See some of the most impressive coastal landscapes on Earth while enjoying the personalized attention of a private guide. After morning pickup at your Melbourne hotel, relax on the drive out of town and through the port city of Geelong, which marks the start of the Great Ocean Road. Pass through the charming seaside towns of Anglesea and Torquay, home to world-class surfing beaches.
Stop to stretch your legs on the sand and enjoy morning tea in the village of Lorne, and then continue on to the lovely resort town of Apollo Bay, where you’ll savor lunch at a local restaurant (own expense). At any point, you can request to make additional stops to suit your interests.
Sandy beaches give way to the emerald rain forest of Cape Otway National Park, which provides many opportunities to test your koala-spotting skills among groves of eucalyptus and beech trees. You’re also likely to encounter flocks of wild cockatoos and parrots throughout your journey.
As you head further west, the scenery becomes even more majestic with jagged cliffs plunging into the ocean. The drive comes to a dramatic climax at the site of Twelve Apostles — an offshore cluster of giant limestone pillars formed by millions of years of erosion. You’ll also visit the eye-popping Loch Ard Gorge, site of a notorious shipwreck in 1878, and learn why this perilous stretch of coastline is known as Australia’s ‘Shipwreck Coast.’
After soaking up the spectacular geologic history, relax on the 3-hour return drive to Melbourne. On the way back, you’ll take an inland route to see some of Victoria’s scenic countryside, including the dairy town of Colac.
