AAT Kings: Great Ocean Road & Kangaroo Island Escape 25/26

You’re on your way to the Great Ocean Road, a snaking coastal route that is one of the world’s most epic journeys. Across a dramatic 240 kilometres you’ll take in limestone stacks like the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, and London Bridge. Then traverse World Heritage listed rainforest, skirting untouched coastal coves, and passing through sleepy towns like Lorne and Apollo Bay, where bare feet and boardshorts are the dress code. Get together with your fellow travellers for a Welcome Dinner tonight.

Staying in:

• Lady Bay Resort (1 night)

Emus and koalas... oh my! These are just a couple of the animals you'll likely spot as you drive through Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve, housed in a dormant volcanic crater. Remarkably, this pocket of paradise was once wasteland, transformed by volunteers. More volcanic history awaits across the South Australian border in Mt. Gambier, home to the crater-filling Blue Lake. Bring your sunglasses, because the lake’s name doesn’t do it justice – the intensity of the hue is blinding. By now you’ll be pretty thirsty, so it’s a good thing the Coonawarra wine region is around the corner. Fancy a world-class cab sav, shiraz or merlot? You’ve come to the right place. Sit down to a wine tasting to fully appreciate the region’s flavours. Your final adventure is deep, in every sense of the word. Naracoorte’s Alexandra Cave is a maze of delicate needle-like stalactites and massive twisting columns.

Staying in:

• William MacIntosh Motor Lodge, Naracoorte (1 night)

Nature rules large again today as you weave along the Fleurieu Peninsula to Victor Harbor. After rolling hills, sandy beaches and rugged cliffs, you’re greeted with the charms of this seaside town – the gateway to Kangaroo Island. All aboard the ferry for your journey toward this ‘mini Galapagos’. Kangaroo Island deserves its moniker, as you’ll discover tomorrow, but for the rest of the day, all you need to do is relax at your hotel in Kingscote, or perhaps take a stroll along the picturesque waters edge.

Staying in:

• Aurora Ozone Hotel, Executive Rooms (1 night)

First stop today truly deserves its name: the orange-lichen-clad Remarkable Rocks command your attention over the blazing blue of the Southern Ocean. Then there’s Admirals Arch, home to an immense colony of raucous fur seals and a very photogenic lighthouse. The wildlife greets you at Seal Bay Conservation Park. Here, on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience you’ll visit one of the country’s most important sea lion breeding grounds. On a guided walk, you’ll learn about these creatures - one of the rarest species in the world of only 12,000, 800 of which call Seal Bay home. Move aside: enormous sea lions regularly barrel down the sand toward the water. Aside from smelling totally divine, eucalyptus oil is like the Holy Grail of healing – there’s not much that it can’t cure. Drop in to South Australia’s only eucalyptus distillery to tour the estate (look out for resident kangaroos and emus), discover Kangaroo Island’s history and take a fascinating deep dive into the production of this 100% pure, aromatic oil. Finish today’s adventure with a tasting of craft beers at Kangaroo Island’s only brewery. How does a Pale Ale sound?

Staying in:

• Aurora Ozone Hotel, Executive Rooms (1 night)

On your cruise back to the mainland, picture some of the culinary opportunities that await you in the South Australian capital. Adelaide is known as the 'city of churches' but we think a more apt title is the 'city of cuisine'. After a city tour, the afternoon is yours to see just how many restaurants and bars you can sample. Want recommendations? We might point you in the direction of the epic Central Market, the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere with more than 70 stalls selling artisan edibles (and drinkables).

Staying in:

• Crowne Plaza Adelaide (1 night)

Pull on your elastic-waisted pants – today is one of indulgences through the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa, dotted with atmospheric towns like Hahndorf, Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement. A Barossa and Hahndorf tour reveals the bountiful food and wine this pocket of the state is known for. Discover local flavours over lunch at Lambert Estate, nestled in the rolling hills of the Barossa followed by a wine or gin tasting at Maggie Beer's Pheasant Farm. Enjoy a Japanese inspired Farewell Dinner this evening at the hotel with your newfound friends.

Staying in:

• Crowne Plaza Adelaide (1 night)

A week in this part of the world really isn't enough. We hope we've inspired you to come back for another taste.