museum which will have you stepping back in time. Or relax for the day at your hostel pool before heading over to the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets.

Get to know Kakadu National Park! Be welcomed to the region by the traditional owners, swim in waterholes, view waterfalls and camp outside in this remote part of the country. We’ll even have a look at some ancient rock art and spot some crocodiles on a river cruise. Explore Litchfield National Park and view the huge termite mounds. No visit is complete without a photo next to one of these! We’ll have a look at some waterfalls and refresh ourselves with a swim in the pools there too.

**This tour is operated by Adventure Tours Australia in partnership with Autopia Tours.

Day 1 – Adelaide to the Flinders Ranges

We leave behind the bustle of Adelaide early and head into the beautiful wine country of Clare for a coffee stop, as we make our way to Wilpena Pound in the stunning Flinders Ranges. The views on the drive in to the ranges will have you excited for our afternoon hike! You’ll be amazed at the colours of the rocks here and we’ll spend our first night as a group camping in the ranges. Around 5 hours travel time. (L,D)

Day 2 – Oodnadatta Track and Lake Eyre

Today we make our way along the famous Oodnadatta Track, an outback road which follows almost the same path as one of the earliest explorers in the region, John McDouall Stuart, on his quest to reach the northern shoreline from Adelaide to Alice Springs tours. Along the way, we’ll make a stop at Australia’s largest salt lake, Lake Eyre, where you can get creative for some funny and interesting photos! We’ll spend the night camped out in William Creek. Around 8 hours travel time. (B,L,D)

Day 3 – Outback and Coober Pedy

Today we pass through the world’s largest cattle station, Anna Creek Station. At 24,000km2, this is some 7 times larger than the biggest ranch in Texas and almost the size of some countries like Israel and Belgium! In the afternoon, we’ll explore the unusual opal-mining town of Coober Pedy, where the temperatures get so high people have decided to live underground! We’ll take a guided tour of this unique town and then the rest of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure. Have a go at finding some opals or visit a kangaroo orphanage before spending the night in an underground bunkhouse. Around 6.5 hours travelled. (B,L,D)

Day 4 – Coober Pedy to Yulara

A day to get to know your fellow travellers and sit back and watch the scenery. There’s a fair bit of distance to cover today, but you’ll get a real appreciation for the sheer size of this country and the remoteness of the Red Centre. We’ll make a stop at the dingo fence, used to protect sheep in the south from dingoes found further north. Around 8.5 hours travelled. (B,L,D)

Day 5 – Kata Tjuta and Uluru

First up we head to Kata Tjuta, a striking formation of red conglomerate domes rising out of the desert. Here we’ll walk the Valley of the Winds and take in the rugged beauty of the landscape. Enjoy a Red Centre sunset viewing the colours change on Uluru and then spend the evening relaxed in your swag under the brilliant central sky or in a permanent tent. Around 2.5 hours travelled. (B,L,D)

Day 6 – Uluru to Kings Canyon

Next up is Uluru! Another early start for sunrise viewing and then we can really appreciate the size of this rock with a base walk around the bottom. We’ll join an Anangu guide for the Mala section of the walk to learn about indigenous culture and some of the Anangu creation stories. This area is highly significant to the Anangu people and understanding their culture will give you a new appreciation of the land here. We also make a stop at the Cultural Centre where you can learn more about the traditional indigenous lifestyle once lived here and view indigenous artworks. Take the option for a helicopter flight over Uluru if you wish (own expense) and then after lunch we head over to Kings Canyon campground for the night. Around 4 hours travel time. (B,L,D)

Day 7 – Kings Canyon to Alice Springs

This morning we get to explore the wonders of Kings Canyon on a 6km hike around the rim. The steps at the beginning may seem tough, but once you reach the top be prepared for some spectacular views over the surrounding landscape! You’ll also come across bush foods, the hidden waterhole known as the Garden of Eden and the strange formations nicknamed the Lost City. If 6km sounds a bit too much, you can take the easier Creek Walk through the bottom instead and enjoy the natural bushland at your leisure. After lunch, we make our way to our final destination of our Adelaide to Alice Springs Tour. Around 5 hours travelled. (B,L) Although there are no formal activities booked for the evening in Alice Springs, groups usually organise a get together for a final meal and drinks together (at your own expense).

Day 8 – Flight to Darwin

Journey from Alice Springs to Darwin via plane, cutting a 24-hour bus journey into a 1.5 hour flight! We’ll organise a Qantas flight for you and someone to meet you at Darwin airport to take you to your accommodation. The rest of the day is yours to explore Alice Springs and Darwin at your leisure. Be sure to check out the Mindil Beach Sunset Market! Around 2 hours travelled. (L)

Day 9 – Darwin to Ahnem Land

Leave Darwin in the early morning and travel to Wulna Country where you will be greeted by a Cul Cul or ‘Welcome to Country’ from the Traditional Owners of the land, the Limilngan-Wulna people. Learn about their culture as your hosts treat you to bush tucker talks and didgeridoo and basket weaving demonstrations. Then, it’s on to the border of Kakadu and Arnhem Land for a Guluyumbi cruise along the East Alligator River. Travelling with a Bininj guide, understand more about the cultural importance of the East Alligator River to the region’s traditional custodians and hear about local mythology and customs.

