Explore South Australia with Mogens Johansen - Adelaide, Kangaroo Island & the Murray River
Mogens Johansen is an experienced travel writer and photographer, and a senior member of the West Travel editorial team.
He’s very familiar with the Barossa, Kangaroo Islands, Murray Princess and the route on the Murray River, having recently been there writing for the Travel supplement.
Mogens will accompany guests throughout the trip, making this a chance to travel alongside a member of our experienced team, and an opportunity to learn photography from a professional with 40 years’ experience.
Thursday July 22
Pre-departure get together at Newspaper House. This social event will be a chance to meet and be briefed by Mogens Johansen, and include a presentation by Travel Editor Stephen Scourfield.
Sunday August 1
Photowalk with Mogens Johnsen and Stephen Scourfield.
Get your eye in before leaving, and meet out team on this special two-hour Photowalk, just for guests travelling to South Australia.
On the trip
Each day, there will be an opportunity to work on photography with Mogens Johansen, Travel’s lead photographer.
Mogens will teach fundamental photography skills, lead Photowalks and show post-production techniques. He will help travellers collect sets of photographs which capture the spirit of their trip, including landscapes, portraits, night and food photography.
Your adventure begins in Adelaide, nicknamed the City of Churches and regarded as one of the most liveable cities in the world. A full day tour will take you to South Australia’s premium wine region where you’ll sample some of the Barossa Valley’s finest wines. You’ll also explore the town of Hahndorf, with its original German-style architecture and charming boutiques.
After a two-night hotel stay, you’ll take the ferry to Kangaroo Island, home to a plethora of nature-based activities. During a two-day tour of this magnificent island, you’ll enjoy encounters with koalas and majestic birds of prey as well as the kangaroos the island is named after.
You’ll also get to experience some of the famously picturesque landscapes this region has to offer, from the rugged coastline of Pennington Bay to the enchanting vineyards of Dudley Wines.
Next, you’ll embark the paddlewheeler PS Murray Princess, at Mannum, where you’ll settle in for a wonderful voyage that harks back to the river cruises of yesteryear. Savour the timeless charm and elegant surroundings as you begin your cruise along the delightful Murray River, calling first at Blanchetown where you’ll visit the Burk Salter Boutique Winery. Sample their award-winning red and white wines and spot the flora and fauna of the surrounding wetlands on a vintage truck.
You’ll then sail to Swan Reach where you’ll head on a walking tour to the Swan Reach Museum, and then Sunnydale with its Native Wildlife Centre – a great place to see the local wildlife up close. After a barbecue feast on the river bank, choose from one of two nocturnal experiences that either take in the wildlife after dark or the marvels of the night sky.
Before disembarking back in Mannum tomorrow, you’ll also spend some time at the fascinating Ngaut Ngaut Aboriginal Reserve, a sacred indigenous site that’s the ancestral home of the Nganguraku people. Learn about their culture and history and witness their ancient rock art.