Australia

Your tour includes:

• 7-day Avis car rental with:
  • Standard, 4-Door, Automatic - Group D
  • Vehicle Registration Fee (VRF).
  • Administration Fee*
  • Goods & Services Tax (GST)*
  • Premium Location Surcharge (PLS)
  • Concession Recovery Fee (CRF)
  • Loss Damage Waiver**
  • Airport pick-up and drop-off
  • Unlimited mileage
• Map of Australia
• 6 nights accommodation
  • Ballarat, Vic - 1 night
  • Apollo Bay, Vic - 1 night
  • Port Fairy, Vic - 1 night
  • Mount Gambier, Sa - 1 night
  • Robe, Sa - 1 night
  • Victor Harbour, Sa - 1 night
• Breakfast daily

Price does not include:

• International or Domestic airfares
• Any taxes and surcharges relating to airfares
• Gas or other car related products
• Additional car insurance
• Car upgrades
• Travel insurance
• All alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
• Other meals not mentioned in itinerary
• Extras and gratuities
• Early check-in, late check-out
• Expenses of personal nature

 

* These taxes apply on any other payments made directly to Avis

** With the standard rates an excess of to US$3,345 (US$4,180 for Group W). This is reducible to zero by upgrading the insurance at the Avis counter

Hotels in your Tour:

 

City	Hotel Name	Room Type	Tripadvisor
Ballarat, Vic	Comfort Inn Main Lead Ballarat Motel	Deluxe Queen Spa	3.5
Apollo Bay, Vic	Best Western Apollo Bay Motel	Standard Red or Silver	4
Port Fairy, Vic	Comfort Inn Port Fairy Motel	Quuen	4
Mount Gambier, Sa	Quality Inn Presidential Motel	Standard	3.5
Robe, Sa	Best Western Melaleuca Motel Robe	Deluxe Apartment	4.5
Victor Harbour, Sa	Comfort Inn Motel Victor Harbour	Queen	3.5

Hotels will be confirmed at time of booking

Day 1: Melbourne, Ballarat (72 miles)

Pick up your rental vehicle at the Melbourne Airport and commence your drive via the Western Freeway to Ballarat.

Ballarat is the main center of the Victorian Central Highlands and was made famous through the Eureka Stockade, the bloody miners' rebellion in 1854. A Eureka Stockade Memorial sits on the corner of Stawell and Eureka Streets, while an exhibition of this event can be found on Eureka Street. Gold was first discovered in the Ballarat area in 1851 and it is here that the world’s second biggest gold nugget was found. The Welcome Nugget weighed 68,956 grams and was found at Bakery Hill in 1858. There are plenty of attractions to see in Ballarat, the biggest is Sovereign Hill, a theme park re-creating the old gold rush days. Situated in the old Sovereign Hill Quarts Mining Site, the staff dress in period costume and it contains realistic stores and banks. Other attractions include the Gold Museum and the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery.

 

Day 2: Ballarat, Apollo Bay (124 miles)

Depart Ballarat via the Midland Highway and travel to Geelong, where you join the Surfcoast Highway to the pretty coastal resort town of Torquay. Here you join the Great Ocean Road. Shortly after Torquay, you may wish to make a short detour to the coast (approximately 13 miles return) to enjoy magnificent views over Bells Beach - one of Australia's leading surfing "meccas", and site of some International Surfing Championships. Travel past the scenic coastal holiday resort towns of Anglesea and Lorne to arrive at Apollo Bay.

The Great Ocean Road - The entire Great Ocean Road is one of Australia's most spectacular drives and perhaps one of the world's most scenic. The road hugs the coastline for much of the route, revealing lovely coastal scenery, as well as the inland splendor of the Otway Ranges.

Torquay – the village of Torquay beside the ocean is a surf city and with long stretches of golden sandy beaches and great waves, this is where the surfers “hang out” during summer. Bells Beach, the world-famous surf beach where national and international challenges are held is near Torquay.

Apollo Bay - is a scenic little fishing port, boasting some magnificent beaches. The town is an excellent base for exploring the superb rainforest of the Otway Ranges and Otway National Park, with its waterfalls and fern gullies. The hills reach the sea at nearby Cape Otway, the "fearful coastline” as described by explorer Matthew Flinders, with a lighthouse rising from 328-foot high cliffs. There are two museums in town. The Bass Strait Shell Museum features a huge display of shells from all around the world, and information on shipwrecks that have occurred off this treacherous western coastline; the Historical Museum has thousands of photographs showcasing the area’s shipping history. A steep and narrow road will take you to Mariners Lookout east of town, where a short walk leads to spectacular views of the township and the coastline.

