Itinerary
- Day 1
Adelaide to Mt Gambier
Your hotel pickup gets you into the Adelaide Hills where you'll walk around Hahndorf, a traditional German town with character and local shops. From there, head up to Mt Lofty Summit for those sweeping views across the region. After that, you'll drive through grain and stock lands heading south to Keith for lunch. Later in the afternoon, the route takes you through the Padthaway wine region and then to Naracoorte Caves where guides explain the Mega Fauna fossils found there. Before reaching Mt Gambier for the evening, you'll stop in the Coonawarra wine region for some local wine tastings. It's a full day covering a lot of ground, so by the time you arrive at your accommodation in Mt Gambier, you'll have seen quite a variety of South Australia's landscapes.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch in Keith), Dinner (Dinner at The Barn award-winning restaurant), Breakfast (Breakfast at The Barn)
Included Activities
- Explore Hahndorf, traditional German town in Adelaide Hills
- Visit Mt Lofty Summit
- Cave tour at Naracoorte Caves National Park
- Wine tasting in Coonawarra wine region
Landmarks/POIs Hahndorf Mt Lofty Summit Naracoorte Caves National Park Coonawarra wine region Mt Gambier - Day 2
Mt Gambier to Apollo Bay via Great Ocean Road
After breakfast, you'll check out the blue crater lake right in Mt Gambier, then head west toward the coast and Port Fairy. Tower Hill Reserve is your next stop where wildlife spotting includes Emus, Koalas, Kangaroos, and Echidnas if you're lucky with timing. You'll drive through Warrnambool and Allansford passing through dairy country before reaching the Great Ocean Road section. From there, walk around and photograph the Bay of Martyrs, Bay of Islands, London Bridge, and Loch Ard Gorge, learning about the shipwreck history from the 1800s. Then comes the Twelve Apostles, those limestone stacks that you'll want to photograph from different angles. Your villa accommodation overlooks the Southern Ocean, so you'll have those views right from where you're staying for the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Award-winning dinner at Chris at Beacon Point, modern Greek-Australian restaurant with Southern Ocean views)
Included Activities
- Visit blue crater lake at Mt Gambier
- Tower Hill Reserve wildlife viewing
- Bay of Martyrs and Bay of Islands on Great Ocean Road
- London Bridge viewpoint
- Loch Ard Gorge with shipwreck story and artifacts
- Twelve Apostles limestone stacks
Optional Activities
- Helicopter flight above Twelve Apostles coastline - $145pp (15 minutes)
Landmarks/POIs Blue crater lake Port Fairy Tower Hill Reserve Warrnambool Bay of Martyrs Bay of Islands London Bridge Loch Ard Gorge Twelve Apostles Otway National Park Apollo Bay - Day 3
Apollo Bay to Melbourne
Grab breakfast at Bay Leaf cafe in Apollo Bay to start, then head into Otway National Park for a walk through the cool temperate rainforest at Maits Rest. From there, travel along the scenic Great Ocean Road toward Melbourne with a stop at Kennett River where wild Koalas hang around the trees. Lunch happens in Lorne, then you'll continue visiting Torquay and Bells Beach to see the local surf culture and spots where competitions happen. Anglesea Golf Club is next on the route where Kangaroos often show up on the course. After that, you'll drive through historic Geelong and stop for afternoon tea on the redesigned waterfront area. The final stretch crosses the West Gate Bridge into Melbourne, arriving at your hotel to wrap up the drive.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at Bay Leaf cafe in Apollo Bay), Lunch (Lunch at Lorne), Brunch (Afternoon tea at Geelong waterfront)
Included Activities
- Breakfast at Bay Leaf cafe in Apollo Bay
- Maits Rest 1km rainforest walk in Otway National Park
- Wild Koalas viewing at Kennett River
- Scenic viewing stops and stories along Great Ocean Road
- Torquay and Bells Beach surf culture visit
- Anglesea Golf Club for Kangaroo viewing
- Afternoon tea at Geelong waterfront
- West Gate Bridge crossing into Melbourne
Landmarks/POIs Apollo Bay Otway National Park Maits Rest Kennett River Lorne Torquay Bells Beach Anglesea Golf Club Geelong West Gate Bridge Melbourne
