Three Day Great Ocean Road and Grampians Experience
Three Day Great Ocean Road and Grampians Experience
Three Day Great Ocean Road and Grampians Experience
3 Days Starting in Melbourne and ending in `Melbourne
Visiting: Great Ocean Road, Port Campbell, Ballarat
Tour operator:
Tour code:
NAT5
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
2 - 8
Age range:
0-99
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians, Vegans, Gluten free
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Private Available:
Request A Private Tour
Tour Overview
The Great Ocean Road is a 550 kilometre round trip from Melbourne and it requires more than one day to enjoy it. Australian Natural Treasures Touring have created a range of overnight experiences for small groups staying in spectacular accommodation and eating great local food. The relaxed pace ensures you avoid the crowds and do not leave anything out, this way you get a far better experience and a greater appreciation of the region, not to mention feeling more relaxed. Travelling in three relaxing days, this journey gives you the time to fully immerse in the diverse splendour of this region. In a small group of maximum eight people, explore many coastal townships, spectacular sites, interesting stories, national parks and native wildlife. Australian Natural Treasures Touring have sourced unique and stunning accommodation, be it high above the Great Ocean Road looking over the Southern Ocean or at the foothills on the Grampians National Park. Their many stories or the region are enhanced by revealing artefacts original artefacts from the 1878 Loch Ard shipwreck and written material contained in several Treasures Chests. This unique interpretive theme gives guests a rare insight into the region.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Great Ocean Road
Location: Great Ocean Road
Accommodation: Self-contained villa
Meals Included: Dinner
Our guests on this micro group tour of just 8 people are collected from their Melbourne hotels and introduced to the wonderful journey ahead. We travel through the vast volcanic plains on route to Geelong where you have time to stroll along the beautifully transformed waterfront.
We start our journey along the Great Ocean Road at Torquay, stopping at various places along the coast including Bells Beach and maybe a visit to a brilliant chocolate factory to grab a coffee or engage your inner chocoholic.
Our focus then turns to Australian native wildlife as we observe Eastern Grey Kangaroos in the wild. This is one of many opportunities to see and hear about our unique and unusual animals in their native habitat.
Our journey then begins travelling the very scenic, cliff-hugging section of the Great Ocean Road. While winding our way along we stop to view sites such as the ‘Memorial Arch’ and tell you of the intriguing story of this incredible road.
Lorne is the largest of the seaside resorts, with its abundance of cafes and restaurants it is a perfect place for a lunch break. You may even find time to have a swim or do some shopping.
After lunch, we cruise along the spectacular road, stopping at many scenic spots including Kennett River where we can see koalas and many colourful native birds in the wild. Travelling through Apollo Bay we take time to explore the harbour, beach and township. We then check into ‘Beacon Point Ocean View Villas’. Your private self-contained villa is set high on a hill overlooking the Southern Ocean. This amazing setting is a great place to relax and unwind for a couple of hours. We have dinner tonight at the famous ‘Chris’ at Beacon Point’, this award-winning restaurant with breathtaking views has a modern Greek Australian menu and utilises great local produce.
Day 2 : Port Campbell
Location: Port Campbell
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Royal Mail Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Our journey then ventures into the Great Otway National Park where we take you on a guided walk through a cool temperate rainforest gully to see the world’s tallest flowering plants and prehistoric trees.
Our first stop on the shipwreck coast is at Castle Cove overlooking the Aire river valley. The 12 Apostles are Icons of Australia’s natural beauty. We arrive as the stacks are lit with the morning sun making them perfect for photos and crowd free. This is a bonus for joining our tour as the stacks are silhouettes and overcrowded in the afternoon. After hearing of the creation of the stacks and holding some limestone rock you can explore the boardwalks or brave a helicopter flight along the coastline (own expense).
We then visit ‘Loch Ard Gorge’, the site of the most famous 19th century Australian shipwreck. We retell the entire story from the calm voyage, the tragic wreck, the courageous survivors and their ultimate fate. While hearing the tale you will be able to see and hold some original artefacts, photos and documents from the ‘Loch Ard’ contained in our treasure chests.
Port Campbell is our lunch stop for today. The small fishing village of just 500 is set in a beautiful natural port and has some wonderful cafes and restaurants for food and views.
After lunch, we travel to a lesser known but highly impressive area of the Coastline west of Port Campbell. This section includes the limestone formations of London Bridge, Bay of Islands, Bay of Martyrs and Boat Bay and is seen only be a small percentage of the people travelling the Great Ocean Road.
Our journey then continues through to Warrnambool and Port Fairy with a visit to Tower Hill Game Reserve for the chance to see Koalas, Kangaroos and Emus living wild within this extinct volcanic crater.
We then leave the coast and drive north towards the Grampians National Park.
Your accommodation is at the foot of Mt Sturgeon staying and eating at the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld. This hotel has an amazing restaurant which has won many awards for its menu and wine list. It also boasts the largest restaurant garden in Australia. A 5 course degustation dinner at the famous 'Wickens' at Royal Mail Hotel is included.
