Adelaide Campervan & Motorhome Hire

Day 1: Collect your van from a depot between the airport and the city, or at Parafield Gardens in the north, and stock up at a big supermarket on the way. Skip the multi-storey car parks in the CBD, as UPark Central Market, for example, has a 2.06 m height limit. Base yourself for two nights at a holiday park near West Beach or Glenelg and take the tram into the city.

Day 2: Drive about 30 minutes into the Adelaide Hills to Hahndorf, a German-settled village with bakeries, smallgoods and cellar doors along its main street. Detour to Mount Lofty Summit for views back over the city and the gulf, then visit Cleland Wildlife Park to see koalas and kangaroos. Head back to camp before dark, as wildlife is active on Hills roads at dusk.

Day 3: Follow the back roads from the Hills to Mannum on the Murray River, about an hour, and check in at a riverside holiday park. Walk the waterfront to see the paddle steamers and visit the Mannum Dock Museum. South Australia's River Murray car ferries are free and run 24 hours a day, so cross to the far bank for a riverside drive.

Day 4: Spend the morning on the water with a river cruise or a hired canoe, then drive south through Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend, where the river widens towards the lakes. Continue to Meningie on the shore of Lake Albert, about 1.5 hours from Mannum. Refill water and empty the tanks at a holiday park here, ready for the Coorong tomorrow.

Day 5: Follow the Princes Highway south beside Coorong National Park, a long chain of lagoons behind the dunes known for pelicans and other waterbirds. Stop at the lookouts and short walks signposted from the highway, but leave the 4WD tracks across the dunes alone, as most hire agreements exclude them. Stay at a holiday park along the highway or in Kingston SE.

Day 6: Continue to Robe, a historic fishing town about 2.5 hours from Meningie in total, and book a powered site for two nights, as Robe fills up in January and at Easter. Spend the afternoon on Long Beach, then walk out to the Obelisk on Cape Dombey for sunset over Guichen Bay. Treat yourself to fresh local seafood in town.

Day 7: Spend a slow day in Robe, browsing the shops and cafes on Victoria Street and walking the clifftop paths around Cape Dombey. Many coastal tracks south of town lead into Little Dip Conservation Park, where most roads are 4WD only, so explore on foot. Southern rock lobster is a local speciality if it is in season.

Day 8: Drive about 45 minutes to Beachport and walk its long jetty, then float in the very salty Pool of Siloam on the edge of town. Pick up supplies in Millicent, then head inland to Penola in the Coonawarra wine region, about two hours of driving in all. Book a holiday park in Penola for two nights.

Day 9: Visit the Coonawarra's cellar doors, known for cabernet sauvignon grown on a narrow strip of red terra rossa soil. Pick a designated driver or book a local tour, as South Australia's limit is under 0.05 for full licence holders and zero for learner and P-plate drivers. In the afternoon, wander past Penola's heritage cottages.

Day 10: Drive about 40 minutes north to Naracoorte Caves National Park, a World Heritage-listed fossil site. Join a guided cave tour to learn about the ice age animals found here, then explore the self-guided Wet Cave. Book tours ahead in school holidays, and return to Penola for the night or stay at the park's campground.

Day 11: Head south about 45 minutes to Mount Gambier, built on the slopes of a dormant volcano. Walk or drive around the rim of the Blue Lake, which turns a vivid blue from about November to March, and visit the Cave Garden in the town centre. After dark, visit the lit gardens of Umpherston Sinkhole, where possums come out to feed.

Day 12: Drive about 30 minutes south to Port MacDonnell, South Australia's southernmost town, for coastal walks and fresh seafood. Stop at Little Blue Lake, a swimming sinkhole, on the way back. Refuel and restock in Mount Gambier tonight, as tomorrow you cross into Victoria, where clocks run 30 minutes ahead of South Australia.

Day 13: Cross into Victoria and drive about three hours to Halls Gap in Grampians National Park (Gariwerd), stopping in Hamilton or Dunkeld for lunch. Set up for two nights at a Halls Gap holiday park. In the late afternoon, look for the kangaroos that graze on the open grass around town, and get to know your van's water and power.

Day 14: Drive up to the Boroka and Reed lookouts for views across the ranges, then walk down to MacKenzie Falls, a steep track with many steps. Fit walkers can climb to the Pinnacle from Halls Gap for one of the park's best views. Check Parks Victoria for track and road closures before you set out, as fire and flood repairs can close areas.

