6 incredible wonders in South Australia to explore

hero media
Australia is full of wonders, from icons to the lesser known. Here, we’ve curated 6 wonders from our 100 list that South Australia gets to call its very own.

This article is part of our 100 Australian Wonders series. Throughout the series, we explore our nation’s wonders across culture, nature, food, islands and many more. We hope it inspires your own exploration of Australia’s many wonders.

1. Adelaide Oval, SA

Travelling with: Alexis Buxton-Collins

Whether you’re standing in the shade of the giant Moreton Bay figs looming over The Hill or sitting 50 metres above the turf on the roof of the new Riverbank Stand, being at Adelaide Oval on game day is always a thrill.

the Adelaide Oval in SA

Visit Adelaide Oval to see AFL, cricket, and more. (Image: Oval Hotel)

The rest of the time, visitors can step inside the hand-operated 1911 scoreboard or test their skills against the world’s greatest batsman at The Bradman Collection.

Want to stay the night? Australia’s first stadium stay, Oval Hotel, is just a few steps away behind soundproofed walls thick enough to withstand a Guns N’ Roses concert.

the elegant interior of Oval Hotel

The Oval Hotel is just a few steps away from Adelaide Oval. (Image: Oval Hotel)

2. Balumbul/Umpherston Sinkhole, Mt Gambier, SA

Travelling with: Kassia Byrnes

As the ocean slowly retreated, the exposed volcanic landscape of the aptly named Limestone Coast rose to the surface. Today, sinkholes, caves, ponds and lakes make this region of South Australia a paradise for serious divers, recreational swimmers and curious travellers alike.

But none leave an impression quite like the almost magical garden of Balumbul/Umpherston Sinkhole in Mt Gambier. Walk along impossibly green terraced gardens of ferns and hydrangeas and wind through hanging vines while towering palm trees make a bid for freedom as they reach towards the sky.

Stay until dusk, when the garden begins to come alive with possums coming out to feed.

the Umpherston Sinkhole in Mt Gambier, SA

Towering palm trees reach toward the sky at Umpherston Sinkhole. (Image: South Australia Tourism Commission)

3. Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island, SA

Travelling with: Imogen Eveson

One of Australia’s most extraordinary wildlife encounters lies in wait on the wild southern coast of the country’s third largest island. A Kangaroo Island trip is incomplete without padding your way down through the sand dunes to Seal Bay, home to Australia’s third-largest colony of Australian sea lions.

Pups play in the sand and surf, bulls fight for supremacy and mothers rest with their young. Seal Bay has been a protected area since 1954 and the population of this endangered species numbers 1000 here.

the rugged shoreline of Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island

The rugged shoreline of Seal Bay has been a protected area since 1954. (Image: Kangaroo Island Tourism Alliance)

Head to the visitor centre to follow a guide to the heart of the colony on the beach (from a safe and respectful distance) while learning about the unique breeding cycle of these magnificent wild creatures and the site’s ongoing research programs. You can also observe the action from the self-guided and wheelchair-accessible boardwalk that winds through the dunes.

A visit to Seal Bay with a guide from Southern Ocean Lodge is also a highlight of a stay at the newly relaunched luxury accommodation that puts guests in the wild heart of this wild island.

a sea lion at Seal Bay

See a resident sea lion at Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island. (Image: Imogen Eveson)

4. Kangaroo Island’s Ligurian honey bees, SA

Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

It’s an ironic peculiarity that the purest strain of Ligurian bees resides on the opposite side of the world to their homeland. Twelve hives of Ligurian bees were brought from Italy to Kangaroo Island in 1881, chosen for their docile temperament and productivity.

The bees thrived – thanks to KI’s pristine landscape and climate that mirrors that of their ancestral home in northern Italy. This happenstance made Kangaroo Island the oldest bee sanctuary in the world, and as a result, a legacy of beekeeping has been instilled here.

a beekeeper holds eaten honeycombs in Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island is the oldest bee sanctuary in the world. (Image: Tourism Australia)

This is evidenced by the passionate apiarists across KI who combine Italian bees with local botanicals to create a truly idiosyncratic honey – such as the organic Boobialla honey, with nectar harvested from native juniper and coastal beard heath.

Visit the Kangaroo Island Ligurian Bee Co. in Kingscote to learn all about this legacy.

roos on Kangaroo Island

See resident roos on Kangaroo Island. (Image: Tourism Australia)

5. Flinders Ranges, SA

Travelling with: Alexis Buxton-Collins

Studded with more than 200 fossils, the nine-metre Alice’s Restaurant Bed records the very dawn of complex life on Earth. But the most astonishing thing about this 600 million-year-old slab of rock in the newly opened Nilpena Ediacara National Park is that visitors are allowed – even encouraged – to touch silverfish-like Spriggina, raisin-shaped Attenborites and Parvancorina that look like buttons stamped with an anchor.

