True Blue Adventure – Opals to the Alice

Your adventure begins with a flight to the beautiful city of Adelaide. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of your day is at leisure.

❱ 1 night: Mercure Grosvenor Hotel or similar

Adelaide travellers will be met at home and transferred to the Central Bus Station to join the tour. Interstate travellers will be picked up from the Mercure Grosvenor Hotel.

We begin our journey north aboard our luxury air-conditioned, bathroom-equipped coach following the Princes & Stuart Highways from Adelaide to Coober Pedy.

★ Due to our early start, a delicious boxed breakfast including hot rolls, pastries, fruit and drink will be provided on board as your coach travels through South Australia’s spectacular mid north region to Port Augusta.

★ We stop at the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden for a picnic style lunch.

Established in 1993, the Botanic Garden researches, conserves & promotes the wider appreciation of Australia’s arid zone flora whilst offering spectacular views to the ancient Flinders Ranges.

★ We continue to the unique Glendambo Roadhouse before arriving in the unusual opal mining town of Coober Pedy.

Here, most of the town’s residents live in underground accommodation which helps to provide relief from the hot temperature during the summer months. Dinner this evening will be served at the hotel restaurant.

❱ 2 nights: Desert Cave Hotel

★ After breakfast, we begin a relaxed sightseeing experience of Coober Pedy that includes a look at some of the world’s most brilliant black opals that are mined here.

We tour to a working opal mine and look around the town which includes a unique & fascinating underground church. Visit the wonderful Umoona Opal Mine & Museum for an opportunity to watch raw opal being turned into magnificent jewellery. You will also have a chance to see some of the world’s most magnificent opals which are on display here.

★ Later in the afternoon, we travel to the colourful Breakaways and take in the great views of the delightful Outback sunset.

Located just 33km north of Coober Pedy, the Breakaways are one of South Australia’s Outback gems. They’re a striking rocky landscape of flat-topped mesas. Its beauty has been captured in several Australian-made movies including Mad Max and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

★ Tonight, a delicious barbeque dinner will be provided by our hosts at the Desert Cave Hotel.

Enjoy an early sunrise breakfast before we set off down the Stuart Highway alongside the Great Victoria Desert and the Pitjantjatjara Lands. We make a stop for refreshments at the remote Cadney Homestead Roadhouse and for lunch at Kulgera before arriving in Alice Springs in the late afternoon.

❱ 2 nights: Mercure Alice Springs

★ After breakfast, we enjoy a leisurely tour around Alice Springs, an iconic Red Centre town that was originally settled for the construction of the Alice Springs Overland Telegraph Station which linked to Adelaide, Darwin & Great Britain.

On our tour, we visit the original Telegraph Station and visit Dr John Flynn’s wonderful Australian Royal Flying Doctors Service Centre. We also visit the amazing School of the Air which is the world’s largest classroom which covers more than 1.3 million square kilometres educating children in some of the most remote areas of Australia.

Today after breakfast, we depart ‘the Alice’ and begin our journey to Uluru – possibly Australia’s most recognised national icon.

★ We stop at Stuarts Well Roadhouse, where you will have a chance to go on a short camel ride.

Camels were introduced to Australia in the 1840s and were used in the development of Australia’s vast dry inland. Surprisingly to many, Australia is now home to one of the world’s largest number of camels, with over 1.2 million feral camels roaming the Outback – a number that is thought to be doubling every 8-9 years.

We then continue on our journey along the Stuart & Lasseter Highways to Mt Conner, a distinctive flat-topped sandstone capped sand & rock mountain that stands over 300 metres high. This horseshoe-shaped inselberg is one of the most distinctive formations in the area and is a perfect habitat for red kangaroos, rock wallabies and a vast array of birds & reptiles.

Later, we arrive at Uluru and check into our accommodation at the Ayers Rock Resort.

★ We then travel into the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and visit the fascinating Cultural Centre.

Here, you have a chance to deepen your understanding of the National Park, the local Anangu culture and view a wonderful collection of local indigenous paintings.

★ Join your guide on an informative base walk of Uluru including a visit to the sacred Mutitjulu Waterhole.

Learn about Uluru’s incredible history and hear about the significance of its ancient Aboriginal rock art, the area’s flora & fauna and the culture of its traditional owners.

★ After your walk, we head to the sunset viewing area and marvel at the magnificent sight as the world’s largest monolith changes from a sizzling red colour to orange – a sight to remember forever!

★ Later, we enjoy a great Outback BBQ under the Outback stars with Uluru as your stunning backdrop.

Relax and enjoy sparkling wine on arrival then dine of a menu that consists of steak, kangaroo meat, lamb sausages, chicken skewers & garlic prawns as well as salads & tasty desserts accompanied by a selection of Australian red & white wines, beer & soft drinks. Finish your night with an informative stargazing talk (weather permitting).

❱ 1 night: Outback Pioneer Hotel, Ayers Rock Resort

★ Wake up early this morning to experience a once in a lifetime event – the stunning Field of Light display at Uluru.

This critically acclaimed display by the internationally celebrated artist Bruce Munro features a fantasy garden of 50,000 spindles of light covering an area of over seven football fields. Each stem breathes & sways through a sympathetic desert spectrum of ochre, deep violet, blue & gentle white. Enjoy a cup of tea, coffee of hot chocolate as you watch the sun rise up behind Uluru, flooding the landscape including Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) behind you. It is truly a wonderful experience which will live in your mind forever!

★ After a delightful breakfast, we travel 45km to the 36 iconic domes of Kata Tjuta (the Olgas).

Here, you will enjoy a short walk through the sheer walls of Walpa Gorge, a desert refuge for plants & animals. The entrance of the gorge is decorated with clusters of pink daisies in the late winter. Inside, the rocky track gently rises to a seasonal stream, passing rare plants and ending at a grove of spearwood. You may also see wallabies hopping around the domes!

After lunch, we depart Uluru and tour to Erldunda for our overnight stay.

❱ 1 night: Erldunda Roadhouse

After breakfast at Erldunda, we set off along the Stuart Highway and begin our journey south to Adelaide.

★ We stop for lunch at Marla Bore, the original water supply for the construction of the highway.

We then continue to Coober Pedy, arriving in the afternoon with time to enjoy a tour around the opal centre or have a quiet drink before dinner.

❱ 1 night: Desert Cave Hotel

Enjoy an early breakfast today before we set off on our journey driving express along the Stuart Highway back to Adelaide. We stop for morning tea at Glendambo before enjoying lunch at Port Augusta. Later, we continue south along the Princes Highway via Port Wakefield to Adelaide, arriving at approximately 6.00pm.

Adelaide travellers will be met on arrival at the Adelaide Central Bus Station and transferred home by chauffeured vehicle. Interstate travellers will be dropped off at the Mercure Grosvenor Hotel.

You will be dropped off at your hotel in Adelaide for your overnight stay.

The next day, enjoy some time at leisure to explore Adelaide. Ask us about optional tours that are available today including day tours to the beautiful Adelaide Hills & of the famous Adelaide Central Market.

Later, a chauffeured car will take you to Adelaide Airport in time for your flight.

❱ 1 night: Mercure Grosvenor Hotel or similar