When you think of South Australia, what comes to mind? The hearty reds of the Barossa? The beautiful city of churches?

Venture into her outback and another side will open up to you. This is home to the Flinders Ranges, one of the oldest mountain ranges on earth stretching some 300 kilometres and featuring many amazing landforms, from rugged mountains to peaceful gorges. Wilpena Pound is its centrepiece, a magnificent natural amphitheatre and timeless landscape.

It's also home to the timid Yellow-Footed Rock Wallaby, the proud Red Kangaroo, fascinating lizards like the Lake Eyre Dragon, and the majestic Wedge-Tailed Eagle.

Meandering all the way from the Snowy Mountains, the mighty Murray River is one of South Australia's favourite holiday destinations. But you don't have to hire a house boat to experience the breathtaking cliffs and extensive wetlands of this famous river. Just hop on board the majestic Murray Princess. She's been custom built for the river and offers guests a genuine insight into the river's colourful history and abundant flora and fauna.

Head for the coast and it's almost another world. Just a stone's throw offshore lies beautiful Kangaroo Island, a sanctuary for Sea Lions and Fur Seals. Along the coastal curves of The Great Australian Bight, you'll see sheltered coves, secluded beaches and stunning cliff faces that provide the perfect vantage point for spotting giant Southern Right Whales as they undertake their annual migration through the Southern Ocean.

And as some of the most famous wine regions in the world are dotted across South Australia, it seems only fair that we taste some of its splendid vintages.