South Australia #5 on Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2017

If you’re thinking of getting completely outback and off the beaten track in 2017, why not choose one of the 2017 Lonely Planet best regions of the world to explore… South Australia.

The Arkaba Walk, one of the Great Walks of Australia, takes you over four glorious days from the vibrant city of Adelaide into the heart of the South Australian outback. You’ll explore the majesty of the Ikara-Flinders Ranges on foot, then roll back to Adelaide through one of South Australia’s famous wine regions, the adorable Clare Valley.

As South Australia came in at #5 on the best regions to explore for 2017, here are just five of many reasons why you’ll love the Arkaba Walk:

1. Walk with wildlife

You’ll wander through beautiful surrounds where the wildlife comes to you. There are more kangaroos, emus and bird life than you can poke a stick at, and you don’t follow a fixed trail so it’s more of a guided exploration in the wilderness than the patter and chatter of the person in front kind of walk. It’s a glorious wilderness walk of discovery through everchanging country 600 million years in the making. One of the property’s earliest guests was John McDougall Stuart on his epic first crossing of the continent.

2. Passion for the place

It’s fully guided and we literally walk you through the geological history of time. You’ll discover the Ediacaran fauna (named after the Ediacara Hills of South Australia), the earliest forms of multi-celled life on earth! You’ll learn about the Adnyamathanha people, the traditional custodians of the Ikara-Flinders Ranges country and hear the stories of the early European settlement, of early pioneers and of heroic bush survival. Our guides live and breathe this ancient place and can lead a slow amble or keep a cracking pace, according to needs of your small group (maximum ten walkers).

3. Conservation is our heart

Your outback adventure helps us conserve our region. Arkaba is a National Geographic Top 3 finalist in the 2016 World Legacy Awards for Conserving the Natural World. You’ll learn ways in which the Indigenous owners of the land protected this ancient country, how active conservation programs are restoring the land now and how you are playing a part in saving the wildlife of the Flinders Ranges just by being here.

4. Jaw-dropping landscape

These ranges in South Australia’s Ikara-Flinders Ranges are grand in scale and bring a whole new level to the luxury of wide open space. We don’t like bumping into people and there’s 60,000 acres of dramatically beautiful private conservancy to explore! You’ll traverse the country immortalised in Hans Heysen’s art by day. Think ancient seabeds and deep valleys covered with casuarinas and cypress pines which fall into creek beds lined with river red gums. Sleep under a canopy of stars at our signature swag camps by night. And the stars are ridiculous out here in the South Australian outback! Oh, and you can bring your slippers if you please as we have a support vehicle to take care of your gear without you having to lug it around the wilderness. No matter how pretty.

5. Seriously good South Australian food and wine

Savour a sundowner glass of top notch South Australian wine and bush canapés after your day of walking in the wilderness. Toast a marshmallow around the campfire and dine al fresco at the Arkaba Homestead, a Luxury Lodges of Australia property, on the third and final night. Our resident chef will make sure your tummy is as pleased as your body. And then there’s your gorgeous lunch in the Clare Valley wine country for good measure on the scenic road trip back to Adelaide from Arkaba.

Our Arkaba walking season kicks off 23 March and continues to 12 October 2017. Adelaide is Australia’s festival capital after all, and it also happens to be the gateway to our outback walk in style, the Arkaba Walk by Wild Bush Luxury.

Learn more here about The Arkaba Walk,  call 1300 790 561 to speak to a Wild Bush Luxury specialist or email arkabawalk@wildbushluxury.com direct.