 

Day 3: Apollo Bay, Port Fairy (118 miles)

Depart Apollo Bay via Port Campbell, Peterborough and Warrnambool along the Great Ocean Road to arrive at Port Fairy. If you detour to visit the Otway National Park, and Cape Otway, you will need to add approximately 90 minutes to your driving time between Apollo Bay and Port Fairy.

Port Campbell is situated near the major attractions of the Great Ocean Road and is a small crawfishing village. On the lengthy voyage to and from England during the 1800s and early 1900s, the ruthless southern coastline of Australia was considered one of the worst stretches of the journey. Many ships met their end along the coastline of what is now the Port Campbell National Park. The most famous is the Loch Ard, which was wrecked in 1878 claiming the lives of 52 people. The Loch Ard Gorge is on the stretch of road from Princetown to Port Campbell, along with a number of other notable clusters of islands off the coastline such as the Blow Hole, Mutton Bird Island and Elephant Rock. London Bridge is another formation which was once a double arch resembling London Bridge, but it collapsed in 1990, stranding sightseers, and is now a detached landmass. Without doubt the most spectacular landmark on the whole of the Victorian coastline and the most photographed is the Twelve Apostles, offshore stacks which have eroded over the years, with only eight now left standing above the water line.

Warrnamboll - Few places can boast such a beautiful location as Warrnambool. Nestled into the rising contour of the coast amid green dairying countryside, the city overlooks the deep blue of the Southern Ocean. The only city on the rugged Shipwreck Coast, Warrnambool has had a long and colorful history linked with the sea. Today much of this history is on show at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. With original buildings, lighthouse and a recreated port complete with ships, the museum provides a fascinating insight into the nineteenth century life of the city. There are many shipwreck relics on display including the famous porcelain peacock washed up from the tragic wreck of the Loch Ard in 1878. Warrnambool is known as Victoria’s southern right whale nursery; these giants return to Logans Beach every June to September and can often be seen just 330 feet off the shore.

Port Fairy - This delightful little fishing port and seaside resort at the mouth of the Moyne River is one of the oldest settlements in Victoria, having been home to sealers and whalers in the early years of the 19th century. There are 50 buildings classified as historic by the National Trust, so well worth a look around this town.

 

Day 4: Port Fairy, Mt. Gambier (121 miles)

Depart Port Fairy and travel to Portland. At Portland, you will join the Henty Highway and travel north up to Heywood. At Heywood, turn left and re-join the Princes Highway, via Dartmoor and on to Mt. Gambier. An alternative route is after leaving Portland, travel through Mt. Richmond National Park, Discovery Bay Coastal Park, via Lake Bung Bung and on to Nelson. At Nelson, you can visit the Margaret Rose Caves. After visiting the Caves, you can continue on to Mt. Gambier.

Portland - Founded a year earlier than Port Fairy, in 1834, this busy deep-water port is the oldest permanent settlement in Victoria. To the southwest are the spectacular seascapes of Cape Nelson and the blowholes, and the petrified forest of Cape Bridgewater.

Mt. Gambier is located southeast of Adelaide on the slopes of an extinct volcano. It has two famous attractions; the Blue Lake and the Cave in the center of the city. As a consequence the town is known as "Blue Lake City" or the "City around a Cave". The lake is famous for its change of color from winter grey to intense blue in November each year. It remains blue until late March, and aside from its beauty, is the City's source of domestic water.

 

Day 5: Mt. Gambier, Robe (85 miles)

Depart Mt. Gambier along the Princes Highway to the town of Millicent. At Millicent, take the Beachport turn off to Robe.

Millicent is 25 miles west of Mt. Gambier in the center of the Southeast. It was a rural center at the beginning of this century, but the development of a pine plantation and the establishment of a sawmill and two paper mills saw a change of identity and a large increase in the population. The Tantanoola Caves are 12 miles east of Millicent, in the Tantanoola Caves Conservation Park. They are unique in that there are no stairs in the caves, and a pathway allows wheelchair access. When you visit the caves, stop off at the Tantanoola Hotel in the township, and ask about the legend of the Tantanoola Tiger, who apparently prowled the area in the late 1800's.

Beachport is 22 miles west of Millicent and was first settled as a whaling station in the 1830's. It is now a quiet seaside town involved in the lobster and fishing industries. The Tourist Information Office, located on Millicent Road, Beachport will have details of scenic drives and attractions.

