Melbourne: Great Ocean Road & Kangaroo Island Escape: Premier Escorted Vacation
- Duration
- 7 Days
- Prices From:
- US$ 3,120
FIRST-CLASS | ESCORTED COACH TOUR: Enjoy seven days touring some of the best of Southern Australia. Discover the Great Ocean Road before visits to Coonawarra and Adelaide followed by the unique wildlife of Kangaroo Island.
See the best of Australia’s southern states in style, with stops in up to 4 capital cities on a fully escorted 5, 7 or 11 day itinerary.
Consider arriving a few days early to explore Sydney, Australia’s most diverse and iconic city, before departing for Canberra. A purpose-built national capital, Canberra is packed with sights including Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial. You’ll visit both on an afternoon tour, after a delicious BBQ lunch at a working sheep farm. At the nearby Snowy Mountains, ride the chairlift up Mt Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest peak.
Cross the border into Victoria for an overnight stay and tour of historic Beechworth, the state’s best preserved gold rush town. Walk in the footsteps of notorious bushranger Ned Kelly on your way to Melbourne, Australia’s cultural, shopping and sporting capital. We bid farewell to our guests on the 5 day itinerary here.
A full day in Melbourne gives you time to experience this world class city your way. Culture vultures might enjoy a visit to Melbourne Museum (the Southern Hemisphere’s largest), or the National Gallery of Victoria. Consider a twilight excursion to Phillip Island in time for the famous ‘little penguin parade’. Immerse yourself in history, panning for gold at Sovereign Hill. Or spend the day shopping in the central business district, enjoying the intimate laneways and chic cafes of Australia’s most European city.
Guests on the 7 day itinerary join in time for one of Australia’s most spectacular drives, the Great Ocean Road. See famous landmarks including the Twelve Apostles, London Bridge and Loch Ard Gorge, all formed by centuries of erosion from the wild Southern Ocean. Learn more about the local Aboriginal culture at Worn Gundidi, including insights into medicine in the bush.
Enter South Australia, with a stop in picturesque Mt Gambier before you reach Adelaide. This mid sized capital is a major cultural centre and hosts numerous festivals throughout the year including the renowned Adelaide Cabaret Festival. It’s also the ideal jump-off point for an excursion to Kangaroo Island, a living gallery of natural wonders sometimes referred to as Australia’s Galapagos. Visit the famous sea lions of Seal Bay and see fascinating geological sights such as Admiral’s Arch.
- Duration
- 7 Days
- Prices From:
- US$ 3,120
Itinerary View Trip Map
Melbourne to Warrnambool
Want an adventure that starts with a bang? This is it. We advise arriving early for a Melbourne laneway tour, taking in the city’s eye-popping alleys filled with colourful art. Then you’re on your way from Melbourne on a Great Ocean Road tour, enjoying a snaking coastal route that is one of the world’s most epic journeys. Across a dramatic 240 kilometers you’ll take in limestone stacks like the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge. Then traverse through World Heritage listed rainforest, skirting untouched coastal coves, and pausing in sleepy towns like Lorne and Apollo Bay, where bare feet and boardshorts are the dress code. We wouldn’t blame you for following suit…
Accommodation: Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs
| Meal Plan | Dinner |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1 Night |
Warrnambool to Naracoorte
Emus, kangaroos, koalas, echidnas… oh my! These are just some of the animals you’ll likely spot as you drive through Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve – housed in a dormant volcanic crater. Remarkably, this pocket of paradise was once wasteland, transformed by volunteers. More volcanic history awaits across the South Australian border in Mt. Gambier, home to the crater-filling Blue Lake. Because it’s very blue. And it’s a lake. By now you’ll be pretty thirsty, so it’s a good thing the Coonawarra wine region is around the corner. After a few sips, you may find yourself getting deep – literally. Naracoorte’s Alexandra Cave is a maze of delicate needle-like stalactites and massive twisting columns.
