13-day
Darwin to Adelaide
Cross the country from north to south, through central Australia as we embark on a 13 day trip from Darwin to Adelaide where you will encounter the heart of Australia in a small, participation-based tour stopping in at the most iconic checkpoints of Katherine Gorge, Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles), Kings Canyon, Uluru, Lake Eyre and other quintessential outback towns.
NT Park Pass not included you must purchase your own NT Parks pass to participate on this tour. You can find out more information here and buy your parks pass using the NT Parks booking system.
Itinerary
Day 1
After departing Darwin our first stop will be at the Adelaide River War Cemetery. Following Adelaide River we will travel to Pine Creek where we learn about their rich gold mining history. Our next stop will be at Edith Falls for lunch and a swim before cruising into Katherine Gorge for the night. (Breakfast not included on this day)
Day 2
A morning to enjoy the magnificent sights of Katherine Gorge followed by an activity of your choice; a cruise or an opportunity to canoe through Katherine Gorge. In the afternoon we will venture to Mataranka Hot Springs for a dip in the pools before setting up camp in Elsey National Park.
Please select your preferred activity at Katherine Gorge at the time of booking.
Day 3
Our day begins in the natural thermal pools at Bitter Springs before drying off and making our way to the iconic Daly Water Outback Pub. Our next stop will be into Karlu Karlu also known as the Devils Marbles, where we will have a chance to explore the unique rock formations before setting up camp for the night.
Day 4
Today we will visit the Tropic of Capricorn, the southernmost latitude where the sun can be seen directly overhead. We will then make our way into Alice Springs to visit the historic Telegraph Station before checking out the local lookout and having some time to look around the local shops and galleries.
Day 5
We begin our day by making our way towards the West Macdonald Ranges ducking into Ellery Creek. Our next stop is Glen Helen Gorge which is a stunning natural chasm for a swim. Our afternoon is then spent discovering Palm Valley, home to a diverse range of native wildlife.
Day 6
We have an early start as we make our way to Kings Canyon in Watarrka National park. Witness the main gorge which plunges 270 metres/885 feet to the canyon floor as well as smaller gorges, such as the Garden of Eden. The area is home to endemic plants and animals including some unique cycads. We have most of the day to explore this area before continuing on to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.
Day 7
Today we are up early to witness the majestic sunrise over Uluru before we embark on the base walk. A great opportunity to observe some of the Aboriginal rock art and cultural sites at the rock. Your guide will interpret some of these sites for you to provide an understanding of the cultural importance of this place to the Anangu people. After our walk we will take a short drive to the impressive large domed rock formation known as Kata Tjuta before finishing our day with an iconic Uluru sunset.
Day 8
Over the next few days we are going to travel through very remote areas that are well worth exploring. Today we venture away from the standard tourist route and arrive in a small town called Aputula (Finke). We’ll stop at The Lambert Centre of Australia; established in 1988 this is the point geographically recognised as the centre of Australia. We continue onto Charlotte Waters to explore the ruins of the old telegraph station.
Day 9
Today our destination is Witjira National Park and our first stop is a little oasis known as Mount Dare. There’s time for a beer in one of Australia’s most remote pubs; a true outback bar. We discover the Opussum waterhole which looks after a huge variety of birds and wildlife including the native hen, the Opossum. Dalhousie Springs is our next stop; in the middle of nowhere these thermal pools offer a great opportunity to relax and bath in the warm waters. Afterwards, we’ll explore the ruins of Dalhousie station including the Date palm pictures providing a feel of the Sahara Desert. We then pass through the arid landscape of Pedirka Desert.
Day 10
Today we make our way to Oodnadatta which holds the record for the hottest place in Australia. We visit the Painted Desert with impressive natural colourful escarpments before arriving in Cooper Pedy. In Cooper Pedy. we will learn about the opal mining and take a tour of a working mine. After our time in Coober Pedy we will stop at the Dingo Fence, one of the longest structures in the world, before setting up camp on station country.
Day 11
Day 11 is filled with stops including Anna Creek Station, the worlds largest cattle station. You’ll have the opportunity to take a scenic flight over Lake Eyre, Strangeway Springs and some of the old Ghan sidings, before making our way further south to Blanche Cup. Here is where you can witness the extremely rare desert Goby fish. Our next stop includes a swim at Coward Springs before visiting Lake Eyre.