Robe is 31 miles from Beachport and the road to Robe passes Lake George, St Clair and Eliza. The Port of Robe was proclaimed in 1847 and gradually grew, exporting wool and horses. Tourist Information is located in the Robe Historical Centre in the Library Building and they will point out the museums and historic buildings. They will also have information on the tours available in nearby Little Dip Conservation Park, 2 ½ miles to the south.

 

Day 6: Robe, Victor Harbour (218 miles)

Depart Robe and travel to Kingston where you join the Princes Highway to Murray Bridge. At Murray Bridge join the South Eastern Freeway to Callington where you leave the Freeway turning left and travel south through the town of Strathalbyn. Continue past the towns of Goolwa and Port Elliot to arrive at Victor Harbor.

Kingston is a seaside resort and fishing town. This is the beginning of "Lobster Country" which explains the "Big Lobster" at the entrance to town. Fishing is popular and there is safe swimming at nearby Wyomi and Pinks beaches. There are many fine old buildings in Kingston, including the Post Office, the Colonial Tea Rooms and Gallery, the Court House and the original Gaol.

Murray Bridge is an important rural riverside town as well as being a popular tourist retreat. The first bridge was built in 1879 and in 1886 the railway passed through. In 1906 the swamps were drained and land irrigated, allowing for farming of pigs, dairy cattle, fruit and vegetables. The new bridge, just south of town, was built in 1979.

Strathalbyn is situated beside the peaceful Angas River on the Fleurieu Peninsula and is one of the most attractive towns in South Australia. Copper was one of its first enterprises and was mined and smelted in and around the district from 1848-1914. Strathalbyn has been declared a heritage town, with over 30 vintage heritage-listed buildings.

Goolwa is located close to the mouth of the Murray River where a barrage across the Goolwa Channel is part of a series of man-made barriers to stop saltwater from entering the great freshwater expanse of Lake Alexandrina and the river itself. The Coorong, one of Australia’s great water bird habitats, lies on the eastern side of the mouth and is not protected in the long sweep of the Coorong National Park. Cruises from Goolwa take in the river mouth and the delights of the Coorong.

Victor Harbour is a delightful coastal resort, and the largest of the resort towns on Horseshoe Bay. It was an old whaling base and much of its early history was preserved at Whalers Haven Colony Museum. An old horse tram runs out to Granite Island, which has colonies of wallabies and fairy penguins. One of the best known landmarks on the south coast is Rosetta Bluff. It is a natural rock formation, which dominates the skyline just west of the town.

 

Day 7: Victor Harbour, Adelaide (50 miles)

Depart Victor Harbor via McLaren Vale and Hahndorf. We also suggest you travel to Mt. Lofty, where you can enjoy spectacular views of Adelaide, before arriving into Adelaide. Return your vehicle to Adelaide Airport or Adelaide City Depot.

McLaren Vale is home to the famous Hardy and Seaview wineries. It is located in the heart of the Fleurieu Peninsula’s ‘wine coast’ in the rolling plains at the foot of the Mt. Lofty Ranges. Dotted amongst the vineyards are orchards of olives, almonds, avocados, stone fruits and berries, all of which grow well in this temperate region. While the Almond Train in the main street sells the largest range of almond products in Australia, it is the area’s 50 plus wineries for which the district is most famous.

Hahndorf - is a historic German village situated in the Adelaide Hills, just off the South Eastern Freeway. It is the oldest German village still surviving in Australia and was originally settled by 52 German migrants in 1839. More than 10 buildings are listed on the National Estate, including the Hahndorf Old Mill, now a motel & restaurant. The township boasts many art and craft shops, European style bakeries, and German style sausage and condiment shops.

 

[B] = Breakfast

Hotel Prices:

 

Season	Double	Single	Triple
Aug01-26	$695	$1,389	$625
Aug27-Sep-26	$705	$1,409	$635
Aug27-Dec31	$739	$1,479	$669
Jan01-Mar31	$745	$1,489	$675

Dec19-Jan30, Mar07-10 & Mar27-31 rates on request

Prices are per person and may change without notice

 

Tour Code: AU08MEL17PP

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Car upgrades:

 

Upgrade to:	Apr-Nov	Dec-Mar
Group E: Full Size	$17	$39
Group P: Full Size Elite	$89	$107
Group F: Full Size Wagon	$89	$107
Group V: Full Size VAN	$176	$186
Group K: SUV	$176	$204
Group W: Full Size 4WD	$334	$355

Prices are per car for the length of the tour and may change without notice