Beyond Melbourne

Day 1 - Melbourne - Yarra (50KM)

Depart Melbourne or Melbourne Airport for the peaceful, green Yarra Valley. Hit a high note at the estate of international opera diva Dame Nellie Melba, Combe Yarra Valley, with its vast and beautiful gardens, historic buildings, restaurant and cellar door. Chandon and De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate are home to many award winning wines - taste them with perfectly matured cheese. Say hi to Australia’s unique wildlife, including koalas, kangaroos, platypus, wombats and emus at Healesville Sanctuary.

Day 2 - Yarra - Phillip Island (150KM)

Perhaps join Global Ballooning for a spectacular sunrise flight over misty vineyards and dairy farms of the Valley. Then travel via silent forests and historic villages of the Dandenong Ranges, stopping for a fun ride on the 100-year old Puffing Billy Steam Railway.

Phillip Island is home to extraordinary wildlife experiences, but first visit historic Churchill Island which has been farmed since 1850. Explore the restored farmhouse and old cottages, learn about traditional farming techniques and farm animals, stroll through colourful cottage gardens, take a coastal walk.

The Koala Conservation Centre has treetop boardwalks taking you right up close to these cute and curious creatures. Follow the boardwalk at The Nobbies for extraordinary clifftop views across to Seal Rocks, home of Australia’s largest fur seal colony. Watch out for migrating whales in winter.  Visit The Nobbies Café on site. The Penguin Parade is internationally famous, with hundreds of little penguins popping out of the sea at dusk and scurrying to their sand dune burrows. Settle in for a tasting and dinner at Rusty Water Brewery Restaurant & Bar.

Day 3 - Philip Island - Mornington Peninsula (170KM)

Coastal style, galleries, Wine Food Farmgate trail, golf, hot springs.

Moonlit Sanctuary is a celebrated wildlife park where you can feed kangaroos and wallabies and see rare and endangered native animals. And it’s en route to the Mornington Peninsula. Create your own craft brewery or distillery trail and discover renown gin, whisky and run distilleries dotted throughout the Mornington Peninsula Sample the Mornington Peninsula’s superb cool climate wines and explore award-winning outdoor sculptures at Montalto and nearby Pt Leo Estate. Both are included in Australia’s Ultimate Winery collection, offering sensational experiences with stunning views. Select from fine dining or more casual outdoor dining at each vineyard. Then head for magnificent Port Phillip Bay, where Moonraker Dolphin Swims will take you swimming with seals and dolphins, or relaxing on a wildlife sightseeing cruise. End the day at Peninsula Hot Springs, one of the world’s top spa attractions with naturally heated mineral water pools, more than 20 bathing experiences plus the luxurious private Spa Dreaming Centre.

Day 4 - Mornington - Geelong (60KM)

Bay cruise, Taste Trail and premium train restaurant.

Travelling from Sorrento (Mornington Peninsula) to Queenscliff (The Bellarine Peninsula) is a breeze. On the spectacular 40-minute cruise on a Searoad vehicular ship, watch out for millionaires’ mansions on Sorrento’s cliffs, dolphins all year and whales in winter. Explore Queenscliff’s maritime and military history, and gorgeous grand hotels. If you didn’t have time for a dolphin swim yesterday, Sea All Dolphin Swims tempt you with snorkelling or sightseeing around seals and dolphins. Barwon Heads village has a cool coastal vibe, with ocean beaches, gentle estuaries and rocky coastal headlands. Dinner at Queenscliff Brewhouse, at the Flying Brick Cider Company or opt for a degustation feast aboard The Q Train.

Day 5 - Geelong - Melbourne (76KM)

Geelong’s Baywalk Bollards, botanic gardens, wildlife

Geelong’s waterfront is famous for many eateries, its 1892 restored carousel (one of only 200 in the world) and the Baywalk Bollards. They’re 104 humorous carved and painted wooden characters –learn more about them on the Geelong Arts and Culture Trails free app. The Geelong Botanic Gardens have been a green and peaceful sanctuary for more than 150 years. Keep the green theme going with a stop at the You Yangs - a regional park with nature adventures, wildlife viewing, walks and bird hides. Echidna Walkabout Tours really bring all this to life, as naturalist guides get you up close to wildlife and explain their research and wildlife conservation. Return to Melbourne, or head off on your Great Ocean Road adventure!