Visit nearby Wilpena Pound in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, which looks like the aftermath of some cataclysmic eruption, and gaze up at the unblemished night skies over Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, and it’s easy to see why this region has been nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status.

a woman standing in the middle of the desert plains in Flinders Ranges

Explore the ancient rocky landscapes of Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. (Image: Emilie Ristevski)

6. Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, SA

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

This glistening salt pan, which stretches for hundreds of kilometres across South Australia’s barren desert, is expected to transform into a pink and orange oasis of floodplains, channels and streams that attract a plethora of birdlife after heavy downfalls in the north earlier this year.

This natural phenomenon only happens once every few years, so 2024 is the time to witness it from above and from the ground with Outback Spirit’s exclusive and specialised Lake Eyre & Wilpena Pound Adventure or a scenic flight with Wrightsair.

a helicopter above Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, SA

See Lake Eyre as it transforms into a pink and orange oasis from above. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Keep reading our 100 Australian Wonders series; from road trips, outback and cultural wonders to foodie wonders and many more.
hero media

SA’s first off-grid island resort to add 22 luxury cabins with ocean views

Island life just got even sweeter.

Once a humble sheep farm established in the 19th century, Louth Island is now the site of an opulent eco-conscious property that’s redefining Australia’s luxury accommodation landscape.

Since first opening its doors in 2023, Rumi on Louth has expanded in carefully crafted stages, each more impressive than the last. And now, with the unveiling of its brand-new cabins, the resort is poised to elevate the experience once again.

The current accommodation options

While the future is looking particularly bright for guests of Rumi on Louth, the current accommodation options are nothing to sneeze at. Presently, the resort boasts a one-bedroom ocean view suite with an open-plan kitchenette, in-suite bar, en suite with rain shower and king-size bed.

Rumi on Louth in South Australia

Wake up to views of the sea from your one-bedroom suite.

There are also four ocean view king rooms available, each offering rain showers, king-size beds and in-room amenities like coffee machines and 65-inch flatscreens. No matter what room you stay in, you’ll be treated to floor-to-ceiling windows that soak in uninterrupted ocean views across the pristine Spencer Gulf.

For larger groups, the gorgeous private retreat is the ideal escape. It features one queen-size and eight king-single rooms, two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, spacious living area, split-system air conditioning and large private deck with outdoor furnishings.

Earlier this year, Rumi on Louth’s founder Che Metcalfe also revealed his $20-million plans for 23 earth-sheltered villas and a VIP residence with its own private beach and horizon pool. But clearly, that was just the beginning.

The new cabins

Just when you thought it couldn’t get more impressive, another chapter begins. South Australian entrepreneur and former CEO of Uniti Group, Che Metcalfe, who bought Louth Island in 2021, has just announced additional accommodation for the eco-resort.

Rumi on Louth in South Australia

The new cabins will join 23 private earth-sheltered villas.

Rumi on Louth will add 22 new ocean view cabins to its portfolio during its next phase of development, with hot tubs and a tennis court to match. While not a lot is known about the specific design of these new cabins or how they will differ from the existing rooms and upcoming villas, Metcalfe’s track record hints at something special. In adherence to its core ethos, the rooms will be fully off-grid and sustainable, too.

Rumi on Louth in South Australia

Rumi on Louth is completely powered by solar energy.

Rumi on Louth is completely powered by solar energy, equipped with advanced compost/recycling systems and even has its own desalination plant. The addition of chicken coops and vegetable gardens will also help the eco-resort on its mission to restore and revegetate Louth Island.

This forward-thinking approach has already landed the resort among Australia’s best eco-retreats, so guests can enjoy their stay knowing it won’t leave an environmental footprint.

The rest of the resort

If you can tear yourself away from your room, there’s plenty to keep you occupied across the 135-hectare property. Current guests can indulge at the onsite day spa, dine at the two-hatted Samphire restaurant and partake in a variety of signature experiences.

Rumi on Louth in South Australia

Dine on fresh local produce at two-hatted Samphire restaurant.

From dreamy beach picnics and cooking masterclasses to catamaran cruises and kayak fishing, you’re spoilt for choice. Or simply wile away the day at Louth Island’s stunning secluded beach.

When plans were revealed for Rumi’s earth-sheltered villas at the start of 2025, an extensive blueprint for new resort-style facilities came with it. Think pickleball courts, a Japanese-style onsen and a five-star restaurant, plunge pools, saunas and private cabanas, as well as a map of walking trails around the island.

Rumi on Louth in South Australia

Enjoy a private cabana on the beach.

The details

Rumi on Louth is situated on Louth Island, just a few kilometres off the coast of Port Lincoln in South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. It is completely self-sufficient, off-grid and sustainable, with conservation and regeneration at its heart.

The resort is only accessible by boat – guests will be picked up from Port Lincoln Airport and transported to the resort via its amphibious water vessel, Sealegs. Day visitors are also welcome, but transport to the jetty for pick up must be arranged independently.

Rumi on Louth in South Australia

Louth Island is only accessible via boat transfer.

Reservations are open now, with room prices varying from $630 per night in an ocean view king room to $945 per night for the one-bedroom ocean view suite. The private retreat can be booked from $2500 per night with a minimum stay of two nights.

No date of completion has been confirmed for the second phase of development, but with the green light granted, construction is now moving ahead. Watch this space!