5 DAY FULLY INCLUSIVE TOUR
1ST APRIL TO 5TH APRIL 2021
The ancient towering 12 Apostles are a collection of limestone stacks at Port Campbell, off Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. Experience amazing food and beverage destinations along this spectacular coastline. Gourmet cheese makers, craft beers, hand-made chocolates plus real dairy ice cream made from fresh milk and fresh cream from local producers. Yum!
TOUR MAP
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Queenscliff Maritime Museum, Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre, Colac Botanic Gardens, Red Rock Volcanic Reserve, Apostle Whey Cheese, GORGE Chocolates, Great Ocean Road, Port Campbell National Park, Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Timboon Cheesery, Timboon Fine Icecream, Otway National Park, Cape Otway Lighthouse, Forrest Brewing Company, Tarndwarncoort Homestead, Hastings Ostrich Farm and Barwon Park Mansion.
CRUISE
Searoad Ferry to Queenscliff.
MULTIPLE NIGHT STAYS
4 nights in Colac.
PRICE
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Twin Share Room First Tour: Twin Share Room Repeat Traveller 2 - 10 Tours: Twin Share Room Repeat Traveller 11 - 20 Tours: Twin Share Room Repeat Traveller 21+ Tours: Single Room Supplement: Deposit: |
$2,345 per person $2,320 per person $2,295 per person $2,270 per person $ 190 per person $200 per person upon booking |
O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours will match single travellers who wish to twin share, with another single traveller of the same gender.
However, if this is not possible, you shall be provided with single accommodation at the twin share fare (no additional cost).
However, if this is not possible, you shall be provided with single accommodation at the twin share fare (no additional cost).
TOUR MAP
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ITINERARY
DAY 1: THURSDAY 1ST APRIL, 2021
MELBOURNE TO COLAC
As always, we are collected from home and taken to meet our O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours crew and luxury touring coach then make our way to Sorrento port to board the Searoad Ferry across “the Heads” to Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula. Established in 1838 as a pilot station to guide ships through the Rip (the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay), Queenscliff is imbued with olde worlde character, historic hotels and homes, stores, rugged beaches and even a bona fide fort, built to defend Port Phillip Bay. Our first stop is the Queenscliff Maritime Museum featuring the last Queenscliff life boat and covers the maritime history of Queenscliff, Southern Port Phillip and the Bass Strait interface. After lunch, we’re off to the Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre for a fascinating insight into Victoria’s marine and freshwater environments by one of the Centre’s Education Officers. We continue on to our destination Colac, where we can unpack just the once, as this is our home for the next 4 nights.
OVERNIGHT: Colac Central Hotel Motel, COLAC
As always, we are collected from home and taken to meet our O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours crew and luxury touring coach then make our way to Sorrento port to board the Searoad Ferry across “the Heads” to Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula. Established in 1838 as a pilot station to guide ships through the Rip (the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay), Queenscliff is imbued with olde worlde character, historic hotels and homes, stores, rugged beaches and even a bona fide fort, built to defend Port Phillip Bay. Our first stop is the Queenscliff Maritime Museum featuring the last Queenscliff life boat and covers the maritime history of Queenscliff, Southern Port Phillip and the Bass Strait interface. After lunch, we’re off to the Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre for a fascinating insight into Victoria’s marine and freshwater environments by one of the Centre’s Education Officers. We continue on to our destination Colac, where we can unpack just the once, as this is our home for the next 4 nights.
OVERNIGHT: Colac Central Hotel Motel, COLAC
day 2: FRIDAY 2ND APRIL, 2021
COLAC AND THE RED ROCK VOLCANIC RESERVE
Colac, with a population of over 10,000 people is situated on the southern shores of Lake Colac and is the main centre of a prosperous closely settled agricultural district. We’ll take a drive through tour of the town taking in the sights. As well as the town and the lake we make a stop at the Botanic Gardens dating back to the nineteenth century. Listed on the Australian Heritage register, the gardens contain a number of significant specimens. After our tour of the town and a morning tea break we depart Colac on our sight-seeing tour of the Red Rock Volcanic Reserve. We leave the highway west of Colac and travel to Alvie where we will stop for our picnic lunch. From here we’ll take the short drive to the Red Rock Lookouts. Volcanic cones, craters and crater lakes are the main features of Red Rock. From the lookouts there is a panorama across what is perhaps the 3rd largest volcanic plain in the world.