Once the cruise wraps up, jump in a vehicle and cross straight into Arnhem Land for an unforgettable afternoon of exploration. Start by unveiling more art at a complex known as Mawurndaddja. This complex has a spectacular series of galleries with rock art spanning from the present time to many thousands of years of age. Your guide will explain the importance of this art, the methods used to perform this expressionism and the anthropological system used to date the art as you are guided through the site. Spend the afternoon exploring this historic ancient site. Following this, head back into Kakadu for an overnight stay. (L) (D)

Day 10 – Kakadu National Park

After fuelling up with an early breakfast, it’s on to Jim Jim Falls, Kakadu’s most iconic natural attraction. It’s a challenging walk through monsoon forest and over boulders. Recharge with a cooling dip in the clear waters beneath the falls upon arrival, or simply soak up the spectacular scenery while relaxing on the beach. After lunch head to Anbangbang and discover ancient rock art. Originally Warramal clan land, who have now passed away, Anbangbang is now looked after by neighbouring Mirarr and Djok clans. Consider taking a scenic flight over Kakadu in the afternoon, or visit Bowli Cultural Centre. (B,L,D)

Day 11 – Kakadu to Nitmiluk National Park

We’ll start the day with a visit to either Barramundi Gorge or Gunlom Falls where you can relax and enjoy a swim in the cool waters of the pools. Upon leaving Kakadu National Park, we’ll make a stop in Pine Creek, an old gold mining town full of historical buildings, where we have a look at the Gold-Mining Centre. Then we’ll journey for the afternoon towards our campsite nearby to Nitmiluk National Park. Around 5.5 hours travelled. (B,L,D)

Day 12 – Katherine Gorge Nitmiluk National Park

We’ll spend the morning enjoying the beauty of Katherine Gorge. For those wanting to see a bit more, you could opt to join a scenic cruise through the gorge ($94) or rent a canoe ($45) and explore it yourself ( both at own expense). After lunch, we head to Edith Falls where you’re able to relax and have another swim in some of its pools. It’s another night of camping enjoying the night sky. Around 4.5 hours travelled. (B,L,D)

Day 13 – Litchfeild National Park to Darwin

After breakfast, we make our way into the famous Litchfield National Park. You’ll be amazed exploring the scenery of the park. We’ll make stops at Florence and Wangi Falls, as well as a swim stop at the Buley Rockholes. Marvel at the giant termite mounds found throughout the park and the beautiful rainforests also before we head back to Darwin. Around 3.5 hours travelled. (B,L) Although there are no formal activities booked for the evening in Darwin, groups usually organise a get together for a final meal and drinks together (at your own expense).

Part of our responsibility is educating guests on minimal impact practices and the importance of ensuring the safety of wildlife and the environmental sustainability of the destinations we visit.

Learn more about EcoTourism: https://www.ecotourism.org.au/

Traditional Owners

Autopia Tours would like to begin by paying our respects to the traditional owners of this country. Please be conscious and respectful of the sensitivities of indigenous culture and the spiritual connection they have with the land at all times.

Wildlife Encounters

The natural behaviours of wildlife are to be respected and not interfered with. When viewing wildlife, people should take care to avoid rapid or sudden movements, which could frighten the animal, and should keep noise to a minimum and refrain from touching, petting or feeding all wildlife including birds. Contact with people can introduce diseases to wildlife and can cause them to become aggressive.

Wildlife should not be handled or fed, unless by certified wildlife handlers. Feeding wildlife can alter their natural foraging behaviour and can lead to disease or illness through contact with people and the introduction of foods that are harmful to their digestive system. Feeding wildlife can also cause them to become aggressive toward people.

Wildlife that appears to be in distress, injured or in danger should be reported immediately to the appropriate authority, such as your Guide/Tour Leader, a National Park Ranger or Visitor Centre Staff.

Protecting our National Parks

People should remain on designated walking tracks, behind safety barriers/fences and follow all directions given by the guide/tour leader. Venturing off these can alter fragile ecosystems and can harm wildlife shelters and native vegetation. There are other dangers to be aware of too, such as cliff edges, unstable rock formations, overhanging tree branches and slippery ground cover. Remaining on tracks ensures safe visitation for guests and the environment.

No flora or fauna should be removed from their natural setting. This includes dead wood, fallen leaves, flowers and so forth, as they form part of the ecosystem of the region and their removal could cause a disturbance.

Waste Management

All buses are fitted with waste bins. No organic waste should be disposed of onto the ground. Although organic, items such as banana peels, apple cores, bread and other food scraps, are not natural/native to the region and can introduce pest species, diseases or harm to wildlife if found and eaten. We recommend all passengers bring a water bottle with you on our Adelaide to Darwin Tour. Purchasing bottled water contributes large amounts of plastic into the landfill. Therefore, we ask guests to bring their own bottle, as there is access to water refill stations available on our vehicles. Please ensure you stay hydrated throughout the tour to reduce the risk of sun exposure and dehydration.

First Aid

All our guides carry a current Level 2 First Aid certificate. Please report any accident or illness to your tour guide. We recommend anyone with an existing medical condition to carry their medication with them on tour and to notify their tour guide at the beginning of the tour.

If you are a smoker! We ask you to refrain from smoking whilst in the company of other passengers and limit it to designated smoking areas. Smoking is not permitted on any of our vehicles, or in any type of accommodation including permanent campsites. We make frequent ‘comfort stops’ to allow free time for guests but cannot guaranteed smoke breaks. Please ensure you dispose of your cigarette butt responsibly and appropriately.