Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctury, Ikara-Flinders Ranges.
Autumn is the perfect time for a getaway in South Australia. The sun's still providing warming rays and biting southerlies are yet to chill our bones. Spend a long weekend in one of these top-notch regions and get your fill of memories and interesting yarns for your next gathering.
Words: Andrew Rasch
Barossa Valley
Do
You know Maggie Beer from Masterchef. Now, cook up a storm in her studio kitchen, with Maggie Beer's Farm Shop interactive cooking demonstration. Prepare your creations with fresh local produce and then taste them with fellow guests.
Head skyward for a bird's-eye view in a hot-air balloon with Barossa Balloon Adventures. Watch the Barossa sunrise as you drift gently above the mist-covered vineyards and then tuck into a scrumptious breakfast, including locally smoked bacon, free-range eggs and sourdough bread.
If you love arts and culture, the Barossa has you covered. Angaston's North Street Studios showcases a selection of contemporary art, leather artisanship and fashion. At Corroboree Dream Art in Tanunda, you'll find stunning Aboriginal artworks from recognised and emerging artists. And at Seppeltsfield's Wonderground, wander the modern art gallery as you sip a glass of local wine.
Barossa Balloon Adventures.
Eat & drink
The Barossa is full of places to wine and dine. Visit Fino Seppeltsfield for a 'choose your journey' sample menu, including chorizo scotch eggs and yellowfin tuna with avocado and togarashi – a Japanese spice mix. After your meal, pop into JamFactory at Seppeltsfield and browse the selection of handcrafted ceramics, furniture, glassware and jewellery from prominent Australian artists and designers.
At family-owned Pindarie Wines, you can taste prize-winning drops, including a sparkling rosé or a blood-red tempranillo. Stay for a grazing plate or devour a crispy, homemade lamb, quince, rosemary and potato pie or a vegetable and lentil hotpot.
Still thirsty? First Drop Wines is sure to tickle your fancy. Known for its award-winning 'Mother's Milk' shiraz, and its Home of the Brave cellar door, this quirky winery offers a tapas menu which includes patatas bravas, Parmigiano Reggiano with honey and walnuts, and limoncello-flavoured tiramisu.
Fino, Seppeltsfield.
Stay
Get back to nature at CABN's off-grid accommodation. With a range of luxury levels, CABN offers king beds, private saunas, and outdoor baths, all in quiet, secluded locations across the Barossa.
For more gorgeous landscapes, the Novotel Barossa Valley Resort in Rowland Flat features views of the Jacob's Creek grape vines. Melt away with a remedial massage at the on-site Endota Spa.
Located in central Tanunda, The Wine Vine is a good base for exploring town. With comfy beds and extra fluffy pillows, it's your Barossa home away from home.
CABN, Barossa Valley.
Ikara-Flinders Ranges
Recently included in Lonely Planet's prestigious 2026 Best in Travel list, the Ikara-Flinders Ranges is blessed with natural beauty and ripe for exploration.
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If it's thrills you're after, it's hard to go past a Rawnsley Park four-wheel-drive tour. Climb aboard an expertly guided modern vehicle and enjoy spectacular red-rock gorges, native fauna and flora, and learn about the geological history of this ancient region.
There's no better spot than SA's Far North to try opal mining, so book yourself an Andamooka Observatory tour. Learn the basics of fossicking for these precious mineraloids, the best spots to find them and how to stake your claim.
If all this ground-based excitement isn't enough, take to the skies with a Wrightsair scenic flight. Marvel at the spectacular Anna Creek Painted Hills, the stone amphitheatre of Wilpena Pound, the bird-filled spectacle of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, and many more natural wonders.
Moralana Scenic Drive, Ikara-Flinders Ranges.
