2 NIGHTS

Get ready to enjoy a wonderful tour of Outback South Australia; this State was originally settled as a free “Christian Colony” and its capital, Adelaide, is still known as the “City of Churches”. We fly into Adelaide to be met and welcomed by our own Fantastic Aussie Tours Coach Captain before transferring to our centrally located hotel. Your CFT Leader will be on hand to help you make the most of a free afternoon in this elegant and beautiful city. We come together tonight with our fellow travellers to enjoy our first Group Dinner and get to know one another.

Overnight: Adelaide

South Australia is known for its high-quality food and wine and this morning we tour the iconic Adelaide Central Market. Established in 1869, Central Market is a thriving hub of food and culture with 70+ vendors selling organic fruit, premium meats & cheeses, locally made gourmet preserves and more. Our “foodie experience” continues with a tour of Haigh’s Chocolates, Australia’s oldest family-owned chocolate maker and renowned for its quality, artisan craftsmanship. Discover premium bean-to-bar chocolate making and enjoy special chocolate tastings at their factory before we explore the Visitor Centre.

Back in the city centre you have the afternoon at leisure to relax or to wander and experience some of the many different things Adelaide has to offer. Tonight, we will be joined for dinner by members of South Australia’s BCA Team.

Overnight: Adelaide

This morning, we share worship at Trinity Church, South Australia’s pioneer church with close links to the history of South Australia and the development of BCA; the church initially struggled and the small city congregation barely survived the first hundred plus years but its members became strong supporters of the Church Missionary Society and the Bush Church Aid Society, and sent a number of missionaries to work with these agencies.

After church we will take a scenic drive through the Adelaide Hills to the picturesque township of Hahndorf. Settled by 19th-century Lutheran migrants, Hahndorf is known for its original German-style architecture and food – have a wander and sample some of this delicious cuisine at one of the many cafes.
In the small town of Farrell Flat, we will see some incredible silo art; over 140 hours were spent painting the 30-metre-tall silo that depicts the last train to pass through this historic township. We drive north through pastoral landscapes to Burra, a historic mining town, past Mount Bryan and onto Peterborough. Today Peterborough has a population of only 1700 but its streetscape of grand architecture alludes to its former importance as the crossroads of a growing nation; over 100 steam locomotives used to pass through the town before heading to all corners of Australia as it sat at the intersection of the East-West railway, the North-South railway and later the Trans-Australian railway. After dinner, we will visit the Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre to enjoy the award-winning Sound and Light Show – celebrate the legacy of this important period whilst sitting comfortably in a restored 1916 historic rail carriage which is placed on an 85-foot-long, 3-gauge turntable.

Overnight: Peterborough

2 NIGHTS

After leaving Peterborough we come to the delightful little township of Orroroo, said to have the widest street in Australia. Orroroo is also very close to Goyder’s Line which, when surveyed in 1865, was deemed the limit of productive land in South Australia.

We stop in Hawker to buy lunch and to visit Jeff Morgan Gallery, where we not only see, but experience the “Wilpena Panorama”; this is a 360° view as seen from St Mary’s Peak, highest point of Wilpena Pound and Morgan’s “endless” painting will have you mesmerised.

Our next two nights will be spent in the heart of the Flinders Ranges staying at Wilpena Pound Resort; we arrive at our accommodation mid-afternoon and have some free time to enjoy the natural surroundings and the daily Welcome to Country ceremony. The extraordinary landscape of Wilpena Pound is 800 million years old and has been home to Adnyamathanha people for tens of thousands of years. These traditional owners call it Ikara which means “meeting place”, and it is certainly a wonderful place for us to join together for devotions and celebrate the incredible beauty of one of earth’s oldest landscapes.

Overnight: Wilpena Pound

OPTIONAL TOUR

This morning, we will enjoy a 4WD tour into the Flinders Ranges National Park gorges; hear stories from a Yura guide as we explore this spectacular ancient outback landscape offering more than 800 million years of geological history. Enjoy sweeping views of Bunyeroo Valley and the eastern wall of Wilpena Pound and marvel at the age of this landscape with a visit to some of the oldest fossils on Earth. Keep an eye out for the rare Yellow Footed Rock Wallaby, the estimated 2000 which live in the Flinders Ranges are the largest population in Australia.

We return to the resort for lunch and some time at leisure; take the opportunity to go for a walk or visit the Interpretative Centre. We are in for a treat late afternoon when we venture out to Stokes Hill which offers us a spectacular 360° panoramic view. Enjoy “Stokes Hill Sundowners” and relax with a refreshing drink and canapes as we take in the beauty of the changing colours as the sun sets over Wilpena Pound. Glory in God’s Creation – a truly memorable end to our day.

Optional tour – You may also wish to book and pay for an optional 20-minute flight over Wilpena Pound – the views of the Southern Flinders, the Pound itself and the vast salt lake to the west, known as Lake Torrens, are truly spectacular. Book & pay on site.