Day 3 : Ballarat
Location: Ballarat
Meals Included: Breakfast
Our third day starts with a wonderful breakfast and an incredibly scenic drive along the Wonderland and Mt William Ranges while the sun is streaming in from the east lighting up the rocky cliff faces of the ranges.
An hour into our journey we arrive in Halls Gap in the heart of the Grampians NP. Our day includes a few short walks at Baroka Lookout, Reid’s Lookout and McKenzie Falls as well as visits to ‘Brambuk’ Aboriginal cultural centre, Parks Victoria visitor centre and the rock art site ‘Bunjil’s Shelter’.
Our journey back to Melbourne takes us by the gold mining township of Ballarat, once one of the richest towns in the world and the reason for Melbourne’s early prosperity. The end of our 3-day tour concludes back in Melbourne around 6pm.
What's Included
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1 bottle of Mineral Water per person per day
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Local Taxes
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Meals – Half Board
1 x 2-course dinner 1 x 5 course degustation dinner at Wickens 1 x full breakfast 1 x deluxe continental breakfast
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Accommodation
4 star
What's Not Included
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Tipping and Gratuities
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Game Drives on Safari
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Drinks with Meals
Alcoholic beverages
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Meals – Breakfast Only
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Country Entry Visas
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Airport Transfers at Destination
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Meals – Full Board
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Free Wi-Fi at Accommodation
Not available
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International Travel
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Train Tickets
Accommodation
Chris's Beacon Point Restaurant and Villas / Beacon Point Ocean View Villas
Royal Mail Hotel
Always based on availability
Check out our Q&As
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What is the fitness level required to do this tour?
Low level of fitness is required. The longest walk that we do is around 1km. For more specific information, please contact us.
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What is the tipping policy?
We do not expect our guests to tip
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Is there a supplement for solo travellers?
Yes, the single supplement is $100/night
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes, they are
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Are vaccinations required for this tour?
No
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Is there any free time to explore places during the tour?
Our itineraries are in general fairly flexible and normally allows for our guests to have some time by themself.
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Will there be an escort accompanying this tour?
As we offer micro group tours with a maximum of 8 guests the driver is also the guide, and he/she will look after the group from pick up to drop off
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Are all the relevant entry visa’s included in the price of the tour?
You have to contact relevant organisations to organise visa for Australia.
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What is the maximum group size?
The maximum group size is 8. However, we can cater for larger groups if requested
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Are all entrance fees included in the price?
All entrance fees are included in the price
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Is free Wi-Fi available in the accommodation used?
No
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What happens if a group doesn’t make its minimum required number of passengers?
If you are a single traveller, please contact us before making a booking to make sure that tour can be confirmed as we have a minimum of 2 adult passengers to operate tour. If at the time of booking we can't confirm booking we can put you on our waiting list and notify you as soon as we get another booking. During this time we will keep you informed of the status of booking.
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Are flights included in this tour?
No. There is a option at the 12 Apostles to join a scenic helicopter flight but it is at your own expense.
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Can you assist with pre or post tour accommodation?
You can always ask questions about any aspect of your journey to Australia but in general we don't help out with pre or post tour accommodation bookings.
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Company Instant Book
Yes, you can book this tour and it will be confirmed instantly
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What is the standard of the hotels on this tour?
4 stars
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What currencies are required for this tour?
Australian dollars
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
Yes, children are permitted to take part of the tour. Children are considered to be 0-12 years old. As a general rule, the cost of a child is 50% of the rate for an adult.
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Can the itinerary change?
Yes, with our flexible itineraries we encourage our guests to share their interest at the start of the tour. In that way we can focus on things that you want to see and do. Our guides will have an open dialogue with our guests from the start explaining the itinerary and give a few options of additional things we can include.
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Are airport transfers included in this tour?
Airport transfers are not included.
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Do you require a visa for this holiday?
In most cases if you are travelling to Australia as a non-Australian citizen you are required to carry a visa.
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Is the tour coach air conditioned?
Yes
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Is there a limit to luggage that can be brought on the tour?
There are no luggage restrictions
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Will passengers from another country be participating in the tour?
The majority of our guests come from US, Canada, UK, Europe, New Zealand and Australia
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Will I know the names and details of all the accommodation before I depart?
Yes, we will make sure that you have that information before the tour departs
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
There is a possibility to join the tour after it has started for people who are staying in Geelong.
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
Our guests tend to be 60+ and whilst we take people from all parts of the world, the majority are from UK, Europe, Canada, US, New Zealand and Australia.
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
We have successfully completed a Covid Ready program by the Australian Tourism Export Council
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
For any reason, if you have to change your travel date please contact us for potential reschedule the tour. You can amend or cancel tour up until 7 days before departure date.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
All our accommodation are meeting the local, state and national health and safety regulation. They are assessed by an independent organisation on a regualar bases
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
We don't normally issue any vouchers for our passengers but if you prefer to have something in writing we can always provide you with a document.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Australian Natural Treasures has been running tours since 1998
Reviews from travellers on this tour
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Free Date Changes
Australian Natural Treasures Touring allows you to make 1 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 7 days before the start of the tour.
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Low Deposit
Australian Natural Treasures Touring requires a minimum deposit of 10% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 14 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of australian natural treasures touring charges.
At 7 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.