3 Day Melbourne to Adelaide Wildlife Tour in Australia
Australia Wildlife Tour
What a great three days! The diversity is quite amazing in such a short journey. The landscapes vary immensely and the scenery is stunning. We do our best to add to this by sourcing great food and accommodation for you to relax and enjoy.
Key information
- Group safari
- Minimum of 2 and maximum of 8 participants
- Children from the age of 12 years are allowed to participate under the supervision of a parent or guardian.
- Starts in Melbourne and ends in Adelaide
- English-speaking guide
Highlights
- Explore Great Otway and Naracoorte Caves National Parks and Tower Hill Game Reserve
- See kangaroos, koalas, native birds, wallabies, or even echidnas and emus
- Enjoy a relaxing, rewarding, and stimulating tour full of scenic diversity
- Take in the breathtaking scenery of the Great Ocean Road
- 2 2-course dinners and 2 cooked breakfasts are included
- 2 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Beginner
Styles
Accommodation
You will be accommodated for one night in Beacon Point Ocean View Villas or Chris's Beacon Point (based on availability). These wonderful self-contained villas will be used as your accommodation for all of your overnight tours to the Great Ocean Road. Australian Natural Treasures Touring has chosen this property because they believe it enhances the experience of traveling the coastline.
Australian Natural Treasures Touring enjoys the reactions of the guests to being perched high above the Great Ocean Road with sweeping views of the coastline and waking to the sounds of the ocean in the morning. Not only does it provide great ocean views but within the native forest setting are plenty of birds, koalas, wallabies, and other native animals. This is an amazing place to relax and unwind.
On your second night, you'll stay at The Commodore, Mt. Gambier. Set in 5 acres of beautiful English-style gardens, an award-winning restaurant, and stunning rooms.
Program
Join a micro-group of just 8 guests for a relaxing, rewarding, and stimulating tour full of scenic diversity. Take in the breathtaking scenery of the Great Ocean Road, one of Australia's best wine regions, and vast farmland on route from Melbourne to Adelaide. The thoughtful and refined itinerary allows you to relax and unwind while taking it all in. Your experience of this region should not be rushed or crowded.
You will be guided by an expert guide, and enjoy great food in award-winning restaurants and boutique accommodations to help you get the most out of your time in this special part of the world. They will bring out treasure chests along the way to bring the many stories to life. You will be able to view and hold original artifacts from the Loch Ard shipwreck.
Take the time to enjoy the coastal road and townships, the rainforest, and the rolling hills, and spend a night overlooking the coast, waking up to the sounds of the ocean.
This tour has a wonderful blend of coastal beauty, extensive farmland, native animals, and gourmet delights. Your Melbourne - Adelaide tour departs at 8:30 a.m. from Melbourne. Pickups are available from all city hotels within Melbourne. Passengers will be dropped off at any Adelaide CBD location at 5:30 p.m. at the completion of the tour.
Day 1
Guests on this small-group tour are picked up from their city hotel or Federation Square and quickly depart Melbourne via the West Gate Bridge. Travel through the vast volcanic plains en route to Geelong where you have time to stroll along the beautifully transformed waterfront. The first stop along the coast is Bells Beach, a famous surfing beach and a great place to enjoy morning tea.
The focus then turns to Australian native wildlife as you observe Eastern Grey Kangaroos in the wild. This is one of many opportunities to see and hear about the unique and unusual animals in their native habitat. The journey then begins traveling the very scenic, cliff-hugging section of the Great Ocean Road. While winding your way along, stop to view the ‘Arch’ and they'll tell you the intriguing story of this incredible memorial road.
Lorne is the largest of the seaside resorts and is a perfect place for a lunch break. You may even find time to have a swim or do some shopping. After lunch, cruise along the spectacular road, stopping at many scenic spots including Kennett River where you can see koalas and many colorful native birds in the wild. Traveling through Apollo Bay, go into the Great Otway National Park.
They'll take you on a one-kilometer guided walk through a cool temperate rainforest gully to see the world’s tallest flowering plants, prehistoric trees and ferns, and unique features such as "Yabbie Chimneys". Visit Apollo Bay before checking in to ‘Beacon Point Ocean View Villas’. Your private self-contained villa is set high on a hill overlooking the Southern Ocean.
This amazing setting is a great place to relax and unwind for a couple of hours. There are plenty of birds in this natural bush setting and it is not unusual to spot Koalas, Wallabies, or even Echidnas.
Tonight, dine at the award-winning restaurant "Chris" at Beacon Point. This is regarded as the best restaurant in the region and has a fantastic menu that utilizes great local produce. Included in the tour is a two-course dinner that can be made up of any of their wonderful entrée, mains, or desserts.
