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Day 1 : Sydney – Canberra (D)
Depart Sydney this morning and journey through the Southern Highlands. We pass Australia's second oldest inland city, Goulburn, before turning onto the Federal Highway which leads us to Canberra. Australia's capital city is home to museums, galleries and institutions that reflect the essence of the Nation's culture, history and way of life. After driving through Canberra's Parliamentary Triangle and enclave of diplomatic missions, we'll briefly visit Parliament House. Later you can visit the National Museum or the Australian War Memorial. Late in the afternoon we'll see the city panorama from the Mount Ainslie lookout.
Overnight Stay: Canberra
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Day 2 : Canberra – Melbourne (B,L,D)
This morning we rejoin the Hume Highway at Yass, in the heart of Australia's superfine merino wool-growing country. We'll cross the Murray River and pass the Victorian country towns of Wangaratta and Benalla. Following afternoon tea in Euroa, we head for Melbourne, the second largest city in Australia. Melbourne is a thriving scene for the arts, sport of every kind, gourmet dining and fantastic shopping.
Two Night Stay: Melbourne
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Day 3 : Melbourne (B,L,D)
This morning you'll enjoy a tour of Melbourne city and her bayside suburbs. We will see the enormous Exhibition Building, the Queen Victoria Markets, the newly developed Docklands area and Australia's busiest shipping container port. A drive along the shores of Port Phillip Bay takes us to the trendy suburb of St Kilda where we will take time out for a stroll. Heading back to the city we'll visit the Botanic Gardens. You'll return to your city hotel with some free time to relax or explore more of the city on your own. This evening it's a gourmet meal with a difference as we cruise the streets of Melbourne and dine aboard the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant.
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Day 4 : Melbourne – Warrnambool (B,L,D)
We cross the West Gate Bridge and drive along the western shores of Port Phillip Bay to Victoria's largest regional city, Geelong. The holiday town of Torquay is Australia's surfing capital and the official start of the Great Ocean Road. The views are the most spectacular on the winding stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay. We travel through the hardwood forests of the Otway Ranges rejoining the coast at the Twelve Apostles, giant rock stacks standing like sentinels in the ocean. We're now on the Shipwreck Coast, named for the large number of ships that were lost here.
Overnight Stay: Warrnambool
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Day 5 : Warrnambool – Coonawarra (B,L,D)
As we leave Warrnambool, we'll go koala spotting at Tower Hill, a dormant volcano that last erupted 30,000 years ago. Our next stop is a visit to the fishing town Port Fairy, one of Victoria's earliest ports which still boasts original colonial architecture. This afternoon we cross the South Australian border into a region renowned for geological features created after extensive volcanic activity. At the Umpherston Sinkhole you'll see the beautiful sunken garden. The streets and houses of Mount Gambier are built around the slopes of an extinct volcano, with the city climbing almost to the lip of the famous Blue Lake. We continue to the historic township of Penola and the Mary MacKillop Interpretive Centre and The Woods MacKillop Schoolhouse.
Overnight Stay: Coonawarra
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Day 6 : Coonawarra – Kangaroo Island (B,L,D)
Today we travel past vineyards and grazing properties to Naracoorte where we visit the Naracoorte Caves and the coastal fishing town of Kingston. We'll then follow the waters of the Coorong to Meningie and past Lake Albert and Lake Alexandrina. We'll stop for afternoon tea on the banks of the Murray River at Tailem Bend. At Cape Jervis we'll board the ferry to Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island.
Two Night Stay: Kangaroo Island
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Day 7 : Kangaroo Island (B,L,D)
Kangaroo Island offers a breathtaking diversity of natural environments - secluded beaches, farmland, charming hamlets and dense forests. We'll spend the day with a local guide who will give us a very informative insight into life on this southern island. Our encounters with the island's wildlife will include a walk amongst sea lions lolling on the beach and a visit to Cape De Couedic lighthouse to see New Zealand fur seals frolicking in the southern ocean swell. Tonight we'll watch penguins returning to their burrows after their daily fishing expeditions, colony numbers may vary depending on the season.
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Day 8 : Kangaroo Island – Adelaide (B,L,D)
We return to the mainland by ferry this morning. We'll enjoy some free time at coastal township of Victor Harbour which stands on Encounter Bay. We then continue through Goolwa and on to Adelaide. The generous boulevards, historic churches and elegant architecture of Adelaide reflect South Australia's strong European heritage.