Eat & drink
Reopening in March, Parachilna's Prairie Hotel is famous for its Feral Mixed Grill, with chargrilled kangaroo fillet, camel sausage and emu rissole on the menu. Topped with mashed spuds, roasted mushrooms, and crispy saltbush and red wine jus, the Parachilna's Prairie Hotel combines bistro dining with bush tucker. Go on – when in Rome, as they say.
Flinders Food Co. in Hawker is just what you need before or after a day of red-dirt adventure. Rehydrate with a refreshing, native-inspired quandong or golden wattle soda, or for breakfast order the popular combo of bacon and egg roll and frothy coffee.
For more bush tucker, visit the Woolshed Restaurant at Rawnsley Park. Originally known for 'spotted dog' (damper with sultanas), the Woolshed Restaurant is now famous for modern Australian cuisine. Try the Rawnsley Station lamb shank, with a vanilla custard trifle or blueberry cheesecake for dessert.
Stay
Stay at Wilpena Pound and choose between hotel rooms, safari tents and a campground for your caravan or tent. With modern facilities and a blanket of stars overhead, you're sure to find an unforgettable spot.
Further south, Quorn's self-contained Quandong Apartments have all the mod cons and outback charm. Don't ignore the heavenly aromas wafting in from the Quandong Café next door. Treat yourself to a steaming coffee and a piece of homemade quandong pie.
North-east of the Gammon Ranges lies Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, offering a range of accommodation styles. Arkaroola is also an international dark sky sanctuary, so bring your telescope or binoculars and become lost in the billions of twinkling stars above.
Prairie Hotel, Parachilna.
Riverland
Life in the Riverland revolves around the mighty Murray River, and there are plenty of reasons to visit one of the region's many towns or natural reserves.
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Where there's water, there are boats, so hire a canoe or kayak at Canoe Adventures in Berri. Take a guided tour or choose your own adventure and glide along as you spot graceful pelicans and maybe a curious turtle or two.
At nearly 15,000 hectares, there's no shortage of activities in Murray River National Park. Take the one-hour Cragg's Hut Walking Trail or the 20km Katarapko Trail for a challenge. With fishing, mountain biking, bird watching and more, this is a nature-lover's paradise.
For your final water adventure, jump aboard the restored PS Industry for a one-hour cruise. Leave the Renmark riverfront and head upstream, while admiring the plentiful wildlife and majestic gum trees. It's an ideal way to step back in time and learn more about the Murray River paddle steamer heritage.
Eat & drink
The laid-back bistro vibe of Nanya at the Hotel Renmark is sure to please when you're riverside. Sip a cleansing cocktail and enjoy tasty classics like schnitzel, battered flathead and pavlova.
South-west of Renmark in Berri, visit Earth Restaurant and sample some of the Riverland's finest produce. Enjoy a pre-dinner drink before indulging in some Murray Cod or chocolate hotcakes if you're there for breakfast.
And with so many outstanding SA-produced spirits, why not try one more? At Renmark's Twenty Third Street Distillery, sip on an award-winning Australian single-malt whisky or an ever-popular espresso martini.
Twenty Third Street Distillery, Riverland.
Stay
Choose from a variety of comfortable rooms or a three-bedroom apartment at Big River Golf and Country Club in Berri. Improve your swing and short game on the 18-hole golf course or avoid the frustration by relaxing with a cool drink and watching those who are trying to.
For a non-golfing stay, camp within a stone's throw of the water at Barmera's Lake Bonney Caravan and Holiday Park. Book a cabin, unit or powered site and strap yourself in for hours of swimming, sailing, biking, windsurfing and more.
For more water-side accommodation, get yourself a luxury eco-suite at Byrne Vineyards in Morgan. Here, you're surrounded by wetlands, burnt-orange cliffs, vineyards and more starry skies. With a complimentary bottle of wine on arrival, it's the perfect place to relax and unwind.
Canoe Adventures; Berri.
IMAGES: Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary; Emile Ristevski; Jiayuan Liang & Xplorer Studio; SATC/Ben Goode; Tourism Australia.
