Itinerary
Tour day-by-day
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Day 1: Wildlife Of the Western Plains
Upon departing Melbourne, guests will travel west to the beautiful eucalypt forests of the Serendip and You Yangs National Parks to spot wild Koalas and cockatoos including Corellas, Galahs, the iconic Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. Other birds that may be encountered include White-winged Choughs, Emus, Cape Barren, Magpie Geese, Laughing Kookaburras.
Led by an experienced Wildlife Guide, the group will be alongside a Koala Researcher, searching for these sometimes elusive arboreal mammals. To help protect these adorable animals, guests will take part in the “Make a Home for Koala Clancy” conservation project by removing the invasive Boneseed weed.
On the grassy plains, wildlife guides will share how to approach wild mobs of Eastern Grey Kangaroos without disturbing them. A fascinating insight will be given into the complex social life of Australia’s most iconic animal, with the opportunity to get close enough to observe these behaviours. Emus, cockatoos, Superb Fairy-wrens, numerous honeyeaters, Swamp wallabies, Blue-tongued Skinks and Jacky Lizards are also likely to be encountered.
A substantial picnic lunch is included. Accommodation is at a 4.5 star boutique property in the tiny outback town of Little River. Dinner is at the local Pub – a real Aussie experience! -
Day 2: Rainforests and the Twelve Apostles
Venturing along the famous Great Ocean Road, guests will enjoy some of the world’s most spectacular coastal scenery, traversing through rainforests, beaches and dramatic cliffs composed of limestone and sandstone, that have been weathered by the surging Southern Ocean surf. Guests will travel past quaint seaside holiday villages with glorious beaches and into the rainforest of the Great Otway National Park. This forest rings with the calls of Crimson Rosellas, Golden Whistlers, Pied Currawongs. Later the group will travel along Port Campbell National Park towards the Twelve Apostles, looking out for Short-beaked Echidnas, Red-necked and Swamp Wallabies, Rufous Bristlebirds and Southern Brown Bandicoots in the rich coastal heathlands. Accommodation is at a 4.5 star B&B near Loch Ard Gorge/Port Campbell. Dinner is at a local restaurant or at the accommodation. -
Day 3: Sheep stations, volcanoes and volcanic lakes
After a leisurely breakfast, guests will travel to the remote western edge of the Great Ocean Road to see the glorious limestone coastal formations the morning light. Heading inland guests will then encounter coastal forests and the Western Plains; a land of enormous sheep stations and dramatic skies.
The Western Plains were created by many small volcanoes over the past two million years. Many birds benefit from the open lands, including Wedge-tailed Eagles, Brown Falcons and Nankeen Kestrels which can be seen soaring overhead. The region is also home to many large permanent lakes, which we travel past, stopping to watch for waterbirds. The group then returns to Melbourne in the late afternoon.
