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Meet the unique animals of Australia on a Nullarbor adventure

This is not only one of the world's great road trips across the vast plains of the mighty Nullarbor, but also an opportunity to encounter the best of Australian wildlife up close. This journey provides opportunities to spot a kangaroo, wombat, emu and dingo in the wild. Swimming with dolphins and sealions, taking in stunning Australian coastal scenery and kicking back in character-filled Aussie pubs, make this trip the ultimate for those looking for a wild and nature-filled journey through Australia's outback and remote regions.

Start
Perth, Australia
Finish
Adelaide, Australia
Destination
Australia
Style
Basix
Theme
Overland
Code
PA9
Physical rating
Ages
Min 8
Group size
Min 1, Max 21

Why you'll love this trip

  • Explore Wave Rock and the Darling Ranges

  • Travel across the vast plains of the Nullarbor

  • Go swimming with sealions and dolphins on the Eyre Peninsula

  • Spot unique Australian wildlife

  • Discover the mighty Flinders Ranges in South Australia

  • Visit the delightful city of Adelaide

Is this trip right for you?

  • Most nights are swag camping with basic facilities as we camp in National Parks

  • Australia is a really big country - it's important to appreciate the landscape for it's vastness

  • Mobile phone and internet signal is few and far between on this trip - enjoy some time detached from the real world!

Map of Perth to Adelaide Overland including Australia
australia emu wildlife western
australia sa flinders ranges arkaroola south
australia sa sea lions south western wildlife
australia wa nullabor plain western road signs

Itinerary
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Our adventure begins as we travel east over the Darling Ranges. After a morning break at the historic township of York we then continue our journey south. Our lunch stop will be at Wave Rock, where there's the opportunity to have a look at this amazing rock formation.

After lunch we drive further south to the Fitzgerald River National Park, an internationally recognised world biosphere reserve with plenty of beautiful beaches, rugged coastline and the opportunity for a short walk.

Approx travel 10 hours with stops along the way. Walking time is about an hour and a half.
Accommodation
  • Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Fitzgerald River National Park Entrance Fees
  • Wave Rock
Meals Included
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Begin the morning with a brisk hike up East Mt Baron, one of the three quartzite peaks that make up the Barren Ranges. Legs stretched, we’ll take the coastal route into Esperance for a coffee break and mosey around.
Then get ready for some of Australia’s most spectacular scenery with this part of WA having no less than 9 National Parks where we camp at the most spectacular of all, Cape Le Grand National Park. The ocean here is practically transparent, the local eastern grey ‘roos are regularly sunbaking on the beach and the sand at Lucky Bay has twice been judged Australia’s whitest.
Enjoy a free afternoon here and how you spend it is wholly up to you. Set out on a coastal bushwalk, splash about in the sea, fiddle around with your camera aperture or just kick back with your new buds along the beach.


Approx travel 2.5 hours with stops along the way. Walking time is about 3 hours.
Accommodation
  • Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Cape Le Grand National Park Entrance Fees
  • East Mt Baron Hike
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

If you didn’t a chance to spot any roo's yesterday, early morning’s a prime time to potter down to the beach and see what’s hopping about before our early morning hike up Frenchman’s Peak which has stunning views across the inlets and islands of the Recherche Archipelago. Then we’ll take a stunning coastal drive stopping at some of the regions most breathtaking beaches including Twilight Cove before heading to the outback town of Norseman for lunch and hit the Eyre Highway to start our journey east bound. Tonight you will get an IMAX version of the great southern sky where you’ll be left speechless by the show of constellations and shooting stars.

Driving time is about 5 hours today, and walking time is about 1 hour.
Accommodation
  • Bush camp (no facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Frenchmen's Peak Hike
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Driving’s the name of the game today (we’ve got 500 kilometres of the world’s longest stretch of straight road to cover!). Today will certainly give you a sense of the sheer size of this vast and ancient land. The name ‘Nullarbor’ is derived from the Latin for ‘No Trees’, so vegetation is one thing you shouldn’t expect to see today.
We’ll make a stop at Eucla, an old telegraph township now mostly buried beneath sand dunes, then call in for a night’s camping at Koonalda Homestead in the Nullarbor National Park. This unique camp site was originally a sheep shearing station and fuel and rest stop for people travelling along the Nullarbor in the 1950s. Abandoned in the 1970’s the site became somewhat of a car graveyard with old cars left behind, broken down on the Nullarbor Plain. A photographers dream!

Travel time today is about 6 hours.
Accommodation
  • Bush camp (no facilities) (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

The following day we see the majestic Nullarbor cliffs and stop at the famous wombat/camel/kangaroo road sign as we cross the Nullarbor. We drive onto the Nullarbor Plain and across the dingo fence while travelling through Yalata First Nations lands. In the afternoon we are heading to the Ceduna Arts and Cultural Centre. Here you will learn more about the different styles and meaning behind many forms of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. Having a short stop at Streaky Bay for any supplies and then later in the afternoon we arrive at Coodlie Park bush camp. This working farm has traditional cropping, sheep and a project of tree planting on their own land to offset their own carbon emissions.

