Taste of Southern Australia
Australia
Fabulous food, Australia’s most awarded wines, windswept coastlines – experience it all on this Sydney to Adelaide tour. With so many great moments, it’s hard to pick a highlight. Perhaps the breaking waves and seaside towns along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. Maybe the Barossa shiraz. Possibly Melbourne’s oh-so-cool cafes down graffiti-decorated alleys. Most definitely Kangaroo Island’s the rambunctious sea lions just metres away.
Includes:
o 10-night accommodation in double occupancy
o Return airport transfers
o Travel by luxury coach
o English speaking experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide
o Meals: 10 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 Be My Guest lunch, 4 dinners with wine, 1 Farewell Dinner
o Visits and sightseeing as per itinerary
Exclusions
o International/domestic flights and airport taxes – Pre-night in Sydney – Gratuities to hotel personnel, guides and drivers – Optional excursions – Beverages unless noted in the itinerary – Any other services not specified above
Level of support:
Self Guided
Related Services Available to Add:
10 nights
Please contact us for the latest pricing using one of the buttons below. We’ll match you with your best option.
Departure:
Multiple departures
Price based on departure date. Please enquire for a quote.
Need more Options?
Find a travel expertWe can customize the perfect trip for your budget and interests.
DAY 1 SYDNEY · CANBERRA
Depart Sydney this morning and travel through the rolling hills and verdant pastures of the Southern Highlands. Pause at historic Berrima before arriving to Gold Creek Station. Meet local sheep farmer, Craig Starr and get a taste of life on the farm before you join Craig and his family for a good Aussie BBQ Be My Guest lunch. Your final destination for the day is the country’s capital where you’ll enjoy a tour through Parliament House with a local guide. Later visit the Australian War Memorial and stay to hear the evocative Last Post. Join your Travel Director and fellow travellers tonight and get to know each other over a delicious meal.
Meals : Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation : Canberra for 1 night
DAY 2 CANBERRA · WANGARATTA
This morning, you’ll drive to the summit of Mt. Ainslie for panoramic views of Canberra and surrounds. Journey over the mighty Murray River into Victoria taking the scenic route to historic Beechworth, Victoria’s best-preserved gold rush town. The region offers plenty of great photo opportunities, with tree-covered ranges, wild rivers and tranquil rural farmlands. Get to know Beechworth with an orientation and some storytelling over a “cuppa” with a local. Enjoy some free time to explore the antique shops, galleries and the museum. Tonight, you’ll stay in the cathedral town of Wangaratta.
Meals : Breakfast
Accommodation : Wangaratta for 1 night
DAY 3 WARANGATTA · MELBOURNE
Travel to historic Glenrowan and on through Ned Kelly country to cosmopolitan Melbourne, Australia’s sporting and cultural capital. Gain some interesting insights on an orientation tour of the city, then take some time to explore independently.
Meals : Breakfast
Accommodation : Melbourne for 2 nights
DAY 4 MELBOURNE
Today is free for you to explore the delights of Melbourne. You could start your morning with an up-close tour of Melbourne’s laneways and spend your afternoon at Philip Island witnessing the Penguin Parade. If wine and lush scenery is more your style, check out the Puffing Billy Steam Train journey through the Dandenong Ranges followed by wine tasting in the Yarra Valley. Speak to your Tour Director, the many choices are yours.
Meals : Breakfast
DAY 5 MELBOURNE · WARRNAMBOOL
Hold on to your seats and make sure your camera is charged for one of the world’s great road trips – the Great Ocean Road! Enjoy spectacular scenery that never ends and the quaint seaside towns of Lorne and Apollo Bay before arriving at the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles rising majestically from the wild Southern Ocean. Nearby you’ll see Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge natural rock formation before arriving in the rural town of Warrnambool.
Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation : Warrnambool for 1 night
DAY 6 WARRNAMBOOL · NARACOORTE
Visit Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve, where your guide will provide you with an Indigenous perspective on the area’s flora, wildlife and volcanic formations. Cross the border into South Australia with a stop at Mt. Gambier, home to the Blue Lake. Continue to the world-renowned Coonawarra wine region for a wine tasting. Before arriving in Naracoorte you’ll be joined by a local expert for a guided tour through the Alexandra Cave.
Accommodation : Naracoorte for 1 night
DAY 7 NARACOORTE · KANGAROO ISLAND
Journey today to the Fleurieu Peninsula, where rolling hills are complemented by rugged clifftops, sandy beaches and the winding Murray River. Visit the charming seaside town of Victor Harbor before a ferry takes you to Kangaroo Island, famous for its unique natural beauty and fine produce. Visit South Australia’s only boutique distillery to taste a selection of award-winning Australian gins and delicious liqueurs. Your destination is Kingscote, South Australia’s oldest European settlement. (B/ D)
Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation : Kangaroo Island for 2 nights
DAY 8 KANGAROO ISLAND
Begin your exploration of fascinating Kangaroo Island today with a visit to the spectacular Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch followed by a guided tour of the AAT Kings sponsored Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary which was badly affected by the 2019 bushfires. Learn what part fire plays within this delicate ecosystem and how the koalas and other wildlife are adapting to their environment. This is followed by a delicious lunch featuring fresh, local produce before joining a local specialist at Seal Bay Conservation Park for a guided walk among a colony of rare sea lions in one of the country’s most important breeding colonies. Tonight, is free at leisure for you to explore.
Meals : Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 9 KANGAROO ISLAND · ADELAIDE
This morning, board your ferry to cross back to the mainland and travel to picturesque Adelaide, the ‘City of Churches’. You’ll take an orientation tour with your Travel Director before checking into your hotel. This afternoon you are free to explore. Why not choose one of our Optional tours or speak with your Travel Director about recommendations. There’s plenty to see, do and taste! Did you know that Adelaide boasts more restaurants per capita than any other city in Australia? You do now!
Meals : Breakfast
Accommodation : Adelaide for 2 nights
DAY 10 ADELAIDE HILLS & THE BAROSSA
Discover the rolling Adelaide Hills and the renowned Barossa Valley today, stopping first at picturesque Hahndorf, Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement. Wander down its tree-lined streets and take time to explore the quaint shops. Continue to the Barossa Valley for lunch at the South Australian Company Store where you’ll try tempting canapés made up of fresh local produce, followed by a delicious main meal of your choice. From here you’ll visit famous Seppeltsfield for an indulgent wine tasting followed by free time to wander around the Jam Factory, watching local artisans at work. Travel back to Adelaide this afternoon through landscape dotted with stone cottages and olive groves to join your Travel Director and travelling companions for a Farewell Dinner.
Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 11 ADELAIDE
After an indulgent trip away, it’s time to bid farewell to your fellow travellers after breakfast when your holiday comes to an end.
Meals : Breakfast
All sites & activities in the itinerary are subject to availability and might need to be amended according to Covid-19 regulations at the time of travel. Rates will be adjusted accordingly, where applicable. All offers are subject to Merit Travel standard Terms of Service. Additional terms and conditions may apply.
® Merit Travel trademark owned by, and use is granted by, Merit Travel Group Inc. Offers are based on availability and may be subject to change. Certain exclusions, limitations and restrictions may apply. For full terms and conditions visit, https://merittravel.com/terms-and-conditions/.
