Great Ocean Road & Kangaroo Island Escape

Want an adventure that starts with a bang? This is it. We advise arriving early for a Melbourne laneway tour, taking in the city’s eye-popping alleys filled with colourful art. Then you’re on your way from Melbourne on a Great Ocean Road tour, enjoying a snaking coastal route that is one of the world’s most epic journeys. Across a dramatic 240 kilometers you’ll take in limestone stacks like the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge. Then traverse through World Heritage listed rainforest, skirting untouched coastal coves, and pausing in sleepy towns like Lorne and Apollo Bay, where bare feet and boardshorts are the dress code. We wouldn’t blame you for following suit…  

Emus, kangaroos, koalas, echidnas… oh my! These are just some of the animals you’ll likely spot as you drive through Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve – housed in a dormant volcanic crater. Remarkably, this pocket of paradise was once wasteland, transformed by volunteers. More volcanic history awaits across the South Australian border in Mt. Gambier, home to the crater-filling Blue Lake. Because it’s very blue. And it’s a lake. By now you’ll be pretty thirsty, so it’s a good thing the Coonawarra wine region is around the corner. After a few sips, you may find yourself getting deep – literally. Naracoorte’s Alexandra Cave is a maze of delicate needle-like stalactites and massive twisting columns.

Nature rules large again today as you weave along South Australia’s wild and wonderful Fleurieu Peninsula to Victor Harbor. After rolling hills, sandy beaches and rugged cliffs, you’re greeted with the charms of this seaside town – the gateway to Kangaroo Island. Fun fact: it still has a steam train. But you’re boarding the ferry for your journey toward Australia’s ‘mini Galapagos’ to tour Kangaroo Island. Kangaroo Island deserves its moniker, as you’ll discover tomorrow. But today, a well-deserved tasting of craft beer awaits at a boutique brewery, the only one on the island. How does Indian Pale Ale sound or a Mexican inspired brew made using a combination of malted barley and flaked rice?

First stop on your tour of Kangaroo Island truly deserves its name: the orange-lichen-clad Remarkable Rocks command your attention over the blazing blue of the Southern Ocean. Then there’s Admirals Arch, home to an immense colony of raucous fur seals and a very photogenic lighthouse. Like much of the island, AAT Kings-sponsored Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary was badly damaged by the 2019 bushfires. On your visit, you’ll discover the role that fire plays within this delicate ecosystem, and how koalas, kangaroos, echidnas and other wildlife have adapted to their environment. More wildlife greets you at Seal Bay Conservation Park. Move aside: enormous sea lions regularly barrel down the sand toward the water, and you’ll learn about their habitat on a Kangaroo Island tour of the beach.

You’ve arrived in the South Australian capital, known for its well-preserved churches and well-admired cuisine. Did you know that Adelaide boasts more restaurants per capita than any other city in Australia? After a cultural walking tour through the city’s Botanic Gardens with an Aboriginal Guide, and an Adelaide city tour, the afternoon is yours to see just how many you can sample – we have a few recommendations, including a visit to the epic Central Market, where you can try green ant gin with cheese, among so many other delicacies.

Pull on your elastic-waisted pants – today is one of indulgences through the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa, dotted with atmospheric towns like Hahndorf, Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement. A Barossa and Hahndorf tour reveals the bountiful food and wine this pocket of the state is known for. And you’ll enjoy a tasting from small batch wine makers from across the valley as well as discovering local flavours over lunch at Lambert Estate enveloped by vines.

A week in this part of the world really isn’t enough. We hope we’ve inspired you to come back for another taste.