DAY ONE

ADELAIDE

Upon arrival into Adelaide you will make your own way to your hotel, home for the next three nights. The afternoon is yours to explore the city. Home to over 900 restaurants, pubs and cafes, and a lively food and wine scene, you'll be spoilt for choice.

OVERNIGHT: 2 nights Pullman Adelaide or similiar

Day 2

BAROSSA VALLEY

Today, delight your senses with boutique wine and food touring to the historic Barossa Valley, with its 80 cellar doors. You’ll even visit one of the oldest vineyards in the world, where Shiraz vines were planted in 1843. Enjoy running commentary from your driver as you make your way towards the world-renowned wine region and be guided through some of the best wines South Australia has to offer. Tours are small groups up to 8 people only to ensure a relaxed and unhurried day. Whether you prefer red or white, there will be something to tantalise and delight with tastings at three wineries throughout the day, and a delicious lunch with an accompanying glass of wine included in your tour. (B,L)

Day 3

ADELAIDE TO KANGAROO ISLAND
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Depart from Adelaide Airport for your flight to magical Kangaroo Island, where you will be met by your guide and begin your ‘Island Life’ tour. Island Life provides a taste of the way of life in this bucolic spot, where things take time, drivers wave as they go by, and passers-by stop for a chat. Have a cuppa with some home-made treats before taking a walk down a country track through towering Eucalyptus trees, where koalas snooze overhead or chew languidly on leaves. Listen for the sounds of the bush – brightly coloured honeyeaters and brilliant parrots, cicadas or perhaps just the sound of silence. You’ll travel through the island’s most productive countryside to the north coast and walk through the bush with your guide, learning what makes that noise and whose tracks those are. Watch for small wallabies, a kangaroo found only on Kangaroo Island, and a variety of other birds, plants and animals.Lunch is at a private bush camp, where you’ll enjoy adelicious meal featuring King George whiting – a local sea fish, fresh salads and fine South Australian wines. At Seal Bay Conservation Park, take a private tour with your guide among Australian sea lions on a beautiful sandy beach. Watch pups nursing or playing in the surf and old bulls bearing the scars of territorial disputes and learn about their unique breeding biology. After a day of touring, you will return to your accommodation, with dinner included at your hotel. (B,L,D)

OVERNIGHT: 2 nights Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge

DAY 4

KANGAROO ISLAND

Begin the day travelling through some of the regenerating landscapes of Kangaroo Island. Learn about fire ecology and how nature deals with this natural hazard. Some of the native flora species only flower following fire. Travel into Flinders Chase National Park and explore the massive shapes of Remarkable Rocks, a natural sculpture perched impossibly on top a granite dome plunging into the ocean. Then you’ll break for an elegant picnic lunch in t he bush, or if weather permits, on a spectacular clifftop. Evidence of the power of the Southern Ocean swell continues at Admirals Arch – a coastal grotto that provides a haul out for a large colony of Long-nosed Fur Seals, which swim effortlessly through the crashing waves. After your last day of touring, you will return to your accommodation, with dinner included at your hotel. (B,L,D)

DAY 5

KANGAROO ISLAND TO ADELAIDE

This morning, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your return flight to Adelaide. Arriving in Adelaide, you will be transferred to your city accommodation to leave your bags and spend the remainder of the day at your leisure. The evening is free to explore some of Adelaide’s many dining and entertainment precincts. (B)

OVERNIGHT: 2 nights Pullman Adelaide or similiar

DAY 6

PENFOLDS MAGILL ESTATE

As far as gourmet experiences go, today you are about to indulge in one of Australia’s best. The legendary Penfolds Magill Estate, where some of the world’s great wines are produced, is your venue for an epicurean adventure you’ll never forget. Make your way from the hotel to Penfolds Magill Estate by your own arrangements, ready to enjoy tastings, including Grange, in the Estate’s private rooms, before heading to the Magill Estate Cellar Door for a sumptuous lunch. (B,L)

‍‍DAY 7

‍BOARD THE GREAT SOUTHERN IN ADELAIDE

Included transfer from your hotel to board the Great Southern for your memorable two-night journey to Brisbane. Enjoy morning tea and savour are laxed lunch on board while watching the ever-changing landscape through the windows. In the afternoon, the train will arrive in regional Victoria for your first Off Train Experience. A million years in the making, the Grampians region is celebrated for its wild and spectacular scenery. Explore The Grampians with a choice of four Off Train Experiences. Enjoy a guided coach tour through the scenic town of Halls Gap, including the incredible Boroka Lookout, or embrace Mother Nature and stretch your legs with a guided walk to the Venus Baths. Alternatively, spend the afternoon tasting regional wines at Pomonal Estate with a cellar door experience paired with artisanal chocolates, or Fallen Giants, where you’ll taste and learn about the winery’s 50-year history. You may choose to upgrade your Grampians’ experience with a helicopter flight that soars across the National Park. Return to the train and continue travelling up the east coast, with a delectable dinner on board. (B, L,D)

OVERNIGHT: 2 nights Great Southern

DAY 8

GREAT SOUTHERN, CANBERRA

After breakfast on board, today is yours to exploreAustralia’s political capital, Canberra. After breakfast onboard, enjoy a coach ride to Canberra city centre to experience a memorable lunch at Old Parliament House before an afternoon of insightful guided tours at your picko f iconic institutions, whether it’s the National War Memorial, Parliament House or the National Portrait Gallery. As afternoon turns to evening, return to the train in time for another gourmet dinner on board. After dinner, retire to the lounge for a nightcap with your fellow travellers as the Great Southern rolls north. (B,L,D)

DAY 9

GREAT SOUTHERN, COFFS HARBOUR AND BRISBANE

Linger over breakfast on board before departing on your choice of Off Train Experience around Coffs Harbour. The Coffs Explorer travels up to Sealy Lookout, offering views for miles from the Forest Sky Pier, before heading to the spectacular North Coast Regional Botanical Garden. Alternatively, take a stroll from the Urunga Boardwalk to the Beach with an Indigenous guide, who will help you spot native wildlife and teach about the history of the Gumbaynggirr people, with a demonstration of traditional tools and weaponry and the opportunity to see and taste bush tucker. If you’d prefer to take to the skies, treat yourself to an optional upgrade with a hinterland helicopter flight that soars over the Great Diving Range and Coffs Harbour coastline.

After your Coffs Harbour morning, indulge in a final lunch on board before arriving into Brisbane, completing your coastal train journey.  (B,L)