South Australia highlights this month include a new Kangaroo Island food experience, two new Flinders Ranges tours, awards galore, plenty of art & culture, and details of the Adelaide Festival Centre’s biggest ever season.

• NEW GOURMET TOUR & COOKING CLASS FOR KANGAROO ISLAND (read more)
• TOP ACCOLADE FOR THE BAROSSA’S APPELLATION RESTAURANT (read more)
• NEW ADELAIDE HILLS RESTAURANT CELEBRATES FOOD, WINE & ART (read more)
• COOKING CRUISE PROVES RECIPE FOR SUCCESS (read more)
• ICONIC WOLF BLASS NEW WINE SPONSOR FOR SANTOS TOUR DOWN UNDER (read more)
• TWO NEW FLINDERS RANGES TOURS FROM RAWNSLEY PARK STATION (read more)
• CONTEMPORARY SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ART COMING TO SAATCHI, LONDON (read more)
• ADELAIDE FESTIVAL CENTRE UNVEILS ITS LARGEST EVER SEASON (read more)
• ENTRIES WELCOME FOR PRESTIGIOUS ADELAIDE GUITAR CONTEST (read more)
• INTRODUCING 1834 HOTELS (read more)
• BAROSSA. BE CONSUMED, VOTED WORLD’S BEST TOURISM ADVERT (read more)
• NEW MOBILE WEBSITE NOTCHES UP ANOTHER WIN (read more)

NEW GOURMET TOUR & COOKING CLASS FOR KANGAROO ISLAND – Kangaroo Island Source Farmers Market Tour & Cooking Class sees guests join local chef, Kate Sumner, on a farmers’ market tour sourcing ingredients for a hands-on gourmet cooking class. Participants can later relax and enjoy the lunch they have prepared whilst overlooking picturesque Penneshaw with a glass of local wine or cider. Tour starts from AUD$99.

TOP ACCOLADE FOR THE BAROSSA’S APPELLATION, honoured with top marks in Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine’s “2014 Australian Restaurant Guide”. Published for more than a decade, the Guide is Australia’s most authoritative and well-respected source of restaurant information across the country.

Out of 100 restaurants in Australia, Appellation was rated with two stars and three goblets, numerically the highest position of any restaurant in South Australia. Two-stars make an establishment “a superior dining experience in all respects, worthy of a detour.” This is the seventh year that Appellation has rated among the top 50 restaurants in Australia, making it the most consistently awarded restaurant in South Australia.

NEW ADELAIDE HILLS RESTAURANT CELEBRATES FOOD, WINE & ART – Adelaide Hills winery, Bird in Hand, has opened a new restaurant, The Gallery, combining food, wine and art with views over the vineyard and rolling hills. Former Hilton chef, Paul Gillespie, has designed the menu to complement the winery’s wine portfolio. Guests are invited to take a wine pairing journey or order limited release wines including a new Pinot Gris and Arneis. The restaurant features an eclectic mix of custom-made furniture and contemporary works of art.

COOKING CRUISE PROVES RECIPE FOR SUCCESS – Australian MasterChef winner and TV cook, Julie Goodwin, is returning for a second Murray River Cooking Cruise, departing Mannum on 10th March 2014 for four nights on the PS Murray Princess. Not only will Julie be holding three on-board cooking demonstrations, she will also be hosting a three-course dinner for passengers. Prices start from AUD$1,079 per person, twin share. Passengers also have the option to extend to a seven-night cruise which includes a tour of the Barossa. The seven-night cruise costs from AUD$1,799 per person.

ICONIC WOLF BLASS IS NEW WINE SPONSOR OF SANTOS TOUR DOWN UNDER, the largest cycling event in the southern hemisphere (19th -26th January 2014). The sponsorship will seeWolf Blass wines served at all the official cycling functions including the Legends’ Night Dinner on January 25th honouring six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy. Meanwhile the Wolf Blass Gold Label Pinot Noir Chardonnay will be presented to riders on the race podiums.

