The Great Southern Touring Route Holidays

Take one of the most spectacular road trips along the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne to Adelaide.

The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s best driving adventures. Most of it is in Victoria, just 90 minutes from Melbourne where the city gives way to an end-of-the-world coastline, craggy bays that take big gulps of fizzy seawater and turnings that reveal wonders like The Twelve Apostles.

Tackle it on our Great Southern Touring Route from Melbourne to Adelaide for a longer drive that gets beautifully quiet the further you go. Or a round-trip from Melbourne makes it short and sweet. Take the upcountry way and you’ll get mountain air in The Grampians and indulgent time out in Daylesford is the icing on the cake.

The Great Southern Touring Route Hotels

Our recommendations for the best places to stay in The Great Southern Touring Route

Cumberland Lorne Resort

Contemporary self-catering apartments

Lake House, Daylesford

A stunning, family-owned lakeside hotel with award-winning regional cuisine.

Oscars Waterfront Boutique Hotel

Boutique hotel on the Moyne River

Royal Mail Hotel, Grampians National Park

A historic building at the edge of the Grampians National Park, this hotel’s stellar cuisine is t...

Holidays in The Great Southern Touring Route

Hotel

The Great Southern Touring Route
4 Star

Cumberland Lorne Resort

Contemporary self-catering apartments

Hotel

The Great Southern Touring Route
5 Star

Lake House, Daylesford

A stunning, family-owned lakeside hotel with award-winning regional cuisine.

Hotel

The Great Southern Touring Route
4 Star

Oscars Waterfront Boutique Hotel

Boutique hotel on the Moyne River

Hotel

The Great Southern Touring Route
4 Star

Royal Mail Hotel, Grampians National Park

A historic building at the edge of the Grampians National Park, this hotel’s stellar cuisine is the stand-out feature of the town.

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Melbourne & Victoria

Melbourne

Melbourne & Victoria

Beyond Melbourne

Get to know the Great Southern Touring Route and those important practicalities when planning your perfect holiday.

Capital Capital of Victoria: Melbourne

TIME DIFFERENCE

GMT +9 hours

CURRENCY

Australian Dollar

FLYING TIME TO DESTINATION

Melbourne: 21 hours (not including stopover time)

RELIGION

Majority Christian

LANGUAGE

Australia has no official language but the majority of people speak English as their first language. Approximately 250 indigenous Australia languages are spoken.

Where is the Great Southern Touring Route?
The Great Southern Touring Route stretches between Melbourne in Victoria and Adelaide in South Australia. The Great Ocean Road is 150 miles of spectacular coastal scenery whilst inland you will find national parks and historical towns that boomed during the gold rush era.

Great Ocean Road
Take on the open road as it winds along Australia’s most famous coastal drive. Cruise alongside the Twelve Apostles, majestic limestone columns rising out of the deep blue-green waters, and stop off at wave-sculpted rock formations like Loch Ard Gorge and London Arch. In pretty towns like Lorne and Port Fairy, take a leisurely coffee break in a café on the beach or stop for great local seasonal food at home-run restaurants.

The Grampians
Rising dramatically from the surrounding plains, The Grampians are just a three-hour drive from Melbourne. This is quiet, traditional Australia, that’s rich in Aboriginal heritage. Hiking is big news here, and walking tracks through the park lead to cascading waterfalls and panoramic lookouts. Spring is particularly beautiful, when the wildflowers are in full bloom.

Ballarat
Experience the height of Australia’s gold rush in the perfectly preserved Victorian town, Ballarat. Walk among busts of each Australian prime minister in the botanical gardens, buy something delicious to eat at the monthly farmer’s market (held on the first Saturday of each month) and enjoy an interactive tour at Sovereign Hill, a recreational town where actors re-enact life in gold rush Ballarat. Nearby, spa town Daylesford has natural mineral springs and an impressive foodie scene worth a short detour or overnight stay – the family-owned Luxury Lodge of Australia Lake House is the definition of a destination hotel with its award-winning regional fine dining and sublime lake setting.

Motorhome
This region is perfect for exploring in a motorhome – you'll have the freedom of having all you need with you while you experience some of Australia's most gorgeous scenery.

The Great Southern Touring Route Weather

Best time to go

Nov - Mar

January

19°c

February

19°c

March

17°c

April

13°c

May

10°c

June

7°c

July

7°c

August

7°c

September

9°c

October

12°c

November

15°c

December

17°c

The Great Southern Touring Route Weather by Month

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