Tastes of Southern Australia
Experience Overview
Combining cities, country towns and coastlines, expect the Southern highlights on this Australia tour package. Prepare to embrace culture, nature, food and fun as you take in views of the Twelve Apostles, the rolling vineyards of the Barossa, the wildlife playground of Kangaroo Island and beyond.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 3 Lunch (L)
- 10 Breakfast (B)
- 4 Dinner (D)
Choice Highlights
- Melbourne: Make a positive impact while you learn about Koorie peoples, cultures, and communities at the Koorie Heritage Trust Gallery in Melbourne.
Be My Guest
- Canberra: Visit Gold Creek Station for an exclusive Be My Guest Aussie barbecue lunch and sheep farm experience with the Starr family.
Dive into Culture
- Beechworth: Experience small town charm and Australian hospitality during your visit to Beechworth.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®
- Melbourne: Make a positive impact while you learn about Koorie peoples, cultures, and communities at the Koorie Heritage Trust Gallery in Melbourne.
- Kangaroo Island: Seal Bay has been home to an Australian sea lion population for thousands of years, and offers one of the most exceptional nature-based experiences in the world.
Must-see Highlights
- Explore Parliament House in Canberra, Coonawarra wine region, Alexandra Cave, Kangaroo Island Brewery, Seal Bay Conservation Park, and the Barossa with a Local Specialist
- Explore Parliament House in Canberra, Coonawarra wine region, World Heritage-listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, Alexandra Cave, boutique brewery on Kangaroo Island, Seal Bay Conservation Park and one of Australia's only vertical woollen mills with a Local Specialist
- Discover Beechworth, Glenrowan, Melbourne, and Adelaide
- Visit Gold Creek Sheep Station, the Twelve Apostles in Victoria, and wineries in South Australia
- View sea lions at Seal Bay Conservation Park, the Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch on Kangaroo Island
- Scenic Drive along the Great Ocean Road
Trip Details
Product Code: 19188
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Family, 55+
Tour Operator:
Trafalgar (CA)
Supplier Code: 170.466A
Starts: Sydney, Australia
Finishes: Adelaide, Australia
Duration: 11 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Whats Included
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- Porterage where hotels provide this service
- Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
- Must-see sightseeing
- All land transport shown. All transfers shown
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- Optional Experiences and free time
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $5,679 ($516 /day)
Itinerary
With 11 days of history, food and sightseeing ahead, we’ll head out of the city to start your Australia tour package in the historic town Berrima before pulling up at Gold Creek Station. It’s here you’ll appreciate a taste of true Aussie hospitality as hosts the Starr Family swing open their barn doors to share an insight into the family’s history and what life is like on a 400-hectare station. See Craig roll up his sleeves for a fascinating sheep shearing demonstration before they fire up the BBQ, for a delicious Be My Guest lunch. We’re back on the road toward your home for the night, Canberra, the capital city packed with history. You’re treated to a guided tour through Parliament House with a Local Specialist. After a full first day, get to know your group over a drink at your hotel.
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza
Meals: Lunch
Say farewell to Canberra this morning by ascending the summit of towering Mt. Ainslie to bask in 360-views of the city. Then cross the mighty Murray River into Victoria, where you’ll feel like the clocks been wound back as you Dive Into Culture in Beechworth, Victoria's best-preserved gold rush town. Beechworth saw an influx of fortune-seekers from all over the world during the 1850s. Get the lowdown on the town over a chat with the publican of the historic local pub and enjoy afternoon tea in the oldest hotel in town. Then you'll be set on your way to explore honey and gold shops, galleries and museums at your leisure, before the city of Wangaratta beckons.
Accommodation: Quality Wangaratta
Meals: Breakfast
It’s a complete change of scene as we journey to cosmopolitan Melbourne where you’ll get your bearings on a city sightseeing tour. Discover why Melbourne has justifiably earned its reputation as one of the world’s most liveable cities and delve into its Victorian history in the CBD, Southbank’s sprawling riverfront, arts district, and natural beauty at the Botanic Gardens. Immerse yourself in a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience on a guided galleries tour of our First Peoples arts and cultural centre at the Koorie Heritage Trust Gallery. Cruise by the Crown complex and consider coming back this evening for one of its super-chef's restaurants, designer boutiques, or indoor amusement park. After seeing so much of what awaits, you’ll no doubt be eager to explore more of this stylish city. Fortunately, you’re staying in centrally located area, opposite Southbank - a fun area that comes alive at night. Pop back to an area you’d like to get to know better or tuck into a delicious seafood dinner and watch the sunset on the banks of the Yarra.
