Melbourne to Adelaide self-drive in 4.5 days?


behyx

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Jun 15, 2002
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I'm planning a self-drive trip from Melbourne to Adelaide, via Great Ocean Road.
Where are the 'must-visit' locations and where's the best towns to explore and stay over for the nights?

I hope to at least spend the last 0.5 day in Adelaide before I take a one-way Tigerairways flight back to Melbourne.

Thanks!
 

Along GOR no need to say... see all the natural wonders like the Twelve Apostles, Island Archway, London Arch... In Adelaide... must go visit the Barossa Valley where some of Australia's best wine come from... if you plan to spend longet time in Adelaide (personally I recommend 2 days)... can go Rundle Mall and China town area for walk and food... can also go to Harbour Town for warehouse outlet shopping... :D
 

Along GOR no need to say... see all the natural wonders like the Twelve Apostles, Island Archway, London Arch... In Adelaide... must go visit the Barossa Valley where some of Australia's best wine come from... if you plan to spend longet time in Adelaide (personally I recommend 2 days)... can go Rundle Mall and China town area for walk and food... can also go to Harbour Town for warehouse outlet shopping... :D

Thanks ant0800!

What are the towns along GOR which is worth staying over for the night? I could think of Apollo Bay and Port Fairy from what I saw online (are they that good??) and Robe.. What do you think? :)
 

Apollo Bay is a good place to stop. Quite a few good spots to visit there, waterfalls, walking trails etc. Got some fast food restaurants as well. In Port Fairy, I only visited the booby birds nesting ground. Nothing spectacular although I had a really nice burger in a bakery there.

Between Warnambool and Port Fairy, there is a park where you can see koalas. I forgot the name, I think it is Tower Hill. Also in Warnambool, you can visit the whale nursery viewing platform.
 

Go eat freshly shucked oysters in The Oyster Bar in Glenelg, Adelaide. There is also great view of the ocean there. But you would have seen enough of ocean during your GOR drive.
 

Your might want to check first Victoria Roads the condition of the GOR, because it was closed for several days due to the effects of heavy rain in Middle to Late January.

Most of Victoria is now under severe flood warnings and more rain is expected in the area due to the side effects of Yasi.
 

It's been 10 years, but I still remember the sunset as we drove into Lorne from the West - spectacular :)

It might be a little close to Melbourne for you though. We stayed there on the return leg of our drive -- Ferry from Mornington Peninsula side (Sorrento, I think) then on Princess Highway to Warrnambool, back via GOR.

One nice thing about the place we stayed (Cumberland Lorne) was a spa with a view out the balcony to the bay. According to their floorplans, that hasn't changed :)
http://www.cumberland.com.au/

0.5 day at Adelaide sounds pretty short though
 

4.5 days overall i find it quite short.... places there from one point to another take up a lot of traveling time at times.