TOURS & TOUR OPERATOR NEWS BURRA TRAIL RIDES AGAIN Graham Radford is the only trail ride operator in the Clare Valley Region and his two- and three-day horse-back adventures give equestrians the opportunity to travel through rugged landscapes, hills and scrubland that they would not otherwise be able to access. Varied wildlife, camp-oven dinners, tales around the campfire and clear, starlit skies, are just some of the highlights of Burra Trail Rides.

NEW ACTION-PACKED TOUR COMPANY Backpackers in particular will be interested to hear about new adventure tour operator, Action Adelaide offering everything from wake boarding and canoeing to quad motorbike riding along the Murray River. Options includes a range of one-day water sports tours and overnight excursions to the Barossa Valley, whilst a one-day Murray River water sports package includes swimming, canoeing and volleyball, plus morning tea, a barbecue lunch and return transfers. Tours can also be tailored to suit corporate team building exercises or social functions. www.actionadelaide.com.au

CHINTA TOURS TAKE TO THE AIR Based in Ceduna on the Eyre Peninsula, Chinta Tours is a new air touring company offering scenic excursions above the Nullarbor and the outback. Options include one-day trips between Adelaide and Head of Bight, Coober Pedy and Ceduna, and scenic flights taking in spectacular vistas such as the Nullarbor�s Bunda Cliffs, the Gawler Ranges, wheat and sheep farms, salt ponds and dramatic coastal views. Visit www.chinta.com.au.

MARTIN RANDALL TRAVEL OFFERS FIRST EVER TOUR TO AUSTRALIA - 9-DAY ADELAIDE RING CYCLE TOUR 25 November � 3 December 2004 Specialist in cultural tours, Martin Randall Travel, is featuring Australia for the first time with a nine-day Adelaide Ring Cycle tour. This performance will be staged at the Adelaide Festival Theatre, the only location in Australia with the capacity and facilities to mount a full-scale production of Wagner�s four-part epic.

Over and above tickets for this production the tour itinerary also includes excursions to the McLaren Vale, the Clare and Barossa Valleys and the Adelaide Hills. The price, which excludes international flights, is �2,020. This includes premium category tickets for all four operas, admission to pre-opera talks, private coach excursions, accommodation and most meals. For further information contact Martin Randall Travel on tel 020 8742 3355 or www.martinrandall.com

SCENIC CESSNA FLIGHTS Guests staying at a new luxury bed and breakfast based in Murray Bridge, can take advantage of Longstar Aviation�s range of scenic flights on board a five-seater Cessna 210. Options include a 15-minute flight over the Murray Bridge area, a 45-minute trip over Victor Harbour, Goolwa and the Murray Mount, and a tour above Adelaide�s city, beaches and hills. Longstar Aviation also operates flights to the Flinders Ranges, Lake Eyre and Kangaroo Island and can tailor make itineraries to suit individual requests.

COASTAL TRAILS INCREASE IN POPULARITY Australian Seafood & Aquaculture Trail tours appear to be increasing in popularity, with around 30,000 excursions sold since November 2002 along the Eyre Peninsula, and five additional tours added to the third edition of the corresponding brochure. Believed to be the only one of its kind in Australia, the coastal trail was designed to showcase seafood and aquaculture in South Australia, and stretches from Whyalla to Ceduna.

Sixteen tours now exist involving local fishing and aquaculture industries including Stuart High School Murray Cod Tours, Whyalla Marron Farm, Tumby Bay Aquaculture Tours, Marina Boat Cruises in Port Lincoln and Coffin Bay Sea Urchin Tours. www.tep.com.au.

OLD IS BEST AT SEVENHILL WINE CELLARS Sevenhill Wine Cellars in Clare Valley is bringing six, 150-year-old slate tanks out of retirement, giving visitors the opportunity to watch wine-makers at work using more traditional methods. The slate, open fermenters were used to make the earliest vintages by the Jesuits who established Sevenhill Wine Cellars in 1851 and, since they are smaller that the modern stainless steel versions can be used to ferment small batches of the best fruit to produce more fortified wines and reserve table wines.

The historic wine cellars attract 35,000 visitors each year. Visitors can now enjoy tours of the winery lead by Brother John May, the Seventh Brother Jesuit Wine Maker since the establishment was founded. www.sevenhillcellars.com.au

TOURABOUT ADELAIDE INTRODUCES NEW �FROM GRAPE TO GLASS� TOUR Tourabout Adelaide has launched a new tour aimed at teaching visitors the basics about wine � how it is made, picked, aged, bottled, as well as how to taste and select wines. Tour highlights include a personalised private tour with a specialist wine guide, visits to the National Wine Centre in Adelaide, Jacobs Creek Visitors Centre in the Barossa Valley, as well as private tastings. www.touraboutadelaide.com.au

ACCOMMODATION & DINING LUCKY BEACHSIDE SELF-CATERING ACCOMMODATION Number 13 is an 4.5-star holiday house located on the beach at Robe. Close to Hoopers Beach and various cliff top walks, Number 13 provides air-conditioned, stylish accommodation with one double and one twin bedroom, two bathrooms and all the mod cons for a comfortable self-catering stay. www.robe.sa.gov.au .

