Wine and Wildlife Adventure - Great Ocean Road Self-Drive Tour

This self drive itinerary is for the traveler who wants to experience everything; from various adventure activities, to tasting local wine and cuisine, exploring nature in all forms and meeting the local wildlife. This holiday covers it all while taking in the scenic highlights of Victoria and South Australia; this is the sort of trip that you'll tell your friends about for years to come.

Daily itinerary

Day 1 - Melbourne

Arrive into Melbourne and you will see this is a city with something for everyone; from chic fashion stores to buzzing cafés and trendy bars, botanic gardens, elegant Victorian-era streetscapes to galleries and opulent theatres there is no doubt you will love exploring this fabulous city. Perhaps even take in the quintessential Victorian game of Australian Rules Football or ‘Aussie Rules’ live in one of the sports stadiums. Dine at one of the superb restaurants the city has to offer and experience the nightlife.
Overnight: Melbourne

Day 2 - Melbourne to Yarra Valley

Enjoy a leisurely brunch, perhaps hire a bike and cycle the 29km (3 hour) Capital City Trail; this trail links some of the best cultural, entertainment, sporting and outdoor recreation opportunities that Melbourne has to offer including; the Victorian Arts Centre, Royal Botanic Gardens, the MCG and Melbourne Park, Herring Island Environmental Sculpture Park and world renowned Melbourne Zoo or hop aboard and enjoy the Melbourne Highlights Cruise (2.5hrs) where you will discover all of the sights from the famous Yarra River. Once you have finished exploring, collect your rental vehicle and drive to the fabulous Yarra Valley.
Overnight: Yarra Valley (2 nights)

Day 3 - Yarra Valley

You will be collected from your accommodation for your Full Day Premium Wine Tour, sit back and enjoy this fabulous wine tour with your host, taking in private tastings at De Bortoli, morning tea at Sweet Water Cafe in the famous Chateau Yering Private Hotel or visit Domain Chandon and enjoy a tasting of their beautiful wines; there are only 5 Domain Chandon's in the world and the Yarra Valley is home to one of them. Lunch at Tokar winery and restaurant where your taste buds will be assuaged by the magnificent Mediterranean Cuisine. After lunch you will visit some of the smaller wineries to meet the owners or winemakers who are passionate about their wines. A day to remember!

Day 4 - Yarra Valley to Otway National Park

Start the morning with a Hot Air Balloon Experience. Who would believe that a simple wicker basket, the whoosh of the hot air burners could weave such a spell on you? Then the excitement of landing, the anticipation, and the uncertainty - which of those farm paddocks is our landing spot? Back on ground - enjoy the best gourmet champagne breakfast in the Yarra Valley. After breakfast visit the Healesville Sanctuary; tucked in the foothills of the Yarra Ranges, this Sanctuary offers a distinctly Australian wildlife experience where you can walk a path through the 30 hectares and get close to over 200 species of Australian wildlife, including platypus, koalas, emus, Tasmanian devils, wombats.

Drive to Geelong; a stunning waterfront city with amazing views of Corio Bay. Continue onto Torquay; home to the world-famous Bells Beach, it is undoubtedly Australia's surfing capital and also the official start of the Great Ocean Road. Stop for a swim or take in a Surfing Lesson, they will get you standing up in no time at all! Dry off and back on the road you will soon arrive at Aireys Inlet, Lorne and Apollo Bay all offer stunning beaches. Drive to Cape Otway; the oldest lighthouse on the Australian mainland, take the Cape Otway Lighthouse Tour and be amazed by the history.
Overnight: Apollo Bay or Otway National Park

Day 5 - Port Fairy

Described as one of the best ways to see the area, spend the morning Mountain Biking in Otway National Park; the ride is mostly downhill, through forests and then open up to spectacular views as you ride towards the ocean, it’s a rush! For those avid riders there are advanced tracks that will get your adrenalin flowing. For a different view take the Otway Fly Tree Walk; experience the sensation of walking 25 metres above the forest floor, at the highest point it reaches 47 metres. If that isn’t enough excitement complete the walk with the Abseil Experience, it’s an exhilarating finale! Back onto the ‘Shipwreck Coast’ road, next stop is the Twelve Apostles; this is one of the most spectacular natural attractions in Victoria. This series of striking rock stacks rise out of the Southern Ocean, some are 45 metres tall. View these dramatic formations from the Coastal Boardwalk. Drive for 1 hr and you will reach Port Fairy; a charming old fishing village where wide streets are lined by 19th century cottages, great Norfolk pines and old stone churches.
Overnight: Port Fairy