OVERNIGHT: Colac Central Hotel Motel, COLAC
Colac, with a population of over 10,000 people is situated on the southern shores of Lake Colac and is the main centre of a prosperous closely settled agricultural district. We’ll take a drive through tour of the town taking in the sights. As well as the town and the lake we make a stop at the Botanic Gardens dating back to the nineteenth century. Listed on the Australian Heritage register, the gardens contain a number of significant specimens. After our tour of the town and a morning tea break we depart Colac on our sight-seeing tour of the Red Rock Volcanic Reserve. We leave the highway west of Colac and travel to Alvie where we will stop for our picnic lunch. From here we’ll take the short drive to the Red Rock Lookouts. Volcanic cones, craters and crater lakes are the main features of Red Rock. From the lookouts there is a panorama across what is perhaps the 3rd largest volcanic plain in the world.
OVERNIGHT: Colac Central Hotel Motel, COLAC
DAY 3: SATURDAY 3RD APRIL, 2021
THE TWELVE APOSTLES GOURMET TRAIL
Today is a day for tempting the tastebuds as we follow the 12 Apostles Gourmet Trail! We make our way to Cooriemungle to visit Apostle Whey Cheese, a genuine ‘paddock to plate’ operation. We’ll have an interesting chat and a chance to taste their wares! It’s then a short trip to our next stop: GORGE Chocolates, producers of handmade chocolates using a special type of Belgian chocolate. At Princeton we pick up the Great Ocean Road where it rejoins the coast and runs the full length of the Port Campbell National Park. We pass the Twelve Apostles - huge pillars looming out of the surf, carved over time by the fury of the ocean; Loch Ard Gorge, where in 1878 the iron hulled clipper Loch Ard was driven out onto rocks offshore. Of the 50 or so on board only two were to survive, being swept into the narrow gorge now named after their ill-fated vessel. After lunch in Port Campbell we’re now off to Timboon to the Timboon Cheesery. We’ll have a talk and the chance of a taste of their speciality product. Last call today is Timboon Fine Icecream, a refreshing way to end our Gourmet Trail day!
OVERNIGHT: Colac Central Hotel Motel, COLAC
Today is a day for tempting the tastebuds as we follow the 12 Apostles Gourmet Trail! We make our way to Cooriemungle to visit Apostle Whey Cheese, a genuine ‘paddock to plate’ operation. We’ll have an interesting chat and a chance to taste their wares! It’s then a short trip to our next stop: GORGE Chocolates, producers of handmade chocolates using a special type of Belgian chocolate. At Princeton we pick up the Great Ocean Road where it rejoins the coast and runs the full length of the Port Campbell National Park. We pass the Twelve Apostles - huge pillars looming out of the surf, carved over time by the fury of the ocean; Loch Ard Gorge, where in 1878 the iron hulled clipper Loch Ard was driven out onto rocks offshore. Of the 50 or so on board only two were to survive, being swept into the narrow gorge now named after their ill-fated vessel. After lunch in Port Campbell we’re now off to Timboon to the Timboon Cheesery. We’ll have a talk and the chance of a taste of their speciality product. Last call today is Timboon Fine Icecream, a refreshing way to end our Gourmet Trail day!
OVERNIGHT: Colac Central Hotel Motel, COLAC
DAY 4: SUNDAY 4TH APRIL, 2021
OUT AND ABOUT IN OTWAY
We make our way back to the coast to Glenaire, where we again connect with the Great Ocean Road through the Otway National Park to Cape Otway. Steeped in history and surrounded by beauty, the Cape Otway Lighthouse is an unforgettable experience. In 1848 the lighthouse became the beacon of hope on a dangerous coastline and is one of the oldest lighthouses in Australia. We will enjoy a morning tea break here with time to explore before heading back along the Great Ocean Road, through Apollo Bay and back inland to Forrest, where we stop at the Forrest Brewing Company, a small 600 litre brew house and brew-pub located in the old general store in Forrest. All their beer is brewed on site, hand bottled, hand labelled and bottle conditioned. We’ll have the opportunity here to view the brewing process and also enjoy a light lunch in their charming restaurant! Our last stop before heading back to Colac is to Tarndwarncoort Homestead, one of Australia’s oldest family farms and is also the birthplace of Australia’s first breed of sheep – Polwarth. It will be an interesting visit with afternoon tea and a tour of the gardens and homestead.
