Adelaide Festival & Surrounds

Day 1 | Wednesday 11 March
Arrival | Adelaide Festival
The tour begins in our Adelaide hotel at 5.00pm, where we meet our 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 (schedules permitting). Overnight Adelaide (B, D)

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

Day 2 | Thursday 12 March
Gardens & Art
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. After a break for lunch, we then make our way along North Terrace to the Art Gallery of South Australia, where we have the afternoon to enjoy the gallery’s extensive collection of Australian, European, North American and Asian works and one of the most important collections of Indigenous art. Returning to the hotel the evening is at leisure. Overnight Adelaide (B)

Day 3 | Friday 13 March
Private Collections | Adelaide Festival
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 well preserved stately home of Carrick Hill estate, and its 40 hectares of gardens. 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 Adelaide Festival performance this evening (schedules permitting). Overnight Adelaide (B, L)

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

Day 4 | Saturday 14 March
The Beautiful Barossa
Icon of the wine industry, Seppeltsfield Estate was established in 1851 and 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. The evening is at leisure. Overnight Adelaide (B, L)

Day 5 | Sunday 15 March
The Adelaide Hills | Adelaide Festival
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 ‘The Cedars’ – the stunning home, garden and studios of renowned father and daughter artists Hans and Nora Heysen. Our tour of the estate takes in the over 200 artworks on display, with many appearing in their original setting, and concludes with an afternoon tea of freshly baked scones and a selection of wonderful in house-made cakes and sandwiches in the Cedars’ Kitchen. We then make our way to the beautiful UKARIA Cultural Centre deep in the picturesque Adelaide Hills where we hope to enjoy our final Festival performance (schedules permitting). Since opening in 2015, UKARIA has become one of the leading venues for chamber music in Australia. Overnight Adelaide (B)

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

Day 6 | Monday 16 March
Kangaroo Island
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)

Day 7 | Tuesday 17 March
Art & History
Our day starts at the South Australian Museum for a tour through the Australian Aboriginal Cultures’ Gallery. This collection of over 3,000 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. We then 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. Returning to the Art Gallery of South Australia in the afternoon, we have time to view the special Festival exhibition (to be announced). Tonight we enjoy a 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)

Day 8 | Wednesday 18 March
Departure
The tour concludes after breakfast this morning. (B)