Great Ocean Road

Coach P/U for this tour: 6:45am Ingleburn Station | 8:00am Sylvania Bowling Club (maps provided prior to tour)

 

Day 1 – Tuesday 2 April 2024 (LD)

We depart Sydney this morning and travel south along the Hume Hwy, stopping for lunch in Gundagai and an afternoon break in the ‘Submarine Town’ of Holbrook. We cross over the border into Victoria and arrive at our motel in Wangaratta where we enjoy a delicious dinner at the onsite restaurant.

Motel: Quality Hotel Gateway, Wangaratta VIC

 

Day 2 – Wednesday 3 April 2024 (BLD)

Today we travel to the town of Murchison, known as the ‘River Bank Garden Town’ where a large meteorite landed nearby in 1969. Continuing on through the Central Goldfields Shire we stop for lunch in Maryborough, then on to Ararat. This afternoon we take a very interesting tour of the J Ward Museum where we learn the history of the goldfield times as well as the incarceration of the criminally insane. Passing by the Southern Grampians, we arrive in Hamilton for the night.

Motel: Comfort Inn Botanical, Hamilton VIC

 

Day 3 – Thursday 4 April 2024 (BLD)

After two big days of travel, we enjoy a casual start this morning. Departing Hamilton, we travel to the coastal town of Portland, Victoria’s first settlement. Enjoy spectacular scenery and learn of the towns history as we ride on board a lovingly restored Cable Tram. After lunch, we take a tour of the Portland Maritime Discovery Centre with displays documenting the region’s rich maritime history. Centrepiece of the museum is the 1858 Portland lifeboat, famous for its role in the Admella rescue of 1859 and is one of the oldest remaining unrestored intact vessels in Australia, possibly the world. Our journey takes us along the coastline to the charming fishing village of Port Fairy where we pause to enjoy some free time. This afternoon we arrive in Warrnambool where we check in to one of the town’s finest motels for the next two nights.

Motel: Best Western Olde Maritime Motor Lodge, Warrnambool VIC

 

Day 4 – Friday 5 April 2024 (BLD)

Today we visit the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, a fascinating historic precinct that includes the state heritage listed Lady Bay Lighthouse, Warrnambool Garrison and an 1870s coastal port with an entire town. Enjoy lunch at the Stella Maria Tearooms followed by a guided tour of the heritage village. As a special treat, we get to meet the famous Maremma dogs that protect the Penguins on Middle Island in Warrnambool, as seen in the Australian movie ‘Oddball’. This afternoon we return to the motel for some well earned down time. After dinner at the motel, we wander back across the road to Flagstaff Hill to witness the multimillion-dollar Sound & Light Show Experience ‘Tales of the Shipwreck Coast’.

Motel: Best Western Olde Maritime Motor Lodge, Warrnambool VIC

 

Day 5 – Saturday 6 April 2024 (BLD)

We bid farewell to Warrnambool this morning and set off for a magnificent full day exploring one of Australia’s most spectacular coastlines. As this is a Great Ocean Road tour, we think that it is important that you get to spend as much time as possible seeing the spectacular sights, so that is what we will do! Please note that you will be on and off the coach a bit today as there is a lot to see, but it is well worth it! From Warrnambool we start our journey along the Great Ocean Road, pausing to admire the Bay of Islands, Bay of Martyrs, The Grotto and London Bridge. We stop for some lunch in Port Campbell then continue on to see Loch Ard Gorge. Next, we visit the Twelve Apostles Visitors Facility where you can follow the interpretive displays along the boardwalk to the viewing platform to see the famous limestone stacks. Then, continue on to the seaside village of Apollo Bay located at the foothills of the mighty Otways where we will spend the night and enjoy dinner next door at the Apollo Bay Hotel.

Motel: Best Western Apollo Bay Motel, Apollo Bay VIC

 

Day 6 – Sunday 7 April 2024 (BLD)

Today our journey continues along the Great Ocean Road, hugging the coastline as we travel through Lorne, Aireys Inlet and Anglesea before reaching the end of the Great Ocean Road in Torquay. Take a scenic drive around the port town of Geelong, Victoria’s second largest city and have lunch. Our day comes to an end as we arrive back at our Wangaratta accommodation and enjoy dinner together for the last night of the tour.

Motel: Quality Hotel Gateway, Wangaratta VIC

 

Day 7 – Monday 8 April 2024 (BL)

Our journey home today takes us through Holbrook, with a lunch stop in Yass, arriving back in Sydney at around 6:30pm depending on traffic.