As this holiday departs early morning from the Crowne Plaza Melbourne, accommodation will need to be pre-booked for the previous night.

Embark on one of the world’s premier road trips – the Great Ocean Road. Enjoy dramatic coastal scenery, pause in quaint seaside towns, and experience the stunning limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles that tower just off the coast above the wild Southern Ocean. Learn of the heartbreaking history of Loch Ard Gorge, named after the British clipper ship Loch Ard which ran aground nearby on 1 June 1878. Of the fifty-four passengers and crew on board, only two survived. Later, visit the impressive London Bridge natural rock formation before arriving in the vibrant rural city of Warrnambool. Almost every year between June and September, female Southern Right whales return to the waters of Warrnambool’s Logans Beach to calve.

This morning, visit the Worn Gundidj Aboriginal Co-operative at Tower Hill State Game Reserve, where your guide will provide you with an Indigenous perspective on this significant site. Tower Hill is a volcanic formation believed to have erupted about 32,000 years ago, and the Reserve encompasses the volcano, the old lava ow, and wetlands sheltering birdlife, koalas, emus, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, turtles and possums. Cross the border into South Australia, stopping in Mt. Gambier to see the mysterious Blue Lake. A volcanic crater lake, its waters turn to a vibrant cobalt blue colour in the warmer weather from December to March. Then continue to the Coonawarra wine region, whose first vineyard was planted in 1890. Coonawarra’s red wines, particularly its Cabernet Sauvignons, are world- renowned. Enjoy a wine tasting at a local vineyard. The Naracoorte Caves date back 800,000 years and are one of the world’s most important fossil sites. You’ll hear the fascinating story of how this came to be when you’re taken on a guided tour through one of the caves. Your overnight stop is at Naracoorte, a rural town historically reliant largely on sheep, cattle and wheat farming. The town has a number of heritage-listed buildings, including churches, banks and homesteads. The Naracoorte Regional Livestock Exchange is the premier livestock selling centre in South Australia, yarding nearly a hundred thousand head of cattle cattle and 350,000 sheep in 2015-16.

Journey today to the Fleurieu Peninsula, whose green hills are complemented by rugged clifftops, sandy beaches and the Murray River. Visit the seaside town of Victor Harbour, one of South Australia’s popular coastal playgrounds. The Victor Harbour Horse Drawn Tram links the visitor information centre with nearby Granite Island, and is one of the very few horse-drawn tram routes remaining in public transit service anywhere in the world. This afternoon, a ferry takes you to Kangaroo Island, famous for its unspoiled natural beauty and fine local produce. Your final destination is the island’s largest town, Kingscote. South Australia’s oldest European settlement, it is home to a colony of the smallest penguins in the world, the Little Penguin.

Kangaroo Island, which lies only a short distance off the mainland, is Australia’s third-largest island. Explore this natural wonderland today, enjoying stunning coastal scenery and an amazing variety of wildlife. Visit the spectacular Remarkable Rocks, and later Admirals Arch in Flinders Chase National Park. It took thousands of years of erosion to create the Arch, a distinctive rock bridge near the Cape du Couedic Lighthouse on the island’s southwest coast, and the boardwalk leading to it is nearly as scenic as the landmark itself. You will then enjoy a sumptuous lunch behind the sand dunes at Vivonne Bay Lodge before heading over to partake in a private Birds of Prey show at Raptor Domain! Put on a glove and have one of the many birds fly to you including kookaburras, owls and falcons or experience holding a wedge tailed eagle and some amazing Australian reptiles. This experience is interactive, educational and fun.

This morning, board your ferry to cross back to the mainland and travel to picturesque Adelaide, the ‘City of Churches’. One of the few Australian cities to not have convict history, Adelaide was established as a planned colony of free immigrants, with civil liberties and freedom from religious persecution. Take an orientation tour before checking in to your hotel for the next two nights. Later, choose one from a range of Included Choice sightseeing experiences. Visit Adelaide Zoo including entry to the Panda enclosure, hear fascinating stories about the early history of Adelaide on a guided walking tour or visit the Art Gallery of South Australia. Later, enjoy an evening meal at any of the city’s wonderful local restaurants.

Discover the rolling Adelaide Hills and world-famous Barossa today, stopping first at picturesque Hahndorf, Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement. As they were colonial pioneers, the German settlers did not have to adapt to British culture, allowing them to maintain their traditional customs and leisure activities. These influences are still to be seen today in Hahndorf. Continue to the Barossa for lunch at The Company Kitchen, before visiting Jacob’s Creek to sample some of their world-famous wines. Travel back to Adelaide through a landscape dotted with stone cottages and olive groves. Tonight, celebrate with your Travel Director at a Farewell Dinner.

Say farewell to your fellow travellers when your holiday comes to an end this morning after breakfast.