Day 12
We begin our day with a stop to Marree to visit the yacht club, an unexpected treasure. Following Marree we will head to the colourful ochre cliffs, an important place for the Yandruwandha people. We then continue on to Brachina Gorge and Bunyeroo Gorge in the Flinders Ranges.
Day 13
Our final day is spend exploring the Flinders Ranges to see Razorback Ridge, Wilpena Pound and making a stop at the Adnyamthanha painting and ceremonial site to learn about the Indigenous culture. After that we continue towards Adelaide to visit the historic town of Quorn where the old Ghan began. We will finish the tour at Ibis Adelaide, 122 Grenfell Street in the town centre so everyone can make their way to their accommodation.
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Kapalga Travel reserves the right to alter the route or itinerary schedule to adapt to seasonal changes or if one of our stops becomes closed.
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Our tours are participation tours, everyone helps out by contributing to the cooking, cleaning, setting up camp, rolling out swags, collecting firewood, lighting the fire, etc. This allows the tour to run more efficiently, helps the group to bond and gives you the opportunity to get involved in the bush camping experience.
Bush camping is all part of the adventure and the experience of the outback. For many centuries Australia’s ancestors survived in the bush living off nature. Sometimes we will bush camp and there will be no facilities such as a toilet and a shower. We do have ways of dealing with this, which will be explained to you by your guide. One way of dealing with not having a shower is by making the most of the swimming opportunities, which occur on most days.
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Snacks
Drinking water (please bring a drink bottle)
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
Driver and guide
Licensed air-conditioned tourist vehicle
Pick up and drop off from accommodation
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• Sleeping Bag suitable for the conditions (-5 degree Celsius sleeping bag if travelling between May – September)
• Comfortable, appropriate hiking shoes or boots / strapped sandals with ankle support (whichever you feel most confident hiking in)
• Thongs / your comfy breathable shoes for on the truck and around the campsites
• Shoes you are happy to get wet, thongs are fine (You’ll be walking through Tunnel creek)
• Torch
• Large water bottle (2 litre bottle or two 1 litre bottles)
• Swimming gear
• Towel
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Suitable clothing to keep you cool and protect you from the sun
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Toiletries
• iPod / MP3 (We can play your music on the truck)
• Camera
• Jumper / long pants (to keep you warm in the evening)
• Cash for souvenirs
• Small or inflatable pillow
• Rain jacket (from tours running in May, September, October & November)
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Our tours aim to get you off the beaten track and into the remote gorges, waterholes and rock art sites. In order to do this, you will be required to hike for several kilometres a day and occasionally swim and climb (swimming is not essential). You’ll be walking on well-trodden paths as well as rocky, dry creek beds and rough trails.
If you are generally healthy and can walk around 8 kilometres a day, our tours are likely to be suitable for you.
We do not recommend pregnant women travel on our tours; this is due to the risks involved with hiking on uneven ground, and the fact that the roads are corrugated and bumpy which can affect unborn babies.
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Our food is fresh and passengers are often amazed at the meals we are able to cook up in the bush. Our guides aren’t chefs but they can most definitely cook up a great feed in a camp oven or on a BBQ plate.
Our trailers have an 80 litre fridge and an 80 litre freezer so we can deliver nutritious food in the outback.
Breakfast* – Continental style and some mornings we do cook ups
*On day 1 of your tour we’ll pick you up early and we’ll be driving straight away so please have breakfast before you board or pack a snack to eat on the truck
Lunch – Varies from wraps, sandwiches, burgers, salads, cold meats, etc.
Dinner – Roasts, stir-frys, curries, stews, damper, etc.
On the truck we carry camp ovens, frying pans, BBQ plates, pots, etc., so we can cook almost anything.
We cater for vegetarians and gluten-free passengers. Other allergies are also catered for, although our guides are not specialists in these areas, so we ask that you provide some assistance when meals are being prepared to ensure you are correctly catered for. Please make sure you inform us at the time of booking if you have a dietary requirement or allergy.
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The total cost of this 13-day tour is $3,699pp.
A 25% non-refundable deposit is due at the time of booking. This can be paid by bank transfer or card. The full amount is due 30 days prior to departure, and we send a reminder 6 weeks prior. Book now.
There is also the option to join the tour on day 4 by booking our 10-day Alice to Adelaide tour.