Two Night Stay: Adelaide
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Day 9 : Adelaide (B,L,D)
This morning we'll visit the lookout on Montefiore Hill, site of the life size bronze statue of Adelaide's founding father, Colonel William Light. Then we'll drive to the trendy coastal suburb of Glenelg, Adelaide's most popular beach. Across town we will travel to the Mount Lofty Ranges and the village of Hahndorf, one of the Adelaide Hills' most famous towns and Australia's oldest German settlement. Afterwards we'll enjoy wine tasting at some of the Barossa Valley's prestigious wineries.
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Day 10 : Adelaide – Wilpena Pound (B,L,D)
Today we leave the city behind for the Flinders Ranges and the outback. On the way we'll call in at the historic copper mining town of Burra where a local guide will escort you on a tour of the town. Continuing due north we pass through Peterborough and Orroroo, after which you'll see the beginnings of the beautifully coloured ridges of the Flinders Ranges. From here we follow the line of the ranges to Wilpena Pound. This majestic natural amphitheatre is a lost world inside a giant stone crater.
Overnight Stay: Wilpena Pound
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Day 11 : Wilpena Pound – Arkaroola (B,L,D)
Wilpena Pound is the centrepiece of the Flinders Ranges National Park, recognised as one of the finest landscapes in Australia. It is rich in wildlife that has adapted well to the rugged mountains and gorges. After breakfast we'll take a short transfer before our walk up the ridge for spectacular views across the pound. We visit the old mining town of Blinman. The crumbling ruins of old cottages and the Blinman mine now form an historic town set in a sparse hilly landscape. It is gravel road all the way to Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary. Few other places in Australia offer such ease of access to so many sheltered waterholes, deep plunging gorges and breathtaking mountain top views of vast desert plains and distant salt lakes.
Two Night Stay: Arkaroola
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Day 12 : Arkaroola (B,L,D)
Today is a day of adventure and exploration. Travelling in a specially constructed open-top 4WD vehicle, you'll take a guided Ridgetop Tour of some of the most spectacularly rugged country on earth. Our local tour guides will share their knowledge of Arkaroola's 1,600 million year geological history as you navigate the steep slopes of the famous Ridgetop Track. Back at the resort you will have time to relax or take a stroll in the Wilderness Sanctuary. After dinner take in the millions of stars at the Arkaroola Astronomical Observatory, a rare opportunity to tour the universe from a location that provides some of the best viewing conditions in Australia. Under the expert tuition of Arkaroola's guides you'll have an intergalactic experience that normally isn't available to anyone but astronomers and scientists.
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Day 13 : Arkaroola – Broken Hill (B,L,D)
We drive south across the flood plains of one of Australia's many large salt lakes, Lake Frome. As we make our way across Frome Downs Station, we'll go through the longest man made structure on earth 'The Dog Fence'. We'll then join the Barrier Highway in to New South Wales and on to Broken Hill, site of the world's richest deposits of silver, lead and zinc which led to the establishment of BHP.
Two Night Stay: Broken Hill
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Day 14 : Broken Hill (B,L,D)
Today we start at the outback ghost town of Silverton, scene of more than 140 films and commercials from Mad Max II to the Royal Flying Doctor Service series. Spend time strolling around the restored gaol, art galleries and the celebrated Silverton Hotel. At the Day Dream Mine you'll get a feel for life back in the early mining days. There's free time to explore the streets of Broken Hill before we visit the Silver City Mint and Gallery to view the Big Picture, the world's largest acrylic painting on canvas. Later we'll take a drive out to the spectacular Living Desert Sculptures.
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Day 15 : Broken Hill – West Wyalong (B,L,D)
We gradually begin to leave the outback for more populated country along interesting back roads through Menindee, Ivanhoe and Hillston. We pass Lake Menindee, the main water supply for the local irrigation area and Broken Hill. Menindee's history is strongly linked to Bourke and Wills, the explorers who crossed Australia but perished on their return journey. Our destination today is the historic gold mining town of West Wyalong.
Overnight Stay: West Wyalong
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Day 16 : West Wyalong – Sydney (B)
After we leave West Wyalong, the country is dominated by sheep properties. We pass through the gold mining town of Grenfell, birthplace of the great poet Henry Lawson and home to the bushranger Ben Hall. On to the Cowra Japanese Gardens and then we continue to Bathurst, one of Australia's oldest inland cities. From the coal-mining town of Lithgow, we take the Great Western Highway over the Blue Mountains, stopping for photos at Katoomba's iconic Three Sisters. We'll return to Sydney late this afternoon, where it will be time to say farewell to your crew and fellow travellers. Please book your flights from 7pm onwards. *Check transfer entitlements with your travel agent. For passengers who have already received documentation - refer to your booking summary.
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