Country and Coast [ESMK]
![Country and Coast [ESMK]](http://www.cdn.aatkings.travcorpdata.com/images/esmk.jpg)
Available Tour Dates
2012
- May
- 22*
- August
- 28
- September
- 11*
- October
- 16, 30*
- December
- 4
2013
- January
- 22*
- February
- 5
- March
- 12*, 26
- April
- 2*, 16
- May
- 21
- June
- 4
- August
- 27
- September
- 10*
- October
- 15, 29*
- December
- 3
* Availability Guaranteed
Spectacular sightseeing experiences
- Gold Creek Sheep Station
- Tour of Parliament House
- Kosciuszko National Park
- Explore historic Beechworth
- Travel the Great Ocean Road
- The amazing Twelve Apostles
- Tower Hill Game Reserve
- View the mysterious Blue Lake
- City tour of Adelaide
- Visit seaside Glenelg
- Explore Victor Harbor
- Sea Lions at Seal Bay
- Flinders Chase National Park
- 2 nights on Kangaroo Island
- INCLUDED Aboriginal Cultural Experience
- 'You are invited' experience
Guided Holiday Inclusions
Transportation
Tour by luxury air-conditioned coach with 2-door access, restroom, seatbelts, reclining seats, panoramic windows
Accommodation
Twin share rooms with private facilities in centrally located hotels
Professionally Escorted
Tour with an experienced, professional Tour Director and Tour Driver
Dining Inclusions
Full Buffet Breakfasts (9) B
Lunch (1) L
You are invited lunch (1) L
Hotel Dinners (5) D
Plus
Welcome drink
Travel wallet and map
Airport transfers (see flight information below)
Hotel porterage included
Flight Information
Day prior to tour Flights anytime into Sydney
Day 10 Flights to depart after 2.00pm from Adelaide
Day 1: Sydney - Canberra
Depart Sydney at 8.00am. We begin our journey to the nation's capital via the Southern Highlands with a stop at historic Berrima, famous for its gaol, a visit to a working sheep farm for an Aussie barbecue lunch. On arrival in Canberra, we'll tour through Parliament House and visit the Australian War Memorial before enjoying a welcome drink and dinner this evening with your Tour Director and fellow travellers.
Hotel: Novotel, Canberra. L D
Day 2: Snowy Mountains
Cooma and the Snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme start our day, plus the option to take a ride on the Mt. Kosciuszko chairlift to experience Australia's highest point! You'll be awestruck by the stunningly picturesque Kosciuszko National Park – home to mobs of kangaroos – as we travel the Alpine Way, over the mighty Murray River into Victoria and beautiful Beechworth, Victoria's best preserved gold rush town, for our unique overnight stay in one of the Bed and Breakfast properties.
Hotel: Boutique Country Accommodation, Beechworth. B
Day 3: Melbourne
Get to know Beechworth with a tour and some free time to explore the legendary Beechworth Bakery, as well as antique shops and galleries. Later we'll see the museum then it's on through Glenrowan and Ned Kelly country to culturally diverse and cosmopolitan Melbourne. A dinner option tonight is on board the distinctive Colonial Tramcar Restaurant.
Hotel: Crowne Plaza, Melbourne, 2 nights. B
Day 4: Melbourne 'Free Time'
Today Melbourne is all yours to explore. You'll have time to discover some of the secrets of this exceptional city – a myriad of cafés, galleries, museums, markets, restaurants, laneways and parks await you. Or if you want to get out of town you can take a tour to Phillip Island's little penguins, the Yarra Valley's wineries, the Dandenongs and Puffing Billy or Sovereign Hill's goldmine. B
Day 5: Great Ocean Road
Hold on to your seats today for one of the world's great road trips – the Great Ocean Road. We'll get plenty of photo opportunities along this gorgeous coastal road, including stops at surling-mecca Torquay, world famous Bells Beach, a visit to the amazing Twelve Apostles, before finishing the day in the whale watching capital of Warrnambool.
Hotel: Country Comfort, Warrnambool. B D
Day 6: Tower Hill - Coonawarra
This morning we visit Worn Gundidj at Tower Hill State Game Reserve. The area was a rich food source for the Koroitgundidj people whose descendants retain links with this country. Our guide will provide us with an Aboriginal perspective about fora, wildlife, volcanic formations, bush existence and medicinal practices. We continue along the coast through picturesque Port Fairy. Cross the South Australia border into Mt. Gambier for a city tour. Stop to view mysterious Blue Lake en route to Coonawarra, one of Australia's fine wine regions. Join us before dinner to sample some of Australia's favourite wines.
Hotel: Chardonnay Lodge, Coonawarra. B D
Day 7: Adelaide
We travel through Penola, birthplace of Mary MacKillop, Australia's first saint. Then on to Meningie, located on the shores of Lake Albert, en route to Adelaide. The afternoon is yours to explore the gorgeous ‘City of Churches'.
