Road Trip: Broken Hill to Barossa Valley

White four wheel drive driving in South Australia
White four wheel drive driving in South Australia

Trip Summary 
Duration: 3 days
Distance: 470km

        Activities
Food and drink – Sightseeing 
 
View the route


View the itinerary
       

Highlights
Stay in luxuryTaste the Riverland – Wine and dine in the Barossa – 
Indulge yourself with a luxe spa experience


Looking out at the vast red desert that surrounds Broken Hill, it feels like a different planet from the lush green hills of the Barossa Valley.

But in reality, the two aren’t very far apart, and this meandering road trip will take you there. Along the way, you’ll also get to discover one of South Australia’s lesser-known wine regions, the Riverland.

Note: We recommend having a designated driver for this road trip to keep everyone safe.

 

Day 1: Broken Hill to Renmark

3 hr 40 mins | 331km

Stop 1 – Where the rubber meets the road
Today is mostly about driving; you’ll break the back of the trip in one hit and travel all the way from the NSW outback into the heart of the South Australian Riverland region.
White four wheel drive driving through water
Flinders Ranges (Photo credit: Tourism Australia)
Stop 2 – Refuel in Renmark

Dating back to 1887, Renmark is the largest town in the Riverland and is known for its wide, elegant streets and lush riverside parkland. With plenty of wine tasting to come, you can start with something a little different here. Woolshed Brewery is a craft brewery set inside a historic shearing shed in Wilkadene, about 20km north of town. Then it’s on to Twenty Third Street Distillery, housed in a century-old cellar door, making gin, vodka, whisky, brandy and rum in the original copper stills. There's also a restaurant on site, offering fresh Riverland produce, local indigenous ingredients and wood-oven pizza.

Stop 3 – Treat yourself to a luxury stay

After all that driving, you deserve a little indulgence. Check in to The Frames, a set of three luxurious retreats built on a clifftop overlooking the Murray River. We recommend Montage, which has an outdoor heated pool, hydrotherapy pool and infra-red sauna.

The Frames retreat
The Frames Retreats (Photo credit: Tourism Australia)

Day 2: Renmark to Kingston on Murray

40 mins | 45km

Stop 1 – Tasting the Riverland

You might not be familiar with it, but the Riverland is actually the largest wine-growing and producing region in Australia. Its warm climate, with long summers and mild winters, makes for excellent cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay and shiraz, plus plenty of alternative varieties. There are around a dozen cellar doors to choose from: start at Mallee Estate, just on the outskirts of Renmark; then loop round to 919 Wines, Salena Estate and Whistling Kite Biodynamic Wines; before finishing up at Banrock Station, one of the region’s best known labels.

Riverland region in South Australia
Riverland Region (Photo credit: Tourism Australia)
Stop 2 – Spend the night in a ‘shouse’

Sleep by the river again tonight at The Riverview Shouse – part shed, part house with two bedrooms. Pour yourselves a glass by the fire pit and toast a successful day.

Day 3: Kingston on Murray to Barossa Valley

1 hr 50 mins | 147km

Stop 1 – Breakfast in the Barossa

Get an early start to be in the Barossa Valley in time for breakfast. Red Door Espresso is in Tanunda, the main town of the Barossa, and has great coffee plus a menu that features plenty of local produce.

People gathered at the Steingarten lookout
Steingarten Lookout (Photo credit: Tourism Australia)
Stop 2 – Visit Australia’s most famous wineries

There are more than 150 wineries in the Barossa and around 80 cellar doors to visit, so you could easily spend a week (or more) sipping your way through the region. This is the place to try bold shiraz and crisp, fruity riesling. Visit the enormous Seppeltsfield, where you can tour the vines on a Segway; make your own blend in the laboratory at Penfolds; and play croquet on the lawns at Chateau Tanunda. Other big names to be found here include Yalumba, Jacob’s Creek, Wolf Blass, St Hallett, Henschke and Peter Lehman.

People conversing in a winery estate
Seppeltsfield (Photo credit: Tourism Australia)
Stop 3 – Relax at the resort

The Novotel Barossa Valley is a sprawling resort surrounded by vineyards where you can work off all those tastings in the swimming pool, or on the golf course and tennis courts, then indulge yourself with a luxe endota spa experience.

People walking into Barossa Dreams house
Barossa Dreams (Photo credit: Tourism Australia)

#WhyWeRoadTrip

To help, explore and meet the local businesses who need our help.