Great Ocean Road and Kangaroo Island Escape

Trip Type: Guided Holiday
Australia | 7 Days

NZD 4,364.00 /Person

This trip could also be known as ‘Southern Australia, as seen through its wine and wilderness’. And a few other culinary (and scenic) treats. From ...

Great Ocean Road and Kangaroo Island Escape

This trip could also be known as ‘Southern Australia, as seen through its wine and wilderness’. And a few other culinary (and scenic) treats. From a Melbourne to the Great Ocean Road tour, to tasty Kangaroo Island and Barossa tours, expect a top-notch roll-call of attractions across Victoria and South Australia.

Melbourne - Warrnambool

You’re on your way to the Great Ocean Road, a snaking coastal route that is one of the world’s most epic journeys. Across a dramatic 240 kilometres you’ll take in limestone stacks like the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge. Then traverse World Heritage listed rainforest, skirting untouched coastal coves, and passing through sleepy towns like Lorne and Apollo Bay, where bare feet and boardshorts are the dress code. Get together with your fellow travellers for a Welcome Dinner tonight.

Accommodation:

Lady Bay Resort

Locations Visited:
  • Melbourne

Warrnambool - Naracoorte

Emus and koalas... oh my! These are just a couple 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. Bring your sunglasses, because the lake’s name doesn’t do it justice – the intensity of the hue is blinding. By now you’ll be pretty thirsty, so it’s a good thing the Coonawarra wine region is around the corner. Fancy a world-class cab sav, shiraz or merlot? You’ve come to the right place. Your final adventure is deep, in every sense of the word. Naracoorte’s Alexandra Cave is a maze of delicate needle-like stalactites and massive twisting columns.

Accommodation:

William MacIntosh Motor Lodge, Naracoorte

Locations Visited:
  • Warrnambool

Naracoorte - Kangaroo Island

Nature rules large again today as you weave along the Fleurieu Peninsula to 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. All aboard the ferry for your journey toward this ‘mini Galapagos’. Kangaroo Island deserves its moniker, as you’ll discover tomorrow, but for the rest of the day, all you need to do is relax at your hotel in Kingscote, or perhaps take a stroll along the picturesque waters edge.

Accommodation:

Aurora Ozone Hotel, Executive Rooms

Locations Visited:
  • Naracoorte

Kangaroo Island

First stop today 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, Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary was badly damaged by the 2019 bushfires. Through this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, you’ll assist with their bushfire recovery plan and wildlife rehabilitation program. Learn from one of their experienced guides about the delicate ecosystem and Australian native animals. More wildlife greets you at Seal Bay Conservation Park. Here, on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience you’ll visit one of the country’s most important sea lion breeding grounds. On a guided walk, you’ll learn about these creatures - one of the rarest species in the world of only 12,000, 800 of which call Seal Bay home. Move aside: enormous sea lions regularly barrel down the sand toward the water. Finish today’s adventure with a tasting of craft beers at Kangaroo Island’s only brewery. How does a Pale Ale sound?

Accommodation:

Aurora Ozone Hotel, Executive Rooms

Locations Visited:
  • Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island - Adelaide

On your cruise back to the mainland, picture some of the culinary opportunities that await you in the South Australian capital. Adelaide is known as the 'city of churches' but we think a more apt title is the 'city of cuisine'. After a city tour, the afternoon is yours to see just how many restaurants and bars you can sample. Want recommendations? We might point you in the direction of the epic Central Market, the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere with more than 70 stalls selling artisan edibles (and drinkables).

Accommodation:

Crowne Plaza Adelaide

Locations Visited:
  • Kangaroo Island

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. Discover local flavours over lunch at Lambert Estate, nestled in rolling hills enveloped by vines, followed by a wine tasting at Wolf Blass. Return to Adelaide through landscape dotted with stone cottages and olive groves and join your Travel Director for a Farewell Dinner at Koomo, Adelaide’s highest restaurant, for a Japanese inspired feast.

Accommodation:

Crowne Plaza Adelaide

Locations Visited:
  • Adelaide

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.

Locations Visited:
  • Adelaide
  • • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide • Centrally located premium hotels • National Park entrance fees • Arrival and departure private airport transfers
  • Mike established Kangaroo Island Brewery in 2015, and loves talking to guests about the flavours distinguishing his beers.
  • Learn about the eucalyptus distillery on Kangaroo Island, that has been operating since the 1880s, and the part it plays in the island's history.
  • Support bushfire and wildlife rehabilitation projects on Kangaroo Island when you visit Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • You’ll learn about the Australian sea lion, one of the rarest species in the world of only 12,000, 800 of which call Seal Bay home.
  • The underworld beckons at Naracoorte’s Alexandra Cave, a maze of delicate needle-like stalactites and massive twisting columns.
  • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide Centrally located premium hotels National Park entrance fees Arrival and departure private airport transfers
  • Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat Water bottle Warm layers in cooler months Camera Comfortable walking shoes
  • Flights to and from the start/end of your trip are not included in the trip price. Day prior – flights to arrive anytime into Melbourne AirportDay 7 – flights to depart anytime from Adelaide Airport Return airport to hotel transfers are included in the holiday price
  • A low to medium level of fitness is required. Most walks are on boardwalks however there is the opportunity to walk on the beach at Seal Bay and the track is quite steep in places. Guests will also walk along bush tracks and gravel roads at Hanson Bay​. Guests will also have the opportunity to walk over the Remarkable Rocks so surfaces can be slippery and uneven. For guests wanting to walk down to Admirals Arch, there are quite a few steps. Other less active options are available however.​
  • A low to medium level of fitness is required. Most walks are on boardwalks however there is the opportunity to walk on the beach at Seal Bay and the track is quite steep in places. Guests will also have the opportunity to walk over the Remarkable Rocks so surfaces can be slippery and uneven. For guests wanting to walk down to Admirals Arch, there are quite a few steps. Other less active options are available however.​

Departure

Arrival

Availability

Booking Enquiry

Destination Details
Australia | 7 Days
Trip Location
Trip Starts:
Melbourne (VIC), Australia
Trip Finishes:
Adelaide, Australia
Countries Visited:
Australia

More Experiences From Australia