Private 4 Day Adelaide to Melbourne
- Adelaide - Melbourne
- 4 Days
- Duration: 4 Days (approx.)
- Group: Minimum 2 people
- Min Age: No minimum age
This private 4-day Adelaide to Melbourne road trip is for those that beat to their own drum. If you like to change itineraries and modify things as you go along, then this is perfect for you. Use our knowledge to create unique and personalised experiences.
This tour is a wonderful way to travel between these two great cities on this Adelaide to Melbourne Great Ocean Road tour. This journey starts with the discovery of ancient Australian animals, visits to some of our best wineries and continues through to our most famous coastal road. Along the way you will enjoy great food, stunning views and memorable experiences.
Day 1
Highlights: Adelaide Hills, Hahndorf, Mount Lofty Summit, Keith, Padthaway wine region, Naracoorte Caves, Coonawarra wine region, overnight at The Barn, Mount Gambier
We pick you up at your hotel and start by travelling in to the Adelaide Hills. Here we explore Hahndorf, a traditional German town in the Adelaide Hills and Mt Lofty Summit with sweeping views of Adelaide. Our journey then takes us through grain and stock lands towards the town of Keith, where we have lunch and turn south towards wine country.
We travel through a relatively new wine region of Padthaway towards the World Heritage listed Naracoorte Caves to learn of the fossil discoveries of Mega Fauna that make this site so internationally important. We then travel into the scenic Coonawarra wine region recognised as one of the best Cabernet Sauvignon regions of the world. After sampling some local wines from this highly awarded region we continue on to our overnight destination, Mt Gambier. Tonight, we are accommodated in luxurious rooms at ‘The Barn’ which also houses an award-winning restaurant for dinner and breakfast.
Day 2
Highlights: Mount Gambier’s Blue Lake, Casterton, Hamilton, the Grampians National Park loop, Halls Gap Aboriginal cultural centre, overnight at the Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld
After breakfast, we start with a visit to the ‘blue’ crater lake in Mt Gambier then turn towards the Grampians National Park. We will travel up through the towns of Casterton and Hamilton before doing a big loop of the Grampians National Park heading north on the western side, up and over the range to take in some amazing short walks around the peaks for bird’s eye views of the surrounding landscapes and then south along the Grampians road to Dunkeld. We also visit an Aboriginal cultural centre in Halls Gap and see many of our native animals in their own habitat. Our stay tonight is at the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld at the southern end of the range. This is an oasis in the middle of sheep farming communities and set a new benchmark for rural hospitality. Dinner and breakfast is at the Royal Mail.
Day 3
Highlights: Tower Hill, Warrnambool, Cheeseworld at Allansford, Bay of Martyrs & Bay of Islands, Loch Ard Gorge, the Twelve Apostles, overnight at Chris’ at Beacon Point
Day three starts with a drive towards the ‘Shipwreck Coast’. We visit Tower Hill, an extinct volcano rich in wildlife and Aboriginal history, and the township of Warrnambool to look for Southern Right Whales. Allansford is home to ‘Cheeseworld’ on the site of Australia’s largest and oldest dairy processing plant and worth a stop if you like cheese.
We then start the Great Ocean Road with the impressive limestone stacks of the Bay of Martyrs and Bay of Islands. We then visit London Bridge and ‘Loch Ard Gorge’, the site of the most famous 19th century Australian shipwreck. We retell the entire story from the calm voyage, the tragic wreck, the courageous survivors and their ultimate fate. 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.
We then discover one of Australia’s icons, the Twelve Apostles. We explain the creation of these limestone stacks and the constant eroding of this coastline. Load your camera – there will be plenty of photo opportunities! You will also have the opportunity to fly high above the coastline, viewing the apostles from a helicopter (own expense).
Our journey then takes us into the Otway National Park and through to Apollo Bay and Skenes Creek where we arrive at your 4-star accommodation set high on a hill with great views overlooking the Southern Ocean. These private villas set within native forest offer the perfect environment to relax and unwind. Tonight’s dinner is at the award winning ‘Chris’ at Beacon Point’. This modern, Greek-Australian restaurant is a famous attraction in the area as well as being a superb restaurant with incredible views. The extensive menu has seen Chris’ awarded a ‘Chefs hat’ and is well known as the best dining experience along the coast.
Day 4
Highlights: Mait’s Rest, Kennett River koalas, Lorne, Torquay & Bells Beach, Anglesea Golf Club, Geelong, arrive Melbourne
Our fourth day sees us leave our tranquil overnight setting to have breakfast at the Bay Leaf café in Apollo Bay. Our first stop is within the Otway National Park at ‘Mait’s Rest’. This is a 1km walk through a cool temperate rainforest gully discovering trees and ferns that date back millions of years to times when dinosaurs roamed this part of the world.
We then turn towards Melbourne and travel along a very scenic section of the Great Ocean Road on route to Kennett River for a fantastic viewing of wild Koalas in their native setting. We also visit many scenic spots for photos and tell numerous stories behind the making of the road. We stop for lunch at the largest of the seaside villages, Lorne. This popular tourist town is full of restaurants and cafes and boasts great shopping and swimming beaches. After lunch, we drive along the surf coast and take in the surf culture of the region with a visit to Torquay and Bells Beach. We also visit Anglesea Golf Club where we will hopefully see Kangaroos in their natural environment and visit the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie.
Our journey then takes us through the historic gateway to the Great Ocean Road, Geelong. We take a walk along the re-designed waterfront before turning focus towards Melbourne. Our journey into Melbourne takes us over the infamous ‘West Gate Bridge’. We deliver you to your chosen hotel and welcome you to Melbourne.
Our private Adelaide to Melbourne road trip departs at 0830 from Adelaide. Pickups are available from all city hotels within Adelaide. Passengers will be dropped at any Melbourne CBD location at 1700 at the completion of the tour.
Tours include:
- 3.5-4 star accommodation
- 2 x 2-course dinner
- 2 x breakfast
- Entrance fees as per
- itinerary
- Cave tour
- Private group travel
Map
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