Adelaide to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Rd 5 Day Tour

Day One
Depart Adelaide approximately 9:00AM for Mount Gambier via the South Eastern Freeway where we join the Princes Highway at Murray Bridge. We travel along the Coorong (A Wetland of International Importance, the Coorong and the adjoining Lower Murray Lakes stretch from the mouth of the Murray to north of Kingston. Less than 3 kilometres wide, it is an Inland Sea of shallow lagoons). At Kingston South East we visit the Analemmetic Sun Dial (one of only eight in the world).

After lunch we head to Mount Gambier visiting the South East towns of Robe, Beachport, Millicent and Tantanoola. At Tantanoola we visit Tantanoola Caves (own expense). Overnight Mount Gambier Jail, which was built in 1866 and used up to 1995. (Motel accommodation is also available.)

Day Two
We visit Little Blue Lake, Allendale East sinkhole, Port Macdonnell (where we see The Petrified Forest, when the Southern Ocean was at the continental shelf and trees covered the coastline).

After lunch we travel along this magnificent coastline to Ewin Ponds and Piccannie Ponds. Nelson is our next stop, where we enjoy a cruise on the Glenelg River viewing the magnificent high limestone cliffs of the gorge whilst exploring this premium waterway in comfort, to the spectacular Princess Margaret Rose Cave. (Own expense, if time permits). 

Port Fairy is our destination this afternoon. This region is known as the Shipwreck Coast for the number of ships that came to grief in the surrounding waters (more than 1500 ships foundered along this coastline - only 500 have been discovered). These wrecks can be recounted in detail in Warrnambool's Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum . Overnight Port Fairy.

Day Three
After breakfast we head to The Grampians spending the day exploring this magnificent region. Overnight Port Fairy .

Day Four
After breakfast we head to Warrnambool where we visit the Warrnambool's Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum (optional). This life-size village reflects the atmosphere of a coastal port in the 19th Century. A walk around will enable you to enjoy the array of buildings, including the original lighthouse keepers' cottage privy, chart room/common school, two operating lighthouses, the coastal fortification and the flagstaff from which the site derived its name. An option this morning is a helicopter flight (own expense) from the Warrnambool breakwater.

Leaving Warrnambool, we head toward Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road travelling through Port Campbell, Lavers Hill, Otway National Park and Apollo Bay. It is along this section of the Great Ocean Road the flat coastal plains terminate in a series of vertical cliffs, caverns, archways, blowholes and offshore rock stacks. It is here we see the spectacular rock formations of The Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, The Grotto, London Bridge, Sentinel Rock and The Blow Hole. The Blow Hole is a large hole about 350 metres inland from the cliffs. Waves rush into it through a tunnel from the sea, the entrance to which can be seen from the cliffs.

At Lavers Hill we visit Tower Hill. It is believed to have been formed 30,000 years ago by a volcanic eruption. Violent explosions created a shallow crater 11 kilometres in circumference, which now holds a lake. A climb to the Tower Hill peak offers spectacular views of the ocean, Warrnambool and surrounding farmland. From Lavers Hill we visit Cape Otway Lighthouse in the Otway National Park. The lighthouse has been a valuable navigational aid since its light first operated in August 1848. The light, at a height of 91 metres, has a range of 38 kilometres in clear weather. We now make our way to Apollo Bay for over night stop.