Day 15: Head south about two hours to Port Fairy, a fishing village with whitewashed cottages and Norfolk pines along the Moyne River. Walk the loop around Griffiths Island to its lighthouse and look for wallabies along the way. Stay two nights at a holiday park in Port Fairy or nearby Warrnambool, about 30 minutes east.

Day 16: Visit Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve, inside an extinct volcano between Port Fairy and Warrnambool, where emus and koalas are often seen from the walking tracks. Spend the afternoon at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool. From about June to September, check Logans Beach for southern right whales and their calves.

Day 17: Join the Great Ocean Road east of Warrnambool and drive about 1.5 hours to Port Campbell, stopping at the Bay of Islands, London Arch and The Grotto on the way. Book a powered site in Port Campbell for the night. Head back to the cliffs for sunset, when the limestone stacks glow and the tour buses have gone.

Day 18: See the Twelve Apostles early, before the crowds, then walk down the Gibson Steps to the beach and explore Loch Ard Gorge. Drive on through the Great Otway National Park to Apollo Bay, about 1.5 hours, with a detour along Lighthouse Road, where koalas are often seen in the trees. Stay the night at Apollo Bay.

Day 19: Drive the most dramatic stretch of the Great Ocean Road from Apollo Bay to Lorne, about 45 minutes of tight bends above the sea. Take it slowly, use the pull-over bays to let traffic pass, and stop at Kennett River to look for koalas. In Lorne, walk to Erskine Falls or Teddy's Lookout, then stay at a holiday park by the river.

Day 20: Continue to Torquay via the Memorial Arch at Eastern View and the Split Point Lighthouse at Aireys Inlet. Watch the surfers at Bells Beach, then spend a final night in Torquay or Geelong. Use the evening to repack, tidy the van and plan your route to the depot, so tomorrow's drop-off runs smoothly.

Day 21: Drive about 1.5 hours to Melbourne, refuel near your depot and empty the toilet cassette and grey water before you return the van. Allow time for the handover, as some depots ask you to arrive an hour before closing. This is a one-way hire, so check one-way availability and fees with your rental brand before you book.

Day 1: Pick up your van and drive about an hour north-east to Tanunda in the heart of the Barossa Valley, stopping for groceries on the way. Book two nights at a holiday park in Tanunda or Nuriootpa. In the late afternoon, drive up to Mengler Hill Lookout for views over the vineyards and its sculpture garden as the sun drops.

Day 2: Spend the day at the cellar doors with a designated driver or a local tour, as South Australia's limit is under 0.05 for full licence holders and zero for learner and P-plate drivers. Drive the palm-lined avenue into Seppeltsfield and stop at a local bakery or butcher for picnic supplies. In the evening, leave the van at camp and walk into town for dinner.

Day 3: Visit the Whispering Wall at the Barossa Reservoir, a curved dam wall where a whisper carries to the far side, then explore Angaston's main street and heritage buildings. If it is a Saturday, start the day at the Barossa Farmers Market. Restock and fill your water tank before you head north tomorrow.

Day 4: Drive about 1.5 hours north to the Clare Valley, known for its riesling. Hire a bike in Clare or Auburn and ride part of the Riesling Trail, a former railway line of about 32 km linking cellar doors and villages. Call in at Sevenhill Cellars, founded by Jesuits in the 1850s, and stay at a holiday park in Clare.

Day 5: Head east about 40 minutes to Burra, a copper mining town from the 1840s with stone cottages, mine ruins and a lookout over the old Monster Mine. Ask at the visitor centre about the heritage pass that opens several historic sites. In the afternoon, drive north through farming country to Melrose at the foot of Mount Remarkable, about 2.5 to 3 hours.

Day 6: Spend the day in Melrose, often called the oldest town in the Flinders Ranges, beside Mount Remarkable National Park. Walk the tracks above town or ride the mountain bike trails, then relax over a pub meal. Stay at the Melrose caravan park, and skip unsealed roads into the park unless your hire terms allow them.

Day 7: Drive north via Wilmington to Quorn, about an hour, a railway town where the Pichi Richi Railway runs heritage trains on selected days, so check its timetable. Continue about 50 minutes to Hawker, the last big service town before Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, and fill up with fuel and groceries. Stay the night at a Hawker caravan park.

