Intrepid Travel: Great Ocean Road & Grampians Adventure

Depart the highlands and say hello to the coast on the drive south this morning. Arrive in Anglesea and begin your drive along the Great Ocean Road in Eastern Maar country, which was recently returned to its Traditional Custodians in Victoria's first native title in a decade. Once you reach Apollo Bay, you’ll enjoy a guided experience at Wildlife Wonders – a social enterprise operated by the Conservation Ecology Centre working to develop and deliver solutions to the most urgent conservation challenges in the Otways region. Learn the secrets of the bush from your conservationist guide and spot local wildlife like koalas and wallabies and, if you’re lucky, a potoroo or bandicoot. Wildlife Wonders invests 100 per cent of profits into vital research and conservation projects to save local threatened species. After your visit, continue to your accommodation in the laidback Apollo Bay, where you’ll have free time for the rest of the day.

Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours. Your walking distance today will be approximately 1.4 km on a gentle path suitable for all abilities.

Activities:

• Apollo Bay - Wildlife Wonders Guided Tour

Staying in:

• Hotel (1 night)

Today, you’ll discover why this stretch of road is known as Australia’s finest road trip. Travel from Apollo Bay to Warrnambool, taking time to stop and enjoy the Great Ocean Road’s well-loved scenery. There are plenty of lookouts and beach walks (if the weather permits) to break up the drive today, where you can get up close to the cliff views and breathe in the fresh ocean air. However, the highlight of today’s drive is the 12 Apostles. Created by the constant erosion from ocean swells and swirling winds that began approximately 10 to 20 million years ago, these rock stacks rise up to 45 m from the ocean. Spot the remaining seven apostles that are left standing before you continue to your hotel in Warrnambool.

Your travel time today will be approximately 3.5 hours.

Activities:

• Great Ocean Road - Scenic Drive
• Great Ocean Road - Twelve Apostles

Staying in:

• Hotel (1 night)

Buckle up for another day on the great open road as you set your sights for Budj Bim – the only UNESCO World Heritage site in Victoria outside the Royal Exhibition Building. Within Gunditjmara Country, Budj Bim is both culturally and geologically significant. Learn about its history, bushland and wildlife on a landscape walking tour led by a Gunditjmara cultural guide. You’ll also hear about the local Creation Story and how the Gunditjmara people are considered to have made Australia’s earliest and largest aquaculture venture. After your guided walk, enjoy a grazing board at the Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre & Café for lunch, where you can try all-Australian ingredients like grilled kooyang (eel), grilled macadamia nuts, pickled vegetables, kangaroo, emu and other local bush foods. With a belly full of bush tucker, hit the road to Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park, where you’ll have the rest of the evening free to explore.

Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours.

Activities:

• Budj Bim National Park - Bush Foods Grazing Board
• Budj Bim National Park - Cultural Landscape Walking Tour with Local Aboriginal Guide

Staying in:

• Hotel (1 night)

Be sure to fuel up at breakfast today for a full day of exploring Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park. You can expect to see waterfalls, sandstone ridges, mountains and ancient rock art sites on your walks today. Traditionally known as Gariwerd, this region is home to the largest number of rock art paintings and shelters in Southern Australia. Today’s walks will feature these sites and likely introduce you to local wildlife like kangaroos, wallabies, emus and native birds. With a number of walking trails to choose from, your leader will pick the best, considering weather, track conditions and group ability. This evening, kick your feet up and relax after a full day of walking. Perhaps meet up with your group for a final dinner together and reflect on the highlights of your great southern adventure.

Today’s walks will be a mix of Grade 2-4 walks in Central or Northern Grampians.

Activities:

• Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park - Day Walks

Staying in:

• Hotel (1 night)

Enjoy one final group breakfast with your fellow travellers before a short drive to Stawell. Here, you’ll visit Bunjil’s Cave – a significant cultural site in Australia and one of the most prominent rock art sites in southern Victoria. Then, your leader will bid you farewell and your group will board The Overland train from Stawell, unaccompanied for the stretch to Adelaide, or Tarntanya in the language of the Kaurna people. Operating for more than 130 years, you can expect views of wheat and sheep farms as you travel through Western Victoria. When you arrive, transfer to your hotel, which is where your adventure will come to an end. If you’d like to spend extra time in Adelaide, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.

The Overland train journey will be unaccompanied by your tour leader, who will return to Melbourne. Upon arrival at the railway station in Adelaide you will be met by a transfer to take you to our centrally located finishing point hotel in the Adelaide's CBD (please see the finish point instructions in the trip notes for details) which is where the trip will come to an end. No accommodation is included tonight but can booked through us subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for more information. Please note that South Australia has very strict quarantine rules. As you will be crossing the state border by train today you will be asked to dispose of any fruit, nuts and seeds. If you’d prefer to return to Melbourne, rather than continue to Adelaide, please let us know at the time of booking, as there is the possibility for you to return to Melbourne with the leader (arrival will be in the early evening). There is no extra cost for you if you choose this option.