Hotel: Stamford Plaza, Adelaide. B
Day 8: Victor Harbor
First up seaside Glenelg then we continue on to the picturesque coastal village of Victor Harbor on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Here you'll have some free time to explore, maybe take a walk to Granite Island and see some sensational coastal views. Next we travel by ferry to Kangaroo Island for our two-night stay. We'll have dinner overlooking the spectacular Backstair Passage.
Hotel: Aurora Ozone Hotel, Kangaroo Island, 2 nights. B D
Day 9: Kangaroo Island
Today we explore Kangaroo Island! Head to Flinders Chase National Park for some great photo opportunities at the Remarkable Rocks and Admiral's Arch. You'll also have the chance to spot koalas, wallabies and kangaroos. You are invited to Andermel Marron Farm for a food and wine experience that captures much that is very special about Kangaroo Island. Andermel will host you with a visit to the Marron (freshwater crayfish) ponds and tanks. Taste some of their own Two Wheeler Creek wine and farm-produced bush tucker before sampling the Marron with lunch. Later, join a guided tour at the Seal Bay Conservation Park and walk among a colony of sea lions. B L D
Day 10: Depart Adelaide
This morning we cruise by ferry back to Cape Jervis then on to elegant Adelaide. You will be transferred to Adelaide Airport for your onward flight. B
START & FINISH IN SYDNEY
Why not extend your tour to Sydney and visit the Barossa Valley, Mildura & Wagga Wagga. Tour Code: ESKS.
Additional Details
OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS 2012/2013
(Valid: 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013)
To ensure your holiday is filled with memorable experiences, we have included a range of quality Optional Excursions for you to choose from and partake in, if you wish, during your holiday. We understand that everyone is an individual, and have therefore allowed some free time for you to experience different types of touring. These have not been included in the tour fare as we realise they may not appeal to all people. Our selection of optional excursions include scenic flights, helicopter rides, cruises, dinners, ballooning, fishing trips, four wheel drive tours, cultural experiences, and even camel riding.
Bookings
The excursions can be booked through your Tour Director. You will be asked during the early part of your tour to name those that you may wish to join, as advance reservations are often necessary. Please note that occasionally weather or seasonal conditions may not permit their operation. Some also depend on a minimum number of participants and suitable time being available.
Prices
Prices are valid from 01 April 2012, are in Australian dollars and may be subject to alteration. Please note that reduced rates for pensioners or children may apply on some tours. Prices are inclusive of GST.
MELBOURNE
K10 PENGUINS WITH KANGAROOS AND KOALAS PRICE: ADULT $112.50 / CHILD $90.00
See Port Phillip Bay and the prestigious bayside suburbs on your way to Phillip Island. Visit the Koala Conservation Centre, then observe the nightly ritual of the world famous Penguin Parade. Every day at dusk you can experience the natural wonder of the Little Penguins returning from a day of fishing. This unique scene is viewed from elevated stands under subdued floodlights. Koalas can be seen in their natural environment, and there is the opportunity to inspect the Visitor Information Centre to learn about the animals that inhabit Phillip Island.
COLONIAL TRAMCAR RESTAURANT PRICE: EARLY DINNER (MON-SUN) ADULT $65.45 / CHILD $56.95 LATE DINNER (SUN-THU) ADULT $102.85 / CHILD $94.35 LATE DINNER (FRI-SAT) ADULT $116.88 / CHILD $108.38
Dine and see the sights aboard the famous Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. The restored 1927 trams are amongst the oldest in Melbourne. Included in your fare is a delicious meal, full bar service-including wine, beer, spirits and liqueur with dessert.
K35 PUFFING BILLY & YARRA VALLEY WINERIES WITH LUNCH PRICE ADULT $171.00 / CHILD $87.75
Drive through lovely Ferntree Gully to the Dandenong Ranges and Grant's Reserve. Enjoy Billy Tea with home-made lamingtons and Aussie Vegemite. Feed the Crimson Rosella birds in the mountain ash tall forest. Ride on Puffing Billy, Australia's oldest operating steam train, through the spectacular rainforest of tall mountain ash, eucalypts and fern-filled gullies. Arrive at Fergusson Winery and enjoy a delicious spit roast lunch with wine tasting and tea/ coffee. Visit two more wineries for tasting, appreciation and education. The wineries may be Rochford Wines, Dominique Portet, Domaine Chandon or others. The Yarra Valley is Victoria's premium wine region with its rolling green hills overlooking the Great Dividing Range.
ADELAIDE
AS14 HALF DAY CITY SIGHTS TOUR
PRICE: ADULT $62.00 / CHILD $31.00
From the city to the beach experience the daily cosmopolitan life of Adelaide as you journey through the heart of the city. See iconic cathedrals, the North Terrace cultural boulevard, visit Colonel Light's Lookout over Adelaide and the world famous Adelaide Oval, before venturing out to Glenelg - the city's bustling beach. With a quick bite at Haigh's Chocolate Factory included, this tour is not to be missed!
NOTE: Prices are subject to change. All details correct at time of printing. Not all optional excursions are available with your tour.