Ocean to Outback Safari

Eyre Peninsula - Shared Tour

Day 1: Port Lincoln. Fly to Adelaide and connect through to Port Lincoln.

Accommodation: Port Lincoln Hotel

Day 2: Coffin Bay. Upon arrival in Port Lincoln, you will be welcomed by your personal guide and taken on a scenic drive through Sugar Gums and agricultural lands to Big Swamp Wetland. This area is home to endangered bird species and is a haven for birdwatchers. The culinary journey begins in Coffin Bay, renowned for its world-famous oysters. Embark on an hour-long tour with a local oyster farmer, learning about Pacific and Native Angasi oysters while sampling them fresh from the water. Following the oyster experience, a gourmet seafood platter lunch is enjoyed in the heart of picturesque Coffin Bay. The day continues with a visit to Coffin Bay National Park, where you will explore the park's rich biodiversity. In addition to its culinary highlights, the tour offers opportunities to spot a variety of birds, including White-bellied Sea Eagles and Ospreys, as well as marine mammals like Australian Sea-lions and Bottlenose Dolphins, making it a perfect blend of nature and gourmet delights.

Accommodation: Port Lincoln Hotel

Day 3: Lincoln National Park. The day begins at Tulka, a coastal hamlet where guests can observe waders, Black Swans, and seabirds from a bird hide. The area, once explored by Captain Matthew Flinders in 1802, is also known for sightings of Southern Emu Wrens. Next, guests explore the diverse Port Lincoln National Park, where rugged cliffs offer views of Ospreys, White-bellied Sea Eagles, and Swamp Harriers. At Memory Cove, bird enthusiasts can spot species like Purple-gaped Honeyeaters and Striated Pardalotes. Guests may also choose to hike to Stamford Hill Lookout for stunning views of Boston Bay and the park. The park's wildlife includes Australian Sea-lions, Long-nosed Fur Seals, dolphins, kangaroos, and even migrating Southern Right Whales from May to August. In the afternoon, the journey continues to Mikkira Station to visit a wild koala colony. Surrounded by old Eucalyptus trees, guests can also observe kangaroos, emus, and rare native birds while enjoying a platter of local produce and wine as the sun sets. In the evening, fly to Adelaide.

Accommodation: Port Lincoln Hotel

Optional Extension: Baird Bay (March - late May, October - November). Depart Port Lincoln for the enchanting destination of Baird Bay, located in the northwest region of the Eyre Peninsula. Along the way, your guide will stop at secret spots offering stunning coastal views, including Elliston and Venus Bay.

The day's highlight is a short boat ride aboard the 14-seater 'Neo-phocus' to Jones Island, where you will swim with Australian Sea-lions. The island hosts over 120 sea lions and various native birds, including White-faced Herons and Australian Pelicans. You'll experience the playful and agile sea lions up close, an encounter often rated among the top 10 things to do in Australia. Afterwards, the boat ventures into deeper waters for a swim with resident Bottlenose dolphins, where you can hear their high-pitched chatter. After lunch on the Baird Bay beach, you visit the Talia caves, with their etched limestone roof and stunning ocean views. Finally, you enjoy breathtaking, uninterrupted views of the rugged cliffs of the Great Australian Bight from Cummings Monument.

Murray River Safari or Walk

Day 4: Adelaide. Take a morning flight to Adelaide with the rest of the day at leisure. 

Accommodation: Flexible Options Available*

Day 5: Murray River Safari (March, April, October, November). After a morning transfer from Adelaide, you'll meet your Murray River Safari guides at Hotel Renmark. Following a brief introduction to the Murray River, you'll board a pontoon cruiser for a scenic 25km cruise upstream, passing old-growth redgum forests and ochre-coloured cliffs. Keep an eye out for Koalas and various birds like Australian Pelicans, Black Swans, Australian Darters and Yellow-billed Spoonbills. You'll then settle into luxurious houseboat accommodations, enjoy lunch, and embark on a cultural walk through river country. 