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza
Meals: Breakfast
There are endless ways to discover heart and soul of Melbourne today both in, or out, of the city on an Optional Experience. You could visit the Melbourne Skydeck - the highest viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere - for panoramic, floor-to-ceiling views of the city stretching far beyond its skyscrapers. Perhaps exploring the city on foot with a History and Donuts Walking Tour is more your thing. Or, you could opt to venture further afield to Phillip Island to see the famous Little Penguins emerge from the sea and waddle up the beach to their sand dune burrow homes - a fascinating (and adorable!) wildlife encounter you can’t have anywhere else in the world.
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza
Meals: Breakfast
Buckle up for an epic coastal road trip filled with pinch-me moments. Your journey along the scenic Great Ocean Road will have you glued to the window the whole way with plenty of photo ops and time to relax and take in one of the world’s greatest drives. Stop at a Mediterranean-inspired, quaint seaside village of Apollo Bay, and watch the boats come in to the harbour before today’s highlight, the Twelve Apostles. Admire these limestone formations rising 45 metres above the Southern Ocean and towering over the surrounding landscapes, feeling fortunate that you have the opportunity to see the seven apostles still standing today. Later, visit Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge before arriving in the historic former port city of Warrnambool and your overnight stay at Lady Bay Resort.
Accommodation: Lady Bay Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Emus and koalas... 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. Remarkable, this pocket of paradise was one wasteland, transformed by volunteers. More volcanic history awaits across the South Australian border in Mt. Gambier, home of the crater-filling Blue Lake. Lovers of rich red wines will delight at our next destination, Coonawarra, where you'll join a Local Specialist for a wine tasting at Wynns Coonawarra Estate. Learn how their wine is made and the rich soil that makes the area one of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon regions in the world as you sample six tasty wines. Continue your Australia tour package to one of the world’s most important fossil sites and part of 800,000-year-old Naracoorte East Range where on a guided tour with a Local Specialist through Alexandra Cave you’ll learn about the layers of fossils. Your day finishes over dinner showcasing products from the Limestone Coast and Southern Australia at the Highlander restaurant.
Accommodation: William MacIntosh Motor Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Visit the seaside town of Victor Harbor. Relax with fish and chips on its unspoiled beach or perhaps take the horse-drawn tram to Granite Island to watch the white surf pound against unusual granite formations. Excitement will be at an all-time high as you board a ferry to Kangaroo Island, known as ‘KI’ to the locals and Australia's third-largest Island, and sanctuary for native wildlife like sea lions, koalas and diverse bird species, some of which are found nowhere else. Your destination is Kingscote.
Accommodation: Aurora Ozone
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Nature and wildlife take centre stage today beginning with an exploration of Kangaroo Island showcasing the Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch coastal features in Flinders Chase National Park. You’ll love the next adventure today, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience joining a Local Specialist at Seal Bay Conservation Park for a guided walk into the heart of one of the country’s most important sea lion breeding colonies. Your expert guide will introduce you to the Australian sea lion - one of the rarest species in the world of only 12,000 – 800 of which call Seal Bay home. Learn how these endangered animals hunt, surf, interact with their pups, defend their territory, and – as “eared” seals – use their front flippers to prop themselves up and their back flippers to help them to “walk” on land. Stop at Vivonne Bay Bistro for lunch with a glass of wine before your next adventure on a guided tour of the family-owned Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery. Here at the only commercial eucalyptus oil distillery in South Australia, learn about Kangaroo Island's history and how the distillery produces 100% pure Australian eucalyptus essential oil from the island’s narrow leaf mallee. Later, meet a Local Specialist at Kangaroo Island Brewery to taste a selection of fine, local beers. How does a Golden Ale sound?
Accommodation: Aurora Ozone
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
You've arrived in the South Australian capital, known for its well-preserved churches and well-admired cuisine. Following an Adelaide city tour, the afternoon is yours to explore how you wish. You could indulge your foodie side with a tour of the famous Adelaide Central Market, the city's premier food destination, or visit the National Wine Centre for tastings and a masterclass learning about the role wine has played in Australia’s history, the position of Australian wine in the international market, and the relationship between food and wine.
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza
Meals: Breakfast
The rolling Adelaide Hills, Hahndorf, and Australia's premier Shiraz producing region, the Barossa, lay ahead of you today. Your first stop is Mt. Lofty for sweeping views of Adelaide before stopping to stretch your legs in the quaint village of Hahndorf settled by 19th-century Lutheran migrants and known for its original German-style architecture and stone cottages. Continue to the Barossa to discover the local flavours over lunch at Lambert Estate, nestled in the rolling hills enveloped by vines, followed by a wine or gin tasting at Maggie Beer's Pheasant Farm. You’ll end the trip on a high note returning to the city for dinner at Koomo, Adelaide’s highest restaurant, where you’ll toast your adventures enjoying city views and feasting on Japanese-and-Asian-influenced dishes.