HOLIDAY ON WATER Breeze Houseboats has launched a new luxury ten-berth vessel called Riverbreeze. Featuring full-length panoramic windows, a large open-plan lounge and dining area, queen beds throughout, air-conditioning and a six to eight-person jacuzzi, it is the ideal choice for a group or family wishing to indulge themselves with a leisurely break along the Murray River. An onboard catering and shopping service can also be arranged, as well as ski boat and jet ski hire. www.breeze.com.au

GROWTH OF THE ORGANIC PIZZA Australia�s first organic pizza bar has opened a second restaurant in the city�s premier beachside suburb, Glenelg. The success of Goodlife is based on its seasonal produce and quality local organic ingredients such as grain fed chicken, Mount Compass Venison Mettwurst, and giant prawns from the Spencer Gulf.

NEW B&B RETREAT OPENS IN ADELAIDE HILLS The Retreat is a new luxury self-contained bed and breakfast guesthouse set in two acres of natural bushland in Stirling in the Adelaide Hills. Featuring a 12.5-metre heated indoor swimming pool and double spa bath, The Retreat boasts breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside and is within easy walking distance of the Mount Lofty Golf Course. Other nearby attractions include Cleland Wildlife Park, Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens, the Heysen Trail and Warrawong Sanctuary. www.visitadelaidehills.com.au/theretreat

TUESDAYS ARE TASTIER IN THE ADELAIDE HILLS Mount Lofty House restaurant in the Adelaide Hills has introduced a range of one-day cooking retreats. Held on the first Tuesday of every month, �Tasty Tuesdays� hands-on cooking classes will be hosted by acclaimed chef Genevieve Harris and will include tastings by Adelaide Hills� food and wine producers, as well as a two-course lunch in Hardy�s restaurant. Each 10am to 3pm class will be limited to 16 people at a cost of A$85 per person. Three-day cooking retreats including accommodation, all activities and meals are also being introduced for 2004. www.mtloftyhouse.com.au

COOKING WEEKENDS AT GOURMET RETREAT THORN PARK COUNTRY HOUSE The acclaimed five-star gourmet retreat Thorn Park Country House in the Clare Valley is holding a series of special cooking weekends. Host and chef David Hay shares his passion for Vietnamese, Thai and Italian cooking with small, enthusiastic groups. Lunch guests also include some of the region�s most innovative winemakers. www.thornpark.com.au 4/. ANTIQUES & ORIENTAL CUISINE AT NEW B&B Lovers of antiques will feel at home at Paringa House, a new bed & breakfast accommodation in a historic homestead in the Riverland area. Open fireplaces, stylish antiques, bar and beautifully decorated dining area combine with five small individual cottages to offer home-from-home accommodation. The owner�s expertise in Thai and Japanese cooking is a further attraction. www.paringahouse.com.au

BUSINESS TRAVEL HILTON RE-OPENS STATE�S LARGEST CONFERENCE HOTEL VENUE Level 1, the conference and meeting floor at the Hilton Adelaide, re-opened on 21 May following a A$4 million refurbishment project. The investment, which reaffirms the Hilton�s position as the largest and most advanced hotel venue for conferences, meetings and events in South Australia, has brought together cutting edge design, advanced audio-visual and communications technology, together with innovative meeting services never experienced before in the State. Level 1 incorporates 12 state-of-the-art meeting and event spaces, including the spectacular Grand Ballroom, which features a five-metre-high wall-to-wall curtain of intricately woven metal, designed to be animated with light to create drama and theatrics for any occasion. The Grand Ballroom seats up to 750 delegates in a pillar-free space. For further information, visit www.hilton.com.

OTHER NEWS STATES COMPETE FOR BACKPACKER MARKET South Australia has joined forces with the Northern Territory and Western Australia to entice the international backpacker market away from the east coast and to discover some of the country�s real adventure opportunities. The new �Real Trips for Real Travellers� joint campaign includes a 36-page guide giving information on self-drive and touring options in less-visited areas of each State. It also promotes Australian adventures and nature-based trips along, for example, the Explorer�s Way (Adelaide to Darwin), and The Nullarbor (Adelaide to Perth).

SOUTH AUSTRALIA MEDIA IMAGES NOW AVAILABLE Journalists searching for images of South Australia may like to register with the South Australian Tourism Commission�s online media gallery at: www.media.southaustralia.com. The website contains thousands of images which can be used by the media, free of charge. New shots include Adelaide International Police Tattoo, Barossa Under the Stars, Glenelg Jazz & Seafood Festival, and Riverland Eco Tourism.

For further information about South Australia, log on to: www.southaustralia.com.

-ENDS-

For further information, contact Jovanka Ristich, Independent Public Relations, tel: 01628 623003, email: ristichj@aol.com