Adelaide to Eyre Peninsula Seafood, Wine & Seal Trail

Enjoy a drive through South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula coastline and back through the Clare Valley, where you can sample some of the best seafood and wine in Australia. Spend two nights in Adelaide where you will enjoy a Market Breakfast tour before making your way to the Eyre Peninsula, stopping for a night in Port Augusta, before arriving in Port Lincoln for 3 nights. Port Lincoln is home to the iconic Coffin Bay oysters, so you can sample fresh oysters and other local seafood from the sea. Your package includes a Swim with the Seals Tour, where you get to frolic with the puppies of the sea, before departing back Adelaide, stopping in the picturesque Clare Valley for 2 nights, where you can discover over 40 wineries and charming towns throughout the region.

Day 1 to 2 Adelaide

Welcome to Adelaide, a city bursting at the seams with culture, events, flavour and entertainment. Take a stroll along the tree-lined boulevard, North Terrace, which is home to some of the city’s most important cultural institutions. The Art Gallery of South Australia houses some 38,000 works featuring Australian, European, North American and Asian artwork.

Join the Adelaide Market Breakfast Tour where you will taste and discover the many delicious secrets behind the international applauded Adelaide Central Market. You’ll enjoy a scrumptious light breakfast, before uncovering an assortment of irresistible fresh produce, gourmet foods, along with native and exotic delights, reflecting Adelaide’s vibrant multicultural influences.

Only minutes away from the city you can visit and taste your way through award-winning wineries, or soak up the sun along the many golden beaches. Head for the cool-climate region of the Adelaide Hills and drop into some of the area’s 60 wineries, or visit the german village of Hahndorf.

Stay 2 nights in Adelaide

Day 3 Adelaide – Port Augusta (307km)

On arrival into Port Augusta, make your way to the Wadlata Outback Centre, where you can experience the Tunnel of Time, with local tales about the region. From there you can take a Heritage Walk through the town discovering its historical buildings. Enjoy the stunning scenery as you stroll along the coastal path following the shores of the Spencer Gulf, you may even spot a dolphin.

Stay 1 night in Port Augusta

Day 4 to 6 Port Augusta – Port Lincoln (343km)

Head south today as you make your way to Port Lincoln, stopping at the coastal towns of Whyalla and Cowell. Whyalla is renowned for the world’s greatest natural show of giant cuttlefish during the winter months as they change colour and shape, and the town of Cowel is a great place for fresh seafood or shopping for jade jewellery. Cowell is home to 90% of the world’s nephrite jade deposits, and if you are feeling peckish, stop into the Franklin Harbour Hotel for lunch, serving fresh local seafood including locally farmed fresh oysters.

As you arrive into Port Lincoln, take in the beauty of this coastal town. Renowned for amazing fresh seafood, there are plenty of places to indulge in the local cuisine. Del Giorno’s is a local institution and a must try is the highly prized bluefin tuna, which is farmed in the local waters, or for the best fish and chips, checkout the Fresh Fish Place, where you can also do a behind the scenes factory tour with oysters and seafood tastings.

The Eyre Peninsula is also famous for shark diving and swimming with seals. Enjoy a Swim with the Seals Tour, where you will set off on a half-day tour to the crystal clear waters of Seal Cove and witness the rare and endangered Australian Sea Lions in their natural habitat. The gorgeous puppies of the sea will welcome your arrival as they bound toward the boat with their unmistakable glee and excitement; performing somersaults and graceful swirls, inviting you to join in

Head out and explore the local attractions nearby. A short drive east will take you to the coastal wilderness of Lincoln National Park with their towering dunes, sparse beaches and soaring cliff tops. Here you can look over to Boston Bay, Australia’s largest natural harbours with granite headlands, sheltered bays and offshore islands. In the opposite direction, is Coffin Bay, where you will find one of Australia’s most popular oysters, farmed in the calm bay waters. Take an oyster farm tour where you can taste shellfish straight off the racks, standing in the famous waters.

If time permits, or you may like to extend your stay, why not explore further along the west coast of the peninsula. Just under 2 hours is the town of Elliston, located on Waterloo Bay, with views over stunning cliff tops, and just over an hour further up is Baird Bay, a mecca for dolphins and sea lions. Continuing a further hour west is Streaky Bay, where you can visit South Australia’s naturally-occuring version of Stonehenge. Stop for lunch at the waterfront Streaky Bay Hotel-Motel, built in 1866, serving local seafood including the famous local fish, King George whiting.

Stay 3 nights in Port Lincoln

Day 7 to 8 Port Lincoln – Clare Valley (532km)

As you reach Clare Valley, discover over 40 wineries and vineyards scattered throughout the region, with it’s signature Riesling, being among the best in the world. Visit the charming towns in the region; stop for lunch at Skillogalee, an historic settler’s cottage, surrounded by beautiful gardens; or the rustic and delightful Terroir Auburn with its Parisian feel, built circa in the 1860s. The heritage towns of Burra and Mintaro boast their own unique characteristic charm. Stop at Burra Fresh for breakfast as they are known for their great coffee and use of local farm-fresh produce. Approximately 5 minutes from Mintaro, step back in time and explore Martindale Hall, a living museum and one of Australia’s prettiest country mansions.

Explore a little further and head south out to Lake Bumbunga with the lake known for changing colour from pink, to white, to blue, depending on the salinity of the water throughout the year.

Stay 2 night in the Clare Valley

Day 9 Clare – Adelaide (146km)

Make your way back to Adelaide as your journey comes to an end.

Inclusions

8 night self drive itinerary departing Adelaide

Adelaide 2 nights accommodation at the 4-star Mantra Hindmarsh Adelaide in a Studio.

Port Augusta 1 night accommodation at the 3-star Discovery Parks Port Augusta in a Superior 2 Bedroom Cabin.

Port Lincoln 3 nights accommodation at the 4-star Port Lincoln Hotel in a Town View Room.

Clare 2 nights accommodation at the 4-star Discovery Parks Clare in a Superior 2 Bedroom Cabin.

Adelaide Market Breakfast Tour.

Swim with the seals tour in Port Lincoln.

9 days car hire of a Kia Picanto or similar, picking up and dropping off at Adelaide Airport.