After flying from Manchester to Singapore, then Singapore to Adelaide, the last thing you want is a faff on arrival. Happily, there wasn't one – Door to Door Chauffeurs were waiting to whisk us off in comfort to The George Glenelg, our home for the night.

Dinner was right where we were staying, at Soda, the hotel's stylish rooftop bar and restaurant. We shared South Australian wines and a spread of small plates - and yes, I even tried kangaroo! It was the perfect, relaxed way to shake off the long journey and get to know the group over good food and a golden sunset.

Fuelled by a delicious breakfast box delivered straight to our room, we started our South Australian adventure with a Groovy Grape Adventures tour into the Barossa Valley - where more than 800 families grow the grapes that make its world-famous Shiraz.

Today we headed into the ancient Flinders Ranges with Untamed Escapes, a company passionate about regenerative travel - a real treat for anyone who likes their adventures with a side of sustainability.

We stopped at Julie's Bakery in Wirrabarra for a classic Aussie beef pie and a look at the striking silo art, before continuing to Hawker, the gateway to the Flinders. There we admired the jaw-dropping panoramic paintings at the Jeff Morgan Gallery before arriving at Wilpena Pound Resort Discovery Park. This campsite genuinely has something for everyone - hotel rooms, deluxe safari tents, and powered and unpowered pitches. We went all in with swag camping, sleeping under the stars! Before that, we were honoured to experience a Welcome to Country, a moving insight into the history, stories, and living culture of the Adnyamathanha people.

As the sun dipped, we sipped drinks and shared a charcuterie board at Hucks Lookout - a quieter alternative to the popular Stokes Hill Lookout (it really does pay to have a guide in the know!). A meal around the campfire followed, and then it was time to settle in beneath a sky absolutely bursting with stars. Truly unforgettable.

We rose early to catch the sunrise and were rewarded with the sight of joeys, baby kangaroos! After a classic Aussie breakfast of a Vegemite muffin with avo and poached egg, we journeyed back through the Flinders towards Adelaide.

We paused in Quorn for a bakery lunch and took a wildlife-filled walk at Mambray Creek, and were thrilled to spot emus, kangaroos and kookaburras! The drive even treated us to a glimpse of Lake Bumbunga, one of South Australia's famous pink lakes.

Back in the city, we checked into the Vibe Hotel Adelaide before heading to Paper Tiger for their fabulous "feed me" sharing menu - a delicious end to a big day on the road.

After a hearty à la carte breakfast at the Vibe Hotel, we met our Groovy Grape guide, James, for the adventure I'd been most excited about: Kangaroo Island. This small-group tour is perfect for escaping the crowds - James cleverly reshuffled our itinerary throughout the day so we always arrived at the main attractions at their quietest, avoiding the big coach groups.

The SeaLink ferry took just 45 minutes, and we even spotted a pod of dolphins playing in its surf! Kangaroo Island is all about the wildlife - kangaroos, echidnas, snakes, platypus, dolphins, seals, koalas, wallabies, and goannas can all be found here. We began at beautiful Pennington Bay, then climbed Prospect Hill for panoramic island views. After free time in Kingscote, the island's biggest town, we visited the Kangaroo Island Beehive to taste fresh honey and learnt that this is the world's oldest bee sanctuary, home to the last pure strain of the Ligurian bee.

Lunch and a beer tasting paddle at the Kangaroo Island Brewery set us up nicely for a dip at Stokes Bay - twice voted Australia's prettiest beach and far warmer sea temperatures than I expected for Australian winter! An Aussie BBQ dinner followed, before we settled into our bell tents at Discovery Parks - Kangaroo Island, enjoying another night of glamping!

Staying at Discovery Parks meant we were the first tour group into Flinders Chase National Park, beating the crowds to the aptly named Remarkable Rocks - stunning to look at and brilliant fun to clamber around.

Just five minutes on, Admirals Arch was home to long-nosed and Australian fur seals, with plenty of baby seals and dolphins to spot. Then came a personal highlight: sand boarding at Little Sahara, where I was incredibly proud to have managed to stay standing all the way to the bottom of the dune!

An afternoon of beach tennis at Vivonne Bay was followed by visiting Seal Bay - home to South Australia's only sea lion colony. The sheer number of them was unbelievable, and we were lucky enough to spot an echidna too. I really completed my Australian wildlife bucket list this trip!

After a classic Aussie parmi at Penneshaw Pub, we hopped back on the ferry to return to Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets for our final night in Adelaide.

Our final day began with breakfast at Hotel Indigo before a brilliant street art and food tour with Flamboyance Tours, where we tried local delicacies such as the famous frog cake and admired works by iconic street artists such as Jimmy C and Fred Rock.

Then came the heart-racing Adelaide Oval RoofClimb, rewarding our bravery with 360-degree views from the foothills to the coast under endless blue skies. Door to Door Chauffeurs collected us (chilled water at the ready - much needed!) and dropped us at Markets & Meander, Hotel Indigo's in-house restaurant, for one final feast. A decadent lamb ragu and a last glass of South Australian wine made the perfect farewell before a swift 15-minute transfer back to the airport.

I had the most amazing experience - captivated by the incredible wildlife and scenery of Kangaroo Island and the Flinders Ranges and charmed by the cosmopolitan buzz of Adelaide with its extraordinary food and wine scene. It's the kind of trip that stays with you long after the tan fades. South Australia, I'll definitely be back.