Day 6 – Adelaide

After breakfast follow one of the town’s historic walking trails, watch fishermen unload their catch of crayfish and abalone at the dockside then drive to Cape Bridgewater; The Grand Finale of the Great Ocean Road. Drive up over the cape to the blowholes, where waves thump into the rocks sending spectacular spouts of spray skywards. It is here you will also find the Petrified Forest, this will intrigue you. Onto Seal Point where you will experience a Seal Tour, a 3 minute boat trip takes you into the Watery Cave where up to 850 Australian and New Zealand Fur Seals frolic in their natural habitat, you will be entertained by these dynamic creatures! Drive and explore with a guide the Princess Margaret Rose Cave; it contains actively growing stalactites, stalagmites, helictites and rarely seen cave coral. After the tour carry on to Mt Gambier; a city built on the slopes of an extinct volcano and the volcanic lake ‘Blue Lake’ which contains the city's water supply. The Blue Lake puts on a real show from November to April turning a vibrant turquoise blue. Walk around the lake and visit the Umpherston Sinkhole; this amazing attraction was once a limestone cave that collapsed and is now a sunken garden. Hit the road; passing through Murray Bridge then onto Adelaide; South Australia’s Capital.
Overnight: Adelaide (2 nights)

Day 7 – Adelaide

Today totally immerse yourself in the city; the culture of Adelaide's North Terrace, with its museums and cafes, indulge in retail therapy at Rundle Mall, sample the tastes on offer at the famed Adelaide Central Market, follow in the footsteps of sporting champions at the world-famous Adelaide Oval or enjoy a retreat to the cosmopolitan seaside suburbs of Glenelg and Brighton. There is a brilliant blend of things to see and do.

Days 8-10 – 3 day Sealion and Outback Experience

Travel through farming land into the outback to Wudinna, an afternoon drive to Mt Sturt and the Corrobinnie Lakes, your wildlife experience begins here as the outback animals thrive in this environment. Discover the spectacular Lake Gairdner, like a piece of Antarctica, with its glistening white salt pan set in the red landscape. On the 5 kilometre boat journey to a lagoon near Cape Radstock (at 160 metres, it is one of the highest sheer points on the southern coast of Australia) you can watch Bottlenose dolphins ride the bow wave of the boat, and also swim with these magnificent mammals in shallow water. Cross the bay to visit a resident colony of rare Australian sea lions and play face to face with these agile and friendly mammals as you wade in protected shallow lagoons. Visit Streaky Bay and enjoy magnificent Coastal scenery. Return to Adelaide. Drive to Barossa Valley and Stay 3 nights in one of the many retreats that are on offer.

Days 11-12 - Barossa Valley

This valley is often voted as one of the world's Top 10 wine destinations alongside European regions including Bordeaux and Tuscany. It comprises of the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley, and is home to some of the oldest Shiraz vineyards in the world, acclaimed Rieslings and iconic wine brands. The Barossa is a gourmet lover's paradise enriched in a strong cultural heritage reflected in its wine, food, buildings and people. Enjoy a full day private Barossa Epicurean Experience Tour where you blend your own wine from Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre, like Penfold's own Bin 138 and take a personalized bottle home with you and enjoy a 3 course lunch at Kaeslers Restaurant along with visits to other supreme vineyards. A great way to end this unforgettable journey!

Day 13 – Return to Adelaide and depart

Do you have the urge and the time to continue travelling? Then Jump aboard The Ghan. This legendary train was named after the hardy Afghans and their camel trains which provided the only means of transport into "The Red Centre" in the early days. The journey is now a comfortable 24 hours from Adelaide to Alice Springs and 52 hours from Adelaide to Darwin, a world class train trip! Depart from Adelaide, pass through the "Wheat Belt" and follow the scenic Flinders Ranges to Port Augusta, before heading north from Tarcoola through the MacDonnell Ranges, approaching Alice Springs through Heavitree Gap, a narrow pass which accommodates the railway line, the road and the Todd River. The rocky ranges give way to the dry, spinifex country skirting the vast Tanami Desert. You are now in the very heart of the Australian continent, a harsh, sparsely populated region of the outback. Pass through the gold mining settlement of Tennant Creek en route to Katherine where the train stops for about 4 hours. Take an optional boat cruise or helicopter tour. From here The Ghan makes its way through the lush green tropics, crossing the Adelaide River and arriving at journeys end in Darwin, port and capital city of the Northern Territory. Travel in style in Gold Service aboard The Ghan; enjoying fine dining in the Stylish Restaurant and drinks in the Lounge before retiring to your private sleeper cabin. A truly memorable experience!

Enquire about this tour

While all activities are guided you always have the option to explore by yourself or to just sit back and relax. This flexibility allows us to make each trip unique. We enjoy what we do and are ready to make your experience a trip of a lifetime!

Not extreme enough or fancy something different? Enquire here and we put your personal adrenalin filled trip together!

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