Melbourne to Adelaide Touring Route

Melbourne to Adelaide via The Great Ocean Road

5 days
Approx 1000 kilometres/620 miles

The Great Ocean Road in Victoria is one of the world's great coastal drives, and links Melbourne with South Australia.

Day 1
Travel from Melbourne to Apollo Bay. At Bells Beach, take a walk on one of the world’s most famous surf beaches. Enjoy the stunning coast road as it hugs the wild coastal cliffs. At Lorne, spend time exploring the many shops and cafes in this popular summer resort town. Continue on the scenic coastal road to Apollo Bay.

Melbourne - Apollo Bay: 188km, 3 hours

Day 2
Briefly leave the coast to drive through the Otway Ranges. Stop and walk through the rainforest at Maits Rest. Back on the coast road, see the magnificent Twelve Apostles, the world-famous rock stacks that tower up out of the ocean. Visit Logan Beach between May and October to see Southern Right Whales. Step back in time in Port Fairy with its old whitewashed cottages, quaint shops and a pub on nearly every corner.

Apollo Bay - Port Fairy: 143km, 2 hours

Day 3
Travel to the Limestone Coast region today, stopping in the city of Mount Gambier to visit the Lady Nelson Visitor and Discovery Centre for information on the region. Built on the site of an extinct volcano, Mount Gambier is surrounded by ancient crater lakes including the Blue Lake that mysteriously changes colour to a vivid blue from November to February each year for a few months.

After Mount Gambier, continue north towards the historic town of Penola and the world-famous Coonawarra wine district. Coonawarra is world renowned for its fine wines, particularly its Cabernet Sauvignon. An overnight stay here is highly recommended, with numerous bed & breakfast properties to choose from, and more than 20 cellar door outlets to visit.

Alternatively, from Mount Gambier continue around the coast to the fishing ports of the Limestone Coast. Beachport is a tranquil lobster-fishing township, which at the height of summer becomes a bustling holiday spot. Robe is a picturesque village beside a lovely sheltered harbour, perfect for overnight stays. Indulge in fresh seafood and take a swim or a long walk along stunning 17km Long Beach - found just on the northern outskirts of Robe.

Port Fairy - Coonawarra: 275km, 3 hours 10 minutes
Port Fairy - Robe: 346km, 3 hours 45 minutes

Day 4
If driving north from Coonawarra, visit the impressive caves at world heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves National Park with its myriad delicate calcite formations and the 350,000 year-old fossil bed. A two-hour drive from Naracoorte is Tailem Bend on the Murray River. Cross the Murray River on a car ferry, and travel to the beautiful small town of Strathalbyn in the Fleurieu Peninsula, the region immediately south of Adelaide.

For those driving north from Robe, pass through Kingston SE with its giant lobster on the outskirts of town, and an historic lighthouse on the beachfront. The drive continues beside Coorong National Park, an inland sea of shallow lagoons separated from the southern ocean by a peninsula and an important waterbird habitat. Stop off at Coorong Wilderness Lodge where Ngarrindjeri people share their Aboriginal culture, and show you the local wildlife and flora and bush tucker.  Follow the highway through Meningie to Wellington for a Murray River crossing to arrive at Strathalbyn, a mecca for those who love antique shopping.

From Strathalbyn, drive through Langhorne Creek - perhaps visiting a winery or two. From here travel towards the coast, with a stop at the heritage river port of Goolwa. Stay overnight along the southern coast at Goolwa, Middleton, Port Elliot or Victor Harbor.

Coonawarra - Victor Harbor: 290km, 3 hours 10 minutes
Robe - Victor Harbor: 274km, 3 hours

Day 5
Spend time exploring the Fleurieu Peninsula today before continuing to Adelaide. Join a river cruise from Goolwa that takes you to the mouth of the Murray River, and learn about the eco-system, wildlife and Aboriginal heritage of Coorong National Park. Alternatively, spend a leisurely morning exploring the coastal towns before driving to McLaren Vale wine region, one of the most picturesque in South Australia. There are over 45 cellar door outlets, some with excellent cafes and restaurants offering the chance to sample the delicious local produce of the region.

Victor Harbor - Adelaide: 140km, 1hour 15 minutes

Other Journeys
From Victor Harbor, travel to Cape Jervis where the ferry departs for Kangaroo Island, arriving less than one hour later. Kangaroo Island, renowned for its abundant wildlife, is Australia's third largest island and it is recommended visitors spend at least two days here.

Victor Harbor - Cape Jervis: 64 km, 35 minutes
Cape Jervis - Adelaide: 122km, 1hour 15 minutes