Australian Natural Adventures

Australian itinerary for Dan, Rosanne & Ellen continues.....

Day 22 – Saturday, July 28: Melbourne / Great Ocean Road
You are picked up this morning to travel into Melbourne to begin your exploration of Western Victoria. Along the way your naturalist guide leads you into 'real Australia' to see kangaroos, koalas, abundant birdlife and to discover a rich Aboriginal heritage. You learn about native animals and plants both in the famous open-range grasslands of Serendip Sanctuary on the Western Plains and in the bushlands of Brisbane Ranges National Park. These environments provide the perfect introduction to Australia's unique wildlife and indigenous culture. Watch Eastern Grey Kangaroos in large free ranging groups, see emus, wallabies, koalas and other unique Australian wildlife and enjoy a delicious bush lunch. The You Yangs Ranges are home to a large and healthy population of wild koalas and we rarely miss out on multiple sightings of these delightful creatures. Your guide will also share with you the great significance of the Western Plains to Aboriginal people. The end of the day finds you at a B&B in Geelong, a small city on the banks of Corio Bay.       (L,D)

Day 23 – Sunday, July 29: Great Ocean Road
Victoria’s Great Ocean Road has some spectacular coastal scenery, and winter weather can add to the sense that the next stop is Antarctica . Follow the Great Ocean Road to the surging surf coast and the magnificent rainforests of Otway National Park. Travel on through Port Campbell National Park and let your imagination go wild along the rugged Shipwreck Coast, although given the number of shipwrecks, and the heroic actions of several locals to assist, imagination gives way to reality. Linger a while to take in some of nature's handiwork at the 12 Apostles, the Loch Ard Gorge and huge limestone cliffs. Hear stories about the terrible shipwrecks of the past. enjoy dinner at a local pub and stay tonight at a delightful B&B over looking the beautiful Hopkins River.      (BLD)

Day 24 – Monday, July 30: Great Ocean Road / Melbourne
This morning we have one last look at the coast in the dramatic morning light before returning to Melbourne across the vast grasslands of the Western Plains. Created by intense volcanic activity over the past 2 million years, the 7000 volcanoes of the Western Plains are now extinct but the resultant savannah is now pasture to the richest wool growing area on earth - a wonderful example of Australia's great range lands. The soils also produce some great wines, and there are many small boutique wineries taking advantage of the terroir. We stop en route to drive to the top of an extinct volcano with spectacular views across the plains. From the summit we see some of the hundreds of volcanic lakes scattered across the plains. Later stop at Lake Corangamite, the largest permanent lake in Australia, often covered with prolific birdlife. We return to Melbourne in the late afternoon, where you are dropped off at the airport for your flight across Bass Strait to Devonport for your first night in Tasmania.      (BL)

Day 25 – Tuesday, July 31: Devonport / Kings Run
Leave Devonport this morning and travel along the coast to Marrewah and Kings Run, arriving about lunchtime. King’s Run is a former cattle property turned into a wildlife refuge. The features of Kings Run are the spectacular coastline & its nocturnal wildlife. The western boundary is the Southern Ocean that pounds a rugged foreshore studded with quartzite outcrops and an abundance of shorebirds. Inland heath land and low eucalypt areas containing rare flora help to support a rich variety of birdlife including many of Tasmania's endemic species. The rare Orange Bellied Parrot migrates through the property in autumn and spring. The former pasture areas are now a marsupial lawn grazed by wallabies, Common Wombat and bandicoots. These animals in turn support healthy populations of the world's largest carnivorous marsupials, Tasmanian Devils and Spotted-tail Quolls. With the co-operation of the Tasmanian Nature Conservation Branch owner Geoff has developed a method of viewing the Tasmanian Devil in the wild. There are no roads on the property only sandy tracks; devils traverse these tracks during their nightly search for food. A scent trail is dragged along these sandy tracks to a rustic fisherman's shack to view the devils that generally arrive within a few hours of sunset. The devils extraordinary sense of smell & hearing do not detect the guests watching in candlelight through a window as the animals feed on a road kill relocated from a local road. A "Devil Restaurant" as such where it's safe for them to eat! A soft outside light allows you to see a range of devil behavior and a simple sound system brings the sometimes "raucous vocalizations" inside the 'hide'. After an evening of amazing wildlife retire to your nearby accommodation for the next two nights, is a self-contained cottage at Marrawah, where the last Tasmanian Tiger was trapped.       (B)

Day 26 – Wednesday, August 1: Northwest Tasmania
Continue to explore Northwest Tasmania (itinerary still being finalized, but emphasizing the wildlife and natural history of the island). It's possible you'll get to Cradle Mountain National Park, where Devils at Cradle gives insight into conservation of Tasmanian Devils, which are currently undergoing a population decline due to Devil Facial Tumour Disease. There are also several very good walks at Cradle Mountain.

Day 27 – Thursday, August 2: Devonport / Melbourne
Fly back to Melbourne at 10.05am this morning, arriving at 11.20am. You re met and transferred into Melbourne for your last full day in Australia. Your hotel is in the downtown area, within walking distance of all Melbourne has to offer. However, as it is winter, you may prefer to hop aboard the ubiquitous trams, which run all about the city – there’s even a free one looping around most of the immediate city sights. The National Gallery has two locations, one in downtown opposite Flinders St Station, and one a few hundred yards along St Kilda Road. The galleries have world-class collections, both of European classical art and a superb collection of Australian art. Melbourne has some of Australia’s best and most interesting restaurants, and we recommend asking your Echidna guide for some recommendations.      (B)

Day 28 – Friday, August 3: Melbourne / Los Angeles / New York
Return to the airport for your 10.25am Qantas flight QF93 to Los Angeles, where you arrive at 7.30am this same day, regaining your day lost to the International Date Line. After passing through customs and immigration transfer to Qantas flight QF107 departing at 9.05am for New York, arriving at 5.20pm. This flight leaves from the same terminal as you arrived into.       (B*L,*M,*B)

B:breakfast; L: lunch; D: dinner; M:meal; * inflight meal

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