Today we travel for approximately 8 hours.
Accommodation
  • Bush camp (no facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Ceduna Arts & Cultural Centre
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

This morning we head out to swim with the ever cheeky and playful sea lions and dolphins at Baird Bay. A pristine coast line and sanctuary for a multitude of land and sea animals. This outsource adventure done by Baird Bay eco tours is an optional experience. It is a 3-4 hour tour that will remain a beautiful memory for the rest of your life. We need to have your decision of doing the sea lions and dolphin swim before tour departure.

Having had lunch at the picnic spot at Bairds, onto Murphy’s Haystacks, incredible granite rock formations sculptured into wondrous and weird shapes over millions of years.

We then head for Talia Caves and the Lake Newland Sand dunes to go sandboarding.
Accommodation
  • Farmstay (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Murphy's Haystacks
  • Sandboarding at Lake Newland
  • Talia Caves
Optional Activities
  • Swim with Sea Lions and Dolphins - Port Neill - AUD170
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

This morning test out your sand boarding skills in the Lake Newland Conservation Park sand dunes then explore the spectacular Eyre Peninsula coastline visiting Talia Caves before heading to Port Lincoln – the Seafood Capital of Australia.
Enjoy delicious lunch on the foreshore and afterwards have some free time to check out the town before making the short drive on to our campsite in Mikkira Station which is home to a wild koala population. Tonight you’ll go to sleep under the koala filled trees and wake to the now familiar sounds of native birdlife.


Driving is about 3 hours. Walking time is about 2 hours.

Accommodation
  • Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Lock's Well
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Visit Lincoln National Park, which features some of the most scenic coastline in South Australia. Travel along Whalers Way coastal drive to see breathtaking coastline and some of the oldest rocks in Australia and you’ll be spotting abundant native Australian wildlife such as emus and kangaroos in the sanctuary.

We visit Wadlata Cultural Centre and have an interpretive walk through the life of the new frontier pioneers of South Australia.

We bush camp In Mt. Remarkable National Park
Accommodation
  • Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Glen Forest Wildlife Park
  • Lincoln National Park
  • Whalers Way Conservation Park
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
You may notice businesses offering an optional 'Great White shark cage diving' experience. We ask all Intrepid travellers to avoid this activity as it is contrary to our Responsible Travel policy. While wildlife viewing is a big part of many of our itineraries, we strive to only view animals in their natural habitats without attracting animals into contact with people.

Read more about animal welfare and our ‘Born to Live Wild’ pledge here:
http://www.intrepidtravel.com/animal-welfare

This morning we’ll embark on our last hike of the tour - Davey’s Gully Walk in Mt Remarkable National Park, before hitting the road back to Adelaide and travelling through some of South Australia quant country towns.
This overland adventure ends up on arrival in Adelaide. You’ll get your breakfast and lunch and although there are no formal activities planned it is usual for the group to get together and reflect on their 9-day adventure together over a few drinks and meal

Driving time on the last day is about 5 hours
Included Activities
  • Daveys Gully
  • Wadlata Cultural Centre
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

Meals

8 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 8 dinners

Transport

Minibus

Accommodation

Bush camp (no facilities) (1 night), Camping (with basic facilities) (4 nights), Farmstay (2 nights)

Included activities

  • Fitzgerald River National Park Entrance Fees
  • Wave Rock
  • Cape Le Grand National Park Entrance Fees
  • East Mt Baron Hike
  • Frenchmen's Peak Hike
  • Ceduna Arts & Cultural Centre
  • Murphy's Haystacks
  • Sandboarding at Lake Newland
  • Talia Caves
  • Lock's Well
  • Glen Forest Wildlife Park
  • Lincoln National Park
  • Whalers Way Conservation Park
  • Daveys Gully
  • Wadlata Cultural Centre

Dates & availability

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Travel lightly with Intrepid. We’ve offset the main sources of carbon emissions from this trip on your behalf, including transport, accommodation & waste. Read more

Important notes

1. Please bring your own sleeping bag, this is not available for hire or purchase on the trip.
2. Swimming with sealions and dolphins can be reserved in advance to secure your place, and paid locally
3. Please note this trip starts early on day 1 at approx 6.45am and finishes late on day 9 at approx 6.30pm.
4. This trip is basix swag camping
5. Please note there is no single supplement is available for this trip

Essential trip information

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Reviews

Our Perth to Adelaide Overland trips score an average of 4.5 out of 5 based on 6 reviews in the last year.

Perth to Adelaide Overland, April 2018

Rosemary Palmer

Review submitted 29 Apr 2018

Perth to Adelaide Overland, November 2017

Edmund Coates

Review submitted 09 Dec 2017

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