Day 2
The second day starts with breakfast at the locals' favorite, Bay Leaf Cafe. Great coffee, tea, and a vast breakfast menu make this a perfect way to start another full day. The journey starts with traveling through the Otway ranges and onto the "Shipwreck Coast". Your first stop is at Castle Cove overlooking the Aire River valley.
Your guide will introduce you to the strong Aboriginal heritage of the region with many tribes living prosperously around the coastline for thousands of years. In the same area millions of years ago when Australia was part of the great southern land, Gondwana, dinosaurs were roaming the land. A unique find along the coast in 1987 uncovered important clues into the world’s pre-historic past.
The "12 Apostles" are icons of Australia’s natural beauty. Arrive as the stacks are lit with the morning sun making them perfect for photos and crowd free. This is a bonus for taking a 2-day trip as the stacks are silhouettes in the afternoon and overcrowded. After hearing of the creation of the stacks and holding some of the limestone rock you can explore the boardwalks or brave a helicopter flight along the coastline (own expense).
You'll then visit "Loch Ard Gorge", the site of the most famous 19th-century Australian shipwreck. 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 the treasure chests.
Port Campbell is your lunch stop for today. The small fishing village of just 350-500 is set in a beautiful natural port and has some wonderful cafes and restaurants for food and views. After lunch, travel to a lesser-known but highly impressive area of the Great Ocean Road west of Port Campbell. This section takes in London Bridge, the Bay of Islands, the Bay of Martyrs, and Boat Bay.
Your journey then continues through Warrnambool and onto Tower Hill Game Reserve where you may have the chance to see koalas, Kangaroos and Emus. Your journey then continues through picturesque Port Fairy towards Mount Gambier, home of the "Blue" crater lake and numerous sinkholes.
You will then check into your luxurious overnight accommodation at "The Commodore" in Mount Gambier and indulge in the fine food of the region in their award-winning restaurant. Dinner and breakfast are both included at ‘The Commodore’.
Day 3
Your third day starts with a drive through the Coonawarra wine region and a visit to the Naracoorte Caves National Park for a cave tour with a local guide. These limestone caves have an abundance of stalagmites and stalactites and are World Heritage Listed Areas due to the fossils of the "Mega Fauna" found buried in the Caves.
You'll then continue your journey through another prominent South Australian wine region of Padthaway as you head north through to Keith. Stop here for lunch before joining the highway, traveling through grain and stock land towards Adelaide. This is a vast drought-affected area of Australia and is an incredible contrast to the lush forests and coastal pastures you have been traveling in.
On your approach to the city, visit the very popular tourist village of Hahndorf and Mount Lofty summit for impressive, birds-eye views of Adelaide and its surroundings. Arrive in the city at around 6 p.m.
Location
Great Ocean Road
Australia’s Great Ocean Road with its breathtaking scenery is not only one of the world’s best ocean drives, but it is also the world’s largest war memorial having been constructed by soldiers returning from the First World War as a tribute to their mates who did not return. As it hugs the cliffs you will marvel at the endless beaches and the color of the water.
Come with Australian Natural Treasures Touring on your journey and you’ll reveal not just the history of the road but also the natural treasures that are hidden beside it such as koala habitats, spectacular bird life, ancient Gondwana Rainforests and of course the geological masterpiece of The Twelve Apostles coastline.
- Visit the World Heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves N.P.
- Visit the unique and beautiful town of Hahndorf
Food
Chris's Beacon Point Restaurant (Southern European and Middle Eastern influence)
Fresh seafood is their specialty, along with a variety of Chris’s most popular Greek dishes. In their cuisine, the emphasis is on simplicity and on showcasing the natural flavor of the ingredients. If they can’t get it fresh it isn’t on their menu.
The Barn Steakhouse
They are passionate about the fine Hereford cattle that they breed and finish on their properties in the region as well as great alternatives.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Seafood
- Lactose Free
What's included
- All tours mentioned in the program (A visit to Apollo Bay, Great Otway National Park journey, Loch Ard Gorge visit, The Twelve Apostles visit, Tower Hill crater, Blue Lake, Mt Gambier, Naracoorte Caves N.P., etc)
- 2 nights of 4-star accommodation
- 2 fully cooked breakfasts
- Guided cave tour at Naracoorte Caves N.P.
- 2 2-course dinners
- Pickups from all city hotels within Melbourne (If staying outside CBD, they can pick you up from The Savoy Hotel on Lt Collins, opposite Southern Cross Station)
What's not included
- Beverages at dinner
- Airfare
- Airport transfers
- Personal expenses
- Additional activities
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Avalon Airport
100 km
Transfer not provided
Melbourne Airport
152 km
Transfer not provided
Arrival by car
Pickups are available from all city hotels within Melbourne. If staying outside CBD, they can pick you up from The Savoy Hotel on Lt Collins, opposite Southern Cross Station.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 7 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookAllSafaris.com. All major credit cards supported.