Day 8: Drive about 45 minutes on a sealed road to Wilpena Pound in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, paying the $14.40 vehicle entry before you arrive. Book two nights at the Wilpena campground, with sites from $12.30 a night. Walk to Wangarra Lookout for a view into the Pound, and watch for euros and emus near camp in the evening.

Day 9: Take a scenic flight over the Pound or join a guided 4WD tour, as Brachina Gorge Road was open to 4WD vehicles only and Bunyeroo Gorge Road was closed after heavy rain in October 2026. Most 2WD hire terms ban gravel roads like these anyway. Spend the afternoon on the walking trails near Wilpena, and stay for sunset as the ranges turn red.

Day 10: Drive back through Hawker to Port Augusta at the top of Spencer Gulf, about two hours. Visit the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden on the northern edge of town for desert plants and wide views of the ranges. Refuel, restock and stay at a Port Augusta holiday park, where you can empty the tanks and catch up on laundry.

Day 11: Drive south about 2.5 hours to the Copper Coast on the Yorke Peninsula, where Moonta, Wallaroo and Kadina grew from Cornish copper mining in the 1800s. Explore Moonta's mine sites and miners' cottages, then cool off at a Wallaroo beach near the jetty. Stay the night at a holiday park in Wallaroo or Moonta Bay.

Day 12: Drive about three hours down the peninsula to Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, booking your campsite online and paying the $14.40 vehicle entry before you arrive. Look for emus near the roadside, and visit the West Cape lookout for wide views of the Southern Ocean. Stay two nights at a park campground, with sites from $27.50 a night.

Day 13: Walk among the ruins of Inneston, an old gypsum mining town, and look for the wreck of the Ethel on the beach below the cliffs. Spend the afternoon watching the surf at Pondalowie Bay, keeping to the main sealed roads, as some park tracks are gravel. Clear skies here make for excellent stargazing.

Day 14: Allow about four hours for the drive back to Adelaide via Minlaton and Port Wakefield, with a coffee stop at Ardrossan. Refuel close to your depot, empty the waste tanks and tidy the van. Aim to return it by early afternoon, as several Adelaide depots close at 3pm or 3:30pm and some ask you to arrive an hour before closing.

Day 1: Collect your van and drive about 45 minutes south to McLaren Vale, the Fleurieu Peninsula's wine region, known for shiraz. Visit the d'Arenberg Cube and a few cellar doors with a designated driver, then head to the coast at Port Willunga for sunset over Gulf St Vincent. Stay at a holiday park nearby and check your ferry booking for tomorrow.

Day 2: Drive about 45 minutes to Victor Harbor and walk the causeway to Granite Island, watching for whales in winter. Continue about an hour to Cape Jervis for the SeaLink vehicle ferry, booked ahead with your van's exact length and height. The crossing to Penneshaw takes about 45 minutes. Make sure your rental company has okayed the trip first.

Day 3: Drive to Kingscote, the island's main town, to restock, then continue to Seal Bay Conservation Park, about 1.5 hours from Penneshaw, to see Australian sea lions on a guided beach walk. Stop at the white dunes of Little Sahara, then stay near Vivonne Bay or at a holiday park towards the island's western end.

Day 4: Spend the day in Flinders Chase National Park, paying entry online or at the visitor centre, $22.40 per person. Drive to Remarkable Rocks, a cluster of wind-carved granite boulders above the sea, and Admirals Arch, where New Zealand fur seals rest on the rocks below. Allow plenty of time, as wildlife wanders onto the roads.

Day 5: Drive back east along the South Coast Road to Kingscote, about 1.5 hours, then head north to Emu Bay for a swim off its long white beach. Visit a local distillery or one of the island's honey farms, known for Ligurian bees. Stay near Penneshaw or American River, ready for tomorrow's ferry.

Day 6: Arrive at Penneshaw by the check-in time on your ticket and cross back to Cape Jervis. Drive north along the Fleurieu coast to Second Valley, where a short walk leads to a jetty and rocky cove, then cut inland to the Adelaide Hills, about 1.5 hours from the ferry. Stay at a holiday park near Hahndorf or Mount Barker.

Day 7: Explore Hahndorf's main street, with its German bakeries and galleries, and Beerenberg Farm, where strawberry picking runs in season. Drive up to Mount Lofty Summit for a last view over Adelaide, then head down to your depot, about 30 minutes. Refuel, empty the tanks and return the van by early afternoon, as several depots close at 3pm or 3:30pm.