Overnight: Wilpena Pound

2 NIGHTS

The Northern Flinders may not be as well-known as Wilpena Pound, and are a little more difficult to get to, but the effort to get there is well worth it! We stop in Blinman to visit Wadna, a wonderful new enterprise that offers locally made authentic indigenous artworks, tools and souvenirs. We stop for lunch in Leigh Creek for the opportunity to catch up with BCA’s Jack & Lill Harradine; having worked in outreach ministry with the Aboriginal Berean Community Church the Harradine’s were encouraged to re-open Copley Christian Fellowship in mid-2025. Learn of the important work they do in this remote area.

Leaving Leigh Creek, we will be surrounded by dramatic and spectacular Outback scenery as we climb through the rugged mountains of the Gammon Ranges National Park. Our destination is South Australia’s first legally protected wilderness sanctuary, Arkaroola Wilderness Lodge.

Established in 1967 by the geologist Reg Sprigg and his wife Griselda, with the intention of preserving the unique environment by removing feral animals and reintroducing native fauna and plants, Arkaroola is now a multi-tourism award winner that offers Advanced Ecotourism accredited guided tours. Reg & Griselda’s dream has been kept alive by their children, Doug and Marg Sprigg, and today Arkaroola is at the forefront of Eco Tourism in Australia, and the Lodge offers quality accommodation and services.

Take your time to settle in and perhaps enjoy a self-guided walk before dinner.

Overnight: Arkaroola

OPTIONAL TOUR

We are within a truly unique landscape that was created over 2 billion years ago, an ancient, uplifted seabed which has become the most rugged chain of mountains in the Australian Outback. Arkaroola is famous for its spectacular 4WD Ridgetops Tour, and we will travel in a specially constructed open-top 4WD vehicle across the razor-back ridges and peaks of the Flinders Ranges. Trained tour guides share their knowledge of the region’s geological history as they navigate the steep and rugged slopes of the famous Ridgetop Track where the magnificent panoramic views are sure to impress. We visit ‘Crystal Candy Mountain’, Mt Painter, Yundnamutana Gorge and dramatic Sillers Lookout which offers awe inspiring views extending more than 80 kms over Lake Frome. The scenery from this pinnacle is so breathtaking that many have compared it to the grandeur of the Grand Canyon!

We return for lunch with the afternoon free for you to enjoy some of the many well marked self-guided walking tracks. Why not do an optional 35-minute scenic flight over the Gammon Ranges (book and pay at resort)? Enjoy breathtaking views as you learn about the area’s geology and listen to Aboriginal stories.

After dinner, we will look to the heavens on an astronomy tour to visit Australia’s largest privately-owned Astronomical Observatory. The remote location offers incredible viewing with little light pollution to detract from the millions of stars that we will see. The facility’s new “star chairs” are quite extraordinary, providing an experience that is normally only available to scientists and astronomers. Prepare to be awe-struck by the enormity of the universe.

Overnight: Arkaroola

2 NIGHTS

We farewell Arkaroola and journey south again, driving through stunning river gorges such as the Italowie Gorge as we head towards Copley and drive through the former mining town of Leigh Creek.

We head south to Parachilna to stop at the famous Prairie Hotel for lunch; Australian Traveller Magazine lists sampling the “feral food” menu of kangaroo, emu, camel as 1 of 20 “ultimate outback experiences” (don’t worry, other food options will be available as well).

Driving on, we stop to stretch our legs at the historic ruins of Kanyaka Homestead before arriving in Port Augusta for our next 2-night stay. Port Augusta is a “Crossroads” town; located at the top of the Spencer Gulf it was once primarily a seaport servicing all the properties sending their wool and wheat around the world. Today it is a crossroads for tourism rather than commerce, with travellers journeying across the Nullarbor Plain, to the Flinders Ranges and north to Central Australia and the Northern Territory.

Overnight: Port Augusta

We have an exciting day in store for you. We first visit the Wadlata Outback Centre before boarding the Afghan Express to embark on an historical train journey; this is a steam-hauled train using distinctive timber-bodied carriages that were built in the late 1920s for the narrow gauge old Ghan train service. Known as the Pichi Richi Railway, this last remaining operating portion of the famous Ghan railway that once ran from Port Augusta to Alice Springs line, and which travels through the famous Pichi Richi Pass. Built in the 1870s, it meanders past deep rock cuttings, superb stone wall embankments and spectacular iron bridges. We travel through Woodshed Flat before arriving in the historic township of Quorn where the railway heritage is reflected in the names of some of the old hotels – The Grand Junction and the Trans Continental. This once bustling town is just as it was in the late 1800s (but without the bustle). Enjoy lunch at Teas on the Terrace then head back to Port Augusta for a visit to the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens.

Overnight: Port Augusta

We travel to Port Pirie this morning to worship at the Cathedral Church for the Diocese of Willochra. After the service we will enjoy fellowship and morning tea with local Christians before our drive south. On our way to Adelaide, we stop briefly in at the tiny township of Owen to view the poignant Silo Artwork ‘Wheat bags to Sandbags’; this painting is a tribute to the local farmers and farm labourers who exchanged their wheat fields for the WWI battlefields.

In Adelaide we can check in, relax and enjoy some free time before our last Group Dinner.

Overnight: Adelaide

Take some time for some last-minute shopping in Rundle Mall, Adelaide’s premier shopping district and pedestrian precinct. Then it’s time to say farewell to new friends, returning home blessed with memories of fellowship and experiences shared with like-minded people.