Signature Melbourne

On arrival at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport, meet your drive and transfer to your hotel.

Any time of year is the perfect time to visit Melbourne and your guide is a master at delivering a memorable, tailored experience to satisfy your individual interests. With its Victorian architecture, stunning gardens and edgy bar, culinary, fashion and live music scenes, Melbourne is an obvious start to any visit to Victoria. Its iconic laneways and alleys are home to some of the city's best cafes, bars, boutiques and galleries. Explore these with your local guide, getting a real insight into what makes this cosmopolitan city tick. Recognized as the sporting capital of Australia you might like to visit precincts including the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (affectionately known as The 'G), Melbourne Park -- home of the Australian Open, and Albert Park F1 Grand Prix circuit. Enjoy a stroll in the magnificent Royal Botanic Gardens and tour the Shrine of Remembrance. Learn of Australia's wartime history and take in breathtaking city skyline views from atop the Sanctuary and Crypt. Visit areas including bayside St Kilda (Melbourne's summer playground) and take a walk along the beach-side promenade, or the bohemian enclaves of Fitzroy and Collingwood filled with street art murals and hipster cafes. Other attractions you may want to include in your day are the Yarra River, Parliament House and the Fitzroy Gardens. The luxury and flexibility of this private city tour enables you to get a comprehensive look at the city through a local's eyes.

A trip to Phillip Island is a must for nature lovers and those seeking a unique Australian experience. Phillip Island is home to a collection of Australian native wildlife including the famous little penguins and koalas. This insightful tour lets you get up close and personal with these animals and shows off the rugged coastline, where the rocky shore meets sandy beaches, often lined by keen surfers. During your tour, come face to face with Australia's most iconic marsupials at the Koala Conservation Reserve. Exploring the tree-top boardwalks you can glimpse koalas up close in their natural habitat. Wander the extensive trails through Australian bushland, home to many animals including wallabies, echidnas and bats. Perhaps visit the dramatic coastline of Cape Woolamai where surfers await the perfect wave all year round, encircled by spectacular coastal scenery. Stop for a wine tasting, visit ocean lookouts, spend time bird watching, or meander along coastal boardwalks at The Nobbies where you can view the treacherous Seal Rocks, a rocky outcrop home to Australia's largest fur seal colony. Every evening at sunset the Little Penguins come out of the surf and return to Summerland Beach. They waddle up to their burrows, just as their ancestors have done for thousands of generations, meandering straight past eager visitors who wait in anticipation for the night's performance. Watch this miracle unfold in front of you from an exclusive raised platform away from the crowds and see these unique creatures return to their nests in the sand dunes.

Depart Melbourne via the West Gate Bridge. We travel through the vast volcanic plains on route to Geelong where you have time to stroll along the beautifully transformed waterfront. We start our journey along the Great Ocean Road at Torquay, stopping at various places along the coast including Bells Beach and our scenic morning tea location. Our focus then turns to Australian native wildlife as we observe Eastern Grey Kangaroos in the wild. This is one of many opportunities to see and hear about our unique and unusual animals in their native habitat. Our journey then begins travelling the very scenic, cliff-hugging section of the Great Ocean Road. While winding our way along we stop to view sites such as the 'Memorial Arch' and tell you of the intriguing story of this incredible road. After lunch in Lorne, the largest of the seaside villages, we cruise along the spectacular road, stopping at many scenic spots including Kennett River where we can see koalas and many colorful native birds in the wild. Travelling through Apollo Bay we go into the Great Otway National Park. We take you on a 1km guided walk through a cool temperate rainforest gully to see the world's tallest flowering plants, prehistoric trees and ferns and unique features such as 'Yabbie Chimneys'. We visit the township of Apollo Bay before checking in to 'Beacon Point Ocean View Villas'. Your private self contained villa is set high on a hill overlooking the Southern Ocean provides an amazing setting is a great place to relax and unwind for a couple of hours. There are plenty of birds in this natural bush setting and it is not unusual to spot Koalas, Wallabies or even Echidnas. Tonight, we dine at the award-winning restaurant 'Chris' at Beacon Point'. This is regarded as the best restaurant in the region and has a fantastic menu that utilizes great local produce. Included in the tour is a two-course dinner that can be made up of any of their wonderful entree's, mains or desserts.

Our journey after breakfast on day two starts with us travelling through the Otway ranges and onto the 'Shipwreck Coast'. Our first stop is at Castle Cove overlooking the Aire river valley. In this area millions of years ago when Australia was part of the great southern land, Gondwana, dinosaurs were roaming the land. A unique find along the coast in 1987 uncovered important clues into the world's pre-historic past. natural beauty. We arrive as the stacks are lit with the morning sun making them perfect for photos and crowd free. This is a bonus for taking a 2-day trip as the stacks are silhouettes in the afternoon and overcrowded.

After hearing of the creation of the stacks and holding some of the limestone rock you can explore the boardwalks or brave a helicopter flight along the coastline (own expense). We then visit 'Loch Ard Gorge', the site of the most famous 19th century Australian shipwreck. While approaching the site you hear of the tragic story composed by a local historian. His story retells the tale of a calm voyage, the tragic wreck, the courageous survivors and their post-wreck lives. While hearing the tale you will be able to see and hold some original artifacts, photos and documents from the 'Loch Ard' contained in our treasure chests.

Port Campbell is our lunch stop for today. The small fishing village of just 500 is set in a beautiful natural port and has some wonderful cafes and restaurants for food and views. After lunch we travel to a lesser known but highly impressive area of the Great Ocean Road west of Port Campbell. This section takes in London Bridge, Bay of Islands, Bay of Martyrs, and Boat Bay before our journey turns inland and travels through open farmland towards Melbourne arriving there around 6pm.

Have you ever been to a city and wondered what all the fuss was about? Or wasted time trying to find that cool local café you were told of, and ended up missing everything? Melbourne's arcades and laneways hide many of these answers. Join this indulgent afternoon walk through Melbourne's beautiful back streets, and get orientated in the life of the city that locals love. Discover artisanal and specialty retailers, that often are only found in the city. Some of the quirkiest cafes, independent designers, street art, architecture, and historical tales are found in these walkways. Soak in the city via all your senses, and engage with passionate creatives. There is something for everyone, locals and visitors alike.

Today you will be transfered to the Melbourne Airport in time for your onward flight.