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Magic Adelaide - Melbourne MAG 3A
Day 1
Adelaide - Mt.Gambier - Grampians National Park - Halls Gap.
Smart-Car will transfer from your City hotel to the Adelaide Airport - pick up time is usually around 0800hrs. Your domestic flight departs Adelaide for Mt.Gambier at 09:10hrs. Flight arrives Mt.Gambier Airport at 10:10hrs. Our guide will meet you to start your 3 day sightseeing and adventure tour. A short tour of Mt Gambier includes the magnificent Blue Lake, a 5000 year old extinct volcano and some Lime stone formations, mother earth has created over millions of years. Departing Mt Gambier, we travel to (Gariwerd) the Grampians Mountains National Park. (Optional Coonawarra wine region detour is available). Lunch at one of many gourmet cafes en - route. Upon arrival in the Grampians, (formed over 300 million years ago, they are a Cuesta fold mountains,) travel via the Serra- and the Mount William ranges into the Grampians National Park to Halls Gap. We explore the spectacular views Victoria has to offer. Baroka- and Reed's lookouts, plus hear stories of the Aboriginal culture. A chance to see Kangaroos, Wallabies and Emus in the wild. There are over 850 different wildflowers native to the Grampians. We suggest dinner at the Kookaburra Restaurant, where local produce and specialties are served. A comprehensive selection of local wines are available.
Accommodation: Colonial Motor Inn, Halls Gap (or similar). Twin/double room basis
Meals: Lunch
Entries: National Park entry fees where applicable
Transport: Smart Car Transfer, flight from Adelaide - Mt.Gambier
Day 2
Halls Gap - Grampians National Park - Ballarat
Leave the Grampians, travel through the foothills of the Mt William range, through Ararat founded by the Chinese gold miners to historical Ballarat. A Ballarat city highlights tour includes, Lake Wendouree and the Botanic gardens, the “Gold Shop” see gold nuggets found by local prospectors. Local Ballarat gold is 23.5 carat in it's natural state, some of the purest gold in the world. We will step back in time, to the 1850”s and relive the exciting vibrant “Goldrush Era” at Sovereign Hill. You can try your luck panning for gold in the creek, ride the Cobb & Co coach around the township, see the craftsmen at their trades, Candle maker, Undertaker, Blacksmith, Tinsmith, the steam boilers driving the period gold mining machinery. Explore the underground mine, see the miners crushing the quartz in search for that elusive fortune, a $50'000 gold nugget being smelted and poured into ingots. Experience the exciting discovery of the “Welcome” nugget, one of the largest gold nugget discoveries in the world, (150 pounds or 2217 troy ounces) in one gold nugget, at the Red Hill diggings. Lunch in Ballarat. An option in the evening "Blood on the Southern Cross" the sound and light show, telling the story of the EUREKA rebellion in 1854.Australia's only civil uprising over gold mining licenses. Overnight accommodation - "Ballarat lodge" 4 star boutique hotel where a real commitment to quality, comfort, service and wonderful food, ensures an unforgettable stay. There is a comprehensive selection of local wines available.
Accommodation: Ballarat Lodge, Ballarat (or similar.) Twin/double room basis
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Entries: Sovereign Hill Historic Park entry fees, National Park entry fees where applicable.
Optional: "Blood on Southern Cross" sound and light show. (Own expense)
Day 3
Ballarat - Great Ocean Road - Melbourne
We travel across the western plains, lakes and crater district to Port Campbell, on the "Shipwreck Coast" home of the famous 12 Apostles, London Bridge and Loch Ard Gorge natural rock formations, stopping for many photo opportunities .Many sailing ships were wrecked in this region during the exciting gold rush and pioneering era. Hear stories about the heroes and heroines of this time. We continue travelling through the Otway National Park ( a temperate rainforest) with giant Mountain Ash eucalyptus trees and ferns to the seaside towns of Apollo Bay, Lorne and Anglesea, the surging "Surf Coast" on the Great Ocean Road. A chance to see koalas, echidnas, kangaroos in their natural habitat. Lunch is at one of many gourmet cafes en - route. Arrive in Melbourne via Geelong, late afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Entries: National Park entry fees where applicable
Important: Please bring good walking shoes, a rain coat, a warm jumper for cool days and a hat.
Great Southern Touring Route
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