Coral Expeditions bound for South Australia this summer
Season extended with 5 new intrastate voyages in December and January
Coral Expeditions, Australia’s pioneering small ship cruise line, has today announced five new South Australian intrastate voyages over December 2021 and January 2022. These new voyages continue the company’s strategy of an all-year domestic deployment amidst international travel restrictions. With a round-trip Adelaide itinerary that stays within South Australia and departures within the next few months, this voyage provides guests with a reliable cruising alternative and an opportunity to see some of the state’s most unique and remote destinations.
Expedition cruising in South Australia is not new to Coral Expeditions, having conducted a series of pioneering and popular cruises in the area earlier this year. South Australia’s islands and gulf waters are one of the lesser-known stretches of the Australian coastline. With 5000km of pristine and rugged shores and more than 300 islands, there’s a huge diversity of natural wilderness to explore including spectacular bays and beaches, remote islands, and stunning sea cliffs. Best of all, most of it is wild and unspoilt. That means there’s a real sense of adventure and seclusion, and a vast array of wildlife. Many of the islands are important sanctuaries for birds, kangaroos, and wallabies, and especially seals and sea lions. Along the way, there are many opportunities to indulge in the tastes of South Australia with fresh local seafood from the source and hand-selected local wines.
Jeff Gillies, Coral Expeditions Commercial Director, says the company is enthused to return to South Australia. “We ventured into South Australia for the first time earlier this year. The people and communities of South Australia welcomed us with open arms and our guests were inspired by the unique natural environs which are ideally suited to our style of adventures. The feedback from guests and crew alike give us great confidence to return and to make South Australia a regular feature of our annual sailing schedule over the summer months”
Joining the voyages is guest lecturer, writer and Kangaroo Island conservationist Quentin Chester who will be sharing his local knowledge. “As far as expedition cruising goes there’s tremendous scope in SA to visit islands and shorelines that are virtually impossible to reach by other means. On these trips, we get our boots on the ground for some great coastal walks to scenic summits and wonderful bushland. There’s no shortage of variety on these voyages”.
Rodney Harrex, South Australian Tourism Commission chief executive welcomed the interest in South Australian expedition cruising and the additional voyages booked for SA this summer.
“After a successful 10-day tour by Coral Expeditions in February this year, we’re thrilled to see them not just return but bolster their SA itinerary in our upcoming cruise season,” Mr Harrex said. “The beauty of expedition vessels is they can visit locations that bigger traditional cruise ships aren’t able to, so passengers can see even more of regional SA, stopping at unique and remote places like Troubridge Island in Yorke Peninsula, Flinders Island off the Eyre Peninsula coast, and Western River Cove in Kangaroo Island. We know this will be welcome news for South Australians wanting to see more of our state and welcome news for our broader visitor economy as we chart our way forward.”
Sailing Adelaide to Adelaide, these voyages stay completely within South Australia’s state border, providing confidence for guests in these uncertain times. Operating with permission from all authorities and under their industry-leading SailSAFE protocols, Coral Expeditions has completed over 75 incident-free voyages since October 2020 on its Australian-flagged, Australian-crewed ships.
Highlights of the 10-night voyage include:
- Visit some of South Australia’s historic lighthouses at Cape Willoughby and Troubridge Island and learn their stories
- Encounter native wildlife including playful dolphins, sea lions, emus, rock wallabies, kangaroos and numerous birds at national parks and protected habitats
- Collect and shuck your own oysters fresh from the sea at Coffin Bay and wash them down with world-renowned local wines
- Enjoy sunset sailing past the stunning coastal formations of Cape Jervis, Kangaroo Island, and Whaler’s Way
- Meet the abalone divers of Eyrewoolf Abalone and taste pan-seared green-lip abalone on the beach at Flinders Island.
- Be rewarded with striking views and peaceful native forest environs on South Australia’s coastal walking trails at Cape Donington, Memory Cove, Reevesby Island and Flinders Island
- Discover the fascinating Indigenous heritage and exploration history of Matthew Flinders
- Spend time at Antechamber Bay and Western River Cove to explore Kangaroo Island’s north coast
- Enjoy refreshing dips in the turquoise waters and relax on deserted silica white beaches
Voyage Details
Wild Islands & Walks of South Australia | 10 nights | Adelaide to Adelaide | Aboard Coral Geographer | From $6,390 per person
- 10 Nights | Adelaide to Adelaide | 13 December 2021
- 10 Nights | Adelaide to Adelaide | 23 December 2021 – Christmas Expedition
- 10 Nights | Adelaide to Adelaide | 3 January 2022
- 10 Nights | Adelaide to Adelaide | 13 January 2022
- 10 Nights | Adelaide to Adelaide | 23 January 2022
Coral Expeditions is offering flexible terms for bookings on these departures including a Refund Guarantee* for guests should they be affected by border restrictions.
- Find accompanying imagery HERE
- View Wild Islands & Walks of South Australia video HERE
- For more information about the SailSAFE Plan, click HERE
About Coral Expeditions
Recognised as Australia’s longest established expedition cruise operator, Coral Expeditions is Australia’s pioneering cruise line, offering a unique style of immersive adventures by small expedition ship. What began with environmentally sensitive cruises on the Great Barrier Reef 35 years ago has grown to a new ocean-going fleet taking expeditions to the Great Barrier Reef, the ancient Kimberley coastline, Tasmania’s wilderness coast, Cape York and Arnhem Land, New Zealand and further afield to the small Islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Including the intimate yacht-like Coral Discoverer and the brand-new vessels Coral Adventurer and Coral Geographer, the Coral Expeditions fleet is purpose-built for tropical expedition cruising. Signature Xplorer tenders and Zodiacs allow guests to explore coastlines and rivers up close, with birdwatching, wildlife spotting, and snorkelling & Scuba a frequent feature in itinerary excursions. Expansive indoor and outdoor spaces with large windows immerse guests in every spectacular destination. An expert expedition team including specialist lecturers share insightful commentary and knowledge during each voyage. Headquartered in Cairns, Australia, Coral Expeditions offers expedition cruises to the outerknown regions of the Great Barrier Reef, the ancient Kimberley coastline, Tasmania’s wilderness coast, Cape York and Arnhem Land, New Zealand and further afield to the small Islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Find Freedom in the farthest reaches with Coral Expeditions.