TWO NEW FLINDERS RANGES TOURS FROM RAWNSLEY PARK STATION have been introduced to complement the Station’s extensive activity programme. The three-hour Daybreak Walk departs each morning at 7am introducing guests to the unique plants, wildlife and geology of the Flinders Ranges and includes a delicious cooked bush breakfast. Tour costs AUD$75 for adults and AUD$35 for children.A more challenging four-hour version of this walk is also available, with walkers climbing to the rim of Rawnsley Bluff (943 metres above sea level) for panoramic views of Wilpena Pound. This tour costs AUD$110 for adults and AUD$55 for children, including breakfast.

The full day Echoes of the Past 4WD Tour showcases the Aboriginal, pastoral and mining heritage of the region. Highlights include the old Wilpena Station settlement, Hill Homestead, Wangara and Stokes Hill Lookouts and Appealinna Ruins. This tour costs AUD$235 for adults and AUD$135 for children, including meals.

CONTEMPORARY SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ART COMING TO LONDON – The Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) has joined London’s Saatchi Gallery to stage an exhibition of contemporary Australian art in London next year. Australian Art Now will feature work by 30 artists selected by AGSA director, Nick Mitzevich and Saatchi Gallery chief executive, Nigel Hurst. The show is a spin-off from AGSA’s successful 2011 exhibition, Saatchi Gallery in Adelaide: British Art Now.

THE ADELAIDE FESTIVAL CENTRE UNVEILS LARGEST SEASON EVER cementing its position as one of Australia’s leading cultural precincts. Highlights include two large-scale musicals, an exciting array of family entertainment and several ground breaking collaborations with local companies. Top names include The Australian Ballet, Patricia Routledge, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge. The season will see a total of 233 shows, 77 events, 13 world and 10 Australian premieres.

ENTRIES WELCOME FOR ADELAIDE’S PRESTIGIOUS GUITAR CONTEST – The Adelaide International Guitar Festival 2014 – part of the Adelaide Festival Centre’s 2014 season – is calling for entries for its International Classical Guitar Competition. The four-day Festival (17th – 20th July) will feature some of the best guitarists from around Australia and the world, combining a wide range of genres including jazz, bluegrass, slide, tango, classical and rock. As part of the Classical Guitar Competition, emerging players compete for a share of the AUD$32,000 prizes, making it one of the most prestigious guitar competitions in the world.

INTRODUCING 1834 HOTELS – Country Club Hotels & Resorts has a new name, corporate identity and website. Now known as 1834 Hotels, the group’s new website provides an enhanced platform for each property, offering customers a user-friendly online booking tool. 1834 Hotels manages seven hotels, motels and resorts throughout South Australia: Adelaide Meridien Hotel & Apartments, Adelaide Royal Coach, Apartments on George (Norwood), Clare Country Club, McCracken Country Club (Victor Harbor), Naracoorte Hotel/Motel and John Pirie Motor Inn (Port Pire).

AND FINALLY...

BAROSSA, BE CONSUMED – WINS WORLD’S BEST TOURISM ADVERT - produced by the South Australian Tourism Commission, this commercial has won the prestigious Cannes Grand Prix award at the Corporate Media and TV Awards, beating a record 719 entries from 40 countries. Directed by Jeff Darling, Barossa, Be Consumed uses rich imagery of local produce and beautiful landscapes to entice visitors.

NEW MOBILE WEBSITE NOTCHES UP ANOTHER WIN - The South Australian Tourism Commission's new smartphone friendly website, www.southaustralia.com, has picked up an award at the 2013 Australian Mobile Awards. Held in Sydney, the Awards celebrate creativity and innovation in mobile phone related marketing. Tourism information is displayed on an interactive map and users can select further information such as accommodation, events, sights, experiences, dining or cellar doors

For further information and images, input for fact boxes and round ups, to discuss media visits and feature ideas please contact Jovanka Ristich on +44 (0) 1628 630 965 or Jovanka@ipr-online.co.uk