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Great Southern Touring Route
5 days / 4 nights from Melbourne – Great Ocean Road / Grampians / Ballarat
Day 1: Melbourne to Lorne (Distance 142kms – 2 hours)
From Melbourne travel towards Geelong along the Princes Highway, stopping
at Werribee Park which features an award winning historic mansion and the
Werribee Open Range Zoo, an ‘Out of Africa’ adventure. Geelong’s new
waterfront is a popular attraction to take a break.
Then it’s on to Torquay Australia’s surfing capital with beautiful beaches, a
surfing museum, and a great shopping centre devoted to surfwear and surfing
merchandise. Torquay is the official start of the Great Ocean Road, where it
begins to wind its way through Angelsea and onto Lorne. With the ocean on
one side and rainforest behind, Lorne is a cosmopolitan beachside destination,
popular for swimming and surfing. Overnight: Lorne
Day 2: Lorne to Warrnambool (Distance 120kms – 3 hours 15 minutes)
The road hugs the coastline to Apollo Bay, providing spectacular lookout
opportunities along the way. Apollo Bay is set in the picturesque green foothills
of Otway National Park and boasts long sandy beaches and deep-blue sea.
Sample some freshly caught seafood.
The Great Ocean Road briefly leaves the coast as you head through Otway
National Park where you’ll marvel at mighty fern gullies, huge trees, beautiful
waterfalls and native animals in the lush temperate rainforest. For a bird’s eye
view, take a walk along the 600-metre long Otway Fly Tree Top canopy walk.
As the Great Ocean Road returns to the coast, the majesty of the Port
Campbell National Park quickly begins to unfold. Colossal rock stacks soar
from the ocean floor and blowholes roar with spouting water. The massive
Twelve Apostles are a highlight. See them from the boardwalk or for truly
awe-inspiring scenery and breathtaking photographic opportunities take a
helicopter flight with Great Ocean Road Helicopters. More of nature’s beauty
is revealed in the Bay of Islands Coastal Park on the drive to Warrnambool.
The picturesque city overlooks the deep blue of the Southern Ocean and has a
fascinating maritime history. Visit Flagstaff Hill, a State Heritage Listed Maritime
Precint and in the evening experience ‘Shipwrecked’, a sound and laser
spectacular that tells the tragic story of the Loch Ard disaster on a 9-metre
aqua screen. Overnight: Warrnambool
Day 3: Warrnambool to Halls Gap (Distance 170kms – 2 hours 15 minutes)
On the way to Halls Gap, visit Tower Hill to intimately observe Australian wildlife
in a dormant volcano or experience bush culture with Worn Gundidj, the local
Aboriginals. Travel a further 10 minutes along the road to the historic fishing
village of Port Fairy. Steeped in history and charm, Port Fairy’s culture and
architecture have been beautifully preserved.
Nearing the Grampians, the pristine beauty and enormity of the ranges becomes
apparent as they begin to dominate the horizon. In the Grampians National
Park, you’ll discover hidden valleys, waterfalls, lakes and wildlife. Explore the
region on one of the many walks in the magnificent Halls Gap area and soak up
the breathtaking views from the spectacular lookouts. Overnight: Halls Gap
Day 4: Halls Gap to Ballarat (Distance 142kms – 1 hours 45 minutes)
The touring route continues onto Ballarat and along the way you can take a
self-guided tour of the wine regions of the Pyrenees, Grampians and Ballarat
and learn the intimate secrets of some of Australia’s best cool-climate wines
along the Great Grape Touring Route. In Ararat you’ll find Gum San Chinese
Heritage Centre, which re-lives the journey and story of gold prospectors from
Southern China and their discovery of Australia’s largest alluvial goldfield.
The legacy of the boom from the gold rush days is evident in the majestic
architecture and wide tree-lined streets of Ballarat. Strike gold at Sovereign Hill,
the city’s major attraction recreating the gold fever that gripped Australia in the
1850’s. Sovereign Hill is brought to life in this outdoor living museum, which
features a working bakery, blacksmith, lolly shop and main street with troopers.
At night ‘Blood on the Southern Cross’ depicts the 1854 Eureka Stockade, the
only civil uprising when miners took on the authorities. It’s a spectacular sound
and light show not to miss! Overnight: Ballarat
Day 5: Ballarat to Melbourne (Distance 115kms – 1 hour 25 minutes)
Spend the day looking around Ballarat, as it boasts a number of other great
attractions including the Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballarat Botanical Gardens,
the Australian Centre for Democracy at Eureka and a wildlife park. At Ballarat
Wildlife Park enjoy close contact with Australian native animals. Feed the
free-roaming kangaroos, watch crocodile and Tasmanian Devil feedings, and
participate in koala and wombat photo opportunities. Finally your adventure
finishes with your return to Melbourne.
Highlights:
• Werribee Open Range Zoo
• 12 Apostles
• Surfworld
• Otway Fly
• Tower Hill
• Flagstaff Hill
• Sovereign Hill
• Eureka Centre
• Ballarat Wildlife Park
• Wineries
• Loch Ard Gorge
From $579 per person share twin*
*Based on a 5 day compact rental car and 4 nights accommodation (using accommodation passes)
Great Southern Touring Route
Activities mentioned are not included. All rates are per person in New Zealand dollars and are based on exchange rates as at 03 April 2013 and therefore will be subject to currency variation.
Please check with your travel agent for current pricing and be sure to ask for any of our current specials.
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