Two Day Great Ocean Road Nature Experience

Location: Great Ocean Road

Accommodation: Self contained villa

Meals: Dinner

Melbourne, Great Otway National Park & Apollo Bay Get picked up from Melbourne and depart the city. Drive along vast volcanic plains before enjoying the modern Geelong waterfront. Begin the journey on the Great Ocean Road at Torquay, making a few scenic stops along the coast. Witness eastern grey kangaroos in the wild. As you wind along the road, learn about its history as a war memorial, and see the famous Memorial Arch. After lunch, in the picturesque seaside town of Lorne we continue down the road to spot koalas and native birds along the Kennett River. Visit Apollo Bay before checking into our ocean view villas. Relax in a private villa with hilltop views of the Southern Ocean. Eat dinner at Chris's Beacon Point, a beautiful 'Chefs Hat” award-winning restaurant with an extensive menu that utilizes great local produce in a modern Greek-Australian way.

Location: Port Campbell

Meals: Breakfast

Shipwreck Coast, Twelve Apostles & Port Campbell Eat breakfast at Bay Leaf Cafe—a local favourite—before you head into the Otway Ranges where we enjoy a rainforest walk to then on to the Shipwreck Coast. Stop at Castle Cove overlooking the Aire River Valley, and learn from your guide about the strong influence of the Aboriginal people, who have lived on the coast for thousands of years. Also learn about the dinosaurs that once roamed the area. Admire the Twelve Apostles in the morning light—the best possible time to see these famous sea stacks—before having the chance to walk on the coastal boardwalks or treat yourself to a coastal helicopter flight. Visit the site of a 19th-century shipwreck and hear the harrowing tale of stormy seas, jagged cliffs, and watery deaths, before encountering a few original artefacts recovered from the wreck. Eat lunch at Port Campbell—a small fishing village with a few choices between cafés and local restaurants. After lunch, drive west along a less-traveled route to see London Bridge, Bay of Islands, Bay of Martyrs, and Boat Bay before heading inland through open farmland on the way back to Melbourne, getting dropped off in the city centre in the early evening.