5 DAYS - 4 NIGHTS
DAY 1
Melbourne to Queenscliff
Depart: Melbourne
O/night: Queenscliff
Distance: 107 kilometres
Drive the Princes Freeway through Geelong to the beautiful Bellarine Peninsula. Or cruise across the bay: either from Sorrento to Queenscliff with Searoad Ferries or from Docklands Melbourne to Portarlington or Geelong with Port Phillip Ferries (passengers only). For wine and cider lovers discover local gems like Jack Rabbit Vineyard or Flying Brick Cider House.
Dine with a difference: a 6-course degustation on The Q Train, Australia’s premier rail restaurant. Then settle into a villa or cabin at BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Queenscliff Beacon, just metres from the beach.
DAY 2
Queenscliff to Great Ocean Road
Depart: Queenscliff
O/night: Apollo Bay
Distance: 133 kilometres
Hit the road westward, calling in to explore Torquay’s Australian National Surfing Museum and meet Anglesea Golf Club’s resident kangaroos. Tour the incredible coast-clinging route from Lorne to Apollo Bay, stopping at Teddy’s Lookout, or rainforest challenges at Live Wire Park.
Discover Australia’s natural beauty at Wildlife Wonders. Guided by a conservationist you will encounter unique wildlife living freely in a stunning bushland environment overlooking the ocean in Apollo Bay.
Stay overlooking mesmerising ocean views at Chocolate Gannets.
DAY 3
Great Ocean Road to Grampians
Depart: Apollo Bay
O/night: Halls Gap/Dunkeld/Hamilton
Distance: Approx 351 kilometres
Choose today’s adventure: hike a section of the Great Ocean Walk or follow the Great Ocean Road through the Great Otway National Park to the famous Twelve Apostles. Detour inland to sample local produce at Timboon Railway Shed Distillery, then back along the coast to Warrnambool for whale spotting (June-September).
Head north through fertile farmland to Dunkeld on the edge of the Grampians National Park. Unwind for the night in one of Royal Mail Hotel's refurbished hotel rooms.
DAY 4
Grampians to Ballarat
Depart: Halls Gap/Dunkeld /Hamilton
O/night: Ballarat
Distance: Approx 152 kilometres
Rise with the sun and explore ultra-scenic Grampians National Park by road or walking trail – wildlife, waterfalls and seasonal wildflowers abound. Learn about the ancient wisdom of the land at Brambuk – The National Park and Cultural Centre, then head to Ballarat via Stawell, Ararat, stunning Australian bushland and serious wine country. Pause at boutique wineries for tastings and grazing platters, or push onto Sovereign Hill for an afternoon immersed in 1850s gold diggings life.
Make your overnight stay a foray into medival life with a stay at Kryal Castle. Or splurge on an extraordinary dinner at The Gallery restaurant at Craig’s Royal Hotel.
DAY 5
Ballarat to Melbourne
Depart: Ballarat
O/night: Melbourne
Distance: 113 kilometres
Before you farewell the Goldfields region, plug in for an iPod tour of the Art Gallery of Ballarat, a close-up animal encounter at Ballarat Wildlife Park or an encore visit to Sovereign Hill for more gold rush fun (and old-style bakery treats for lunch). Lydiard Street’s opulent architecture, the Ballarat Botanical Gardens and Lake Wendouree are worth lingering.
Spa Country at Daylesford and Hepburn Springs will offer a great finale to your road trip, this region is famous for the health giving mineral spring waters that bubble naturally to the surface. Massages, beauty treatments and pampering are always on the agenda. Why not tap into local wellness with a mineral-based treatment at Peppers Mineral Springs? For an authentic stay at one of Victoria’s famous regional retreats stay at Lake House and make the most of its lake side location and renowned restaurant.
