Adelaide Festival & Surrounds

The tour starts at 6.00pm on Wednesday 12 March, at The Crowne Plaza, Adelaide.

The tour ends after breakfast on Wednesday 19 March, at The Crowne Plaza, Adelaide.

The tour begins in our Adelaide hotel at 6.00pm, where we meet tour leader Kenneth W. Park in the bar of the hotel for a welcome drink and a light dinner. Following brief introductions, we take in our first Adelaide Festival performance this evening (schedule permitting). Overnight Adelaide (D)

Performance I
Performance: To be advised
Venue: To be advised
Performers: To be advised

After a leisurely breakfast we make our way to the Adelaide Botanic Garden, an oasis in the cosmopolitan heart of the city. Here our guided tour takes us through the extensive public gardens, home to a diverse range of plants from Australia and around the world. We also visit the beautiful 19th-century Palm House, imported from Germany in 1875 and reopened after painstaking restoration, as well as the strikingly modern, award winning Bicentennial Conservatory - and enjoy seeing two very different ecosystems at work. After time for lunch we then make our way along North Terrace to the Art Gallery of South Australia, where we have the aftenoon to enjoy the gallery’s extensive collection of fine and decorative art. Returning to the hotel the evening is at leisure. Overnight Adelaide (B)

Fermoy House, the former residence of unconventional Adelaide-based millionaire David Roche, will be our starting point today. This eccentric and elaborate estate, filled with an extraordinary private art collection, is highly unique and reflects Roche’s French/Irish ancestry. We then travel by coach to the stately home and 40 hectares of gardens of the Carrick Hill estate, which has survived with most of the original contents intact. After lunch at Carrick Hill cafe, we tour the house and private collection of the original owners and art patrons Sir Edward and Lady Ursula Hayward, which includes contemporary European and Australian paintings and decorative arts. In the late afternoon we return to the hotel, with time to freshen up before our second Festival performance this evening (schedule permitting). Overnight Adelaide (B, L)

Performance II
Performance: To be advised
Venue: To be advised
Performers: To be advised

This morning we depart by coach and travel to the picturesque Adelaide Hills. After taking in the spectacular views at Mount Lofty we continue to a little slice of Europe in Australia, the town of Hahndorf, Australia’s oldest German settlement dating back to 1838. Here we take a guided tour of ‘The Cedars’ – the stunning home, garden and studios of renowned father and daughter artists Hans and Nora Heysen. The estate has over 200 artworks on display, many appearing in their original setting. Following a light lunch and a walking tour of Hahndorf, we will return by coach to Adelaide. The afternoon is at leisure before we meet again for our final performance at the Festival (schedule permitting). Overnight Adelaide (B, L)

Performance III
Performance: To be advised
Venue: To be advised
Performers: To be advised

Icon of the wine industry, Seppeltsfield Estate, established in 1851, will be the highlight of today. On arrival in the Barossa, we first take a guided heritage tour of the palm-tree lined grounds, visiting the historic Seppelt family homestead and underground Blending Cellar, followed by a private fortified wine tasting in the 1878 Centennial Cellar. We then enjoy a leisurely lunch at FINO on the estate, one of South Australia’s most successful regional restaurants showcasing the best of Barossa produce. On our return to Adelaide, we stop by the historic Langmeil Church, established by the Lutherans at Tanunda. Evening at leisure. Overnight Adelaide (B, L)

After an early departure from our hotel we will head to Cape Jervis before ferrying across to unspoilt Kangaroo Island. On our guided tour we will explore the best the island has to offer from its unique geological features, such as the aptly named Remarkable Rocks, to its wildlife conservation parks. We will also get a taste of some of Kangaroo Island’s famous local produce over an unhurried lunch. After a full day of exploration, we will return on the early evening ferry, where you can purchase a light dinner on board. Overnight Adelaide (B, L)

This morning we make our way to the South Australian Museum for a tour through the Australian Aboriginal Cultures’ Gallery. This collection of over 3000 artefacts from Central Australia and the Top End is considered among the best in the world and will be shown to us by an Indigenous guide. After a coffee break, we head to the nearby State Library of South Australia to visit the beautiful Mortlock Wing, admiring its wrought iron balustrades, masonry columns and elegant glass-domed roof. After a break for lunch, we return to the Art Gallery of South Australia, where we have time to view the special Festival exhibition. This everning we meet again for our farewell dinner at the prestigious Adelaide Club, founded in 1863. A beautiful heritage building on North Terrace, the Adelaide Club was built for some of South Australia’s most influential political, rural and business men. Overnight Adelaide (B, D)

The tour concludes after breakfast this morning. (B)