Accommodation: Crowne Plaza
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
As your journey through the beautiful natural landscapes and stylish cities of Southern Australia comes to an end, say farewell to your fellow travellers before your transfer to Adelaide Airport (flights anytime).
Meals: Breakfast
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Tour Operator
Trafalgar (CA)
Family owned and run since 1920, The Travel Corporation (TTC) is the world leader in immersive travel experiences across an extensive range of travel categories. Each year TTC's 40 award winning hospitality and travel brands connect over 1 million happy travellers to the world. We give you access to the 12 DMC’s behind these brands, so you can build your business by capitalizing on the extensive experience, local expertise, and financial assurance of TTC. LOCAL EXPERTISE The world leaders in travel for over 100 years, we offer unparalleled local expertise with a global footprint. Our 12 DMCs, led by experienced in-destination teams, deliver experience rich travel solutions in more than 80 countries. Additionally, our market based teams are on hand to support across our 40 offices worldwide
In Business Since 1931
Reviews
Darla - Traveled, April 2020
Great trip - lots of fun and new friends. Really enjoyed the trip. We had to reroute because of the fires but they made sure we still saw the same types of things we would have seen on the original itinerary plus more. Definitely recommend this tour. It's very information, beautiful and lots of opportunity for wine tastings! Great trip - lots of beautiful scenery, learned a lot about the culture, drank of lot of Australian wines and met some fabulous new friends!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/25/2020
Edward Gootee - Traveled, February 2020
Well planned with frequent stops for both food and coffee and something about the place that is unique. Loved every one of the sites.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/21/2020
Trusted Customer - Traveled, January 2020
We enjoyed our trip in Australia immensely. Great tour, great guide and driver. A lot of thought went into planning the itinerary for this trip and it shows.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/17/2020
Trusted Customer - Traveled, January 2020
Great driver, knowledgeable guide-both very helpful!! Most accommodations were very good, food at various locations good but NOT at Kangaroo Island. Breaks well spaced for the most part. Some were top of the line but some weren't!Those one story motels were just OK.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/08/2020
Trusted Customer - Traveled, December 2019
Well organized. Tour director very knowledgeable. Great having tour handle our luggage at various locations. Was able to get into detail in several areas. Some days there was too much on and off from the bus. A couple stops may not have been necessary. See previous comments. Some start days were too early.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/22/2020
Janice Hocking - Traveled, October 2022
Fabulous tour that showed off Southern Australia perfectly! The tour was so well organised and went off without a hitch. Personally, I was relieved that we didn't have a full bus and could space ourselves out. The weather was against us on some days but the tour guide and driver were quick to organise something else for us to experience. The tour took us to places I have never been to before and others I knew quite well. It was a good mix.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/23/2022
Trusted Customer - Traveled, September 2019
Another Fabulous Tour Director! The tour director and driver were great. Tour director treated everyone the same, handled difficult people with ease. Delma always had a smile. Some of the lodging was very good, some left a bit to be desired. Provided meals very good with the farewell dinner being one of the best if not the best farewell dinner we have had when travelling with Trafalgar. We have found it is the tour director that make the tour worth going on. Whether giving information, telling a story, answering questions or seemlessly dealing with logistics for the group. Tour director was great. Almost all the meals provided were very good to excellent. This tour should always stop at Spetisfields cellar door rather than Jacobs Creek. It was a very good tour.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/24/2019
Trusted Customer - Traveled, August 2019
Great teamwork! Our trip was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our director, Delma, and driver, Stu, were exceptional in both service and knowledge of the region. They met us each day with smiles and readiness to share information about any/all subjects we approached. If they didn't have the answer, at the next stop they did. We didn't experience any issues with hotels, meals, or excursions. They did a super job! Hindsight: We would have taken the Melbourne to Adelaide section of the itinerary instead of the full length tour as we weren't really interested in the Sydney to Melbourne area. We were unaware that the tour being operated by AATKings, a sister company, offered 'modulated' segments whereby this was possible. The coach was super with the USB ports at our seats and Stu, the driver, kept it very clean and sanitized. Only wish there were a bit more leg room. All but one hotel were good to excellent. The "particular" one was the only one available in the region, but given that Trafalgar gives them regular business one would think they could afford better furnishings! Towels were rags at best and being colored made us all wonder what they'd been used for before.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/08/2019
David Thomas - Traveled, August 2019