Accommodation: William MacIntosh Motor Lodge
| Meal Plan | Breakfast and Dinner |
|---|
Naracoorte to Kangaroo Island
Victor Harbor. After rolling hills, sandy beaches and rugged cliffs, you’re greeted with the charms of this seaside town – the gateway to Kangaroo Island. Fun fact: it still has a steam train. But you’re boarding the ferry for your journey toward Australia’s ‘mini Galapagos’ to tour Kangaroo Island. Kangaroo Island deserves its moniker, as you’ll discover tomorrow. But today, a well-deserved tasting of craft beer awaits at a boutique brewery, the only one on the island. How does Indian Pale Ale sound or a Mexican inspired brew made using a combination of malted barley and flaked rice?
Accommodation: Aurora Ozone Hotel
| Meal Plan | Breakfast and Dinner |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2 Nights |
Kangaroo Island
First stop on your tour of Kangaroo Island truly deserves its name: the orange-lichen-clad Remarkable Rocks command your attention over the blazing blue of the Southern Ocean. Then there’s Admirals Arch, home to an immense colony of raucous fur seals and a very photogenic lighthouse. Like much of the island, AAT Kings-sponsored Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary was badly damaged by the 2019 bushfires. On your visit, you’ll discover the role that fire plays within this delicate ecosystem, and how koalas, kangaroos, echidnas and other wildlife have adapted to their environment. More wildlife greets you at Seal Bay Conservation Park. Move aside: enormous sea lions regularly barrel down the sand toward the water, and you’ll learn about their habitat on a Kangaroo Island tour of the beach.
| Meal Plan | Breakfast and Dinner |
|---|
Kangaroo Island to Adelaide
You’ve arrived in the South Australian capital, known for its well-preserved churches and well-admired cuisine. Did you know that Adelaide boasts more restaurants per capita than any other city in Australia? After a cultural walking tour through the city’s Botanic Gardens with an Aboriginal Guide, and an Adelaide city tour, the afternoon is yours to see just how many you can sample – we have a few recommendations, including a visit to the epic Central Market, where you can try green ant gin with cheese, among so many other delicacies.
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Adelaide
| Meal Plan | Breakfast |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2 Nights |
Adelaide Hills and the Barossa
Pull on your elastic-waisted pants – today is one of indulgences through the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa, dotted with atmospheric towns like Hahndorf, Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement. A Barossa and Hahndorf tour reveals the bountiful food and wine this pocket of the state is known for. And you’ll enjoy a tasting from small batch wine makers from across the valley as well as discovering local flavours over lunch at Lambert Estate enveloped by vines.
| Meal Plan | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner |
|---|
Farewell from Adelaide
A week in this part of the world really isn’t enough. We hope we’ve inspired you to come back for another taste.
| Meal Plan | Breakfast |
|---|
Other Information
DEPARTURES:
2023: Sep 2, 23; Oct 21; Nov 4, 25
2024: Jan 13, 27; Feb 10, 24; Mar 9, 23; Apr 15; May 6; Sep 2, 23; Oct 21; Nov 4, 25
PRICE INCLUDES:
- Tour by luxury air conditioned coach with 2 door access, restroom, seatbelts, reclining seats, panoramic windows
- Tour with an experienced, professional Tour Director & Tour Driver
- Meals as outlined in itinerary
- Twin share rooms with private facilities in centrally located hotels
- Welcome drink
- Hotel porterage
PRICE EXCLUDES:
- Optional excursions & touring that are available for purchase on tour
- Travel insurance
- Items of a personal nature
- Meals and beverages not mentioned
- International and domestic airfare & airfare taxes
- Visa fees if applicable
- Gratuities
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Prices are "from", per person, based on twin share in low season. Seasonal surcharges will apply. Limited seats and subject to availability. Single supplements are available on request. Single guests who are willing to share a room with a fellow traveller (same gender and non smoking) are eligible for twin share rates, ask your Goway Agent for details on the ‘Twin Share Guarantee’ option.
25 Nov 2023
