South Australia Holidays

The Simpson Desert, Sturt Stony Desert, Great Victoria Desert and Nullabor Plain dominate the geography. The state is also synonymous with dry salt lakes throughout the inland and ragged coastlines plunging to the sea.

The state is home to some of Australia's best known wines, the renowned Adelaide Arts Festival, the nostalgia of paddlewheel steamers cruising the lower reaches of the Murray River and the awe inspiring opals from Coober Pedy.

The majority of the population and business is found on the Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas which sit on either side of Spencer Gulf in the south east of the state. There are several small mining centres in the more remote inland areas.

The naturalist haven at Kangaroo Island attracts numerous visitors. The beautiful Flinders Ranges to the north of Adelaide offer exceptional bush walking and trekking opportunities. The southern coastline offers excellent seafood and many of the coastal villages are home ports to an assortment of fishing fleets.

South Australia Holidays - Things To Do

In addition to the above highlights, here are just a few ideas on getting the maximum enjoyment from your South Australian holiday.

bushwalking & hiking the National Parks adventure tours wildlife & eco tours whale watching tours vineyard tours river cruises houseboat cruising surfing diving snorkelling sea kayacking

canoeing parasailing skydiving 4WD outback touring camping sailing ocean fishing jet boating farm holidays horse riding gourmet trails & vineyards

For a comprehensive list of tours and activities, see the Tours To Go icon on this page

South Australia Holidays - Places To Stay

South Australian visitors will find a wide range of accommodation options. Adelaide hotels range from economy to luxury and there is a good selection of smaller boutique hotels. A small number of serviced apartments are available to cater for visitors who prefer self catering in a home away from home environment.

Most of the personalised lodgings such as bed and breakfasts, beach retreats, country lodges and farm stays are located in and around the major cities and towns. The number of hotels declines in the country regions where roadside motels and motor inns are more prevalent. 

Getting to and from your accommodation may involve an airport transfer. This can sometimes incur significant costs as distances to some of the accommodation properties may involve a lengthy trip. Ask about this when booking your accommodation.

For the best accommodation choices, look for the Roamfree icon on this page

South Australia Holidays - Transport

While not the biggest of the Australian states, South Australia is still very big by international standards. A journey of a couple of hundred kilometres is considered a short trip. The state is approximately 1200 kilometres (750 miles) east-west and 1350 kilometres (845 miles) north-south. Those are straight line map distances, actual road distances are considerably further.

An extensive network of flights connect all of the cities and major rural towns and bus services also run the major highways through to Darwin in the north, Perth in the west and east to the cities on the eastern seaboard. While there are several road routes to the east, there is only one route to the north and one to the west.

A network of sealed roads cover the state's major centres the south and south-east corner of the state, but off the major routes, expect unsurfaced roads. Driver information and maps are available from offices of the Royal Automobile Club of SA (RAA) which has offices throughout the state.

The Indian Pacific is a train service that links west to Perth and east to Sydney, The Ghan runs to Alice Springs and on to Darwin and the Overland operates to Melbourne. Details of the Adelaide metropolitan commuter train and bus service are available at TransAdelaide

All the major Australian rental car companies are represented throughout the state. Campervans and 4WD campers are available for rental, but only from Adelaide. Advance bookings are essential. Tour operators provide itineraries that cover all popular locations and tourist attractions.

South Australia Holidays - When Is The Best Time

South Australia experiences a climate that ranges from temperate coastal mediterranean to desert extremes. Winter temperatures along a narrow coastal region range from around 6°C min. to 15°C max. The inland regions experience minimums around 4°C rising to 20°C maximums.

During summer temperatures along the coastal strip range from around 15°C min. to 27°C max. Extreme temperatures often occur in the central desert areas with summer maximums typically upwards of 40-45°C.

Winter rains occur in the southern areas of the state. The further from the coast, the less the rainfall and that which does fall is not necessarily seasonal. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology provides detailed weather information. 

As with all Australian states, South Australia always an increased demand for bookings for the school holiday periods.