Accommodation: Luxury Houseboat

The houseboat is your floating accommodation for three nights, moored in spectacular locations. Your bedroom windows offer stunning views of the river and you can watch from your bed as pelicans fly by. In the evenings, relax in the houseboat lounge and share stories with your fellow travellers as your guides prepare evening meals paired with local wines.

Day 6: RAMSAR Wetlands. Rise early to experience birdsong and a sunrise over the incredible Murray River valley, enjoying the vibrant river views and likely spotting Rainbow Bee-eaters catching insects. After breakfast, you will join a canoe guide for a serene paddle through the Riverland Ramsar Wetland, offering opportunities to quietly observe wildlife like Western Grey Kangaroos, cormorants, darters, ducks, rosellas and Mallee Ringnecks. Keep a careful eye out for goannas and Sacred Kingfishers. In the afternoon, you will explore the surrounding forests and wetlands on foot, searching for the endangered Regent Parrot, before retiring early after a fulfilling day. 

Day 7: Outback Lakes. After an early breakfast, you'll set off on a driving tour of the great ephemeral lake system on the outer floodplain where spectacular birdwatching includes migratory waders that have travelled from the northern hemisphere, thousands of ducks, pied stilts, red-necked avocets, spoonbills and musk ducks. Expect to see blue-bonnet parrots, emus and their chicks, and magnificent red kangaroos as you drive across the country between the lakes. Return to find the houseboat in a new location opposite the spectacular Bunyip Reach Cliffs above lock 6. 

Day 8: Renmark. After breakfast and an optional stroll on the riverbank, cruise leisurely downriver and transfer through lock 6 on the way to your final mooring and departure point. Celebrate the experience over a BBQ lunch on the top deck, before farewelling the river and returning to the Hotel Renmark at 2 pm, before your transfer to Mildura.

Please note that from May through to late September, the four-day Murray River Walk can be booked as an alternative featuring easy days of hiking along Australia's greatest river. 

Mungo Outback Journey - Private Tour

Day 9: Mildura. Upon arrival at Mildura Airport, you'll meet your Echidna Walkabout Wildlife Guide to begin a private outback journey. Mildura, near the junction of the Murray and Darling rivers, surprises with its abundant water in a semi-arid region. Before heading into the outback, you'll explore the Murray River and its billabongs, where parrots, cockatoos, and other birds often gather from the desert for food and water. In the afternoon, you'll travel into the arid lands towards Lake Mungo, entering the vast Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area. Here, you'll walk along the ancient, fossilized Willandra Creek and watch the sunset over Lake Mungo, learning about the region's history and spotting desert wildlife like kangaroos and parrots before settling for dinner at Mungo Lodge. 

Accommodation: Mungo Lodge

Day 10 - 11: Mungo National Park. Over the next two days, you will thoroughly explore Mungo National Park, a region of immense significance to human and wildlife history. Spanning over 1,110 km², the park surrounds the ancient, now dry, Lake Mungo, which has been inhabited by Aboriginal people for at least 50,000 years. The eroded dunes beside the lake reveal the oldest human living site on earth and megafauna skeletal remains, marking the area as a World Heritage Site.

Your exploration will include walks and drives through diverse habitats, from mallee woodlands to saltbush expanses. See abundant Emus and often see Pink Cockatoos and occasional Cockatiels in this region along with chats and arid land fairy wrens. The Crested Bellbird is often heard and sometimes seen. Raptors including the Spotted Harrier, Black Falcon, Grey Falcon and Wedge-tailed Eagle are known to nest in the area. The journey culminates with a drive across the dry lake bed to the lunettes, where you'll trace 50,000 years of Aboriginal history through the landscape. After an optional early morning bird walk on Day 14, you will enjoy a final breakfast at Mungo Lodge before driving out of the desert to Mildura.

Accommodation: Mungo Lodge

Day 12. Mildura. After an optional early morning bird walk, enjoy a final breakfast at Mungo Lodge before driving out of the desert to Mildura for your airport dropoff to take your departing flights.