Page 34 - Explore Magazine Winter 2018

ADVENTURE SNAPSHOT
32

Walks, bikes, rides and thrills.

MORE DEPARTURE DATES FOR
FLINDERS RANGES OUTBACK TOUR
Due to high demand, Flinders Ranges Odysseys has released
additional 2018 and 2019 departure dates for its popular four-
day, three-night Flinders Ranges Outback Tour. The tour will
now operate more frequently, with additional dates added to
the existing fortnightly departures.
The tour explores the spectacular and rugged scenery of
Wilpena Pound and the magnificent Flinders Ranges, the
largest mountain range in South Australia. The four-Day
Flinders Ranges Outback Tour includes all meals, touring and
accommodation and guests journey through the Flinders
Ranges in luxury air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Groups are deliberately small at up to eight people, and are
accompanied by a local tour guide. Accommodation is at
the award-winning Rawnsley Park Station in luxurious Eco
Villas or one-bedroom Holiday Units, and at the famous
Prairie Hotel at Parachilna.
The tour departs from Adelaide and highlights include touring
Wilpena Pound and the southern Flinders Ranges, visiting
Kanyaka Station Homestead Ruins, the copper mining town
of Blinman, and the Nilpena Station Ediacaran Experience
which visits a site where the fossils are over 500 million years
old. Dining highlights include a Sunset at the Chace Range
tour, a three-course Lamb Tasting food experience with wines
matched to each course, and the Prairie Hotel’s signature
“Feral” Antipasto Platter.

CYCLING KYOTO
Take a spin down the Path of Philosophy on this Kyoto tour that gives you an overview of the
city while using a mode of transport preferred by locals: the humble bicycle. It’s also a way to
discover the real life of Japan’s cultural capital: with a history spanning over 1,200 years, the
city’s streets have a lot to say.
Start the half-day tour from Kyoto Station, the city’s buzzing railway and transportation
hub, by cycling along the Kamo River, taking in the views of the city’s downtown and passing
the wealth of traditional riverside restaurants. Call by the Heian-Jjngu Shrine, built in 1895
to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of Kyoto. Next, weave your way
along quaint canals to reach the impressive Nanzenji Temple. Admire the spacious grounds
which have a surprising feature: a scenic aqueduct, with the Higashiyama Mountains as their
backdrop. This is one of the most important Zen temples in all of Japan, so soak up the setting
before jumping back on your bike and heading off down the Path of Philosophy.
Arguably the most popular walking path in Kyoto, the Path of Philosophy is shaded by hundreds
of cherry trees that erupt into bloom every April. It’s a spectacular sight to see then, and rather
beautiful the rest of the year as well. It’s a great place to contemplate the tranquillity and
beauty of the area, just as one of Japan’s most famous philosophers, Nishida Kitaro, did when
he named this route on his daily commute to Kyoto University. And speaking of beauty, the
route back towards Kyoto Station takes you along a beautiful canal and traditional narrow back
roads lined with old teahouses and traditional bathhouses set amongst the cherry trees.

HELLOWORLD : EXPLORE : WINTER EDITION