Very professional, and down to earth friendly guys. Accommodation was first rate. Venues well thought out, and interesting. Whole trip was excellent. Same as I said above. Well thought out, and interesting.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/16/2019
Donald Burnett - Traveled, July 2019
Everything exceeded my expectations. Yes! Good locations and good value.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/17/2019
Gary Bellinghausen - Traveled, July 2019
First Trafalgar trip. Our tour guide Delma was the best. Great information, stories, organization and leadership to keep things interesting and on time. Stu our driver was extremely professional. Trip from Sydney to Adelaide was beautiful way to see this part of Australia. Highly recommend.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/19/2019
Willem Croeser - Traveled, June 2019
Travel Director was superb, and Coach Driver very good. Local Specialists interesting! Itinerary some days very full. Maybe cut one stop? Coach seats not all that comfortable, especially the seat belts. Hotels and Be My Guest accommodation excellent.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/21/2019
Nancy Vorrias - Traveled, May 2019
Our Australian trip of a lifetime! Trafalgar experience is amazing! They really take care of everything for you. Our guide and bus driver were just amazing! Great team they were. With this trip, we saw so much! So many tiny towns you would never know about on your own. The places we went and things we saw were just beautiful.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/23/2019
Yvette Mitchell - Traveled, May 2019
Excellent travel service. This was our sixth trip with Trafalgar and everything has been wonderful! We will continue to travel with them until we have unsatisfactory service. The service in the La Boca restaurant in the Cordis hotel in Adelaide was not satisfactory. They appeared to be under staffed. Otherwise, all else was great!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/22/2019
Terri Pamenter - Traveled, May 2019
Wonderful introduction to Southern Australia! James our travel director was very knowledgeable and also very amusing. He kept very good track of us all and really added to our enjoyment of the trip. Mark our driver was superb. I don't think he hit a bump in the road at all. We all felt very safe and well looked after while he was behind the wheel. The hotels where we stayed were good to excellent and the food we had there was similar. The tours on Kangaroo Island were very informative. We covered a lot of ground and learned so very much. The coach was well maintained and especially since it wasn't overly full, we were all very comfortable. I didn't care for the first hotel where we all met up but the Crowne Plazas in particular were lovely. All of the hotels were comfortable and enjoyable.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/15/2019
Gregory Weiler - Traveled, May 2019
The tour was run with efficiency. The tour director was personable, knowledgeable and ran an efficient and timely tour. The coach driver was an excellent driver and friendly. The tour hit the highlights of South Australia. The highlight of the tour was the Twelve Apostles and the Ocean Drive travel. The Be My Guest at the sheep farm was enjoyable and informative. The tour of the War Memorial in Canaberra was memorable. The tour of Kangaroo Island provided excellent sightseeing.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/26/2019
Trusted Customer - Traveled, April 2019
Trip started on the wrong foot but in the end things worked out. Make sure the agent tells you the right hotel to meet the group.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/07/2019
Kathleen Fox - Traveled, March 2019
A total treat for animal and nature lovers. The trip was everything you said it would be and more. Our tour manager and driver did an outstanding job at showing us underseen portions of Australia. Great locations and guides. Even better than I bought it would be. Hotels and meals were great too.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/17/2019
Lillian Mcauley - Traveled, April 2019
Trafalgar has the best tours in the world. Please keep offering new experiences in traveling around the world. We have booked our travels with you for 3 tours and we appreciate all the hard work your company does to offer the most wonderful experiences in life. I love this company. I want to go around the world with this company .You are professional, have safe traveling , excellent hotels with the best foods, buses and tour guides you pick are excellent and we learn to know fact about the area we are signed up for and we meet lots of wonderful travelers with the hobby of traveling too. What else can I say to share the fun it is to travel with Trafalgar!! Lin McAuley. My daughter Lisa McAuley and LIn McAuley bonded during our The Taste of Australia Southern tours and we loved all the trip offered. When we had to travel from Charlotte, NC. to LA , California , then a 15 hour flight to Syndey , AUS, by American Airlines we saw all kinds of people employed by these companies that helped us find our flights, gates, arrival times , baggage etc. and we were never scared or felt lost in our long trip. I feel that this is the thing that keeps single people from traveling but will travel too. I saw lots of single Australian older generation people traveling solo in your company. I think they get good reviews from the feedback from people like me . Thanks for offering my reviews, Lin McAuley
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/28/2019
Gary Mccauley - Traveled, February 2019
Frankie is special in her personal love for what she does, & her country. Great itinerary, added options, excellent tour guide, a real fun & joyful experience!! Loved the beautiful scheduled trips & extra options, all wonderful quality & experience.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/21/2019
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