Our micro group tour (maximum 8 guests) takes you from Melbourne to Adelaide via the Great Ocean Road, the Shipwreck Coast, Mount Gambier and South Australia’s wine regions, with quality accommodation and great food along the way.
Depart Melbourne with pickups from city hotels and travel to Geelong, where you can stretch your legs along the revitalised waterfront before joining the Great Ocean Road. Continue past famous surfing beaches and a local chocolate factory on your way along the coast.
Search for Eastern Grey kangaroos in the wild, then drive the spectacular cliff‑hugging section of the Great Ocean Road, stopping at the Memorial Arch and reaching the seaside town of Lorne for lunch.
In the afternoon, stop at several viewpoints, including Kennett River, where koalas and colourful native birds are often seen. Arrive in Apollo Bay, take a short harbour walk, then check in to your ocean‑view villa at Chris’ Restaurant & Villas (subject to availability) before enjoying a two‑course dinner at this renowned regional restaurant.
Start the day with a continental breakfast overlooking the ocean, then head into the Otway Ranges for a 1 km guided walk through cool temperate rainforest, featuring some of the world’s tallest flowering plants, ancient tree ferns and quirky “Yabbie Chimneys”.
Continue to the Shipwreck Coast, stopping at Castle Cove for views over the Aire River valley and an introduction to the region’s rich Aboriginal heritage and Gondwana‑era fossil discoveries.
Arrive at the 12 Apostles in the morning, when the light is best and crowds are minimal. Walk the boardwalks or choose an optional helicopter flight along the coast (own expense), then visit Loch Ard Gorge to hear the dramatic shipwreck story while viewing original artefacts in our “treasure chests”.
Enjoy lunch in the small fishing village of Port Campbell before exploring a lesser‑visited but spectacular stretch of coast including London Bridge, Bay of Islands, Bay of Martyrs and Boat Bay. Travel on to Tower Hill Game Reserve for the chance to see koalas, kangaroos and emus, then continue to Mount Gambier, home of the Blue Lake and impressive sinkholes. Stay overnight at The Barn, with dinner and breakfast included.
Drive through the Coonawarra wine region to Naracoorte Caves National Park for a guided cave tour with a local expert, featuring striking limestone formations and World Heritage‑listed “megafauna” fossils.
Continue via the Padthaway wine region and stop in the town of Keith for lunch before joining the highway through broad grain and livestock country, a striking contrast to the lush forests and coastal scenery earlier in the tour. Enter the Adelaide Hills, visiting the historic German‑influenced village of Hahndorf and Mount Lofty Summit for panoramic city views, before arriving in Adelaide CBD at around 17:30.
Departs Melbourne at 08:30
Hotel pickup from all Melbourne city hotels
Drop off at any Adelaide CBD location at approximately 17:30 on the final day
Micro group touring with a maximum of 8 guests
4‑star accommodation throughout the trip
2 x two‑course dinners
2 x breakfasts
Guided cave tour at Naracoorte Caves with local guide
1 km guided rainforest walk in the Otway Ranges
Visit to Tower Hill Game Reserve for wildlife viewing
Melbourne city hotel pickup and Adelaide CBD drop off
We include breakfast and dinner for each night on tour. Chris’s restaurant does a wonderful meal overlooking the ocean followed by a deluxe continental breakfast the following morning.
The Barn has one of the best steakhouses in Australia and it is to die for. They also do a cooked breakfast to kickstart the next day.
When we stay at the Royal Mail Hotel at Dunkeld at the foot of the Grampians, we include the degustation menu at ‘Wickens’. It is a celebration of food and creativity and should not be missed. A simple in room continental is all that is necessary the following day but a stop by the bakery on the way out of town is not unheard of.
We will do the GOR in a day if we cannot convince people to do the 2-day or 3-day options, but it is not something we promote nor recommend. It is such a long day of driving, and you are limited in what you can see and the amount of time at each place. It is better doing it in a small vehicle rather than a big bus but if you have the time, an extra day is certainly worth it.