OVERNIGHT: Colac Central Hotel Motel, COLAC
We make our way back to the coast to Glenaire, where we again connect with the Great Ocean Road through the Otway National Park to Cape Otway. Steeped in history and surrounded by beauty, the Cape Otway Lighthouse is an unforgettable experience. In 1848 the lighthouse became the beacon of hope on a dangerous coastline and is one of the oldest lighthouses in Australia. We will enjoy a morning tea break here with time to explore before heading back along the Great Ocean Road, through Apollo Bay and back inland to Forrest, where we stop at the Forrest Brewing Company, a small 600 litre brew house and brew-pub located in the old general store in Forrest. All their beer is brewed on site, hand bottled, hand labelled and bottle conditioned. We’ll have the opportunity here to view the brewing process and also enjoy a light lunch in their charming restaurant! Our last stop before heading back to Colac is to Tarndwarncoort Homestead, one of Australia’s oldest family farms and is also the birthplace of Australia’s first breed of sheep – Polwarth. It will be an interesting visit with afternoon tea and a tour of the gardens and homestead.
OVERNIGHT: Colac Central Hotel Motel, COLAC
DAY 5: MONDAY 5TH APRIL, 2021
COLAC TO MELBOURNE
This morning we head for Winchelsea where we pay a visit to Hastings Ostrich Farm. Ostriches are majestic, flightless birds, weighing up to 180kg and laying eggs over 1.5kg. Our tour guide will answer any questions we may have about these fascinating birds. Winchelsea was first settled in 1837 and was named after one of the Cinque Ports in England. There are many historic buildings and an old bridge in the town. After lunch in Winchelsea, we’ll visit Barwon Park Mansion, for a tour of this beautiful home built in 1869 and later bequeathed to the National Trust. It is noted for the fine cast iron balcony verandah, its bluestone construction and the ornate furnishings. We then head for home, where our chauffers will be waiting to take us to our very door, a lovely end to an exciting tour!
This morning we head for Winchelsea where we pay a visit to Hastings Ostrich Farm. Ostriches are majestic, flightless birds, weighing up to 180kg and laying eggs over 1.5kg. Our tour guide will answer any questions we may have about these fascinating birds. Winchelsea was first settled in 1837 and was named after one of the Cinque Ports in England. There are many historic buildings and an old bridge in the town. After lunch in Winchelsea, we’ll visit Barwon Park Mansion, for a tour of this beautiful home built in 1869 and later bequeathed to the National Trust. It is noted for the fine cast iron balcony verandah, its bluestone construction and the ornate furnishings. We then head for home, where our chauffers will be waiting to take us to our very door, a lovely end to an exciting tour!
TOUR INCLUSIONS
Complimentary chauffeur driven transfers
Victorian passengers from Greater Melbourne, Bendigo, Torquay, Ballarat, Geelong, the Bellarine and Mornington Peninsulas, Phillip Island and selected areas of Gippsland will be picked up from home in a private chauffeured vehicle by one of our professional drivers.
For Victorian passengers not within this pick up zone, or our interstate passengers a quote can be provided for home pickup in extended areas. At the end of your tour, you will be safely returned home with memories of a sensational tour.
Luxury Touring Coaches
Our full size 3 axle luxury coaches have only 34 -36 passenger seats allowing you even more personal space and huge leg room. Our coaches are fitted with comfortable reclining seats with aisle arm rests, foot rests, seat belts, panoramic windows with blinds, refrigerator for passenger use, Climate control air conditioning & Road Cam monitors which display the road ahead in real time. Each coach also has a second door for easier entry and exit and touchless hand sanitizer dispensers at each entry to help keep everyone safe. The coaches have full air suspension delivering a smooth and quiet ride which also allows us to lower the coach closer to the ground, making boarding and disembarking even easier. Tour Director. Dedicated O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours coach crew (tour directors) on board to ensure your travel experience is memorable.
Tour Director
Dedicated O’Shannessy’s Quality Tours coach crew (tour directors) on board to ensure
your travel experience is memorable.
Best Available Quality Accommodation
Ensuite motel accommodation each night.
Attractions
All tours and interest venues as per itinerary.
All Meals
Full cooked breakfasts, morning tea, lunches and two course restaurant dinners daily.
No Hidden Extras
O'Shannessy's Quality Tours are fully inclusive.
“...The abundance of Food Artisans and producers in the area gives visitors the chance to savour several amazing food and wine experiences along the spectacular coast and scattered throughout the inland crater country....”
12apostlesfoodartisans
PAYMENT AND CANCELLATION POLICY
Balance due on invoice approximately 30 days prior to departure.
Deposit is fully refundable until 31 days prior to departure date.
Prices include GST and all taxes.
Cancellation 30 to 8 days before tour departure date, 20% Refund of Tour Cost
Cancellation within 7 days of tour departure date, No Refund
On or after tour date departure, No Refund
Travel Insurance is not compulsory, however we highly recommended you take out comprehensive travel insurance with a reputable insurer at the time you pay for your tour.